Hartwell Imp - Restoration
Discussion
jsf said:
This should be a fun project.
This is my Hartwell Imp back in the 80's i rallied, Ray Payne built the 998cc engine for me, a proper screemer. It cost me a years salary at the time!
I used to rally it on second hand formula 3 tyres. 
I put a vinyl roof on the car because when we were building it we rolled it on its roof to weld the floor up and it put dints in the roof.
I got into Imps before i was old enough to drive, a chap across the road had a rally car he was building so i got interested. We became great mates and still are. He rescued a genuine ex works rally imp with a fuel injected engine, heated screen etc, found in a scrap yard in Manchester. He then moved on to racing a Maguire Stiletto.
The top photos look like they were from Three Sisters, that well known drought area near Wigan.This is my Hartwell Imp back in the 80's i rallied, Ray Payne built the 998cc engine for me, a proper screemer. It cost me a years salary at the time!
I used to rally it on second hand formula 3 tyres. I put a vinyl roof on the car because when we were building it we rolled it on its roof to weld the floor up and it put dints in the roof.
I got into Imps before i was old enough to drive, a chap across the road had a rally car he was building so i got interested. We became great mates and still are. He rescued a genuine ex works rally imp with a fuel injected engine, heated screen etc, found in a scrap yard in Manchester. He then moved on to racing a Maguire Stiletto.
This weeks update ....
Fitted as much of the coolant hose as I can without putting engine/gearbox in place.
New heavy duty starter arrived so bolted that on just to see if fits.
Bit of a story but I had to refit as much of the original instrumentation as possible, which meant taking out the lovely aluminium blanking plates I made up.
Made a nice belt adjuster.
Fitted the new sender units for the new gauges into the engine block.
Messing around thinking about exhaust options .....
Photos below
Fitted as much of the coolant hose as I can without putting engine/gearbox in place.
New heavy duty starter arrived so bolted that on just to see if fits.
Bit of a story but I had to refit as much of the original instrumentation as possible, which meant taking out the lovely aluminium blanking plates I made up.
Made a nice belt adjuster.
Fitted the new sender units for the new gauges into the engine block.
Messing around thinking about exhaust options .....
Photos below
Spent Saturday back and forth to local motorist shop several times to source correct length fan belt, also collected boot lid from paint shop, which although painted in its wardance Orange needed to have the top of the lid painted white, also rear window trim surround.
The big news (read expensive) is that I have now sourced a gearbox which arrives tomorrow, have ordered new gearbox mounts, and donut bolts to go with the donuts that arrived last week so we are ready to go.
Couple of pictures to give an idea of what it will look like once fitted up .......
The big news (read expensive) is that I have now sourced a gearbox which arrives tomorrow, have ordered new gearbox mounts, and donut bolts to go with the donuts that arrived last week so we are ready to go.
Couple of pictures to give an idea of what it will look like once fitted up .......
So gearbox arrived late yesterday, as did the throttle linkage, fitted the linkage as a lot easier to do when engine out than in.
Bolted up gearbox.
Fitted clutch slave cylinder.
Despite best efforts I am still waiting for the gearbox mounts to arrive, hopefully in the morning.
Apart from fitting last bit of fire system in engine bay, clutch hose, and last bit of the water hose, I don't see any reason why engine and box can't be in tomorrow :-)
Few pictures below ......
Bolted up gearbox.
Fitted clutch slave cylinder.
Despite best efforts I am still waiting for the gearbox mounts to arrive, hopefully in the morning.
Apart from fitting last bit of fire system in engine bay, clutch hose, and last bit of the water hose, I don't see any reason why engine and box can't be in tomorrow :-)
Few pictures below ......
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