-[Mike] Oh! -This time...
-Oh, yeah! -We're taking a trip back to the 1970s
in an underrated British classic.
That's the magic of a Triumph Dolomite Sprint.
To see if this super-fast saloon...
[Marc] The engine was the main selling point of this car.
It's an absolute bullet proof rocket machine.
Could ever be considered superior to one of the icons of its era.
Is it better than a Mark 1 Mexico?
That's a big old bold claim that, isn't it?
Can we bring this car back from the dead?
She's alive! Alive, I'm telling you.
And show the automotive world that it really was a triumph
of its era.
-Oh. -What do you reckon?
[Marc laughs]
-That our car? -Just can't take it all in.
It's like holding on to a wild beast.
I'm Mike Brewer. And I've been buying and selling cars
for nearly 40 years.
It's rattley, it's smelly and it's blooming brilliant.
Now I've set up shop in Britain's motoring heritage heartland.
Can see the back of the Volvo and there it is. Very nice.
Along with ex-Formula One mechanic, Marc Elvis Priestley.
So that engine management light never put you off then?
Together we're going to buy...
I think you're the right man for it.
Top man.
-And fix up... -Little bit more.
-Are you actually pushing? -'Course I'm pushing.
The most iconic and exciting cars on the market.
This is gonna be epic.
Bolt a super charger to it and you end up with a car that does this.
With Elvis' engineering skill.
Like trying to wake Sleeping Beauty, innit? Apart from the beauty bit.
-And my car dealing clout. -[man 2] He's gonna be over the moon isn't he?
Elvis better get the posh tools ready.
We should be able to make ourselves a tidy profit.
'Cause this is my job and I blooming love it.
[theme music playing]
Mate, I've been thinking about the next car
for the workshop ramp.
-Yeah, go on, what is it? -Well, what do you remember from the mid-'70s.
Well, you won't remember much are you, you're too young.
No, I was only born in '76. I mean if you're talking cars,
I dunno back then, Ford had a couple of good ones, didn't they?
They did. They did. They had the, uh, the Capri,
Escort and the Mexico Escort.
Yeah. Exactly, uh, BMW had that little pocket rocket,
the 2002.
They had the 2002, that was a wicked little car,
-yeah, proper petrol head's cars. -Yeah.
But there was also another petrol head car that
got overlooked by everybody,
but I've been keeping an eye on the prices
and they've started to go up because they're just about to celebrate
their 50th anniversary and people are starting to
talk about 'em again.
-British car? -Hmm.
-I can't work it out, go on, what is it? -Triumph Dolomite Sprinter.
Oh, wow, good car.
Stonking engine in those things.
-They handled brilliantly. -Yeah.
Lots of them have rusted away to nothing, but there's
a few survivors out there.
Yeah, okay, I'd love to get my hands on one, yeah,
-do it. -Nice one.
-Cheers. -Nice one.
[Mike] I think the Dolomite Sprint is one of the most
overlooked British cars ever built.
They offered that perfect blend of sports car
like performance and saloon comfort.
Loaded with cutting-edge technology,
they were capable of 120 miles an hour,
not bad for 1973.
Unfortunately they came along at a time
when the world had fallen out of love with British cars
which is part of the reason why only 23,000
were ever built.
On the plus side, that means today, they're a rare gem.
I've come to see specialist Chris.
He's been buying, selling and doing up Dolomite Sprints
for as long as anyone can remember.
So if anyone's gonna have the right car for sale,
-it's him. -Yes. I love a Dolomite Sprint
and here's my man. It's Chris. How you been?
Really good, thank you. Mike.
-Great to see you. -Yeah, you too.
What's the world of, uh, Triumph Dolomite Sprints like these days?
Uh, absolutely booming mate. Everybody wants 'em.
The problem is the Mark 1 and the Mark 2 Escorts went through the roof.
And people couldn't afford them,
so the Dolomite Sprint was the next one.
But it's a better car than a Mark 1 and Mark 2 Escort.
Controversial. Ah, well. Controversial, Chris.
I dunno, they are. They drive better, they're just quicker.
As I pulled up I see those three blue ones,
you've got lined up outside. Can we go and have a look at 'em?
Course we can. We can go and have a look.
Yeah, let's go and have a chat.
This is no good for me, that's way too finished.
-Yeah, it's a beautiful car. -But come on Chris,
-sell me this. -I can't, Mike, I can't sell it.
-You can sell me this. -I can't.
Look at it, it's perfect for me.
-Sold to a customer, this one. It is, mate. -Is it?
Chris, it's me. Can't you unsell it to the customer?
No, man of my word. Never go back on a deal.
There's this one here, you can have a look at this one.
That looks like it's about to be picked up by a crane
and turned into soup cans.
No. Have, have a look around it, Mike.
Tell me about it. What's good about it?
Everything is good about this.
[laughs] Come on Chris. It's got a green bonnet.
-Bumper. -Yeah.
