Hartwell Imp - Restoration
Discussion
alfie2244 said:
No reverse gear, overheated and the head warped....but I loved almost every minute of owning my Imp in the 70's. 
Ha ha. The ol' flexible coupling to the 'box. I bought one Imp (had a few being Imp mad!) which was advertised as 'Offers, gearbox trouble.' My mate took me with his trailer (but that was just a guise to get the car cheap). I crawled underneath as my mate tried to engage reverse and I gave him the thumbs up! 
Car was super apart from this, owned by an old couple - low mileage and I don't think it had ever been driven above 40 mph.
I offered a miserly amount and they looked shocked so being a kind heart I upped it (a bit!).
We got it, pushed it on the trailer so as not to give anything away, drove down the by-pass to the first garage to fill it up (tank was almost on empty), got it off the trailer first - I crawled underneath with my couple inches sawn in half (longways) of copper pipe and two jubilee clips, fixed it over the flexi coupling (the flexy part weakens preventing you obtaining reverse), tighten the clips... BINGO! Reverse gear!! Great trick.
I actually drove it home. And it was very obvious it had never gone above 40, but boy it did that day.
Replaced my 'bodge' with a new flexible and sold it for a very good profit!
dandarez said:
alfie2244 said:
No reverse gear, overheated and the head warped....but I loved almost every minute of owning my Imp in the 70's.
Ha ha. The ol' flexible coupling to the 'box. I bought one Imp (had a few being Imp mad!) which was advertised as 'Offers, gearbox trouble.' My mate took me with his trailer (but that was just a guise to get the car cheap). I crawled underneath as my mate tried to engage reverse and I gave him the thumbs up! Car was super apart from this, owned by an old couple - low mileage and I don't think it had ever been driven above 40 mph.
I offered a miserly amount and they looked shocked so being a kind heart I upped it (a bit!).
We got it, pushed it on the trailer so as not to give anything away, drove down the by-pass to the first garage to fill it up (tank was almost on empty), got it off the trailer first - I crawled underneath with my couple inches sawn in half (longways) of copper pipe and two jubilee clips, fixed it over the flexi coupling (the flexy part weakens preventing you obtaining reverse), tighten the clips... BINGO! Reverse gear!! Great trick.
I actually drove it home. And it was very obvious it had never gone above 40, but boy it did that day.
Replaced my 'bodge' with a new flexible and sold it for a very good profit!
Talking Imps and dangling legs, I loved the old days (60s and 70s). Think just how boring it is today filling up. Why don't petrol companies run decent promotions anymore. I liked a Tiger in my Tank. Also nice was having petrol pump attendants.
And youngsters today say it was the 'bad old days'...
but they weren't there!
Apols for slight off topic, but this should get it back up and going.
And youngsters today say it was the 'bad old days'...
but they weren't there!
Apols for slight off topic, but this should get it back up and going.
I used to love my Imp.
After I had done a few miles in it, the engine was getting a bit tired and a friend thought he knew where there was a complete engine going spare. I bought it without any checks as the owner seemed trustworthy; when I got it home and had a close look, it turned out to be a 996 competition Sport motor, tuftrided, balanced, gas-flowed and Wills-ringed, but camless. I had paid £20 for it!
I fitted - and timed - an R21 cam and a pair of Strombergs on a proper manifold and the little thing was a flyer with a 7000rpm limit. Brilliant car - where is RAJ 642G now I wonder?
ETA - still have some valve shims and carb needles for it 43 years later!
After I had done a few miles in it, the engine was getting a bit tired and a friend thought he knew where there was a complete engine going spare. I bought it without any checks as the owner seemed trustworthy; when I got it home and had a close look, it turned out to be a 996 competition Sport motor, tuftrided, balanced, gas-flowed and Wills-ringed, but camless. I had paid £20 for it!
I fitted - and timed - an R21 cam and a pair of Strombergs on a proper manifold and the little thing was a flyer with a 7000rpm limit. Brilliant car - where is RAJ 642G now I wonder?
ETA - still have some valve shims and carb needles for it 43 years later!
When I lived in Maidstone, there was a white Singer Chamois I would regularly leaver notes on asking if they'd sell. It was a bit grubby, with a flat tyre, but I liked the twin headlights and fast back styling. It also sat on fat Minilites and just looked so right. I never did get a response and eventually moved away but have always liked the idea of owning one some day.
I said earlier I was a little 'Imp mad' at one time in my life. Still love the cars but not mad anymore.
Bevan & McGovern Imp - the 'real' thing.
Triple British Saloon Car Champion(s).
One of my Imps in the early 70s, it's transformation from visits to Derringtons, Emery and Hartwell Bournemouth, and the kind of girls it attracted!
Suitably cropped to annoy poster on other thread on here who said she looks cracking! She was and still is!
Last pic shows the then latest addition of snow plough and Mexico quarter bumpers but in ABS!
Bevan & McGovern Imp - the 'real' thing.
Triple British Saloon Car Champion(s).
One of my Imps in the early 70s, it's transformation from visits to Derringtons, Emery and Hartwell Bournemouth, and the kind of girls it attracted!
Suitably cropped to annoy poster on other thread on here who said she looks cracking! She was and still is!
Last pic shows the then latest addition of snow plough and Mexico quarter bumpers but in ABS!
e30m3Mark said:
Thanks to this thread I spent 2 hours yesterday, looking for an Imp. I had one years ago and one of the first cars I ever went in was a pale blue, ex panda car
Interestingly I owned a pale blue ex panda Imp, complete with a grommet in the roof where the light used to be back in about 1985 (also in Kent)Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff