How realsitic is a Hillman Imp as a first car?
Discussion
Dr G said:
What odd replies!
A classic car can be a superb first car, particularly so if you want to learn how things work and are happy to get your hands dirty. You will build a wealth of knowledge that will be invaluable for the rest of your motoring career.
A wealth of knowledge that is going to be fairly useless unless he plans on driving ancient classics for the rest of his motoring career?A classic car can be a superb first car, particularly so if you want to learn how things work and are happy to get your hands dirty. You will build a wealth of knowledge that will be invaluable for the rest of your motoring career.
Do they even have disc brakes?
Dr Jekyll said:
Being rear engined and rear wheel drive collision angle may not be that predictable.
They are VERY prone to lift-off oversteer. I learnt this valuable lesson at the age of about 18, driving my then-girlfriend's mother's Imp. Came round a bend slightly enthusiatically to find a row of cars awaiting a temporary traffic light. Lift off & brake = perfect 180 pirouette 
A 1968 Imp was my first car (Singer Chamois actually) that I bought for £50, taxed, MOT'd but with slipping clutch. Cost £17.50 for a new clutch and me and my Dad fitted it in half a day. This was back in March 1983. I then ran it for 6 months on L plates (legally with qualified drivers with me). Went away for a week to lakes with 3 mates, mate drove the Mway bit, I drove the rest. September 1983 I booked 5 driving lessons, 4 lessons plus one for the test, and passed at first attempt.
Great cars BUT they are now very old so make sure it's in as good condition as possible for it's age, they are also commanding good money now so may be worth buying if it is a good one at a nice price just to move on and make a bit of money.
Also bear in mind they have drum brakes all round, no servo, so although they work OK they aren't like a modern car.
Would buy another tomorrow if I could find a decent one cheap enough to have as a second car.
Great cars BUT they are now very old so make sure it's in as good condition as possible for it's age, they are also commanding good money now so may be worth buying if it is a good one at a nice price just to move on and make a bit of money.
Also bear in mind they have drum brakes all round, no servo, so although they work OK they aren't like a modern car.
Would buy another tomorrow if I could find a decent one cheap enough to have as a second car.
Brilliant cars, far superior to a BMC Mini in many ways...
A mate of mine had an Imp Sport and a Sunbeam Stiletto (4 headlights and 998cc...imagine that!) before passing his test, but that took 6 attempts by which time they had both succumbed to mechanical and bodywork issues and he ended up in a Vauxhall Chevette as his proper first car.
Another benefit of Imps that it is/was relatively easy to swap the Coventry Climax out for an Alfa Boxer from a dead Sud or 33 though finding one might be hard work these days, will be quite lairy afterwards of course and not one for the purists.
A mate of mine had an Imp Sport and a Sunbeam Stiletto (4 headlights and 998cc...imagine that!) before passing his test, but that took 6 attempts by which time they had both succumbed to mechanical and bodywork issues and he ended up in a Vauxhall Chevette as his proper first car.
Another benefit of Imps that it is/was relatively easy to swap the Coventry Climax out for an Alfa Boxer from a dead Sud or 33 though finding one might be hard work these days, will be quite lairy afterwards of course and not one for the purists.
5harp3y said:
personally i think its a terrible idea, i had a Mk1 golf gti as a first car (15 years ago) and it was nothing but trouble and was never ever 100% reliable.
Small world. Hi Tim.I loved running old cars as daily drivers, but now I have to tow stuff about it's not such an easy option. I'll get another old thing at some point though!
As others have said a classic car will require some attention so hands on ability would be good.
