Dolphin, Montana, Rover Montego...

Catamaran · 19th October 2005, 13:25

[

Quote:

Pics & review of my Dolphin coming soon....

Thanks awaiting the same with pictures of interior & exterior

Quote:

In the meantime you guys can take a look at a trike we built in college using Dolphin suspension at the front: Lemme know what you think of it

Hats off to you....,,, its still there?? in running condition??

ananthkamath · 19th October 2005, 16:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Catamaran

Hats off to you....,,, its still there?? in running condition??

Thanks. Yeah its in my college. Not only running but also reportedly pulling a quarter-ton trailer.

Dolphin Interior Pics. Its unfinished so don't criticize me.

Notice the calibration of the speedo to 160 kph....Group A Dolphins as raced at Sholavaram were capable of exceeding this speed. 0-100 reportedly came in 10 seconds. (I'm not joking)

Fiats & Marutis of the time were typically a few laps behind at the end of the 50-lap "mini" Grand-Prix.

Exterior pics, mods done by me, and drive review coming soon. Depends on the response I get....

manson · 19th October 2005, 17:19

the standard 2000 mainly because of its looks was one of my dreams that didnt come true . . . can still rcall getting excited whenever i saw one when i was six, infact tend to stare at it even if i spot one till date.
ifi\m not mistaken the car was the first in india to hav a power steering, another car that was ahead of its time i guess.

manson.

Mpower · 20th October 2005, 01:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by ananthkamath

Exterior pics, mods done by me, and drive review coming soon. Depends on the response I get....

Fantastic little car you have there. Its got that raw look and feel that you miss in today's modern softy cars.
Would definetly be interested in reading a review. Also would be interested in the spaceframe photos if you have any.

ananthkamath · 20th October 2005, 09:37

Dolphin Pics

Its a little dirty. But that s ok.

To truly gauge how small it is, see it stood next to a modern "small" car.

From the back. Those are Matador tail-lamps. The originals went down with Sipani.

Note the ultra-wide track: 1340 mm nearly as much as an Esteem.

A pic of the engine bay. Its not as if I am going to take it to classic car shows. Keen observers will note the Maruti M/C, battery & radiator hoses, and Lovato-clone LPG kit. The legendary SU is just visible behind the air filter.

The exhaust "system" - You can call it what you want- Tanabe, GReddy, HKS or any other fancy name; higher the cost, the better.
But the fact is that this low buck muffler does a much better job than either of these because its COMPLETELY EMPTY inside. That's right, no baffles or glasswool to impede flow. Not very loud but very, very throaty.

Review is coming a little while later. MPower I'll post the spaceframe pics along with the review.

Catamaran · 20th October 2005, 09:56

Thats a cute little car ananth. lucky to have one still, i always loved dolphin for its size, comparable to the old minis.
meanwhile its still in running condition?? how much reliable do you think is the car?? means for how many kms approximate can you take the car with out fear of a possible breakdown???
and those 0 to 100 figures are ultimate... and what's the fuel efficiency???
CAT

GTO · 20th October 2005, 10:11

Quote:

Notice the calibration of the speedo to 160 kph....Group A Dolphins as raced at Sholavaram were capable of exceeding this speed. 0-100 reportedly came in 10 seconds. (I'm not joking)

Fiats & Marutis of the time were typically a few laps behind at the end of the 50-lap "mini" Grand-Prix.

Holy Cow - I had no idea of the performance levels from modded Dolphins. And we drool over Vtecs in 2005, I can only imagine the excitement level from driving such a machine in those days.

An astonishingly interesting thread. Moved to "Best Threads"

GTO

ajmat · 20th October 2005, 10:26

One Karnataka 1000 rally during the 1980's - One Mitsubishi Lancer Turbo driven by some mad arabs, one Ford Escort imported from Sri Lanka driven by Kari, one Jaya Mayura prototype from Coimbatore..many hot fiats and one dolphin

The Lancer spun off quite a few times due to imcompetence, the Jaya Mayura never started, Escort smashed its axle, other cars got stuck in the mud. Who won ? The Dolphin, size meant it could get around in the mud. If it got stuck, lift and shift and boy, it could accelerate.

ananthkamath · 20th October 2005, 11:27

Some more astonishing facts:

At the annual meet in Sholavaram sometime in the 1980s, there was a Dolphin prepared by Karivardhan; it had a, hold your breath, COSWORTH engine: I don't know much about the car except that it was blazingly fast. Kari invited a prominent F1 driver of the day to drive this car.

