WHAT TO LOOK FOR
SEE HOW THE CAR STEERS
If there’s play in the steering it’s likely to be the rack mounting bushes. These perish when they get soaked in oil but they’re easily and cheaply replaced with either polyurethane items or aluminium clamps.
If the steering doesn’t feel very precise it’s probably because either the lower or upper column coupling has broken, and they’re hard to find. Suspension bushes wear, but thankfully these are obtainable, as are polyurethane versions.
If cornering seems wayward it’s probably down to the front anti-roll bar mounts breaking. Welding them back on is easy, and new bushes will need to be fitted at the same time.
LISTEN OUT FOR ANY KNOCKING NOISES
The overhead valve 1493cc engine is prone to big-end bearing wear; listen for knocking at tickover. The most likely causes for concern are worn valve guides and piston rings, leading to oil burning on the overrun and under acceleration respectively.
Blue smoke shows a rebuild is due; kits from Rimmer Bros cost £370-£385 and a professional job is £2900. The 1854cc cylinder head warps if it overheats, so coolant level and anti-freeze concentrations must be rigorously maintained. See how quickly the engine warms up – if it stays cold, the thermostat may have been removed to disguise overheating.
CHECK THE ENGINE’S HEALTH
The Sprint has a 16-valve cylinder head sitting on a 1998cc bottom end that’s effectively half of a Stag V8. It has a reputation for unreliability, but in reality it’s generally fine with fresh oil every 3000 miles and attention paid to coolant mixture and level.
Complexity is reflected in the rebuild costs – £3900 is required for an expert rebuild of the 16-valve engine. The 1850 suffers timing chain rattle, so it’s worth changing the chain every 20-25k miles; allow half a day. Neglecting it risks destroying the engine – at least the Sprint has a duplex chain so it doesn’t suffer in the same way. Budget £3000 for an 1850 rebuild.
LOOK AT THE ROT TRAPS
Up front, check to see if the underwing mud shields are there along with each inner wing stiffener, high up in the wheelarch. This often rots and repairs entail the removal of the welded-on front wings. Door skins dissolve, as do the edge of the boot lid and the rear edge of the roof, which is tricky to repair.
The slightest sign of rust bubbles underneath a vinyl roof is bad news. The battery tray rots away, along with the subframe mounting points on the chassis legs where the bolt heads are visible. The subframes need careful checking, especially where the suspension wishbones are mounted.
WHICH TRANSMISSION IS IT?
The Sprint has a four-speed unit with the internals of the big Triumph saloons. It feeds a unique rear axle – if a ‘normal’ Dolomite is pretending to be a Sprint it’ll have a much smaller axle and smaller brake backplates. Non-Sprints had a four-speed all-synchromesh manual unit identical to the TR7’s.
The most likely problem on all manual boxes is a worn synchro – if it jumps out of gear or any ratio is hard to find, prepare to spend £500 on a rebuilt one (£50-£100 used). If overdrive doesn’t engage, it’ll likely be because it’s low on oil or suffering an electrical problem, such as a blown fuse or duff relay.