The Hillman Imp

Author
Discussion

quiraing

Original Poster:

1,649 posts

138 months

Friday 31st May 2013
quotequote all
Edit - deleted in error. It just said this is for anyone interested in the Imp and Sport, Sunbeam, Husky, etc derivatives.

Edited by quiraing on Wednesday 6th May 11:39

Thermonuclear

183 posts

133 months

Friday 31st May 2013
quotequote all
Hi,

I had a couple of these a few years ago.

First one was a yellow one that was slammed, it was so low that I couldn't run a front plate as it would foul any speed bumps. Great fun! Changing head gaskets once a week on it, wasn't so much fun!

Second one was a one owner from new in Blue. Another great car, wish I'd kept this one. But hey ho, these things happen.

I think the main thing to look out for is a) corrosion and b) cooling/overheating/head gasket problems. A lot of folks suggest fitting a bike rad up front, but I never did it to mine....

paulshears

804 posts

196 months

Friday 31st May 2013
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I saw a couple at a classic car meet in Hull last week




roscobbc

3,306 posts

241 months

Friday 31st May 2013
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Not quite an Imp - but almost (Clan Crusader?)

NiceCupOfTea

25,280 posts

250 months

Friday 31st May 2013
quotequote all
Love the things - my dad had a couple in the early 80s, a boggo one and an Imp Sport - he hankered after a Stiletto but even then they were mostly filler! Vivid memories of sliding around on the vinyl rear bench, the rear "hatch", the handles for the engine cover, the opening quarter lights. I can hear the door slam now - my dad used to tap his pipe out on the kerb at the lights! Had a stiletto dash in the garage that I used to play with, he was always going to fit it but never got round to it. Had a chunky little Mountney wheel on the Sport.

Happy days...

I saw a project one local to me 6 or 7 years ago and got as far as ringing up about it, but I had no space so passed on it. Can't think of the last one I saw outside of a show...

My dad's Deluxe (in '81 or so)



and the Sport: (must be taken in '83 ish)



Both long since scrapped frown

ClassicMotorNut

2,438 posts

137 months

Friday 31st May 2013
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I have no history involving Imps but I like them very much. Happy 40th.

530dTPhil

1,374 posts

217 months

Friday 31st May 2013
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roscobbc said:
Not quite an Imp - but almost (Clan Crusader?)
Gineeta G15 actually.

This is a Clan Crusader:



and this is an Imp based Sunbeam Stiletto silhouette

[url][img][

itiejim

1,821 posts

204 months

Friday 31st May 2013
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Never owned one but they do look like good fun.

Particularly with a mid-mounted, supercharged k-series and slicks...

http://www.pl-performance.com/index.html

A9XXC

621 posts

148 months

Friday 31st May 2013
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My dad had one - worst car he ever had, so he says! I seem to remember it being "D" plated and light blue.

Said it was like driving a motorised roller skate. He doesn't swap cars very often, 5 years is average, the Imp lasted a couple of months!

mikial

1,913 posts

261 months

Saturday 1st June 2013
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I bought the Singer Chamois variant new in 1967 reg was SLY 634 F , I was 19 and this was my second car the first being a Frogeye Sprite. , bear in mind any tuning in those days had to be done the mechanical way , I put wide wheels either 4.5 or 5 inch , low profile cross ply tyres ( Michelin X or Pirelli Cinturato were the only radials available and cost a fortune ) , Konis with shorter springs , a Smiths rev counter mounted on the dash in a pod, high lift camshaft, Reece Fish Carb and manifold, and a Peco exhaust, smaller diameter steering wheel and a reclining seat, driver side only. I've no way of knowing the bhp but safe to say ...not much. It's big strength was road holding and cornering , I loved that little car, I part exchanged it for a 1966 Lotus Elan after a couple of years. It was exchanged just as described above.
I can't recall any problematic issues with it .

neutral 3

6,356 posts

169 months

Saturday 1st June 2013
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I'm trying to save a very original, late 60s one at the moment, in a very period nice color, will post some details and photos if I do.

Very underrated cars, with more Factory development ( inc cooling, throtle action, build quality etc ) they could have been a real Mini challenger.

So many people must have first started out on the race track in an Imp.

