Modified Imp!!!

Author
Discussion

wjs1968

Original Poster:

237 posts

22 months

Yesterday (08:41)
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There must be a story here - doesn't look like a recent build...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/205539218708?_skw=hillm...

wjs1968

Original Poster:

237 posts

22 months

Yesterday (08:44)
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Keep it stiff

1,815 posts

187 months

Yesterday (10:36)
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What a dreadful thing and good luck with keeping it cool with the boot vents having been covered over!

daqinggregg

4,345 posts

143 months

Yesterday (12:30)
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I think I’d prefer not to know the story. I would however, like to hear/read the stories of Imp’s and the many derivatives, standard and competition bred, that have been part of UK motoring history.

wjs1968

Original Poster:

237 posts

22 months

Yesterday (14:44)
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well someone parted with 400 notes for it...or at least said they would..

LotusOmega375D

8,601 posts

167 months

Yesterday (14:57)
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daqinggregg said:
I think I d prefer not to know the story. I would however, like to hear/read the stories of Imp s and the many derivatives, standard and competition bred, that have been part of UK motoring history.
Bought this directly from the authors at the Imp Club National Day 1988 at the Ryton Workers social club. The authors signed it too.




Keep it stiff

1,815 posts

187 months

Yesterday (16:20)
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daqinggregg said:
I think I d prefer not to know the story. I would however, like to hear/read the stories of Imp s and the many derivatives, standard and competition bred, that have been part of UK motoring history.
I raced Imps in the '80's, Pre 65 Saloons, and a Davrian in the '90's, hence "Keep it stiff". I also did a hill-climb in a friends G15. I purchased a dismantled G15 with the intention of building it as a race car, a project I never got round to, I also fancied a Vixen and got very close to buying one but cooled on the idea as, at the time, there was not race series where it would have been competitive.

Johnspex

4,682 posts

198 months

Yesterday (16:30)
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It's been on the badly modified thread for a while.
I just don't understand how anybody with the skills to do that would actually bother.
Why not make something nice out of it.

Oh well, no accounting for taste.

finlo

3,900 posts

217 months

Yesterday (16:34)
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I recognise the 'spoiler' that's a door pocket off of something I can't quite put my finger on.

ETA brain fart, its off an Imp!

Edited by finlo on Friday 13th June 18:16


Edited by finlo on Friday 13th June 18:17

dandarez

13,620 posts

297 months

Yesterday (22:26)
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Keep it stiff said:
What a dreadful thing and good luck with keeping it cool with the boot vents having been covered over!
There are vents - either side of the number plate. Problem is they're so small a gnat would get trapped in them!

My god though, that is an abomination. I've seen some but not that bad.

vw_99

195 posts

57 months

Yesterday (22:38)
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Local to me. Seen of fb he had other cars for sale in the past with similar mods.

Sebring440

2,685 posts

110 months

Yesterday (22:49)
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LotusOmega375D said:
Bought this directly from the authors at the Imp Club National Day 1988 at the Ryton Workers social club. The authors signed it too.
Now see if you can find one of the very rare "unsigned" copies. That's the one to go for.


dandarez

13,620 posts

297 months

Yesterday (23:02)
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LotusOmega375D said:
daqinggregg said:
I think I d prefer not to know the story. I would however, like to hear/read the stories of Imp s and the many derivatives, standard and competition bred, that have been part of UK motoring history.
Bought this directly from the authors at the Imp Club National Day 1988 at the Ryton Workers social club. The authors signed it too.



Remember that day well!

Superb book, even if I do say so myself.

Here's some of the accolades...
'In Top 10 car books of the year 1988' (Classic & Sportscar),
'Top Marks'(Restoring Classic Cars)
'Best Motoring Book of 1988' (Fast Car)
which also said: 'Anyone interested in motoring history should read this'.
Bill Boddy (Motor Sport) said 'Fascinating details' 'I found the whole account of absorbing interest.' .
A New Edition came out in 1990
and was followed by a Paperback edition in 1997 with reprints after that.

dandarez

13,620 posts

297 months

Yesterday (23:39)
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Modified Imps?

There's been so many.
My fave was always Jon Pertwee's WVO 2M, the 'Whomobile' or as most outside Dr Who knew it, 'The Alien'.

Even today some think it was a hovercraft!
It wasn't it was actually a 3-wheeler under that body and massive skirt, powered by an 875cc Imp Sport engine tuned by Chrysler UK (prob the Competition Centre).

Pertwee drove it on the road too, only deciding to give up after some drivers 'crashed' upon sight of 'it'!
One occasion he was driving the Whomobile through London one family ram into the back of a bus as they were too busy looking on at the Whomobile! Pertwee was regularly stopped by the police while driving it, though in most cases to ask for Jon's autograph for their sons.





dandarez

13,620 posts

297 months

Yesterday (23:45)
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Overdoing the 'modified Imp' bit is probably this, another old fave.

It was owned and 'driven' and 'ridden' by a scrap yard company.


daqinggregg

4,345 posts

143 months

I enjoy reading old stories/anecdotes, viewing images and learning, about classic, usually of the less exotic variety.

While having a ‘root around’, looking for evidence of ‘Roots’ buying a Mini, stripping it down and trying to ascertain how it was made for the price, is that fact or urban myth, which I often think is the case when people quote Ferrari as saying the E Type ………….

I also came across these “Like its giant-killing Mini rival, the Imp enjoyed plenty of on-track success, the devilish little car – in the hands of Bill McGovern – besting bigger and more powerful Ford Mustangs and Chev Camaros to claim three straight British Saloon Car Championships from 1970-72” I assume they’re class wins as opposed to outright?



Rob Margeit: DRIVE.AU

Not sure how true this is but I like it: “I encountered a man with a full set of every Imp variant: van, Chamois coupé, Singers and all the others.
I wrote a story about him that got picked up by a woman’s magazine in which he got voted ‘Britain’s Most Boring Husband’ – a feat of which he was quietly proud, I think.”

Martin Buckley: Classic and Sports Car.

dandarez

13,620 posts

297 months

Ah, the George Bevan Imp driven by Bill McGovern.
Fave pic of him, 1972 Thruxton. 3 times outright winner of the BSCC as pointed out above. 'Nothing' could touch that Imp.
Again, if you look, there's a book all about that subject.


Here's a 'prototype' Imp sports car that nearly, could have made it but lack of lots of stuff if that's the right word(s) and it was dropped by Rootes. Code name was Apex 163, and called 'The Asp'.


This 'special' did get built - well, I parked next to it once. The 'Voodoo'! Made it on the pages of some mags, in this instance the cover and inside of 'Custom Car' in 1974.