Gosh oh golly, I bought a Dolly.
Discussion
That looked just like my old sprint.
But mine didn't go like that one. I remember meeting a guy at the owners meeting once who built F1 engines for Hart, his Sprint went rather well, he'd managed to build a equal length 4 tuned exhaust manifold, but given the lack of space this entailed on of the pipes having to come up and over part of the head so removing the spark plugs entailed removing the manifold first.
Reckoned his hobby was eating Cossies.
But mine didn't go like that one. I remember meeting a guy at the owners meeting once who built F1 engines for Hart, his Sprint went rather well, he'd managed to build a equal length 4 tuned exhaust manifold, but given the lack of space this entailed on of the pipes having to come up and over part of the head so removing the spark plugs entailed removing the manifold first.
Reckoned his hobby was eating Cossies.
Another world-beating design concept from BL, let down in the execution. Raced by Derek Bell and Andy Rouse a few decades ago; there is an article somewhere - possibly authored by Bell - which is scathing about BL bean counters wrecking the potential of the Sprint racing team. 120+bhp in 1973 was more than a little ahead of the field.
Something from the Toryograph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/classiccars/73...
Global warming vid is VG!
Something from the Toryograph http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/classiccars/73...
Global warming vid is VG!
A link to Ken Wood's rally Dolly Sprint running a Rover 24V V6. Well known Scottish rally car.
http://www.rallyforums.com/forum/showthread.php?27...
http://www.rallyforums.com/forum/showthread.php?27...
I also had a carmine red one! KBL 229P. Ran it on the cheap as a student so I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised when it blew it's cylinder head gasket en route to a job interview and just before my finals! Had to chop it in quickly for. 1.8 Marina Coupe!!!
Great car when it ran. Always remember trying to remove the spark plugs with a special tool as they are buried deep into the cylinder head.
Enjoy!
Great car when it ran. Always remember trying to remove the spark plugs with a special tool as they are buried deep into the cylinder head.
Enjoy!
I had a Dolly Sprint, PUD 254M, purchased for 300 GBP in 1986, immaculate. I remember over-dive on 3rd & 4th, gave some nice progress. Took two, hippie, veggie, hotties, (yes both girls) to see the RAC Rally in Wales, seemed impressed. Less so with drive back to Brum, Dolly's like to wave the backend around on the curves. Only sold it to buy a GT6. Great car looks good OP.
Breadvan72 said:
It is a lovely drive on a country road, with very classic RWD handling. It would have been a fair match across country for a contemporary BMW or Alfa saloon, but would have been left behind by a Lancia Beta. The Dolly would have trounced many Brit sports cars of its day. I do not know enough of 70s hotbox Fords to say how they would have compared with a Sprint. My Dolly is a bit lowered at the back (adjustable Gaz shocks), and handles pleasantly. The exhaust is throaty, but not yobbish loud. The rev counter needle is sticking a bit, but otherwise everything is working well.
On paper stats suggest that the period RS2000 was 0-60 in 9.0 with a kerb weight of 914kg versus the Sprints figures of 0-60 in 9.1 and a kerb weight of 991kgs.Having driven a very hot sprint (lots of BL period tuning goodies, DCOE's etc) back in the early eighties, and then a standard Mk2 RS2000 the RS always "felt" that bit quicker and had a better planted front end. The Sprint had a tendency to nose dive in early round the twisty bits from my notes from the time.
I'm just glad that these have not rocketed in price like the blue oval products, and that one day I'll re-aquatint myself with one.
Regards
Breadvan72 said:
Nice to have.You just need a proper 1970's BL Special Tuning rally jacket, umbrella and beany hat to go with it now.
Shame about the Webasto roof though - bloody horrible things, had one in my Sunbeam-Lotus and one in one of my RS2000's - would never want one in a car again.
//j17 said:
Remember as a child having a Webasto roof on a Humber Septer and loving it - mainly because the thing ran bloody hot and for some reason my dad's solution was to run with the heater on hot on hot days. Slightly more tollerable with the Webasto open!
The heater radiator on my Husky (Imp estate) seemed to be better at cooling the car than the one at the back, wouldn't have thought the same for a Septer but who knows Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff