Hillman Imps / Our other cars

[jpwilliams]

My second car was an Imp. BMA355B and it was the worst car I have ever owned. Lots of water pump problems.
Sold it and bought a new Beetle CFM803H for £650 in August 1969.

 

[brucemillar]

My dear Cousin Gordon was killed racing his beloved Imp Sport. His Imp was his passion and the subject of almost every conversation. He used to teach me driving/race control on Barassie Beach in that same car. I still love them and the threads on here about them. The Blue & White Imp in the pictures on this post matched his colours.


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[Deleted member 131833]

My chamois snapped a throttle cable in Edinburgh. Looked under bonnet, scratched head, connected choke cable to throttle and drove home to Dundee with “hand” throttle.

 

[brucemillar]

My chamois snapped a throttle cable in Edinburgh. Looked under bonnet, scratched head, connected choke cable to throttle and drove home to Dundee with “hand” throttle.

Proper motoring in a proper car. Great memories.

Bring that up to today::

My car threw a code. Looked under the bonnet, scratched head, called Mobilo, visited the bank and arranged funds transfer to MB.

;^)


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[D-18]

Is that a Clan Crusader hiding in the middle of the bunch? If I remember, they used Imp mechanicals and were reasonably quick (for their time and small engines).

 

[Jimmas]

Done my Apprentiship on these in the 70's, hated doing the heater hoses through the sills.

 

[BTB 500]

My chamois snapped a throttle cable in Edinburgh. Looked under bonnet, scratched head, connected choke cable to throttle and drove home to Dundee with “hand” throttle.

The Fiat 126 actually had a hand throttle lever under the dash. This wasn't sprung - it stayed where you put it. The first car I had with cruise control

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Is that a Clan Crusader hiding in the middle of the bunch?

Yes, they go quite quick as they weigh very little.

 

[MD5]

Some lovely looking cars here, and great to see them! A mate of mine had a white Stiletto and seemed to change head gaskets once a month or so.

This thread has taken me back to my second job, when I used to work at George Hartwell's. George himself was still at the helm although his oldest son was the MD. At the time, I got pally with George's three younger sons from his second marriage, one of whom took me out in George's Ferrari - can't remember the model now, but it was either a 275 or 330 from the mid sixties, I think. Stunning. Ray Payne was in the workshop as chief mechanic/driver in charge of their racing team, Hillman Imps were available as rental cars, with very notchy gearboxes as I remember and the Chrysler 180 had just come out! It doesn't seem that long ago, but it must have been about 1972 ish, and I had a huge crush on the girl who worked in the cafe, aka The Pitstop. Where's the time gone?!

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Very interesting Mike.

One of the Chamois (1965) we got arrived with a folder full of paperwork including lots of family pictures of the car.

Included were original Hartwell receipts for changing the engine to a 998 but the 998 was long gone.

We got the car for spares but when we seen the history thought it not proper to scrap it and it is now work in progress to get back to it's former glory.

It's the maroon one here.


John is making good progress on the fabrication.

 

[Fizzer]

My wifes 1st car was a Sunbeam imp sport. That had twin headlights, twin carbs and a woodrim steering wheel. It is long gone now but I still have the steering wheel on the wall of my garage. I had the second gen Hillman minx at the time, that was the rustiest thing I have ever seen. I did only give fifteen quid for it though (IIRC the Sunbeam was an incredible thirty quid, it did need quite a bit of engine work).

 

[brucemillar]

Is there a more interesting post on the internet right now? Well okay on MBclub.co.uk?

We have everything here in one thread.

I love how it has become a virtual time capsule for many fond memories all stirred by one little British Motor Car that many in here may never have heard of, let alone seen or understood what a great design classic it is.


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[pmcgsmurf]

Is there a more interesting post on the internet right now? Well okay on MBclub.co.uk?

I don't think so but then I'm slightly biased.

We have everything here in one thread.
I love how it has become a virtual time capsule for many fond memories all stirred by one little British Motor Car that many in here may never have heard of, let alone seen or understood what a great design classic it is.

That's one of the great things about these little cars.

Almost everyone (of a certain age) has a story about them and ends up chatting to you (the driver) about their own experience.
Even some of the younger people will tell you how their mum/dad/grandad had one and how they squeezed five people, luggage and set off for a week at the seaside.

We are so looking forward to having the little maroon one back to glory so we can send off new pictures to some of the family members we have in the old pictures. I'm sure it will stir very fond memories for them.

It's the "Stirling and District Classic Car Club Annual Show for Charities" this Sunday 13th where we will have around 20 cars if anyone is local and fancies popping along.
Excellent show with somewhere around 600 vehicles usually there covering everything from bikes to cars, commercial and military.

 

[brucemillar]

I don't think so but then I'm slightly biased.




We are so looking forward to having the little maroon one back to glory so we can send off new pictures to some of the family members we have in the old pictures. I'm sure it will stir very fond memories for them.

