Alloy Weber inlet manifolds

These were on offer recently on Ebay Uk, not sure what they sold for though?

They look new but I supect they have been soda blasted?

Nice and clean, they will fit to the standard sport type exhaust.

I have in stock the correct Weber 40 dcoe carburetors to fit these manifolds, they are made in Italy, so well made.

Roy

Hillman Imp workshop manual

The best one is the factory edition WSM141 but many companies have published their own copies and I use them myself.

You will find many on offer, new and used on Ebay UK for a decent price if you look around, beware a cheaper offer, check the postage cost!

Roy

1965 Tulip Rally winner

The Imp came out in May 1963, yes thats now forty nine years agao, by 1965 the car was a winner and over makes of cars that had been around a long time by then.

The year was 1965, car number 36 was driven by Rosemary Smith, with 7742 KV she and the car took on the rest and won outright!

Roy

The 1966 Singer Chamois Sport

We have just shipped a race prepared car back to Scotland, its now 46 years old!

When the cars came out as sport versions they really did offer a great package, check the scans from the 1966 Rootes Car Company brochure on the car.

Find one while you can?

Lots of quality options too.

The interior was really well done, the doors had real wood trims, do did the dash panel.

This really was such a nice car, even now some four and a half decades later, it still is!

I should know, I have just been out driving our own 1967 Singer Chamois, with a part sport engine upgrade. Even now and with its standard 875cc engine, it just rockets along.

Roy

The Britannia Middy engine

There was one around  some years, I asked was it still available? it was, so I have now taken it into stock and serviced it.

The engines orginal packing crate can be used to ship the motor world wide.

This motor was made around 1930 but its still new, never had fuel in the tank and never run. I have checked the magneto and the spark at the plugs is just fine.They are the original Champion number 7 spark plugs.

Check the link for the full story.

http://ckdboats.blogspot.com/2012/05/new-britannia-middi-engine.html

Now for sale

Roy

http://www.ckdboats.com/

A Singer Sport returns back to Scotland

This is a new slant on our cars, sending them back to where they came from.

http://ckdboats.blogspot.com/2012/05/singer-chamois-sport-imp-is-back-home.html

The car is a 1966 Singer Chamois Sport, car number produced 610 of just 2500 or so made.

The same car on the building jig here in Hout Bay near Cape Town, South Africa.
We have another shell ready for re construction to any standard.

http://www.ckdboats.com/ for contact details.

Roy

Imp Sport Stromberg carb servicing

Check the link to get an idea of whats involved.

http://ckdboats.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-to-service-zenith-stromberg-cd125.html

Note that I have blended the inlet ports in a little, the casting had a low bump in each port.

Roy

Sunbeam Sport drive shafts

With all the extra power available from the Sport engine, up from the standard Imps 38bhp to a much better 55bhp and at 6100rpm, the designers uprated the drive shafts.

The cast iron 3/4 inch shaft was beefed up to stronger 1 inch size, that has prooven strong enough for most engines, including the 998cc ones. The picture shows the competition drive couplings, note the red code paint on them, this denotes the better grade.

Roy

Sunbeam Imp Sport

The change from the original Mk1 Hillman Imp to the Mk2 version was noticable, not huge but the change was there, there were many new engineering parts, plus the front wheels lost the adverse camber.

The release of the new Sunbeam Sport was a totally different matter, this was a smart car inside and out!

The car had new badges, the Sunbeam name, special stainless steel hub caps, radial tyres, a brake booster and softer brake linings by Mintex (M75), this car would reach 100mph and had the stability and brakes to stop it.

The inside of the car saw better trim, more instruments and also reclining front seats.

The engine was worked on too, the cylinder head had a higher lift camshaft and  was specially ported, with  larger inlet valves, plus double valve springs and an external oil drain pipe to take the oil away from the top of the motor faster. The engine also sported a special oil cooler, I have used one for years on my 1967 Singer Chamois, it does a great job.

The carburation became the twin Stromberg CD125s and there was a special water heated alloy inlet manifold. The exhaust gasses were handled by a new mild steel fabricated exhaust system with a four into two system and twin pipes into a special exhaust silencer. The car had more power, now up to 55bhp, so some thicker drives shafts were fitted.

