Bronze valve guides and BMW oil seals for the Hillman Imp

We have the bronze guides made locally.

They accept the BMW oil seals.

Roy

Todays Imp Californian pictures

The 1967 Imp Californian is now a good driver, pictures show the car with the engine running, it uses very little oil and thats over a twelve month period.

Made in Scotland in 1967 then restored in South Africa over the past 21 months.

This really is a nice car now and still on the original matching numbers engine block, which has the same pistons and crank bearings that the Rootes factory fitted some forty nine years back, I fitted new piston rings about eight years back.

Click on the last two images for a larger image?

Roy

Hillman Imp front end strength.

The Hillman Imp frontal crash zone

A mention on the Imp Clubs forum of the front petrol tank  had me remembering this picture.

 

This is not a picture I would normally post but given that the old style phone box was made from cast iron and really strong it does show the result of a rather spectacular crash.

 

Did the Imp roll into the phone box I wonder?

 

I have owned eleven Imps I think, the front petrol tank has never bothered me, its the same with millions of VW Beetle cars too.

 

Both designs have a spare wheel in the area and the Imps is right across the front of the petrol tank, which itself is a crumple defence?

 

http://forum.theimpclub.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=27572&p=286726#p286726

 

Roy

 

Roys Imp racing years

This was mainly at the Killarney circuit just outside Cape Town City.

About 1972 to 1978 or there abouts, the car was quite successful, so much so that they banned it!

As I remember the 998cc Hillman Imp was lying forth in the Argus Saloon Car series, not bad for my first year and I still have the silver cups to remind me.

Driving my 1967 Imp Californian

Driving the car does make a nice change after working on the car for over a year and a half.

I even got to park it outside when it rained just to show we do have rain here from time to time.

Roy
 

Inside Roys Hillman Imp garage

There have been many Hillman Imps restored or worked on in this garage, right now and unless I get a new order, the 1967 Hillman Imp Californian will be my last Imp project?

I do know of an Imp saloon of the same age that just may be for sale?

Contact me for details.

Roy

Kangol magnetic seat belts

I have the one unbroken plastic Kangol seat belt end on the way from NZ to me, it may arrive this week?

I have also found a pair in the UK, with luck I will have a matched set then?

My 1967 Imp Californian had them as a standard fitting.

 

Sand on the road and my Imp Californian

The summer South Easter winds are the cause of all the sand.

Imp Californian at Mariners Wharf

I have been driving around more than working on the car these days.

 

The Rostyle rims are back on!

The rims I had specially made up for me about twenty years back are now on the car again.

Chris Walters of Parrow did them, he took some 13" rims off an Opal of some sort, removed the center hub and reversed the rim, aka Lotus Cortina Chris told me.