Possible New S7 Owners, Advice Needed.

[Guest gazzarose]

Hi,

 

I've been offered a S7 (think it is anyway) by a friend of my gfs family for 1500 quid. From the bits of information I've got, i think its an S7, and apparantly its a 1500 Dolomite engined one, although I've been told its got 120bhp, which doesn't sound right, could it be a bigger engined one?

 

I've got a few pics if some one could confirm its a S7.

 

 

 

 

 

I don'tknow much about Robin Hoods or Dolomites so is there any thing nasty which affects them. I've heard about the front suspension issue, can these be retro fitted with later wishbones and different hubs?

 

Also is there a way I can check to see what it is registered as? I take it its bad if its still registered as a Dolomite, if its still is registered as a Dolly, is there anything that can be done without getting IVA'd and stuff?

 

Is 1500 quid an ok price for it? It needs a bit of tarting up I think, but I've been told hes got everything there, he just started stripping it to make it lighter.

 

Also sorry for bit a bit vague with details, I just avn't seen the car or met the owner, he lives in Kent and Im down in South wales. My father in law took the pics yesterday while he was up there visiting relatives.

 

Im hoping it will be a nice project to cut my teeth on, before saving up for a brand new kit.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Gareth

[Guest Ian & Carole]

Gareth

 

You need to see the V5.

 

If it says Dolomite you will need IVA

 

If it says Robin Hood then A OK

 

£1500 is probably a bit high dependant on the V5

 

BHP sounds sprint ish, worth looking to see if its a 16valve sprint engine.

 

Sure it will be at least a 1850 and not a 1500.

 

CHECK THE V5

[Snapperpaul]

First off the 1500 dolomite would never make 120 bhp, you would be very lucky to get 80. I don't think the 2.0L Dolomit sprint made that much

Its an old Robin Hood but as long as it has a V5 (registration document) that says Robin Hood not Triumph, BLMC or Dolomite and has a correct engine number then at least it is legal.

 

I would not pay £1500 for that I stand to be corrected but if it is road legal, has the right paperwork then perhaps £500 tops.

Your biggest problem will be that you just can't get 1500 Dolomit parts, you could end up having to totaly replace all the running gear.

 

It looks like a complete car but i can see a lot of work in there.

[Snapperpaul]

Another thought, cause I have loads of them this time of the night, the Zero starter kit is probably the way to go, for a bit more money you could start with a new kit that is much easier to build and has passed IVA.

[Guest gazzarose]

Problem is Im on a super lean budget. Im half way through gutting and rebuilding my kitchen for the gf (plus its our first house and only been in 6 months) but Im starting to go a little crazy having a nice empty garage and no car to work on. I wanted something that would tide me over til I can save up for a car I want (Either Zero or an MK Indy powered by a duratec), but unless I win the pools it means its gonna be a few years. In fact it will probably be that me and the father in law will share the price of buying it.

 

I've emailed the family member whos friend owns the car to ask about the V5 and the engine.

 

If it is all registered properly, what is a realistic price to offer him? He did mention something about the wheels being worth a few quid, but I don't know much about them.

 

Would parts be a really bad problem or are they just hard to find? Could the engine be swapped for something like a pinto easily without changing to many of the mechanicals?

 

Thanks for the replies

 

Gareth

[chris n]

You can also check the car out HERE on the DVLA website to see if it is a Robin Hood or not, on the left hand side click the 'vehicle enquiry' link and then enter the vehicle make and registration number But as the others have said make sure you get your hands on the V5 and see it is registered properly as a Robin Hood S7 before handing over any readies.

 

I wouldn't pay £1500 for a Hood in that sort of condition.

 

Also add your Location to your porfile here by be someone local to you that can give you help if needed.

[Guest gazzarose]

Update,

 

Thanks to miikae, I now know its registered as a Robin Hood S7, thats a good start. And its registered as having a 1500 engine.

 

Now the only issue is with the price,how much should I offer him? How much would it be worth tarted up? Would I lose money if i sold it in 2 years?

 

Gareth

[Guest trackerjack]

As a Dolomite Sprint and a 2litre Pinto'd S7 owner I can advise you on the fact that although a 1500 can be tuned to give 120 bhp it would cost a fortune (75 bhp standard) a better engine is the 1300 Spitfire engine (same external sizes and bolt holes and also 75 bhp standard) which can be tuned to rev and hence make a good sports engine.

My Sprint is tuned and produces 170 bhp and the car does 1min 28 2 up round Castle Combe but a standard Sprint is 127 bhp and not the most reliable of engines. (however its much better on fuel than a Pinto could ever be!)

The 1850 Dolomite is an 8 valve Sprint in reality and produces 90 bhp (or 105 when bored out to 2 litre and called a TR7).

Spares for these engines are readily available and no sign of them being difficult in the foreseeable future (unlike pre crossflow Fords that once littered the streets).