Stand out things that went wrong.... They had problems with headgaskets/overheating, keep the coolant topped up. Rotoflex couplings on the driveshafts cracked and need replacing. Gearchange flexi coupling got weak and you had difficulty getting gears
Stand out things that went wrong.... They had problems with headgaskets/overheating, keep the coolant topped up. Rotoflex couplings on the driveshafts cracked and need replacing. Gearchange flexi coupling got weak and you had difficulty getting gears
CAPP0 said:
They are VERY prone to lift-off oversteer. ... Lift off & brake = perfect 180 pirouette
I owned lots of Imps among my early cars.I do not recognise the comments about rear engined handling and lift-off oversteer - the Imp has a very light engine, and suspension that is deliberately biased to understeer, so you've got to do something monumentally stupid to get one badly out of shape (having said which, my very first car after passing my test was mid engined, so I knew pretty much from the start that lifting off mid-corner was a bad idea in anything with the engine behind you). With comments like CAPPO's, though, I'd suspect brake problems. From memory, I recollect that they were manually adjusted drums, so it was easy to get them out of adjustment so that one corner would bite earlier and harder than the others.
Which leads on to the point that they are quite maintenance-heavy, compared to modern cars.Apart from the brakes, they eat front kingpins if not regularly greased, Rotoflexes have limited life, cooling system needs regular back-flushing, valve clearances need setting with shims (no hydraulic lifters, here!), etc.
Those who are suggesting Classic insurance, bear in mind that apart from the age limit, it is usually a requirement that you must have access to a 'primary' vehicle, also insured in your name.
My biggest worry about running an Imp as a daily driver, these days, would be parts availability. When I was driving them they were still relatively commonplace, with a very active owners' club and several good parts specialists to rely on. These days, not so much, so if something Imp-specific gets broken, you'll be off the road for a while, sourcing and fitting replacements.
Overheating was usually associated with not using enough antifreeze, and not regularly flushing the system. If you got an overheating Imp, you could bet your life that it needed the engine stripping down to de-sludge the water jacket.
Gearboxes and (particularly these days - allegedly the rubber mix has changed to omit some environmental nasties) Rotoflexes are fragile, so perhaps not the best choice for a new driver who lacks clutch and gearchanging skills.
Favourite engine swap these days is to the BMW K100 motorcycle engine, but the insurance on a car so modified would be horrendous for a new driver.
I wouldn't say don't do it, but even as an experienced driver and DIY mechanic, I wouldn't want to rely on one as my only transport, these days.
people saying you only live once are correct. don't buy a 50 year old s
tbox that will fold like a tin can in an accident
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1040573.stm
tbox that will fold like a tin can in an accidenthttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1040573.stm
Edited by fernando the frog on Thursday 1st August 19:38
Go for it. Aged 18 in 2010 my first car was a 1989 mini. Every journey was fun and I got it about a year before I got an apprenticeship as a mechanic so I learnt the basics on my car. And it was undoubtedly less safe than more modern cars but I was going from a motorbike to it so my mum was happy!
Insurance wise it was about average to my mates in Ka's and Corsas on a standard (admiral I think) policy. About £1500 on 10,000 miles with the car valued at £2500. It did however wind up being written off after a 5mph bump due to the underside being completely rotten...
Insurance wise it was about average to my mates in Ka's and Corsas on a standard (admiral I think) policy. About £1500 on 10,000 miles with the car valued at £2500. It did however wind up being written off after a 5mph bump due to the underside being completely rotten...
Bert Cheese said:
Brilliant cars, far superior to a BMC Mini in many ways...
A mate of mine had an Imp Sport and a Sunbeam Stiletto (4 headlights and 998cc...imagine that!) before passing his test, but that took 6 attempts by which time they had both succumbed to mechanical and bodywork issues and he ended up in a Vauxhall Chevette as his proper first car.
Another benefit of Imps that it is/was relatively easy to swap the Coventry Climax out for an Alfa Boxer from a dead Sud or 33 though finding one might be hard work these days, will be quite lairy afterwards of course and not one for the purists.
The Stiletto was 875 but the twin Stromberg Sport engine. 998's were the Imp Rallye.A mate of mine had an Imp Sport and a Sunbeam Stiletto (4 headlights and 998cc...imagine that!) before passing his test, but that took 6 attempts by which time they had both succumbed to mechanical and bodywork issues and he ended up in a Vauxhall Chevette as his proper first car.
