141 replies to this topic

[ahmotorsport]

This is my 1976 Hillman Imp which i picked up for 150 quid after it had been barn stored for 16 years, it's done 33k miles. I'm new to this forum stuff so please don't rape me to bad, but i'd be happy to hear your opinions. I picked it up early April, my Dad aquired it for me. The moment i got it back to work i was tinkering, Had the carb off cleaned it all up because it was flooding and she finally kicked into life, with the hole that was in the silencer, it didn't sound half bad i was well impressed with it and then, the problems began. Had no brakes, took the drums off, brand new shoes and cylinders all round but they had seized up and some of the rubber seals on the cylinders had detriorated so i replaced them. Replaced most brake pipes, changed the UJ's on the driveshafts, cleaned up the drums and driveshafts and painted them. The waterpump then started to leak, so i took it off and as i don't have the greatest budget in the world i bought some new bearings and seals. Then it was running and it had brakes, my brother Kelvin Hassell and I decided we would go up the near by private road (of course), hitting i would say, 75mph (Speedo wasn't working)..And the little 'Pimp' was going well with what Kelv said "It's carburettor which is better suited to a chainsaw", we arrived back at work in a cloud of smoke, the thermostat had jammed shut causing the head gasket to fail...But that was a good thing, so we could get onto modifying it. Ported it, raised the compression ratio, cleaned it all, painted the cam cover yellow (Because yellow is damn fast)and as we say at Alan Hassell Motorsport, a yellow cam cover is 20BHP. Then the waterpump decided to pack up again, so i aquired a new one courtesy of Speedy Spares, then i had yet more water leaks. Thought it was my rad so i yanked it out and a hose had split, so i replaced them. The little Pimp was free of water leaks. That's it's story so far. The plans are to get it welded up sometime soon and painted. MOT it and let modifying begin. Undecided on a 998cc Imp or whether to grab my mates 1600 all Aluminium Zetec with race spec cams etc, and chuck it in the back with a hewland transaxle and be done with it. Thanks for reading, please comment.

[Christian]

Very very good! Good to see a new Imp on the club

I love that yellow cam cover and your right yellow is worth at least 20bhp!

[ahmotorsport]

Christian, on 30 July 2010 - 04:31 PM, said:

Very very good! Good to see a new Imp on the club

I love that yellow cam cover and your right yellow is worth at least 20bhp!

Thanks pal!...Ahh i was proud of it, rattle can and some heat does the trick nicely!

[Whiteblock]

AA badge robs 7 or 8 bhp though!


Nice to see another Imp project, and I do like mid or rear engined ones....and zetec power would be fun... but it would also be nice to keep some with the stock engine.

Good luck with it.

[ahmotorsport]

Whiteblock, on 30 July 2010 - 09:06 PM, said:

AA badge robs 7 or 8 bhp though!


Nice to see another Imp project, and I do like mid or rear engined ones....and zetec power would be fun... but it would also be nice to keep some with the stock engine.

Good luck with it.

Haha! It is Yellow? ...Thanks pal, yeah that's what i'm debating with myself, i would like a 998, but, in a couple years time if i still have it, im'a want it to be fast yo!

[ahmotorsport]

The latest addition to the 'Pimp'

Edited by ahmotorsport, 02 August 2010 - 04:42 PM.

[Christian]

ahmotorsport, on 02 August 2010 - 04:38 PM, said:

The latest addition to the 'Pimp'

Excellent! I hope you're running EFi though?

[ahmotorsport]

Christian, on 03 August 2010 - 07:58 AM, said:

Excellent! I hope you're running EFi though?

Haha naah, just saw it in the top of Dad's toolbox back from, well 30 years ago now when he used to run Cossie's...Thought it would go nicely just for shits and giggles

[ahmotorsport]

A couple more mods for the 'Pimp'

[ahmotorsport]

The Imp is at the body shop, just need to go up there and make all the sill bits needed Im'a happy boy

[Christian]

Did you get those Spax off eBay by any chance? I'm sure I put a bid on them!

[ahmotorsport]

Christian, on 23 August 2010 - 07:57 PM, said:

Did you get those Spax off eBay by any chance? I'm sure I put a bid on them!

Haha! Yeah i did! Right bargain!

[ahmotorsport]

Took the carpets out and seats out of the Imp today and this is what was revealed....

[stueys imp]

ahmotorsport, on 24 August 2010 - 09:42 PM, said:

Took the carpets out and seats out of the Imp today and this is what was revealed....

bin the carpets you dont need them

[ahmotorsport]

stueys imp, on 25 August 2010 - 05:47 PM, said:

bin the carpets you dont need them

But i like the carpets xD

[ahmotorsport]

Today at the body shop we had a bit of a poke round to see how bad it actually was and it is a little bit worse than i had first thought and we decided it would be amusing to put his Vauxhall Firenza's 13x8 Compomotive wheels on the back with his 13x6 Revolutions on front, it looked bloody brilliant.....Here are some of the many pictures i took and a video of when it finally spluttered into life after the head gasket and porting had been done.




This is a template of a repair panel i will make to replace the rotten part.

[Christian]

Awesome stuff! I'd absolutely love a set of those Compomotives for mine, but they always seem to appear in a Ford stud pattern

[stueys imp]

Christian, on 26 August 2010 - 04:17 PM, said:

Awesome stuff! I'd absolutely love a set of those Compomotives for mine, but they always seem to appear in a Ford stud pattern

as a set of wheels could cost you 150 quid each corner it might be worth ur hwile contacting the company to get them to make a set 4x 101.6mmpcd

[ahmotorsport]

Christian, on 26 August 2010 - 04:17 PM, said:

Awesome stuff! I'd absolutely love a set of those Compomotives for mine, but they always seem to appear in a Ford stud pattern

Worst .... Damn that Ford stud pattern, i saw a set of wheels on ebay saying "Minilite wheels for Mini, Ford Fitment" how the devil does that work? xD

[ahmotorsport]

I cut the sill covers off today and found out a mouse had been living in there because there was chewed up paper and sponge and poo mmmmmmmmm.....The mouse however is long gone so i couldn't give it a back hand, i shall have to pull the heater hoses out now becuase of that....Here is what she looks like.