The Sprint Pages

Here you will find the story behind the Sprint roadworthy project in words and pictures.

See the "helpers" in action as they battle to learn the basics about rot and Dolomites.

During the late 70s and early 80s I became interested in road rallying.  Starting with helping and organising moving on to navigating then attempting to drive.

The helping period was great, the navigating period was, well, rather sickly, the driving was brilliant but did not last long.   Divorce, house sale, new house, lack of funds etc ended my brief driving career as the car had to go.

The rally car, pictured, went to Bill Douglas of Douglas Garage Northampton with the proviso that when he had finished with it, I could have any spare parts back.  I understand Bill rallied it in the 1981/2??  The number plate was something like WBH 11M.  Anyone know what's happened to it?

So Why Do It?

Because it's there and it's part of my life.  Everyone has their days, their era, their music, their cars.  When you get older you get sentimental, it becomes more than a chunk of metal (hopefully).

The History

So there I was no Sprint, no money, no wife.

Decided to change jobs and start afresh.  Got a great job, girlfriend, mortgage and a second hand Inca Sprint (yes I know, glutton for punishment)

Bill duly returned the spares from the rally Sprint which I set about transferring to the road car during 1984.  When I had finished, about 3 months work, I naturally wanted to take the car out for a blast but my insurance had expired.  (you think you know what's coming ha ha).  I asked my girlfriend, who was insured on her own policy, if she would get some petrol and drive me out to a gated, private road to have a blast.  A phone call not many minutes later was to advise me that the Sprint was stuffed into the back of a Nissan Sunny about half a mile up the road.  Next piece omitted for younger readers.

Car was drivable to home but a broken radiator, fan and significant frontal damage meant that major remedial work was required.  As my girlfriends' insurance was only TPFT when driving someone else's car it was hands in the pocket time.  Not being good at body work the car went to a local body shop for repair and re-spray.  I decided that the mechanicals could do with an overhaul so just as the car was to be hauled off for fixing I removed engine, gearbox ancillaries etc so I could work on them when the car was away.

Car was returned, repair was excellent but re-spray was not of a high quality, more curtains and tears than any theatre production you may have seen.

Whilst the engine was out I Hammerited the engine compartment, inside front valance, behind the headlamps, inside the front and rear wings and under boot, up to the back seats.

The History Part II

So again there I was with no running Sprint, no money, no wife.  Kept the same job, same car, same girlfriend, everyone can have an accident after all.  The car had only done 54k and was only 4 years old by this stage. 

Summary of work done during late 1984 and 1985:

Hammerite engine bay, front inner arches, front valance, rear arches, under boot.

New main shells, New rings, Bores deglaze

New cam chain tensioners,  Valve clearance, both side done

Oil pressure gauge installed in place of voltmeter

New head gasket (just in case), New front ball joints all round

Front discs skimmed

Group 1 suspension transferred to car

New radiator, New fan

Second hand viscous coupling

New front wheel bearings

New rear wheel bearings, re-shimmed

4 new tyres

Car 85% re-assembled

Then it all came to a stop.  Why?  No idea, maybe living life, then have 4 kids in quick succession, job, I just cannot say definitively why.

The History Part III

So to 2004 and again here I am with no running Sprint, no money, but with a wife and 4 kids.

Work for the same company but in a different job.

The car had been "resting" for 20 years still only done 54k.  As we were not going far for our annual holiday this year I decided to inspect the Sprint over a few days and decide what to do with it.  The body work has faired very well with little minor surface rust appearing.  However, the wheels had suffered badly and the car was lost under 20 years of  accumulated, "that will come in handy one day" stuff.

First job then took son no2 and I two weekends to clear the clutter with a number of trips to the local tip.  At last we could fully see the Sprint.  Two flat tyres and loads of dust and muck courtesy of 5 cats and a rabbit who lives in the garage.

Tyres pumped up and time to move the car to the middle of the garage so we can move around it.  4 people pushing very hard to move it a few inches.  The front discs had rusted just enough to make life difficult.

Car moved, wheels off and brakes inspected, see photos.  Calliper removed and brushed up.  Piston blown out.  Despite the callipers now looking good the pistons were corroded where they sat on the inner seals, so new brakes needed now. 

Rather than spend loads of money now it was decided to see what condition the engine was in.  Oil replaced, new battery, plugs out and turn!!  It sounded very good on the starter motor and with a good spark.  Compression was not measured by any scientific method though.  Next it was down to the local tip for a lawn mower petrol tank to hook up so we could start the car.  Qualcast to the rescue.  Tank on, petrol on and .......... bugger.  Bad leak from front carb.  Anyone with a spare re-furb kit and connecting pipe and seals out there please.

This is were we stop for now.  Next is to sort out spares list based on what we know and tackle some of the surface rust.

Stemmed petrol leak so decided to try and start the engine.  Not much petrol in the carbs but just wanted to check there was nothing like piston meets valves etc.  Key in and turn........yes, it fired, rough, maybe on 3 only, but nothing metallic.  Oh dear what's that under the car, water and anti freeze? Yes.  Coming from water pump housing.  Carbs, manifold off and water pump out,  Yep pump seals gone.  New seals then.  Anyone know how to get spindle bush out please?  Might as well do that at the same time.

During the past few days I have been assessing various other parts of the car and pricing up the spares needed.  At the end of last week the sub-total was up to the £500 mark using Rimmers parts list, so some savings to had, but is an indicator of what the the damage to the credit card could be.  Time to think laterally to reduce cost.  EBay to the rescue, Sprint with 6 months tax and MOT, new brakes, electronic ignition, SS exhaust etc. with spares £500.  Purchased the car, well at least I get to play again for a while as well.  Car still in Glasgow waiting collection.  Then today, 9 Sept, called a very nice guy from the Dolomite Owners website adverts giving away a complete Sprint, no rot, been stored for 10 years for FREE.  Head is off as gasket went, hence reason garaged.  Going to collect next week some time