Hillman Imp Buying Guide - Thinking Man's Mini?
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- Опубліковано 21 тра 2024
- The quirky Hillman Imp offers a great blend of Beetle packaging and Mini fun handling, all for lower prices than either - here's what to look for when buying!
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You're right about the plain water. Plain water and two-star killed thousands of Imps. Replacing a thermostat is a pain but usually worth it. If a standard car is fitted with electronic ignition then it will rev all the way to 8000 for that challenging overtake! The design speed of the crank bearings was 50% higher than typical car engines of that era. Most of the rolling element bearings on the car are very cheap standard bearings available from ordinary bearing suppliers rather than expensive specialist types.
I compared an Imp to a Datsun Cherry in 1972. The Imp engine shook about like Chuck Berry but you could balance a threepenny bit (lost the previous year) on the Datsun's super-smooth motor.
Loved mine back in the day. I had two! Glutton for punishment., me. The baleful glow of the temperature warning light. The constant flow of new Duckhams oil into a puddle on the drive. The 'p'doing' as the fanbelt jumped off on the M11! That's almost mine at
They are both good but the Imp is more of a 'real' car with comfy seats, wind up windows with quarter lights and supple suspension. Imps had early troubles but don't forget that the early Minis were a disaster - water leaks, oil on the clutch, vanishing synchromesh, rain water on the ignition.....
This little car not only called Hillman Imp, there were other models of the car, Singer Chamois saloon and coupe, Hillman Californian coupe, Hillman Husky estate, Commer Imp van, Sunbeam Imp sport saloon and Stiletto coupe. Early cars were usually in sombre colours, later ones more brighter colours like orange, yellow and metallic turquoise.
Its better then the mini
Always loved the design of the Imp. Give me a quad lamped fastback (in whichever form) and I'd be a very happy man. A car I would consider to restomod...
😊 my 1st car it was no problem
Fabulous car, I had one, back in the sixties. Great car, as long as you didn't need to stop, in the rain. Fortunately it never rains in England.
In my experience the usual rot areas on an Imp are found on most '70's cars but the worst area IMO is the base of the C pillar in the cavity, where Rootes put a foam or cotton bundle pad to deaden the sound, which then absorbs water and the rest is history. The best shell is the 1966 model as this benefits from the thicker gauge metal and has the later attention to panel drainage. .
Back in the day I spent many hours driving the IMP and other Rootes cars round MIRA to test for all sorts of problems such as leeks, rattles and vibrations, to say nothing of the roof breaking off the Hunter estate car when on the Belgium Pave, (a triangle of three straights of exaggerated cobbles!) Had the IMP been given the time to be properly developed it would have out sold the Mini by miles, it was so much better in every way!
Nice
BISCUIT TIN ON CASTORS.
Thinking man’s Mini , poor man’s 911.
Beware the gearbox: there are no gaskets or liquid-seal recommended. It will slowly leak and then explode on the motorway.
I never used to like the Imp. But, I’ve really come to appreciate the engineering - the all alloy engine was a little gem, and these seem to be really sweet driving, free revving little cars. I’ve never driven one, but I’d imagine an Imp would give a Mini (which I have owned) a run for its money for a fun drive. The story of the Imp though is a tale of woe, and symptomatic of government meddling and complete mismanagement. A shame, Rootes was a really interesting car manufacturer before Chrysler bought them and completely ruined the brand.
It's a really cool interesting car. It's not better than a Mini tho. So if you are a thinking man, you would own a Mini, which is what actually happened. It's great to see an Imp tho.
Hot air through the sills? Badly sealed engine compartment? What are you talking about? The heater is water fed via hoses that run through the sills, not air. The engine compartment is never sealed, it is completely open at the rear (vented engine lid) and underneath. (The engine is completely exposed underneath). The car you were showing as an example is obviously of a competition spec - hence the front mounted radiator, and the transverse mounted and covered exhaust. If you are going to do a buying guide, at least get someone who knows the car properly.
Rootes should have put an existing engine in the front of an up-sized Mini. They took too many gambles on the mechanics and layout.
Take it to the trash-masher, mister!