Hillman Imp (The car's the star2)

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Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 41

@markstuckey6639 6 жыл бұрын

My mum had an Imp; a MkII. We lowered the front suspension had the block surface built up and remachined and always used antifreeze in it; never a problem after that. It drove like a go-kart. Third gear, foot to the floor up the Kiwi's or Titiokura's just screaming; a lot of fun it really stuck to the road. And for some reason the MkII with its twin Stromberg CDS carbs used a lot less fuel than the MkI wtih one Solex. Great traction up and down the riverbed too.

@jefmatttab 12 жыл бұрын

I would have to say, decades ahead of its time. A new version needs to come out. Retro is in right now. Bring it back

@lyndonwatkins1 4 жыл бұрын

I had one the head gasket blew so we bored the head bouts to witworth sizes slightly bigger bolt head.and had no problems after. Head tightened down to 70 psi

@timwingham8952 3 жыл бұрын

My first car was an Imp. The rust held it together. Not sure if this was standard but if memory serves, the boot had no locks on either of the chrome handles. And thus the engine would often turn over but never fire. Why? because that non-locking boot made stealing my spark plugs child's play.

@lawrenceowen4402 6 жыл бұрын

I've had imps over the years since the 60s. I have a mint condition 67 imp and love it,there's something special about the cars,in the early days they had problems because they hadn't been fully developed because the factory had to be in full production for prince Phillip on opening linwood . I take it to shows most weekends and the interest it generates is unbelievable, I love it and will part with it.

@janicewatts5888 2 жыл бұрын

I was a Routes Group mechanic when the Imp first appeared. I was impressed at how nippy it was compared to the Minx, even the Rapier, but not impressed with the accessibility of the engine and transmission. Then the problems appeared, the pneumatic throttle was dodgy. All the cars built in the first year were recalled due to the steering column apparently working loose on the rack. Even so, on one car I just could not get the column off the rack. I alerted the foreman, who also could not shift it. He grabbed the new as yet unfitted column and chucked it in the scrap rack bin. Ok, Mate, he said, job done!

@macraghnaill3553 5 жыл бұрын

My first car was an "imp" bought as 3 or 4 years old in 1977 for £650, if I remember right the Reg, was PTU744L, always preferred the imp over the mini as to me it looked smarter.

@mrspivvy 12 жыл бұрын

The British motor industry way of doing things. come up with a brilliant design and then don't build it properly. Imp, rover sd1, triumph stag etc etc

@rjmun580 4 жыл бұрын

The radiator was at the side of the rear engine and could have been cooled by the natural draught under the car to some extent, but a fan was mounted so as to blow air in the opposite direction which must have contributed to its overheating problems. It was common practice to drive with the engine cover partly open. The heater in winter was useless as the pipes ran from back to front through the sills and the water was cold or even frozen by the time it reached the heater. At least it helped to cool the engine. If you weren't a good mechanic when you bought an imp, you certainly were a few months later.

@69waveydavey 12 жыл бұрын

I had my first one in the 80's parts were virtually impossible to get hold of, I had to go all over the country. Now I can get anything at all, I went to Malcolm Wilson's a few years ago on holiday, there's nothing you can't get.

@deano7326 12 жыл бұрын

i agree, i think the whole main problem to me is the workforce. if they were properly trained to cast engine etc, then not as many problems would have occued. my dad owns a hillman imp right now. but another problem has haappened with the headgasket blow. so many problems and so little time -_-

@ianfluker5379 10 жыл бұрын

I recall (about 1964) my uncle having sales brochures for the Imp ... but he bought a Superminx instead. After watching this vid. I guess he made the right decision.

@timcollins1131 6 жыл бұрын

My old workmate Robbie Webster runs a heavily modified "sports closed' Imp nowadays in hill climbs, Rock on Robbie!

@orlandoconceicao9369 3 жыл бұрын

Bons carros.bons tempos.

@SSGTA440 7 жыл бұрын

Lack of quality control was a problem, also, the designers should have figured out how to cool the rear engine, perhaps incorporating some side scoops or intake vents like the Renault....I wonder if the boys at Mopar in the states at the time should have done some engineering re-thinking.....too bad.

