I wanted my first car to be something special. Not your average student rust heap that blows half a gallon of oil through every oriphice as it pulls away. Not even Granny's old run-about that was immaculate at 8 years old with only six and a half miles on the clock, no style and did 0-60, well, if you were lucky and hadn't eaten much that day. Oh, I saw my fair share of these, and how we laughed!! No, I wanted my car to be something special. My Mum's Maestro 1.6HL gave most things a run for their money (the tyre shop loved us) until that fateful night and the hedghog... There had never been style, just speed, Yes, it had those distinctive scoops down the side as though a bored school boy had scraped his protractor along the doors. And those rear light clusters, what can I say, never to be repeated, that's for sure. But, as a student, where fashion is all important, the speed was the only thing that gave our Maestro credability. Oh, the 1.3 that followed had everything in common with the 1.6HL right down to the oil leaks and dodgy cam-belt. But the only thing that kept those student sniggers quiet was gone - the speed was gone.
					I'm not saying owning an old car is fashionable, far from it. But the thought of rebuilding a classic held some kind of appeal. I was able to pick up the Dolomite fairly cheaply, it had damage down the near- side, but in fair condition. I maintained the car in working order for a year or so with filler and spray cans. It was used every day and took my girlfriend and me on holidays round Wales and Cornwall.
			Unfortunately, though, there was a hole growing in the floor. It was hard to see at first, being round the nearside subframe mounting. The long awaited rebuild could be put off no longer. I dropped the engine and gearbox first, stripping the engine bay right out, so that I could not only replace the chassis rail, but do any other repairs in that area. I took off the doors and gutted the interior so that I could weld on new sills and ultimately replacing floorpans. All the filler that I had previously used was disposed of and, where necessary, new panels fitted. I was able to pick up two replacement doors very cheaply, although the near-side front was not superb and could do to be renewed again. The off-side doors, surprisingly, were in very good condition, with only a small amount of grinding needed to remove some surface rust. The carburettors were reconditioned along with the hydraulics of both brakes and clutch, and after a good underseal and Waxoil, the car was reassembled, resprayed and finally MOT'd. Of course she passed first time, ready for the new semester.

			Being at University, I had to work to a fairly tight budget. Of course it wasn't just the body work that had needed attention. The car had been bought from new by a family who owned the local farm and used, I suspect, as the second car run about. Short journeys and a typically speed hungry teenage son (who eventually drove the car through a fence, I believe) had caused some wear to the drive gear. Although the gearbox itself seemed quite good (no whines, grinds or clunks), there was quite a lot of noise coming from the axle and drive shaft universal joints.
			I was finding it increasingly difficult to find Dolomites in scrap yards and could not afford too many new parts, so was in a dilemma as to how to tackle my noisy rear! I had managed to get hold of a donor Dolomite, the source of the new doors, boot lid, carburettors, bumpers, brake cylinders etc.etc.. But it was an 1850 and mine a lowly 1300 (the low mileage of my engine (42000 at the time) and the increase in insurance for the 1850 did not make changing the running gear an option). However, I bit the rather funny tasting bullet, and slung the 1850 axle on my 1300 car. This bizarre combination worked surprisingly well so stop laughing! Okay, it was no Ferrari from the lights, but the final drive of the 1850 axle gave my car an element of over-drive on the motorway to University (my main driving route at the time) and I once calculated getting over 50mpg on a journey to North Wales. However, on this occaision, too many journeys doing 40mph in second gear (fully loaded) up the Black Mountains convinced me that third gear would be better and only achieved with the appropriate axle. I discovered Wins & Co. through an advert in Triumph World who did me a very good deal on the 1300 axle, delivered it to my door and guaranteed it for 3 months. Sounded too good to be true. Well it was true. Although none of their parts are reconditioned, they ensure that all the items they sell work and they clean them up a bit so they're not dripping oil everywhere.
			The car is still in use every day and as such will probably never be in showroom condition. I think she's looking pretty good now though. I've just spent a week or so touching up stone chips, grinding off rust from the boot floor and from within the wheel arches, but there hasn't been too much really.
			This year I've replaced the rear shock absorbers and the exhaust (supplied by Rimmer Bros.). Parts are actually getting much easier to find, Rimmer Bros. and Wins & Co keep me going but there are many other places offering service to Triumphs. In fact, the great thing about the old British cars is that so many of the parts were the same; MG, Rover, Triumph are all related, which makes life much easier.

			I've managed to make my car Year 2000 compliant by dropping a fuel catalyst into the tank supplied by The Dolomite Club . I confess I haven't actually tried unleaded yet (I shall wait for the Doomsday for that) but I am optimistic. The catalysts were developed during WWII when the bombers were taken to Europe where their fuel had a lower octane rating than here. Since then, though, the octane rating of 4* has been reduced to a sixth of what it was, so hopfully the catalyst has started working already.