 

Just noticed the pictures show an offside exhaust so its an all iron ohv 1500 or 1300.

Edited November 1, 2009 by trackerjack

[Guest gazzarose]

Are the 1500 doly engines reliable enough? Its just to me old engines=unreliable, I don;t want a sunny Sunday to be runed but a engine that dies. Although I may be a bit twised in my opinions because I was born 5 years after the ca was registered, and my daily driver is a Lexus IS200, so Im used to things starting on the key. A colleage of mine has got a 1275 Mini Cooper, and its always fixing something, de was quote in saying "I don't like hassle free motoring",lol. I don't mind tinckering every now and then, but I don't fancy having to get up at 4 to get the car running If I want to take it to work,lol.

 

Also the other thing that concerns me is the front suspension ball joint issue. I Havn't found much info on this. Do they break randomly, or after a while, if so can they be easily (and cheaply) as part of a serviceing schedule? I don't fancy a wheel coming off on the motorway. Is there a permenent remedy for it?

 

I still don't know how much to offer him. There are lots of hoods for sale for more money, but I can't find any doly powered ones to campare against. Ideally If I could fix it up, and sell it on at a profit to fund a new kit then that wood me nice, but obviously that depends on how much I get it for.

 

I just don't know what to do, Im used to cars you can check the value of in a Parkers book,lol.

 

Thanks again

 

Gareth

[Swan Jnr]

hi gareth,

 

speaking from my own experience it is possible to pick up a kit car, do some minor tarting up and sell at a profit.

 

We've done minor cosmetic work to all the kit cars we've owned and have sold them on for the same or more than we paid for them. i bought a quantum that was tidy but had a green and red tartan interior, and nasty old wheels. we gradually replaced all the horrid bits with well chosen scrap yard parts and second hand wheels and sold on for more than i paid for it (including all the bits) after a years driving

 

i would avoid like the plague anything that appears to need serious work, like this does. (engine swops, re sprays etc) there will be hidden costs that will add up relentlessly. At best this car will be worth 3k? i think for all the work and hassle it would be hard to make it worth it. at the very least it will need a whole new interior, and the GF will insist on a roll bar when she figures out what will happen to your head if it turns over!

 

on ebay at present theres this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DUTTON-PHAETON-S3_W0...=item4cebae60dc ok, so not to everyones taste but then neither are robin hoods. but it looks ok, fair bit of money spent and a few minor jobs to do.

 

or this http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/U-V-A-BLACK_W0QQitem...=item53ddb51186

 

this locost: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1980-LOCOST-SILVER_W...=item3ef9c3e88e

 

on piston heads this was recently sold, and is an example of what can be had :

 

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1279040.htm

 

 

it might take a while if you want a hood for a really low price, but now is a good time to be looking.

 

dont mean to sound negative, but i have a project in my garage that has cost me a fair amount to date, and it still isnt finished!

 

paul

[Guest gazzarose]

Apparantly the engine runs well, and it comes with a spare, so hopefully won't need engine work. If it did need a bit of mechanical work, I can tackle most things myself and have got most of the tools myself, others I can beck borrow and steal as I need them. I can even do any body repair and painting myself.

 

What the the really expensive pitfalls in buying one?Are the chassis' usually sound?

 

At what kind of money would it be worth doing? ~1k or lower?

 

Il try and get as much info as I can from the guy and try and make a decision. The owners is emigrating soon so I think he wants rid of everything, so hopefully he'll be willing to drop the price a bit.

 

Gareth

[Guest trackerjack]

The choice is yours Gareth I am not a fan of Pinto's yet my S7 has one that I have rebuilt.

On the Dolomite forum I am well known for disliking the iron 1500 engine and I regard it as a good boat anchor, but I am addicted to speed (I am 58 and still believe a buried throttle is a happy one).

The engines are reliable and can trace their ancestry right back to the early fifties! they just dont make much power.

I would not pay more than £1000 and would try for less............but we are all different.

[Guest nick-c]

Gareth,

 

One bit of advice - kit cars always cost a lot more than you expect

[Guest gdc]

cost of iva arround 470 ish quid a retest arround 170 ish quid so arround 800 ish is about right for a corectely regestered

car that needs some work inmho. dont matter whats in it cos it can be changed and updated .

i would offer £700 as a starter .

graham

[Guest gazzarose]

The main thing thats concerning me is the bottom ball joint thing. I've done a bit of reading and theres alot of talk about the bottom of the front suspension coming apart. I could change the engine and gearbox to bring it up to date, but canI change the front suspension. Would it mean changing it to non-triumph hubs, therefore having odd wheels front to back?

 

Although to be honest Im a bit disenhearted with it all, I really don't want to push my finances to end up buying a lemon, so It may be a case of keep saving until I find something else a bit more modern, maybe cortina based, at least I can swap engines about easily.

 

Thanks for all the replies

 

Gareth