1200cc 5 main bearing historic Hillman Imp engine
Discussion
A friend of mine in Australia some time ago imported a Hillman Imp exotic engine of some rarity.It was one of a few made especially in the late 1960's for purposeful Motor racing. I remember Peter Harper having one for Rallycross ,but the history evades me on the others.
The main advantage was the special block which has 5 main bearings instead of the standard 3 bearing. From memory the camshaft also runs in a 5 bearing cap carrier.
This one is in fact 1200cc.
My friend thought it would be a good idea to buy it and after shelling out multi thousands of pounds acquired it.His idea to use in his Australian historic motorsport activities.
To my mind and his it is a bona-fide piece of historic kit and tough luck to others if you are unlucky enough not to have it.It was good enough in the 1960's to have made for Hillman Imps to win races so whats the problem nowadays!
Anyhow he has lost his argument with the Australian MSA and he cannot use it..
Due to having only a low population of Imps in the continent there isn't much call for such an interesting historic icon of an Imp engine!!Hence he now wants to rid of it by exporting back to Europe.
But who can use it in this country or in Europe?
Certainly i could in Hillclimbs and Sprints in a manner of classes ,historic and modified saloon.But i don't have enough money to compete anymore,let alone buy such a gorgeous engine.
HSCC springs to mind i reckon in the up to 1300cc class as opposed to 1150(i speak as a casual means here as i havn't read the regs for a while).The HSCC skip a lot of wacky FIA rules to make life easier and cheaper for everyone(?)!
Anyone have any other ideas?
The main advantage was the special block which has 5 main bearings instead of the standard 3 bearing. From memory the camshaft also runs in a 5 bearing cap carrier.
This one is in fact 1200cc.
My friend thought it would be a good idea to buy it and after shelling out multi thousands of pounds acquired it.His idea to use in his Australian historic motorsport activities.
To my mind and his it is a bona-fide piece of historic kit and tough luck to others if you are unlucky enough not to have it.It was good enough in the 1960's to have made for Hillman Imps to win races so whats the problem nowadays!
Anyhow he has lost his argument with the Australian MSA and he cannot use it..
Due to having only a low population of Imps in the continent there isn't much call for such an interesting historic icon of an Imp engine!!Hence he now wants to rid of it by exporting back to Europe.
But who can use it in this country or in Europe?
Certainly i could in Hillclimbs and Sprints in a manner of classes ,historic and modified saloon.But i don't have enough money to compete anymore,let alone buy such a gorgeous engine.
HSCC springs to mind i reckon in the up to 1300cc class as opposed to 1150(i speak as a casual means here as i havn't read the regs for a while).The HSCC skip a lot of wacky FIA rules to make life easier and cheaper for everyone(?)!
Anyone have any other ideas?
From my bit of knowledge on the Hillaman Imp.. the engine was a Climax FWMA based engine, where there was a 1500cc variant used in Formula 1 the FWMV (used in the Lotus 25).
I wasn't aware of a 5 bearing block - though thirty seconds of googling brings up this:
http://www.moulson.co.uk/se/enginegallery.html
Doesn't look very "homologated" to me - hence CAMS kicking it out!!!
Hopefully, there will be a home for it somewhere.
Many of the historic racing cars in this country are bent as a nine bob note, though many of them were just as bent in the 1960's when they raced in period!!
I wasn't aware of a 5 bearing block - though thirty seconds of googling brings up this:
http://www.moulson.co.uk/se/enginegallery.html
Doesn't look very "homologated" to me - hence CAMS kicking it out!!!
Hopefully, there will be a home for it somewhere.
Many of the historic racing cars in this country are bent as a nine bob note, though many of them were just as bent in the 1960's when they raced in period!!
Good place to ask will be ten tenths Clive Brown will probably know
http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7...
http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7...
I expect someone on the http://www.theimpclub.co.uk/ website/forum will be salivating at the thought of this mythical beast. Post on there IMHO.
Thanks for the information so far everyone. Interesting photos as well. Ideas being carried out to what i had in mind 20 odd years ago but no machining facilities.
Never thought of installing the Imp engine upside down though lol!
Main idea is for me and my mate to get this engine placed in the best possible use rather than being in someones shed for decades.
From what i know it is up and running being refurbished by Ben Boult Airways last year.
Never thought of installing the Imp engine upside down though lol!
Main idea is for me and my mate to get this engine placed in the best possible use rather than being in someones shed for decades.
From what i know it is up and running being refurbished by Ben Boult Airways last year.
Ok you have had your chance to come up with the story of the history.
Latest update is that is # 4 of six special long blocks made for Rootes Competition dept and wizzed together by Ian Carter circa 1965.
Refurbished by Ben Boult prior to exporting to Australia last year.
Dyno'd tested 135bhp @ 7800rpm (Its in "rally" guise!!), 101 lbs of flipping good o torque @ 5500rpm..Not bad for a 46 year old engine..
Used by my mate for 2 x 20 minute testing sessions only at his local venue. Improved his personal best lap time by 2 seconds over his 1 litre installation.
Latest update is that is # 4 of six special long blocks made for Rootes Competition dept and wizzed together by Ian Carter circa 1965.
Refurbished by Ben Boult prior to exporting to Australia last year.
Dyno'd tested 135bhp @ 7800rpm (Its in "rally" guise!!), 101 lbs of flipping good o torque @ 5500rpm..Not bad for a 46 year old engine..
Used by my mate for 2 x 20 minute testing sessions only at his local venue. Improved his personal best lap time by 2 seconds over his 1 litre installation.
There is an Imp owners yahoo group in Oz. But the market for them in Oz is dead. I would tell him to contact Gerry Lenstra (sp?) or contact Frank http://www.bodgy.com.au/ Frank knows all the main players.
The other place is vintage hydraplane racers. Imp engines were in them.
He will have to export it though as the Imp market is nothing over here. My last one I had as a roller and I couldnt give it away. Took it to the tip.
I have a few Imps.
The other place is vintage hydraplane racers. Imp engines were in them.
He will have to export it though as the Imp market is nothing over here. My last one I had as a roller and I couldnt give it away. Took it to the tip.
I have a few Imps.
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