Another benefit of Imps that it is/was relatively easy to swap the Coventry Climax out for an Alfa Boxer from a dead Sud or 33 though finding one might be hard work these days, will be quite lairy afterwards of course and not one for the purists.
MARCUSBELLAMY said:
And how suitable are they as a first car?
About as unsuitable as cars get, for a young man.Firstly, they were intrinsically awful at the business of being a car, even when they were new. An intervening fifty years won't have helped them become any better.
Secondly, driving one would guarantee that you would never have sex without paying for it.
I'd say go for it, I had a 90s Micra myself as a first car (in '10/'11) which was a paragon for reliability, however I had a couple of mates who went the classic route, one with a old family heirloom Triumph, but he was more comfortable just taking the bus & only driving it at weekends. Had another friend who picked up an old series land rover and a MG midget within a couple of months of passing his test, he got a classic policy which allowed him to switch to the land rover in winter & MG in summer with a small fee, although ended up insuring them both by the time he was 19ish.
His where a great laugh, he had a, ~25 mile commute into college and I do remember him not making it about once a month due to one car problem or another, and I know on exam days his mum gave him a lift down. But he absolutely loved his pair of cars, still has them both today, ~6 years later. The MG I know he had spent an absolute fortune on getting welded and sealed, I believe it now has a Mazda 1.8 in it.
His where a great laugh, he had a, ~25 mile commute into college and I do remember him not making it about once a month due to one car problem or another, and I know on exam days his mum gave him a lift down. But he absolutely loved his pair of cars, still has them both today, ~6 years later. The MG I know he had spent an absolute fortune on getting welded and sealed, I believe it now has a Mazda 1.8 in it.
Touring442 said:
The Stiletto was 875 but the twin Stromberg Sport engine. 998's were the Imp Rallye.
Lots have been modified to 998cc, though.So said:
Secondly, driving one would guarantee that you would never have sex without paying for it.
This is so not true. The two best cars I ever owned for snapping knicker elastic (back when I cared about such things) were Imps and original Minis (I had a bog-standard brown example of the latter that was par excellence). It was the only period in my life when girls approaching me in car parks and chatting me up was actually a regular occurrence.Girls figure that:
a) You're not threatening and;
b) Men who drive big, flash cars are invariably compensating for shortcomings in the trouser department, therefore any bloke with enough self confidence to be seen driving, eg. a s
t brown Mini or a gold Hillman Imp must be hung like a horse and expert in bed. By the same logic (and, again, I can confirm this from personal experience), if you want to become involuntarily celibate, drive a TVR Griffith 500. I did so at the same time I owned the Mini, and by contrast you'd struggle to get women to respond with anything other than a disdainful sneer, if you spoke to them.
On balance it's a no...but you've had all sorts of advice here which may have helped make your decision easier...or frustratingly more complicated.
I have a classic and am only happy using it every now and then....wouldn't want to drive it all the time in traffic simply for the safety aspect. That news story from 2000 shouldn't be dismissed and other cars have only got tougher since then should even a modest collision occur of which the chances of higher for you simply down to your age.
I'd get a funky little Fiesta from the past 15 years and have guaranteed good times in it with my friends but that's just me.
Best of luck and I guarantee you whatever you choose you'll have fun out on the roads.
I have a classic and am only happy using it every now and then....wouldn't want to drive it all the time in traffic simply for the safety aspect. That news story from 2000 shouldn't be dismissed and other cars have only got tougher since then should even a modest collision occur of which the chances of higher for you simply down to your age.
I'd get a funky little Fiesta from the past 15 years and have guaranteed good times in it with my friends but that's just me.
Best of luck and I guarantee you whatever you choose you'll have fun out on the roads.
Edited by paulyv on Friday 2nd August 15:57
fernando the frog said:
people saying you only live once are correct. don't buy a 50 year old stbox that will fold like a tin can in an accident
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1040573.stm
Indeed. Only living once is all the more reason to take reasonable steps to make it last as long as possible. tbox that will fold like a tin can in an accidenthttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1040573.stm
Edited by fernando the frog on Thursday 1st August 19:38
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