Our Hillman Imp, a new book by Paul Coulter

Book Description

Publication Date: 1 May 2013

Paul Coulter takes a nostalgic look at the Hillman Imp motor car built in Linwood, Scotland from 1963 until 1976. The Hillman Imp was a rival to the Mini and had many innovations that were soon adopted by other motor manufacturers. The Imp however met an untimely demise. This book takes a brief look at the history of the Imp and focuses on its success as well as recording fond memories of Imp owners past and present. If you owned a Hillman Imp, knew someone who did or are just fascinated by the story of this little car then Our Hillman Imp is a light-hearted must-read. Over 150 colour pictures.

On special offer at Amazon Books.

Our Hillman Imp [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Paul Coulter (Author)

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http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1908931310 check this link for the full report and see whats being said about Pauls new book. Roy

Only 10 left in stock (more on the way). Dispatched from and sold by Amazon. Gift-wrap available. Product Description About the Author Paul Coulter is a chartered surveyor but became a part time freelance motoring journalist and playwright in 2009. Paul's work is published weekly in newspapers and monthly in motoring magazines. An avid fan since purchasing his first Hillman Imp at the age of 17 in 1995 he has been an active member of The Imp Club ever since writing for the club's award winning Impressions magazine about the trials and tribulations of owning an Imp today. Paul has owned many Imps over the years and continues to use a Hillman Imp as a daily driver, heralding the club's mantra 'keeping the Imp alive!'

The JoLon Imps route.

It became clear that some route changes would happen on a day to day basis, so what was posted to start was always a planner map.

The route taken missed out Zimbabwe right away, they chose Botswana instead. The ferry trip to Italy was not running, so they went into Asia and Turkey instead.

My thanks to Justin Phillips for supply of the route map that they ended up taking. Thats some 14,000 Kms and not including distance done on the three ferry boats they took, add about 2000 Kms to cover that. Driving time was a stunning 39 days!

Arrival at Coventry at 6.20am on May 6th 2013, the club members went out to guide them in!

After breakfast there were speaches and awards.

Roll on Imp 60, will you be there I wonder?

www.theimpclub.co.uk for membership and other Imp news.

Roy

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