It's scrappy, bodywork's a bit scrappy.
Wrong color doors on it. Where's the vinyl roof?
Well, you'd have to sort that. She looks rough,
but she's solid, mate.
Let's have a look at this interior.
-What? -Ooh! It's there, isn't it?
[Mike gasps]
I've got a few interiors Mike, we could do a deal.
-What's the engine like? -Engine's brilliant in this.
These are the first 16 valve mass produced engines, these.
-Predates the Golf GTI 16 valve, this car. -It certainly does.
-Oh, look at the boot lid. That's fantastic. -Yeah.
It looks like the car's having a poop, don't it?
Yeah, but it's solid, Mike. Get yourself in it. Go for a test drive.
-You're kidding. Seriously? -Seriously get in it and drive it.
Come on then let me drive it and I'll talk to you after.
See what it feels like then.
[laughs] Oh, no way.
Oh. Oh, yes!
And that's, that's the magic of a Triumph Dolomite Sprint.
Wow, I mean, this car looks like a bag of nails,
but it drives like an absolute beast, this car.
That's caught me completely by surprise because
let's face it on the outside, this vehicle looks so tatty
and embarrassing.
I wouldn't think anyone would wanna buy this car,
but under the right foot, it feels like an absolute gem.
It handles beautifully.
Oh, the steering's precise and direct.
Don't get me wrong, there's still room for improvement.
There's a little bit of fluff in, coming from the carburetor,
there's a little bit of a flat spot, I can feel that.
Let's try the old overdrive in the gearbox.
Yeah typically that doesn't work,
so that's gonna have to be addressed.
I mean, my target price for this car would be somewhere
I can't believe I'm gonna say this, around six grand,
but I reckon he could probably sell this car
for like eight grand as it is.
'Cause they are making massive money
if they're fully restored.
And there's a line of people queuing up to buy one.
I think the world has just cottoned on
to how good the Triumph Dolomite Sprint really is.
But what a car.
[door closes]
What's it drive like? It drove all right.
-You weren't lying, was you? -No.
I'm kind of shocked. It's a little bit fluffy on
-the accelerator and on the carbs. -Yeah.
-It could do with the carbs rebuilding. -I could feel that,
so the carbs need rebuilding. But handling-wise,
it's good, engine's got good power, clutch and gearbox feel alright.
Yeah. It's a good car, Mark.
How much you reckon you're gonna get for this?
-Eight grand. Like this. -Like this?
Take six grand for it. I can't do six, Mike.
Course you can. To me, what's the best you can do?
I'd do six and a half to you.
I'd give you 6,250 for it, what'd you say?
-Go on then, Mike. -Yes. Lovely.
I've just bought myself a Triumph Dolomite Sprint.
-Scrapper. Project. -It's a project.
Over the years I've spent literally millions of pounds
on buying and selling cars, but never have I been happier
to spend £6,250 on a car that looks so hideous.
But I need to convince Elvis that underneath
this tatty exterior, interior,
there is a car that's dying to be treated by us.
It's desperate for some Wheeler Dealer attention.
[Marc] Mate, what on earth is that?
-That's hideous. -[laughs] All right, buddy.
You must be either on your way from the scrapheap
or on your way to the scrap heap, look at it.
You know what that this, don't you?
I do know what it is, it's a Dolomite Sprint.
I mean they're amazing cars. But I mean that one isn't.
Uh, mate open your eyes, you're gonna love this, come follow me.
Obviously, the paintwork is a big issue.
Yeah. Just a bit.
It, it may look like a bit of a scrapper but it has got this.
-Oh, yeah. -The engine was the main selling point of this car,
it's an absolute bullet proof rocket machine that is.
I mean it's a single overhead cam,
but was one of the first engines to have
four valves per cylinder as well.
And massive performance out of that.
Yeah, first mass produced multi valve engine.
And it actually pre dates the Volkswagen Golf GTI.
Nice strong engine, pulls really well.
The carburetors need a tune up.
Okay, well, I mean, that's easy, isn't it?
We could even go as far as bringing it in to the modern day
and doing like an E10 conversion, couldn't we?
Yeah, nice, E10 conversion, like that idea.
Uh, it's got a really good gearbox as well.
Feels nice and positive through the gears.
-Nice. Sweet, yeah. -It's a four speed overdrive.
The overdrive isn't working though.
So that needs fixing. Okay.
Uh, yeah, so we need to sort that out
and then the rest of it... What?
-That's not right. -No, it should have a vinyl roof.
Yeah, where are we gonna get a vinyl roof in this day and age?
Pfft! Dunno, last time I seen somebody do a vinyl roof,
I was watching Starsky and Hutch on the television.
On the internet.
-Exactly, yeah. -That's where the vinyl roofs gonna come from, the internet.
That will be a mission, trying to find one of those.
Have you seen in here?
Leave the interior to me. All the bits of trim that are missing,
I'll get those.