And do you know how much lead he had over ALL the other cars running that day (including the old Formula Atlantic & F3)? TEN WHOLE SECONDS. Testifies not only to the speed of the car but also to the skill of the driver whose first lap it was on the car as well as on the track!

And today, here we are, 20 years later, with all the technology at our disposal, still talking about Esteems & VTECs being "freakin' fast".

RedOne · 20th October 2005, 11:39

Wow! Logitudinal engine. Was it RWD too?

I was in a friend's Dolphin when he T-boned an Amby. The Amby's running board between the wheels and doors were smashed but the Dohphin just had a small crack on the body panel above the headlights.

Gears,
Red-One

Aditya · 20th October 2005, 13:56

The Reliant Kitten based Dolphin was a nice little car. My aunt almost bought one. It was only the lousy attitude of Sipani Motors that finally put her off.
I was myself quite a fan of the little baby.
Nice job Ananth to keep your car in working condition.

v1p3r · 20th October 2005, 21:08

Kari's Cosworth engine reportedly made it to his Lotus replica...

Freakin fast...the "Dolphin" of Pratap 'Bobby' Jayaram clocked 15.xx seconds in the quarter mile. Aided by an 8v Esteem engine...

Hehehehe...

ananthkamath · 20th October 2005, 22:54

What you are talking about is one of the later Escort-based cosworths....The Dolphin had the original 4-cyl BDA Cosworth...regarded as one of the greatest made by that company after the legendary V8 DFV.....

Steeroid · 21st October 2005, 00:52

Oboy! I stay away for a couple of days and this thread has become a legend!

Ananth I'll be passing by Mysore tomorrow on the way to B'lore (or if I change my mind tomorrow, I'll be driving through on my return!). I've sent you a PM with my number...SMS me yours (dont know when I'll get on the net next, this Airtel connection sux big time) and maybe we'll catch up for a masala dosa and pilter kappi!

Mpower · 21st October 2005, 03:37

Wow...the car looks fresh and ready to rip after all these years. Dont think there's any other 20 year old car that gives that impression. What is it, 85 model? Great car man. She's a classic. Brings back some good memories.

J Anand used to run a black GpA dolphin in Sholavaram called "The Poltergeist". The damn thing would run in circles around the Marutis. Might have a picture of of it some where.

Hmm.....looks like black painted rims are an AK exclusive. Are those the original 10 inch rims. Somehow they look bigger.

19th October 2005, 17:19	#18
manson Team-BHP Support Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 3,949 Thanked: 4,250 Times View My Garage	the standard 2000 mainly because of its looks was one of my dreams that didnt come true . . . can still rcall getting excited whenever i saw one when i was six, infact tend to stare at it even if i spot one till date. ifi\m not mistaken the car was the first in india to hav a power steering, another car that was ahead of its time i guess. manson.
	() Thanks

20th October 2005, 09:37	#20
ananthkamath Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mangalore Posts: 1,209 Thanked: 81 Times View My Garage	Dolphin Pics Its a little dirty. But that s ok. To truly gauge how small it is, see it stood next to a modern "small" car. From the back. Those are Matador tail-lamps. The originals went down with Sipani. Note the ultra-wide track: 1340 mm nearly as much as an Esteem. A pic of the engine bay. Its not as if I am going to take it to classic car shows. Keen observers will note the Maruti M/C, battery & radiator hoses, and Lovato-clone LPG kit. The legendary SU is just visible behind the air filter. The exhaust "system" - You can call it what you want- Tanabe, GReddy, HKS or any other fancy name; higher the cost, the better. But the fact is that this low buck muffler does a much better job than either of these because its COMPLETELY EMPTY inside. That's right, no baffles or glasswool to impede flow. Not very loud but very, very throaty. Review is coming a little while later. MPower I'll post the spaceframe pics along with the review.
	(1) Thanks

20th October 2005, 09:56	#21
Catamaran BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Dubai - Cochin Posts: 129 Thanked: 369 Times View My Garage	Thats a cute little car ananth. lucky to have one still, i always loved dolphin for its size, comparable to the old minis. meanwhile its still in running condition?? how much reliable do you think is the car?? means for how many kms approximate can you take the car with out fear of a possible breakdown??? and those 0 to 100 figures are ultimate... and what's the fuel efficiency??? CAT
	() Thanks

