Hartwell Imp - Restoration

[TISPKJ]

[TISPKJ]

[dmulally]

Almost too good to drive!

[alfie2244]

[Rangeroverover]

I remember Bill Mcgovern , when i was about 11(mid 70s) he had a second hand furniture shop just off Kilburn High st, my parents used to buy furniture from him for their rental houses and use him for removals, he told me a few of his racing stories, shows how things change, someone with his level of success today wouldn't be grafting the way he did

[TISPKJ]

So, as per the last photo I had the discs and hubs media blasted, discs came up really well and only reason for doing is that they were new when left 42 years ago so I was able to save them, they looked really good bar some pitting where the pads had corroded themselves to the discs and pitted, as I was in the engineering shop anyway (see hub story next) I decided to have skimmed and they came up as new.

I have had a nightmare trying to source the correct wheel nuts for the original BBS wheels, which has delayed hub and front completion until I could sort, in the end I was not happy with only having a small amount of nut (15mm) on the actual stud despite being told it was enough, so I opted for longer studs and machined the ends off the nuts.

I fitted new master cylinders to the pedal box, ended up buying Willwood

Fitted front indicators and made foam spacers, fitted rear lights, and cleaned all lenses in the washing up bowl :-)

Brake hose and fittings on order as we speak should be here tomorrow.

Wheels being refurbed currently


few photos below

[TISPKJ]

[TISPKJ]

[TISPKJ]

[TISPKJ]

[TISPKJ]

[TISPKJ]

Forgot to mention the additional problems were that BBS no longer make the wheel nuts in 7/16 UNF only 12mm and at about £12 each.
I managed to get Ford RS 2000 type in correct size and machine to suit.
as above i opted for longer 7/16 wheel studs but even that was not straight forward as my spline was 11.4mm and i could only source 13.1 mm (Ford) so had to drill hubs to suit.
Not started on back yet but will be similar plus I think I need a 1" spacer so that will be fun ...... Not

[TISPKJ]

Not sure these would stop a wheelbarrow !

[TISPKJ]

But they look cool ....

[TISPKJ]

What do you mean a bit premature ?

[Hoonabator]

It's coming on, my favourite car on P/H at the moment.

Thanks for sharing

[e30m3Mark]

I just love this car. I think it's the simplicity and purity of the design. I only ever owned one Imp, although I always wanted a Singer Stiletto, but liked the way it drove.

Great to see this coming together.

[anonymous-user]

The Singer was a Chamois, Sunbeam was the Stiletto.

[e30m3Mark]

jsf said:

The Singer was a Chamois, Sunbeam was the Stiletto.

You're right. My memory is terrible at the best of times.

There used to be one on a drive in Maidstone, Kent. White with a black roof. I'd knock and leave notes but nobody ever replied. It looked so sad, with flat tyres and moss everywhere. Such a waste.

[gruffalo]

TISPKJ said:

Not sure these would stop a wheelbarrow !

EBC Yellow Stuff..........it will but not for long.