And then there's the big elephant in the room,
which is the, um, the hideous paintwork.
-You don't want to leave it. -No, I don't wanna leave it.
I think we should celebrate this car by going back
to its original color, which is the blue.
Yeah, okay. Look, I'll tell you what,
I'm a lot more enthusiastic than I was when I walked through that door
a minute ago because if what you're saying is right
and underneath here is a proper solid platform
to build from then I'm excited.
I didn't wanna drive this car, but by the time I'd snatched second gear,
I was willing to turn round, run back and give him
every penny of £6,250 for it.
That sounds actually all right, that's a decent price isn't it?
And if you was to get behind the wheel, you'd feel exactly the same as I did.
Well, here's a bold claim for you, Chris,
the expert on these cars, he reckons that this car was
so underrated that he thinks it's a much better car than
an Escort Mexico.
Wow, I think that is a bold claim.
But I mean, he might be right, you know.
The technology in this was so good, so far ahead
of its time, like I say.
I mean the performance was there, they are great, great cars.
I just don't think they ever got the credit
that they deserved.
I mean I'd love to prove him right, you know.
-Let's prove it. Yeah. -Yeah.
-Happy? Right, let's get to work. -I'm excited.
[Marc] The Mark 1 Mexico was the rally-inspired sporty special edition
of Ford's multimillion selling Escort.
It featured a 1.6 liter engine and race inspired suspension
and brakes making it lightning fast in corners.
It was loved by Brits who snapped up more than
10,000 of them.
Keen to take a bite out of the sporty saloon pie,
Triumph launched the Dolomite Sprint in 1973.
It was more powerful and technologically advanced
than the Mexico,
but it was also more expensive and less glamorous.
Which meant it never came close to taking a big chunk out of the market.
But could it ever be considered the all-round better car?
Well, that's the million dollar question.
The Sprint's credentials really speak for themselves,
almost 120 miles an hour, 0 to 60 in just over
eight seconds.
For 1973, those are stats that are well ahead of its time.
Is it better than a Mark 1 Mexico?
Well, it's a big old bold claim that, isn't it?
But only once I get this car back to its brilliant gleaming best
can we have any hope of trying to find out.
I need to get to the bottom of what's going on with
our electronic overdrive system.
And to do that I need a little help from one of my mechanic mates.
So I've got Dan sat inside the driver's seat,
and when he throws the switch on the gear lever,
what I should hear is this solenoid actuating.
Before manufacturers started fitting five speed gearboxes
as standard,
many of them used an overdrive system.
Which is a bit like having an extra gear that you can turn on and off
allowing you to cruise at higher speeds.
So Dan, if you wanna pop the ignition on
and then just flick the switch on and off a couple of times, please.
-[clicking] -No. Nothing.
What it should be doing is throwing a rod in and out
on the end of the solenoid and that's what engages
the overdrive gear.
That's not happening, which means
I've a further investigation to do as to why.
A solenoid is a type of electromagnet that needs
an electrical current to turn it on and off.
What I need to find out is whether the current
is getting to it from the car or if it's the solenoid itself
that's broken.
Okay, so I'm gonna use this multi meter here
to test the two connections on the back of the solenoid.
If I get this on here, would you turn the ignition on
and then throw the switch please, mate?
Yeah, there you go. Right, so that confirms then
that we are getting power to the solenoid,
that end of the system is working as it should.
The problem then means that it must be inside
the solenoid itself.
Because although we're energizing it,
it's not mechanically moving.
That means I'm gonna have to get it off
and take it apart and have a look.
But before I do that, I should probably let Dan out the car.
So I've been tasked with trying to find
an interior for our Triumph Dolomite Sprint.
When I bought the car from Chris,
he said "If you need any interior, let me know, he can help me."
So I thought "You know what I'm gonna jump in the car,
I'm gonna go down and see him."
The choice though is whether I go for the original brown color
or whether I change that color and go for something else.
Here he is, Chris.
-How you doing, bud? -I'm all right, Mike. You?
-Good to see you. -Yeah and you.
If you remember, when I was last here.
-Yeah. -And you broke my arm
and I had to buy that car off you,
-that ridiculous scrapper off you. Scrapper. -Project. Project.
You said as I left that you could help me out
with an interior because the interior of that car
-is hideous. -Yeah.
So I've been looking around for an interior
-and it's led me back to you. -Okay.
So why don't you just unbolt the interior out
-No. -of this special edition.
-Can't do it. -And I'll take that away.
Not this one. This is a rare one, mate.
Non headrest early car. But...
-That's why I want it. -No, but I have got
some interiors you can look at.
-Have you? Come on then. -Yeah.
-Show me what you got. -Let's go.
Well, can I say, uh, you are displaying basically
the interior of that scrapper that you sold me?
-Project, Mike. -[chuckles]
Uh, are these the colors that were available back in the '70s?
Certainly was Mike, yeah.
I need to think about salability.
-Yeah. -Selling our car.