A good friend knew George Bevan, The Ace Imp Tuner, aparently George built his race Engines on his kitchen table !

quiraing

Original Poster:

1,649 posts

138 months

Saturday 1st June 2013
quotequote all
I remember this magazine article from 1980/81 and hadn't seen it for years. Aah, the power of the interweb smile

http://theamazoeffect.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/diggi...

Now THIS is real old-skool tuning - check out the components used.

Click on pics to get full page and read text.

Makes you laugh when, these days, insurance companies argue that snow-tyres are non-standard.



Edited by quiraing on Sunday 2nd June 11:02

LotusOmega375D

7,580 posts

152 months

Saturday 1st June 2013
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ClassicMotorNut said:
I have no history involving Imps but I like them very much. Happy 40th.
50th.

My first car: a December 1975 Imp Caledonian. That was the cherry red run-out model produced with a few extras to sell them off. I added twin Strombergs and a Peco pipe. You could eat your dinner off the engine. Loved it and taught me how to drive without meaningful brakes.

Rower

1,378 posts

265 months

Saturday 1st June 2013
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paulshears said:
I saw a couple at a classic car meet in Hull last week



Seeing the engine compartment reminded me of and incident with mine, a Blue one on a D plate. Off on a trip checked the oil and water but left the wiping cloth in the compartment which then got sucked into the fan and because it was plastic stripped off all vanes ..........severe overheating followed !!

mikey77

707 posts

187 months

Saturday 1st June 2013
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More than 40 years ago I had two, one after the other. The second was a 'Husky' estate version that my old man always called The Hearse.
They were both clapped out and had all the usual cooling and other engine problems, plus rust eventually killed them both but I liked them very much and still do.
Even if they don't go round corners as well (a breeze block or two in the front boot helps) they make an equivalent Mini feel like driving a horse and cart. And Imps are the only cars I have ever driven with a gearchange so good that you don't need the clutch to change up or down once on the move.

Ian Wegg

647 posts

139 months

Saturday 1st June 2013
quotequote all
My first car too - a red 1969 super bought from Peter Thomas Cars in the Hornet ( NNE 525 H - if anyone knows where it is, not taxed since 1982 according to DVLA).

I had 3 or 4 more after that.
  • A white one bought from Shoreham Car Auctions and eventually sold to my brother.
  • A green one given to me by an uncle.
  • One I hardly remember, bought from Shoreham but someone made me an offer I couldn't refuse on it so I sold it the next week.
  • The white one bought back from my brother when he ran it into a tree and subsequently driven 4 up to the Le Mans 24hours and back.
Fabulous cars all of them. I blew the head gasket on the first one but otherwise had none of the problems commonly reported. I learnt to drive in a mini and owned one too, but the Imp is without doubt a better car.

~iw

andy102

130 posts

168 months

Sunday 2nd June 2013
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Great cars, I have fond memories of my Singer Chamois. Learnt how to tune/fix cars working on it, had a modified skateboard for getting the engine and gearbox out.
Life was simpler back then wink

LotusOmega375D

7,580 posts

152 months

Monday 3rd June 2013
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LotusOmega375D said:
My first car: a December 1975 Imp Caledonian. That was the cherry red run-out model produced with a few extras to sell them off. I added twin Strombergs and a Peco pipe. You could eat your dinner off the engine. Loved it and taught me how to drive without meaningful brakes.
ca. 1987/1988 when I owned it (Leicestershire):



Still going strong it seems: ca. 2012 in recent ownership (Merseyside):


Markgenesis

536 posts

131 months

Monday 3rd June 2013
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Love them, had a few several years ago, had this race/rally replica the longest.



Came out of a scrap yard in Falkirk, so much of the interior and trim was missing, broken or rotten i decided the race car look was the best route, had Fiesta discs on the front mounted rad, roll cage, works rally dash pod etc, engine was std sport with a Janspeed manifold and a Peco straight through silencer, it would easily set car alarms off blasting down side streets.

Shamefully it sat for over a year (i moved on to other things), i eventually broke it up, sold all the good bits and gave the shell away frown

tog

4,516 posts

227 months

Monday 3rd June 2013
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My dad apparently had a Rally Imp back in the sixties. I've never seen pictures of it, but it was I believe bought to replace an MGB which his parent thought was too sporty, but a nice sensible Imp placated them. He says it had two massive carburettors, but was a pig to keep in tune. I've never seen any reference to a Rally Imp so don't know anything else about them, but I get the impression from him that it was a standard model. Can anyone shed any light?