Please keep us all updated on here with progress and with the Family. What a fabulous undertaking to make. I would love to track down my Grandads old Austin (But my heart knows that it is gone) But all my plates carry the legend MGA 576. That was his (it's) Reg back in the 1960's. We were all convinced (I still am) that stands for Mr Gibson's Austin. I will not have that memory replayed in any other fashion.

Grandad and that car shaped my life, my being and my very DNA (no sniggers please) Was there a bit of tarmac on the West Coast of Scotland that it did not travel? I think not. From being towed out the sands at Croy Bay, they had a full time tractor in the summer months, driving round the corner then watching in disbelief as water runs uphill on the Electric (Croy) Brae. My own children have made this trip with me and ow with their children. You cannot buy this. But you can capture it in memories that live on in a car that is loved and cherished.

My 300te is a box of memories to me and the previous owner and his family. I love it all the more for that and am careful to rescue rather than restore where possible.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Please keep us all updated on here with progress and with the Family. What a fabulous undertaking to make.

Will do, we are so looking forward to this, will be a great sense of achievement and as we always say "it's nice to be nice".

I would love to track down my Grandads old Austin (But my heart knows that it is gone) But all my plates carry the legend MGA 576. That was his (it's) Reg back in the 1960's. We were all convinced (I still am) that stands for Mr Gibson's Austin. I will not have that memory replayed in any other fashion.

Old cars and reg. numbers stir so many memories, it's such a strange thing.

The first 3 letters of our company name came from an old Imp reg. plate, was my thinking back in the day when trying to get a unique company name.

Same plate is now on an E55 but due to my OCD the E55 has not ventured out since getting said plate fitted.
Should be out during the summer though so looking good.

Grandad and that car shaped my life, my being and my very DNA (no sniggers please) Was there a bit of tarmac on the West Coast of Scotland that it did not travel? I think not. From being towed out the sands at Croy Bay, they had a full time tractor in the summer months, driving round the corner then watching in disbelief as water runs uphill on the Electric (Croy) Brae. My own children have made this trip with me and ow with their children. You cannot buy this. But you can capture it in memories that live on in a car that is loved and cherished.

My 300te is a box of memories to me and the previous owner and his family. I love it all the more for that and am careful to rescue rather than restore where possible.

It's great how memories like that can inspire.

My grandkids love the old cars and I sometimes think they may think I'm slightly mad or just a bid odd.

Our old Mk1 1963 is original and will stay that way, warts and all, it's all part of the old girls character.

 

[brucemillar]

I have a 'Japanese Import 3.5 V6 SWB Pajero' (that's not easy to say) Whilst prepping that for paint we discovered some original, Very Rare and much sought after Japanese documents. These turned out not be the articles of surrender...... But were actually Tokyo City Parking Tickets (looks like our previous owner was a naught boy (or girl). Some may laugh (and they do) but thee were laminated (by me) and now sit in the windscreen that they would have been stuck on. It is all about character and history. It gives us a little glimpse into worlds that we probably know little about, but makes us sit back and reflect, hopefully for a few minutes.

Your 1965 'Bill of Sale' is an absolute cracking bit of kit when matched to the original car. Immediately we are transported back 50+ years and always will be as long as that paper exists with the car.

I am (it goes without saying) a huge fan and supporter of your work and what you are preserving here. These cars were quirkier than the Mini in their day and somehow missed their slot in history. You are giving the mark a big chuck of that back. Well done to you and all the team you have there, who work on these beauties with you.

I really think it is so important that people have a passion for old cars and are able to save them. Sadly. Like many I am all to aware of strain on the wallet and marriage that this passion can bring ;^)

 

[Dizz]

Oh the Imp......

My first and last ride in an Imp was back in the early 80’s , we were coming out of a night club and looking for a taxi home when my mate spotted a fella that he kind of new and bagged us a lift home.
We were five up in that little car and five minutes into the drive we realised our driver was drunk!.
On the first roundabout we came to he lost control and spun off, rammed some railings and ended up at a 40 degree angle with the engine revving on the red line.
We all survived with no injuries whatsoever (the power of youth) and we wondered off to find a taxi never to see him or his Imp ever again. [emoji3]


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[pmcgsmurf]

Good turn out of Imp's at the show on Sunday even if it did rain a bit in the morning.

Sun came out by lunchtime though and ended up a scorcher.

 

[pmcgsmurf]

Had the cars out for a run up to the Tayside Classic Car Show in Errol on Sunday.

Very good turn out and there were hundreds, maybe close to a thousand vehicles of all sorts.




We even got to do a few (quite a few I was getting dizzy) laps around the ring while one of the chaps spoke about the cars histories.



A very good show this one, there were even some Mercs. from a Merc. club.

 

[brucemillar]

Like to have been a great day out. Thanks for the pics.


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