Do I go for originality and go for the brown interior
or in your opinion, what color sells best?
I would go for a black interior, Mike.
Would that not matter, though, that it's non-original?
No, not really. Everybody prefers a black.
Yeah and it'll have a black, uh, vinyl roof as well,
so it would suit it, won't it?
-It'll match. -Okay, well, uh, that's not
the black interior I want though.
-That's horrible, isn't it? -It, it is, Mike, it is.
But we've got, we've got some that we can clean up
for you and get over to you.
Okay, how much is it gonna cost?
Um, seats and door cards, you're looking at 250, Mike.
-250 quid. Done. -Yeah.
-Thank you very much, Chris. See? -Thank you.
Eh, I swing round and all I do is put money in your pocket.
-[Chris laughs] -All the scrap you keep selling me.
Projects.
[Marc] Whilst Mike's hopefully sorting me out a new interior,
I'm sending the car off to a specialist to be painted.
Next, I've gotta take care of that overdrive problem,
and having already removed the gearbox,
I'm hoping it's an easy fix.
I had hoped to be able to repair the solenoid on
our overdrive system here,
but having just put 12 volts directly from a battery
onto the terminals, there's no click,
there's nothing happening and it is dead.
However I've also found out that a new one only costs
just over £100 and so I'm going to replace it.
Whilst I've got the gear box out, it'll only take me
a couple of hours to give the main overdrive components
a bit of a service.
I'm going to inspect the gears and check the filters
that keep the oil in the system clean.
As the gears inside the overdrive spin,
of course they wear over time.
And those particles that wear away can find
their way through the system and cause problems
if left unchecked.
The system has two filters. This one a coarser filter
or primary filter that picks up the big bits
and then behind that, just underneath this cap
is a secondary filter that's really, really fine
to get those tiny little particles
that we still need to clear out.
[chuckles] Ugh, that's gross.
So that is seriously clogged up,
but that's the secondary filter,
so that's the really fine mesh.
So that would've built up probably over many years.
It's fine particles of things like fragments of clutch,
little bits of wear and tear off the gears itself.
I'd be much more concerned if the primary filter
had big chunks.
So both of these just need a good cleanout.
I'm really pleased though
looking at that one that we're doing it.
I'm using a fine brush and a little squirt of brake cleaning fluid
to help remove the decades of grime.
With everything clean and tidy I'm putting in a new end seal,
replacing the housing and the freshly washed filters.
And finally adding our brand new solenoid.
Right, well, that's the solenoid all back in.
Just leaves me one job and that's to test it.
Connect our wires back up, what we should hear this time
is a definite click as that solenoid kicks into action
when we give it its 12 volts. Here we go.
And there it is.
There we go, great. So we've now got
a working solenoid.
We've checked for wear inside. I've replaced the rear seal,
cleaned out the filters.
We now have a fully operational overdrive system
and that's one thing the Ford Escort Mark 1 Mexico never ever had.
Feels like the competition's heating up
and another way I can help our Dolomite to maybe edge
a win is by sorting out the carburetor problem
that Mike noticed on the test drive.
Now Mike said there was a problem with the carburetors
on our Dolomite Sprint.
And so I've had 'em in the parts washer
to give 'em a thorough clean
because I want them to be clean on the outside
but perhaps even more importantly on the inside.
They're a complex bit of kit.
But while I give them a full overhaul,
I also wanna give 'em an upgrade
so they can work on E10 fuel as well.
In September 2021, E10 fuel became the standard grade
of petrol in the UK.
The difference being that it has 10% ethanol content
as opposed to 5% in the old fuel.
It's hoped that this change will cut vehicle CO2 emissions
by 750,000 tons a year.
Which is the equivalent of taking 350,000 cars
off the road.
The reason conversion kits like this one exist
is because the higher ethanol content in the E10 fuel
is far more degrading to things like rubber hoses,
O rings and seals than the E5 fuel was previously.
This kit has set up back £300.
But a recent survey found that 66% of classic car owners
were having trouble finding the right type of fuel
for their cars.
So having the ability to fill up anywhere out on the road
should add a fair amount of value to our Dolomite Sprint.
I'm gonna change a number of components
to make them compatible with E10 fuel,
but I'm also gonna change some of the older parts
as part of a general service.
Having stripped the carbs down,
I'm starting by replacing the spindle and butterfly valve.
These are the parts that open and close to allow
the right mix of air and fuel into the engine.
So we need them working perfectly to get the best performance.
With the spindle slotted into position,
the throttle disc or butterfly valve slots
through the gap in the middle
and then what we have to do is just play around with it,
moving it back and forth,
until we get it perfectly seated inside its housing.
-[metallic clink] -And it's that sound there.
That sound tells me it's sitting perfectly,
it's sealing when it's closed.
And I can put the retaining screws in.
Next I'm replacing the old nylon float
which is susceptible to degrading if it comes into
contact with E10 fuel for a prolonged time
with one that's made from a more modern material.
