1967 Singer Chamois / Hillman Imp rear brakes exposed

The car is not quite to sport specification as the camshaft is a standard lift only but with twin Strombergs and a Hartwell exhaust manifold the car is fast enough. There is a Sport Imp engine ready to fit someday, that's got plus 60 thou, Heppolite Powermax pistons and an R17 camshaft fitted. We needed better brakes before that motor sees it being installed!

With the front of the car now having Ford Fiesta large diameter disc brakes, I thought to inspect and clean the rear drum brakes out.

They were rebuilt some while back, when new shoes, brake fluid cylinder and flexible hose parts were fitted. After a good blow out with an air line, refit the drum and adjust the liners we were ready to test drive the car.

After a drive around our local estate I found the brake pressure was starting to work, they are progressive with no snatching and when the peddle is pressed a little harder the car stops and smartly.

I still have the standard 0.625" master cylinder, I am told the Sports 0.700" size works better?

Roy

1967 Singer Chamois gets front disc brakes

Yes, side one was fitted yesterday and while I was trying to watch that very stop go Monaco F1GP, all they seem to do these days is drive as slow as they can to save tyres?

Anyway, the job should take a few hours and for both sides, I did a set on the race Imp sent to Scotland last year, really easy too.

Not this time, that lower Stub Axle bolt just was not coming out and I had to drill it away!

Note the Monte Carlo lower and sport road spring.

Before the original brake drum and stub axle was removed.

This is what slowed the process down, adding about two hours in the process?

The new bolts are all plated and coated with Fluid Film rust preventative! The second side needed the same drilling out, they were last removed some twenty years back!

 

 

Note the series of drill bits required, plus the amount of swarf deposited on the floor below the stub axle, this was only the result of drilling out the one side!

 

My 1967 Singer Chamois is now some 47 years old, it will pass the 100,000 miles mark quite soon, imagine, an odometer with zero miles on it!

So here we are, the Imp turned fifty years old on May 3rd 2013, the arrival of the by now famous JoLon Imp from Johannesburg to Coventry proves once and for all just how good our cars are.

 https://www.facebook.com/JoLonImp

They did some 14,000 Kms in 39 days only but that's the driving bit, with about 2000Kms more on three ferrys, 18 countries and three continents whats next!

Roy

The Hillman Imp as a see through picture

Seen here is an artists impression of whats under the skin of the Hillman Imp car, the early ones and pre Chrysler days and their take over, were known to be better built and stronger. Chrysler was not a good time for the Imp, they tried to make it for less and started taking body parts and trim out of the car.

The JoLon Imp, hopefully now passing through Kenya, is a Rootes built car, Terence Tracey had the option of a later but Chrysler built car and chose the earlier genuine Rootes car for its extra body strength. The stongest Imps ever produced were made in Portugal as a CKD ( complete knock down ) kit and as well as the normal spot welds, they then seam brazed the rest of the body!

Roy

Hillman Imps in Linwood, Scotland.

This is a great picture of Hillman Imps being transported and in the Imp factory at Linwood.

All nice and brand new, was this almost fifty years ago?

Roy

Erics Hillman Imp in Hout Bay and at the local primary school

I found this picture on a French web site just yesterday, Eric knew nothing about it.

Words from Eric, the cars owner.

That’s amazing – I took the Imp to pick Maxine up from school a couple of weeks ago and a guy took a photo of the car!!

Roy

Imp Mk1 Solex carb pipes

Seen here, the copper pipes warmed a bi metal spring in the Solex choke, when warmed correctly the choke would then be open.

To engage the choke you pressed the foot control once, then started the car, it would change the choke settings automatically from then on!

Roy

Hillman Imp Mk1 foot actuator

Basically as it was back in May 1963 when the Imp was first relased.

The unit worked well on the used Imp I started driving with.

Taken out of service as later assemblies gave some bother?

This gives a very smooth and progressive action.

Roy