Hartwell Imp - Restoration

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rallycross said:

Fantastic find.
How did you manage to find these two cars in Germany what's the back story to how you found them how come they are so well preserved.

I will let Mr Bevan tell the story on how we found them.

They are totally mint bearing in mind they have sat in a dry garage for the last 42 years !
Having pulled mine apart I can confirm that it is absolutely rot free .... unbelievable really.
Its off to the Imp metal / chassis specialist on friday but hardly anything needs doing.

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dandarez said:

Wow!
Spindly 7/8in driveshafts by the look of it.

Upgrade to 1in ones (as fitted to Imp van etc). I thought every Imp with credibility had 1 inch driveshafts fitted. One of the first mods I ever did.

oops, look at the time!
Nite nite. Time for the owl's bed.

Put your glasses on ........ anyone can see they are a massive 1" lol

Cheers

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jsf said:

Mike Barnby can make you some new rims for your BBS centres. http://www.mb-racingwheels.com/index.htm

Brilliant thanks ..... just down the road as well

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My Hartwell car looks much much faster in those photos than the Bevan one ... :-)

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e30m3Mark said:

AGS, who supply the splits on my M3, may well be able to put you in touch with someone able to get some spun for you?

Could these help?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Compomotive-13-Inch-Tur...

Not enough offset but thanks anyway, will go see MB face to face sometimes easier

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Not a huge amount to report or show you guys but car is now stripped and off to Metalwork man and then either cage or paint.
going to start stripping front and rear subframes next week and then send everything to the powder coat shop, get shocks checked / refurbed etc.

Going to buy some shiny bits for inspiration to look at like seats and stuff.

couple of pictures below .....

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Small update - car is currently with Colin Rooney Fabrications for any metal repairs, we have found that the car has unsurprisingly for a race car had a light knock on the 2 front corners and been repaired not very nicely with filler, so Colin has grafted on 2 new front wing sections.

The rust seen on the roof and rear wing has been ground back to bare metal and thankfully only superficial.

Huge pile of bits gone off to be blasted and powder coated.

Shocks about to be overhauled .......

Cheers

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uk66fastback said:

Wow. How do people find these things after so long? Can't you just polish up a bit on the outside and change what needs to be changed mechanically and run as is if no rot?

Edit: too late for that I see ... I should read the whole thread before commenting!

It was an idea of mine to maybe do what I think the kids nowadays call the Rat look, whereby the car looks externally exactly as mine but under the bonnet arches and interior are like new, I was then going to get my friends at Supercar Paint Protection to wrap in clear film.

The problem is that I think a huge amount of the value in these historic race cars is to rebuild like new albeit the cage and other safety related parts have to be to a modern standard and whilst the above idea tickled me a little bit I think a lot of people ....... i.e. the Goodwood Revival crowd prefer them to be new, you also have the element of some parts need repairing etc etc and it becomes a bit half half so to speak.

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Little bit more for you historians as to the provenance of the car.

It was built in 1972 as below for A German guy called Detlef Hendricks
Raced in the 1972 September Tourist Trophy at Silverstone by Detlev Hendricks and Ray Payne
Car was then taken to Germany and registered with a Wagonpass in 1973 and competed in various European Grp 2 rounds in 1973 and 1974.
Car was then sold to the second owner Wolfgang Rische in 1975 and again competed in various Grp 2 rounds in 1975
It then appears to have sat in a garage until I purchased in September 2017

few photos below from phone

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Info from my little historian mate from the VIN plate ......... Thanks Matt



Serial No.:

Your car is a 1972 Sunbeam Sport, produced in the Linwood plant.

L = Linwood
3 = July 1972
593 = Sunbeam Sport
817716 = the serial number suggests it was Imp no. 81,716 built (since July 1970).

The BSAE service code stands for:

B = Imp, 875cc High Compression.

S = standard manual transmission (as per all later imps built post 1970.

A = no other options (expected given it was just used as a shell to make the race car).

E = export model, RHD.


Engine:

The same serial number will be stamped on the engine that came with the car

Registration:

Depending on when it was registered, it would have been given a K plate for July 72 or an L Plate for August 72 to July 73.

Paint:

156 paint code = Wardance Orange paint. looks like they painted the car In that first, then added the white (probably Polar White 108) on the top half and the satin black on the interior floor and up to/behind the dash panel and roll cage.

CONCLUSION:

So... looks like you need to change your piston heads topic to 1972 Hartwell Imp... as raced in the September 1972 RAC TT (BSCC and ETCC race... and shared with the famous Ray Payne of Team Hartwell).

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rallycross said:

Love this story, please keep the updates going, amazing history and original condition.
What BHP will it have based on original spec? and was original racing weight 660 kg?

Yes motor has to be what was allowed in the period, think they put out circa 110-120 bhp
The Wagonpass states 623kg but not sure what thats based on, I would assume thats dry weight as well, things like modern safety cage will add weight but I'm guessing somewhere in the 650-675 kg - Mr Bevan can probably answer will message him.

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PATTERNPART said:

Colin's the fella to get this shell back in shape.

Yes mans a little genius with a bit of metal ,,,,,,,, didn't need a lot luckily,

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Not a lot to report over the xmas period guys ...

Chassis / Bodywork is virtually completed now, all underseal and sticky mess removed from inside and out ready to paint.

Roll cage (Fabricage) should be ready for collection tomorrow and fitted weekend or early next week, then off to paint shop.

Brake Callipers (Girling ) currently being refurbed by BG Developments.

Shocks with Koni service centre (Racine Suspension Technologies).

Cheers

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e30m3Mark said:

Thanks for update. Looking forward to seeing it being built up once back from paint. Is it going in the same colour / livery?

Yes will be as came from Hartwell in 1972

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RicksAlfas said:

Great thread. Can't believe how quickly you are cracking on with it.

What did you use to remove the underseal and sticky mess?

Yes really want the car done by end of April latest as it will be in the way, but on the plus side I can spend all day every day on the project if I have too, hoping just Monday to Friday ...

As much as I would like to take the credit that has to go to Colin in fairness, wasn't a lot of underseal but inside the car and engine bay had been painted with Matt black paint from a tin, worse was the glue that holds the headlining.
He used old fashioned elbow grease and a small sanding wheel I believe.
Horrible Job

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