Now with a new float, it's important that we set
that float at the right height
because as the chamber fills with fuel and the float rises,
it's that that shuts off the flow of fuel
into the chamber itself.
So if we set it at the wrong height,
you'll either get too much or too little fuel in there.
Now the manufacturers specify a gap of three millimeters
from here at the base of the chamber
to the bottom of the float itself,
so we're using a three mil drill bit as a gauge
and all we need to do because at the moment it's too big
is to give it a gentle tweak and bend the metal
that it sits on
until we get it about right.
And with everything replaced, I can reassemble the car back together.
There we go. That's one carburetor now fully rebuilt
and E10 fuel compatible.
So I'm pleased with that. Of course I've got another one to do
plus some hoses and ancillary parts
need changing as well.
But when the car comes back, I can get these installed,
get them balanced and set up and fine tuned
to give our car the very best chance of performing
at its highest level.
And with all this work maybe, just maybe,
we might just be able to prove that actually it is
in fact better than a Mark 1 Mexico.
Of course, it's not just about performance,
it's gotta look the part too and I hope that when Mike
finally brings it back from the paint shop,
it's gonna be a complete transformation.
[Marc] We've got our hands on a 1979 Triumph Dolomite Sprint
and are trying to find out whether this overlooked
piece of British automotive engineering
could ever measure up to the mighty Mark 1 Ford Escort Mexico.
Things are starting to get interesting because look at
what's just pulled up with a new paint job
and spanking interior.
[chuckles] Mate, that's stunning.
-You like it? -Oh, so good, I love the color.
It's fantastic, isn't it? It's called pageant blue.
It's a proper Dolomite color.
And now it's all tied in with one color.
What a difference from the patchwork quilt
it was before. Remember green.
-Yeah. -Brown, beige.
What a transformation. It looks so good.
-What you been up to? -Uh, well, I've been busy.
I had the gearbox apart, serviced it, so that's good to go.
Do you remember it wouldn't go into overdrive?
Well, It was just a little solenoid.
So I've replaced that, so that now works.
I've had the carbs apart, I've serviced them.
And I hope you don't mind, but I've spent about 300 quid
on an E10 conversion kit for 'em.
I'm so pleased you've done that because I tell you what
that's a dilemma facing all classic car owners
at the moment.
I can now get those bits of course now back in the car.
And once I've done that, I need to think about
-that vinyl roof, don't I? -Yeah.
The only thing that's letting the car down
now are these tatty old bumpers.
Shall I take 'em away and get 'em re-chromed?
Yeah, that'd be great. That would absolutely finish it off nicely.
It's starting to make sense now what Chris said
about these cars right at the very beginning when he reckoned
this car is better than an Escort Mexico.
-I know it's a big shout. -It is.
But with it coming together
and starting to look like it's looking he might have a point, you know.
Yeah, I thought he was mad when he said that to be honest.
But, yeah, you're right, it's coming together. It looks the part.
I know you've driven it, you said it was great.
I'm keen to get behind the wheel and just see how
it compares to a Mexico on the road.
Why don't we sort of try it? Let's see if this car is better than a Mexico.
Love to, yeah. But we can't do that until it's finished.
-No. -Shall we get it off the trailer?
Yeah, let me get that strap.
[Marc] Our little Dolomite sprint looks amazing after
that paint job.
I just hope Mike's new interior's gonna match up with it.
Oh, look at that.
Look at that, that is great, isn't it?
I mean I know it's not the original brown color
but I've gotta say having now seen it,
I think Mike's made exactly the right decision
in changing these to black. They look amazing.
They're the one thing, on the outside at least,
stopping it from being a proper Dolomite Sprint is this.
We should have, of course, have this vinyl roof on here
and I know from experience that is a tricky job
and you only get one shot at getting it right.
So I think I'm gonna have a phone around
and try and find an expert to come and give me a hand with it.
[Mike] I'm on my way to the Midlands to see my mate, Alan,
who's a specialist in electroplating.
So he's got all the skills to make our bumpers look
as good as new.
There he is Alan, how are you, buds?
-Oh, hi, Mike. -Good to see you.
Nice to see you again.
Al, I sent down my bumpers from my Dolomite Sprint so,
uh, what did you think of 'em?
They were actually in quite a bad state.
-Ah. -And it's not, it's not from the front
that has been the problem, these have rotted through.
-On the inside. -On the inside,
it's the rust on the inside that's the problem.
But we can salvage 'em 'cause we can work
minor miracles.
Oh, Alan, that's fantastic.
[Mike] Now this isn't gonna be a spit and polish fix.
We're taking things right back and electroplating them
from scratch.
This process uses electricity to coat the damaged parts
in layers of metal.
This will not only make them look like new,
but stop corrosion in the future.
Alan's already prepped the rear bumper center section
by removing the old plating and sanding off
all the corrosion marks.
So after a quick rummage in the health and safety dress up box,
we're ready to get to work.
If I remember rightly, this is the electro clean, isn't it?
-It is, yeah. -What's going on inside here then?
There's various chemicals in here that are,
are great cleaners. The best one being cyanide.
-Oh, right, lovely. -So you get the pleasure of throwing the switch.
Oh look at this, this is pretty dramatic.
Ready.
She's alive. Alive, I'm telling you.
[Mike] As the electricity flows through the solution
any oxidization that has occurred since
the bumper was polished
is pulled away and fizzes at the surface.
And now it's clean and we can start plating.
But we can't jump straight into the chrome
as we need to build up the layers of protection
on the steel starting with two base layers of copper.
So this should be a nice salmon pink color.
Yeah.
So there we go. This one's finished.
[Mike] From here, it's polished to a mirror shine
because any defects will be highlighted when we apply the chrome.
Next we add a layer of nickel plating
which gives it the protection from the elements.
Right, so that's, that's nickel now, is it?
That is, yeah.
We're almost at the very last stage.
Now the only problem with nickel is that
it tarnishes like steel or brass.
So the chrome, it'll just go in the chrome
for a couple of minutes and that puts on a layer
that doesn't tarnish.
-Yeah. -So once that's put on there,
then you don't have to polish your bumpers every week.
-You just need to clean them. -Perfect.
A few minutes later, it's time to get
our nickel plated bumper out and into the final step of
the chroming process.
And that's it now in the chrome tank, yeah?
-Let me put the power on. And we'll be chroming. -Oh, right, okay.
It's like working in some Dickensian workshop.
If you're wondering why this tank looks like
a kid's ball pool,
well, those plastic balls are called croffles
and they're there to stop the heat escaping from the tank.
Look at that, off it goes.
The chrome layer is not normally any thicker
than two hundred thousandths of an inch thick.
-Wow. -There is very little on there at all.
There we go.
Right at the moment it's very orange.
But this is the bit of magic isn't it, this bit?
Yeah, we're soon gonna rinse all that off.
Goes in there.
Turns one color
and then it goes in here and I love this bit.
And as if by magic.
[laughs] Oh, look at that, that is absolutely fantastic.
Wow. What a quality finish.
Well, listen, you've just got the rest of them to do now, haven't you?
Yeah. I think we'll get 'em done and get 'em off to you.
Yeah, if you can ship 'em back to the workshop,
thank you so much.
Thanks for giving us a hand up on the plant today.
I've loved every minute of it.
[Marc] Whilst Mike's off re-chroming our bumpers,
I've called in Lee, who's a vinyl roof
fitting specialist with over 20 years' experience.
So if there's anyone who can make sure I don't end up
in a sticky situation, it's him.
Right, well Lee, we've been prepping this,
cleaning the top for quite a while now.
-How's it looking on your side? -Looking pretty good.
I guess it's a super important part of the process, this,
'cause you've gotta get rid of any specks of dust or dirt
before we think about putting a vinyl roof down.
That's right, yeah. You want the glue to stick
-as well as possible. -Yeah. All right.
[Marc] The vinyl roof was originally used back in the 1920s
to make hard tops look like more desirable convertibles,
from a distance of course.
And even back when our car was built in the '70s,
it was still seen as a desirable option.
So with the roof cleaned to a mirror finish,
the next stage is to mark up precisely where
our new vinyl needs to sit.
Oh, I see you're picking up off the two inserts
-for the mirror. -That's it, yeah.
Because they would've been set in that exact position in the jig
-in the factory, so we know they're central. -That's right.
Yeah, okay, nice and then we line the little notch up
with the mark.
And then same at the other end.
Yeah, so we need one for the back.
Right so you haven't got quite as a, a definitive mark
for the center line here.
No, so we'll use the, this vent cut out.
And find the center of that.
So we know the vent is gonna be central across the car.
You've just gotta find the center of the vent.
-That's right, yeah. -Okay.
[Marc] With everything marked up perfectly,
we can start applying the glue.
Lee's putting a thin layer on the vinyl itself and then
more on the roof of the car,
so we get the very best adhesion possible.
Then because we're only gonna get one go at this,
I've roped in Dan again for some more help.
There you go, I've found a friend.
-You nearly done? -Right, uh, nearly there.
[Marc] Right, here we go, one wrong move here and
we're gonna be in a world of pain.
And then you see that little white mark on top.
-[Dan] Yeah. -We're gonna line that up with this leading edge,
this lip of the front of the roof.
So I think we need to come forward a little bit.
I mean, Lee, to me that's looking really good, are you happy?
I am. We've got no air bubbles, we've got no...
Yeah, that's the hard part over with.
Good, well done mate. Nice one.
[Marc] Next, we're adding a layer of glue
to the gutter rail sections on both sides
and sticking them down.
Before Lee gives them a quick blast with the heat gun
so the fabric becomes more malleable
and it can get stuck nice and tightly around
all the fiddly bits.
