Bonnet Hinges

I've had new bonnet hinges in a box for about a year.  I've just been procrastinating the installation.  Last night I decided at 8pm to start ripping the bonnet off and replace the tatty old hinges.  They're slightly corroded and the chrome is gone down to the nickel.

Scotland in Industry

Here is the film "Young In Heart" in two parts thanks to Scotland on Screen.  This documentary shows the development, testing, and production of the Hillman Imp.

PART 1

PART 2

Imp Electric Fan

The shaft driven fan on the Red Imp just wasn't moving as much air as I liked.  The advantage of the electric fan is that it moves just as much air at idle as it does when you are going down the road.  So if the car overheats, you can be assured that pulling over to cool down will actually cool adequately without MORE overheating.

Here's what I did.  I removed the stock fan and shroud along with the rubber.  I got an electric fan off an old Toyota in the junkyard.  I can't remember which model or year (sorry).  It was the same diameter as the Imp fan shroud.  I just created three clips to attach the two together.  It runs off the generator output.  This way the fan only comes on once the engine starts and doesn't steal any amps away from the starter.

Its not pretty but it works.  The air flow is from the engine compartment towards the front and under the car.

Autocross United 2008

Val and I had our first attempt at the autocross event at United 2008 in Potomac Maryland. Val's red Imp did very well. In my opinion it bested Eduardo despite his dual SU carbs and electronic ignition, even though our best times were exactly the same, the red car was doing it with a passenger and I was solo. Val was having a ball. It doesn't look fast from the stands... but behind the wheel it feels fast.


I got some wheel lift on some of my runs and was pushing fairly hard.  My harder tires were not helping resulting in sliding around the cones, where Val's softer tires allowed Lil Imp to just sail around the corners as if on rails.

Essential documents for the Imp

There are simply a few documents every Imp owner MUST have.

The WSM-141 factory service manual (>50MB PDF)

The Imp factory parts book (>80MB PDF)

Our Imps

How small is an Imp?  Only 13 feet long and 1500 pounds.
39hp stock.

Here are our two Sunbeam Imps in the backyard.

Originally tagged as "LIL IMP", this 1967 MK2 Imp was Val's first car when she turned 16.

In 2005 we bought this 1966 Mk2 Imp, which we call Eduardo, after his original owner.
Here he is on the trailer just back from picking him up in Maryland.
Eduardo was plagued by low oil pressure problems and no brakes.

Here we are at the Meeting of the Marques at Allenberry Resort in 2006.

Whoa... Which one is the IMP?  They all look so similar whizzing past you on the road.