The front bonnet also had a round Sunbeam badge emblem, this swung sideways and down, revealing a locking button. The engine bay had a special ventilated rear panel and was fitted with square number plate, which was lit by three bulb fittings over the single one on the standard Imps.

Later cars had twin head lights, any of the Sports from around 1966 are still the most collectable, find one if you can, as they only made 10,000 ! This is an amazing package over the standard Imps specification, we got a lot for the money back in 1966.

How hard can that be?

For the later Sunbeam Stilletto dash, check this link.

http://royckdboats.blogspot.com/2012/03/sunbeam-stiletto-dash-panel.html

Roy

The Hillman Imp sport cylinder head

This one is probably based on the sports 108 series head, its a special head in that the valves are a lot larger and the combustion chamber has been profiled around the larger inlet valve.

Note the Wills Ring grooves.

My own race Imp had the same valve treatment, I shaped and ported the head myself, it sure worked!

Heads like this are never cheap, just the series 108 head can cost plenty, I have just been offered one this week.

My own full race 998cc Imp engine, based on the early Mk1 block and head, that was what I had and there was no way I could fund a Mk2 engine, Sport engines just did not exist in South Africa at that time, not any for sale anyway.

Roy

Hillman Imp front king pins

The Mk1 Imp had 'sealed for life' front kings pins, as it turned out, life was quite short and by the Mk2 issue of the Imp we had grease nipples on the front suspension.

Fitting a new set is not hard, its just a lot of work but the car will handle a lot better.

Best to check your cars grease nipples twice a year and make the king pins last longer!

How easy is that.

Roy

A Singer Chamois Sport sales brochure

Now hard to find but they do turn up on Ebay from time to time, I wonder is someone reprinting them?

These are very special, as they are the originals and date from 1966 and The Earls Court Motor Show in London. The Rootes Car Co stand sold a car to a South African, he imported the car to South Africa. I later bought that same car and later found the owner still living here in Constantia.

He brought me all the sales documents, brochures and some used spares like shock absorbers, why he kept them for decades is a mystery but we are pleased he did!

Roy

A sideways Imp

Seen here with more than a touch of opposite lock, the driver seems to be quite under control.

Car number 11, registration number 2 ECH thats a special number, when was this and whos car is it? Looks like it has a front mounted radiator, sounds like a 998cc Imp.

Roy

The Jolon Imp from South Africa

A brave attempt will be made next year to drive an Imp from Johannesburg to London, catch the name Jolon, it is being prepared by Terrence Tracey right now.

The Imp, co driver and Terrence.

Terrence races this imp, he claimed 2nd place in the championships in his first year racing an Imp

http://jolonimp.wordpress.com/

Read about the adventure in the link above.

roy

http://www.ckdboats.com/

Going fast in an Imp

Out of the box May 3rd 1963 the press knew that the Hillman Imp had potential, so did Rootes Car Co, Scotland, they soon revised the Mk1 car and the Mk2 version became the base standard from then on.

Seen here in 2007 Doc Ritchie at speed in South Africa.

Erics new Imp

New, no thats just not possible but Eric has been doing a rolling renovation of his 1967 Hillman Imp.

The car has just had a full body respray, this included the inside as well, the colour is what I would call a Pearl White, it really does look good. The front bonnet catch will have been adjusted by now, bringing the front edge in line?

Roy

A racing Hillman Imp

This one is a recreation of one of the best known race Imps ever. Seen here in the center pages of Impressions. http://www.theimpclub.co.uk/

The George Beven built car as a replica but with very strong family ties, as his grandson built the car. In the race days, mid sixties to early seventies, the driver was Bill McGovern, he won most of his races and a number of British Saloon Car Drivers Championships.

The Imp Club

As soon as I got back into Imp ownership, was it nineteen years back? I joined The Imp Club and I am still a member today.

The club has an award winning monthly magazine, named Impressions, this cover shows two of the South African Imps on it. The race car being Terrence Tracy up in Johannesburg and the bottom car on the driveway with our visitor from Scotland, Paul Couther, being our 1967 Singer Chamois.

Try http://www.theimpclub.co.uk/