Then there's just a few trims to make
before we can crack on with covering the seat pillars.
I tell you what, what a difference it's made.
You know a few hours work, I mean, what a transformation
-to this car. -I know, it's amazing.
It really is. I've still got a bit of work to do, of course,
I need to get that interior in, but once that's in
and I can't wait to show Mike 'cause he hasn't seen it
in this state, he's gonna love it.
[Marc] Our Dolomite Sprint is almost ready to put
through its paces
to find out if it could in a way be deemed better
than the iconic Mark 1 Escort Mexico.
But before that can happen, I need Mike to arrive
with our freshly chromed bumpers.
[laughs] Hello, mate, how you doing?
Oh, you're gonna love this.
Look at those. Aren't they just amazing?
Chroming is a dying art, but, when people do it,
they do an amazing job, don't they? They look brand new.
What do you reckon? [laughs] Is that our car?
Do you remember it when it first came back?
Do I remember it when it came back,
I just can't take it all in. Look at this, a vinyl roof,
when was the last time you'd seen one of them. Did you do that?
Uh, I did do it. I called in a bit of help,
a guy called Lee came down to help me out
'cause it's a tricky job.
It is a dying art in itself, but how good does it look?
I can't believe it's still our car.
Yes, and I do remember what it looked like.
We had a green bonnet, a brown boot lid, beige doors,
a bit of patch of blue was there somewhere.
That's right, remember the interior?
It was a cacophony of different colors and materials.
But I sourced that interior.
Tied it all together, hasn't it?
Yeah. It really has, mate, yeah.
He's done a cracking job in there.
It's great and with these final bits on,
I can't wait to get it out on the road.
Right, now, you remember when I bought this car,
the guy Chris said that he felt this car was well overlooked
and it holds its own up against the Mexico.
-Yeah. -And I said we should have
some kind of sort of challenge,
uh, to see if this sort of meets the benchmark of the Mexico.
Well, I've arranged that. I've got one set up.
Be interesting to see 'em next to each other, wouldn't it?
What I want to find out is,
why did people go for the Mexico
and why did people overlook this car.
They shouldn't have done.
Yeah. All right, mate, well, let's get it buttoned up
-and get it on the road. -Lovely, right, I'll do the bumper.
[Mike] We've taken one of the most underrated British cars ever built...
Oh, yes! That's the magic of a Triumph Dolomite Sprint.
...and transformed it from a messy patchwork quilt...
You must be either on your way from the scrapheap or
on your way to the scrapheap. Look at the state of that.
...into an everyman classic.
-Mate, that's stunning. -You like it?
Oh, so good, I love the color.
[Mike] ...that is now ready to prove its worth against the competition.
We now have a fully operational overdrive system
and that's one thing the Ford Escort Mark 1 Mexico
never ever had.
[Mike] But how much has this remarkable renovation set us back?
I originally bought the car from Chris at £6,250.
The overdrive fix set us back 104 quid,
the new interior was 250,
the E10 conversion kit was 288
and that spanking vinyl roof, 520.
The re-chrome brightwork was 600
and finally the new paint job cost £1,800.
Giving us a grand total of £9,812.
But does this Sprint now have the legs to live up to its name?
Well, there's only one way to find out.
-Wow. I mean, wow. -It's all right, innit?
It's fantastic.
But this is no aimless cruise through the countryside.
The reason that I have driven you all the way down
to Wales is 'cause I'm taking us
to a special little circuit.
Now I've arranged for the day,
not that we can race each other
but I thought me and you, we can see the differences
between this and a little Escort Mexico.
So we can get out on the circuit
and we can test these cars and see which one we prefer.
-Oh, mate, you had me at circuit. -[both laugh]
Wow. That looks great, don't it?
That is fantastic, look at that for a car.
-Oh, it's lovely. -I absolutely love those.
What a great example of it as well.
-It's beautiful, isn't it? -Yeah.
But look at the difference between the two.
You know that has got a split front bumper,
two lights, this is a solid bumper with four lights.
I feel like this looks like a bit of a meaner front end.
Do you know what I mean? I mean, a bit more aggressive.
Yeah, with that egg crate grille. It does look more purposeful.
It looks like it wants to go quicker, doesn't it?
And look at this down the side as well.
Our Dolomite Sprint has magnesium alloy wheels
where the Escort has steel wheels with hub caps.
Yeah, that's a good point. It's another win
for the Dolomite in terms of sportiness,
-you're right, yeah. -You think about this car.
it's not saying I'm a family car.
It's clearly not.
It's only a two door. Yes, they did a four door version of the Ford Escort,
but it wasn't in the sporty version.
Where the Dolomite out the factory
was a four door car, therefore I'm a family car.
Plus once you put a vinyl roof on something,
-it ages it. -Yeah.
It makes it a middle aged person's car.
And the theme followed on, on the inside,
it's got a wooden dashboard where the Escort has got
nice chrome buttons and a deep dish steering wheel.