@normken 12 жыл бұрын

Brilliant car, years ahead of the Mini with it's primitive A-Series engine. A few more months fine tuning would have made it into a world beater.

@TheTheotherfoot 6 жыл бұрын

I have driven both an Imp and a Mini for a long period.Of the two, the Imp was much more driveable, comfortable, nippy, and much more fun around town that the Mini. A great pity the Imp was not devaloped to its full potential.

@MrRea112 6 жыл бұрын

Britain certainly knew how to design great handling small cars. Both the Mini and Imp were brilliant if very different. Pity they never built them with the same skills.

@johnburns4017 4 жыл бұрын

The styling was based on the American Corvair which had a flat air cooled rear engine.

@christophersell9052 12 жыл бұрын

I loved my Imps a yellow 1976 that overheated if you went over 50 and a blue 1976 that you could thrash all day with no worries, maybe I'm getting nostalgic but I'm thinking about exporting one to NYC where I now live

@timcollins1131 6 жыл бұрын

The TV used to say, "get into the Hillman ImpAct" boom boom

@xyz2121 5 жыл бұрын

They were great little cars. I owned a 1970 Sunbeam Stiletto in red with a black vinyl roof (similar to 3:32). The only problems I had were rust and its propensity to throw off water pump belts at high revs. It was a far superior car to the Mini.

@jefmatttab 12 жыл бұрын

HA, now you can get parts, almost no cars to get. at least here in the states. The red parts car that my dad bought in the late 60's, he used the engine and trans for the white one. And what he wanted to do with it after that, was make an electric car. Thats looking to the future, 40 yrs. ago. Gas was a quarter a gallon. I think an e-Imp would be cool. I'm always on the lookout for another one to start on. Florida not offering much.

@kennyscott1089 5 жыл бұрын

Good little cars for sure. I wonder if it would have done better if the had the motor in the front as per mini.

@xyz2121 5 жыл бұрын

No.

@mrspivvy 12 жыл бұрын

yes to a point- not sure about rootes group but with Leyland, when they weren't striking, quality control was appalling. all that seemed to matter was getting the cars built and out of the gates as quick as possible, frequently with many faults that were simply left to the dealer to sort out. fair play to your dad, ya need to be an enthusiast to run an imp. I love 'em.

@COIcultist 3 жыл бұрын

Hope they were more accurate about the Imp than the TV programme. The theme they used for Grandstand was a later Keith Mansfield theme.

@fk4515 12 жыл бұрын

Thanks for reminding us what happens when the government gets involved in the auto industry, think any one in Washington DC will notice the similarity?

@mrspivvy 12 жыл бұрын

Now thats an interesting point- a smart engine in an imp?

@69waveydavey 12 жыл бұрын

Sorry,not Malcolm Wilson (Ford Rally Driver 70's!) Malcolm Anderson in Somerset, look the Imp club up they are very helpful.

@69waveydavey 12 жыл бұрын

Funny you should say that, I've just bought a Smart 4 2 with a knackered engine. Things have not really moved on in 50 years apart from 1 cylinder missing at first glance you could be looking at an Imp engine. I think a retro one would be good but I think the name was tainted, I don't think Peugeot would use the name, let's hope I'm proven wrong though.

@jefmatttab 12 жыл бұрын

Alot of really cool cars suffered from gov interaction. My father had bought parts cars to keep his imp on the road by the late 60's. By 1975 the whole ball of wax was given to me. A red one, white one and a blue ish one. In the 70's, new internal engine parts were nonexistant in northern california.. If you couldnt make the parts, it was game over. What kills me is now, you can. The internet was only a bizzar dream back then. I let the last one go in 1985. For salvage

@grahamgottard 4 жыл бұрын

I had the misfortune to buy an imp in 1976. Quality control was simply dreadful. Rust, rust, rust, overheating , timing issues, rusted kingpins, perished rubber doughnuts, the list went on, and on, and on. Yes it was a nice advanced design, but the ongoing reliability issues made ownership a nightmare. My two 850 minis in comparison were a delight.