Hillman Imps and fast 850 ownership

[Flatout Phil]

Have come across at least two people on this forum who, like me are former or current Hillman Imp variant owners (of the hotter 998 variety), interesting phenomenon that. Well, for me anyway... c'mon, humour me.

[p fandango]

can't remember what engine minehad, but it was the rarer Sunbeam Imp Sport

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/4746/imp1.jpg

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/7253/imp4.jpg

[Flatout Phil]

can't remember what engine minehad, but it was the rarer Sunbeam Imp Sport

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/4746/imp1.jpg

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/7253/imp4.jpg

This is four people now. STRANGE! I had a 67 Californian (915cc), a 67 Super (998cc R17, discs, monte carlos, modified wishbones etc, etc), and a variety of less interesting Chrysler Imps, as well as a chum with a Chamois Coupe, Ginetta G15, Sunbeam Sport and so on.
Can only conclude Impers and Volvoers don't give a sh** what anyone thinks cause they go so well!
Looked an interesting motor - did you race it?

[bsr295]

wow i rallied a sunbeam imp sport [1098cc] when i was 18,i worked in the parts department of a local dealer [j.g.allisons pocklington]

[p fandango]

Looked an interesting motor - did you race it?
never got to use it tbh, brought it for £50 & kept it for a couple of monthes while i did bits & pieces to it (spoiler & spotlights) & just got bored so sold it

[Flatout Phil]

YOu see, this is a weird thing, maybe we need a sub group in the club!

[Flatout Phil]

Fifty quid was a bargain. Imps are an aquired taste but a good one (and this looks like a pre 68) when well sorted was, in its day, a giant killer. Hope it went to a good home!

[lance]

I always kind of fancied one. My father always used to tell me about one he had when they were new back in the 60s he had it tuned by some italian engineer and speant a lot of cash but it would do about 110 and burn lotus elans off at the lights. He had to put sandbags in the boot to keep the front wheels on the ground.
My Dad at that was a right petrol head owning Big Healey 3000s, Etype , Lotus Europa etc.

[Flatout Phil]

Well it is certainly true that they could be made to go like stink, my 998cc was comparable to an XR2 (that ages me) in acceleration and could handle as well as as almost anything in the dry. And that was not a massively tuned machine - although was pretty good.

[Clan998]

Ive had a few Imps and a Clan Crusader http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/album.php?albumid=178... The Clan has sadly gone but I still have this http://www.vpcuk.org/forums/album.php?albumid=126
I love it ... does get used enough but had it tuned on a rolling road this year .... a massive 61 bhp not bad from a 930cc engine :-)
There does seem to be something in it tho :-)

[p fandango]

Fifty quid was a bargain. Imps are an aquired taste but a good one (and this looks like a pre 68) when well sorted was, in its day, a giant killer. Hope it went to a good home!
can't remember who i sold it to tbh, & i can't even remember the reg to tell you what year it was.

A local guy from the Imp owners club came to have a look at it & was almost it tears when he noticed it was a Sunbeam Sport, told me "its f*cked anyway with that roll cage welded in so might as well just carry on wrecking it". In my defence the cage was put in by the previous owner, altho i must admit i did cut the vents out of the engine cover which he told me was another rare part (opps)