It's saying I'm younger. This is saying I'm older.
And that could be the difference.
Yeah, but, listen, that is only half the story, isn't it?
'Cause those things are all about appearance
and that's only half the tale of what makes
a car good or not.
The other thing is how it drives and, look,
we're at a race track, mate.
Well, let's try it. Your helmet has been put in the car for you.
Mine's been put in this, see you out there.
[Mike] Right, this is it, time to see
what these cars are all about.
I'm in the Mexico and that's about 190 kilos lighter
than the Dolomite.
But Elvis has got 42 more horsepower than me
and that all important overdrive gear.
Oh, yes. Into that first bend.
Oh. Go on, son, get your slipper down.
Oh, I've got you, I've got you, I've got you, I've got you.
-Come on. -[laughs]
Here we go. All right then,
if we're gonna race, let me put my foot right down.
Yeah, there we go, that's where it comes into its own.
Look at the speed of that Sprint, that's amazing.
This is fantastic, innit?
Look at us, we look like we're about to start
a touring car race in the 1970s, don't we, me and you?
But this Escort feels so nimble and so light.
But from the outside, it looks light and nimble.
What's that Dolomite like?
This is really nice. It's running so sweetly honestly.
And actually, now I've just stuck my foot down,
it sounds great as well.
Definitely got a bit of poke 'cause I've got
a bit more horsepower than you.
There's 127 horsepower in this car.
Well, I've only got 85 in this one, unfortunately.
Even so, this might be quicker in a straight line,
but I think, given the weight comparison
you're probably a bit more nimble and quick
through the corners, aren't you?
[Mike] Yeah, I mean, this one won't keep up with
that I don't think because 0 to 60 in this car
is approaching 11 seconds.
It's 10.7 seconds. What does that get to 60 in?
Yeah, this is 8.4 seconds, mate.
Yeah, so you're gonna leave me at the traffic light
grand prix, you are away and gone, aren't you?
Yeah, yeah.
The difference being that when you push it into a bend,
I can see you tip over a bit more on the suspension
and I've got, uh, race suspension
and race brakes where you don't.
Out of those corners and along a straight like this,
if I stick my foot really to the floor,
you'll be left in my rear view mirror.
I've got a funny feeling I will be.
Do you, fancy going for it? That's what we're here for, innit?
Go on then, fella, away you go.
I'm gonna see if I can catch up with you.
-Whoo. -Oh, yes.
Look at the end of the day, everyone in the classic car world is,
would be screaming to get in the seat with me right now.
They'd wanna be in this car. And they may overlook
that Dolomite Sprint,
but actually in terms of figures and what
we're experiencing,
the Dolomite should stand up on its own, shouldn't it?
It's very true, mate, yeah, it's an unsung hero.
Looks fantastic, you know, that car.
Wow, we have turned out a really, really lovely motor.
It looks amazing from behind.
Come on, look, this is where I've got you again.
-Out the way. Go on get out of the way. -[laughs]
You know I get why people loved, uh, the Ford Escort
but I do believe after this experience that me and you
have just had with the Triumph Dolomite Sprint,
that car deserves its place in history
and I think it's time for that car to shine through
and I'm really pleased me and you have had
this opportunity to shine a light on it.
Absolutely, mate, I couldn't be prouder of what
we've turned out here.
Oh, this is fantastic. What two amazing cars.
I'll be honest with you, when I bought this Dolomite Sprint,
I never thought it would look as good as this.
It looks epic and not only that,
we've proved that it drives really well, too,
putting it head to head against that Escort Mexico.
The spotlight I think has now started to shift across
to the Dolomite sprints.
Now I advertised it out there,
I think for a very reasonable 13,750.
I've priced it to sell. And Ibby here has
beaten a path to my door and he's come all the way from Leeds.
Let's see if he wants to buy it.
-So then, Ibby. -Hiya.
Why a Triumph Dolomite Sprint?
Well, I had one when I was 17.
And then I had to sell it to buy my first house, so...
Oh, mate! That must have hurt.
What a cool car to have when you're 17.
Oh, it was wicked car, yeah.
So you like the jobs that we've done to this?
-Oh, it's brilliant yeah. -You like it?
Yeah, really like it, color's, well, color's spot on.
Lovely, well, we've done a lot to it.
Drives lovely, it looks amazing.
Well, listen, we've advertised it out there,
I think at a really reasonable price.
One, that I know I'm gonna sell it immediately,
if not to you, to somebody else.
I need 13,750 for it, what do you say?
Well, as soon as I saw it advertised, I went for it, so, yeah.
-You got a deal? -Yeah, you've got a deal.
Lovely, mate, you just bought yourself an epic car. Well done.
Cheers. Thank you.
This car had all the attributes to be an icon.
But somehow, it slipped through the net,
but for me and Elvis, it has been a bit of a triumph.
If you wanna see more cars like this being turned around,
then join us again soon on Wheeler Dealers. Ta-ta.