20th October 2005, 10:26	#23
ajmat Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 15,055 Thanked: 29,694 Times View My Garage	One Karnataka 1000 rally during the 1980's - One Mitsubishi Lancer Turbo driven by some mad arabs, one Ford Escort imported from Sri Lanka driven by Kari, one Jaya Mayura prototype from Coimbatore..many hot fiats and one dolphin The Lancer spun off quite a few times due to imcompetence, the Jaya Mayura never started, Escort smashed its axle, other cars got stuck in the mud. Who won ? The Dolphin, size meant it could get around in the mud. If it got stuck, lift and shift and boy, it could accelerate.
	(1) Thanks

20th October 2005, 11:27	#24
ananthkamath Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mangalore Posts: 1,209 Thanked: 81 Times View My Garage	Some more astonishing facts: At the annual meet in Sholavaram sometime in the 1980s, there was a Dolphin prepared by Karivardhan; it had a, hold your breath, COSWORTH engine: I don't know much about the car except that it was blazingly fast. Kari invited a prominent F1 driver of the day to drive this car. And do you know how much lead he had over ALL the other cars running that day (including the old Formula Atlantic & F3)? TEN WHOLE SECONDS. Testifies not only to the speed of the car but also to the skill of the driver whose first lap it was on the car as well as on the track! And today, here we are, 20 years later, with all the technology at our disposal, still talking about Esteems & VTECs being "freakin' fast".
	(1) Thanks

20th October 2005, 11:39	#25
RedOne BHPian Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 343 Thanked: 123 Times View My Garage	Wow! Logitudinal engine. Was it RWD too? I was in a friend's Dolphin when he T-boned an Amby. The Amby's running board between the wheels and doors were smashed but the Dohphin just had a small crack on the body panel above the headlights. Gears, Red-One
	() Thanks

20th October 2005, 13:56	#26
Aditya Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 18,760 Thanked: 81,015 Times View My Garage	The Reliant Kitten based Dolphin was a nice little car. My aunt almost bought one. It was only the lousy attitude of Sipani Motors that finally put her off. I was myself quite a fan of the little baby. Nice job Ananth to keep your car in working condition.
	() Thanks

20th October 2005, 21:08	#27
v1p3r Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: BLR / DXB / LON Posts: 5,353 Thanked: 6,985 Times View My Garage	Kari's Cosworth engine reportedly made it to his Lotus replica... Freakin fast...the "Dolphin" of Pratap 'Bobby' Jayaram clocked 15.xx seconds in the quarter mile. Aided by an 8v Esteem engine... Hehehehe...
	(1) Thanks

20th October 2005, 22:54	#28
ananthkamath Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mangalore Posts: 1,209 Thanked: 81 Times View My Garage	What you are talking about is one of the later Escort-based cosworths....The Dolphin had the original 4-cyl BDA Cosworth...regarded as one of the greatest made by that company after the legendary V8 DFV.....
	(1) Thanks

21st October 2005, 00:52	#29
Steeroid Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: N.A Posts: 7,046 Thanked: 2,752 Times	Oboy! I stay away for a couple of days and this thread has become a legend! Ananth I'll be passing by Mysore tomorrow on the way to B'lore (or if I change my mind tomorrow, I'll be driving through on my return!). I've sent you a PM with my number...SMS me yours (dont know when I'll get on the net next, this Airtel connection sux big time) and maybe we'll catch up for a masala dosa and pilter kappi!
	() Thanks

21st October 2005, 03:37	#30
Mpower Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 10,409 Thanked: 1,732 Times View My Garage	Wow...the car looks fresh and ready to rip after all these years. Dont think there's any other 20 year old car that gives that impression. What is it, 85 model? Great car man. She's a classic. Brings back some good memories. J Anand used to run a black GpA dolphin in Sholavaram called "The Poltergeist". The damn thing would run in circles around the Marutis. Might have a picture of of it some where. Hmm.....looks like black painted rims are an AK exclusive. Are those the original 10 inch rims. Somehow they look bigger. Last edited by Mpower : 21st October 2005 at 03:43.
	() Thanks