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Hi all, I'm new on here, I floated around a while back but forgot my user/password so I'm back! I never got a build thread up either - to be frank, I haven't done anything to my baby for a while. It's got a fubarred engine so is awaiting some love and has been for the past year and a half. You might recognise it from Retro Cars mag, as I write for sister title Performance BMW, and occasionally the odd bit for them too. Anyway, the shell is properly solid and aside from new wings and sills, it's completely original and 99% of it is like new. Happy days. As for pics, I unfortunately lost my entire load of photos (computer stolen) but here's some - a load of older ones are here, I've had it since May '09. www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.86205843254.104551.685228254&l=fc52297ac8When I get some time to copy across photos from my Imp Club thread I'll put them up. Plans are to rebuild the engine as a 998, possibly with bike carbs, and get the shell painted and nicely sorted in a fairly original state, then slam it on dishy alleycats or superlites. |
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Last Edit: Mar 7, 2012 14:36:35 GMT by pbmwben
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Hi and welcome back, yes, I am very familiar with this little beauty through Retro Cars, (haven't been on the Imp Club forum since it had a shake up a couple of years back,) I look forward to some progress being made.
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There is no such thing as a curse word car just overstretched expectations................. Herald 10/10 Gasser 10/10 Total score 20/10 |
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Right, some actual pictures! This was back when I first got it, on my driveway alongside my mate Bradley's B GT.  Being a student at the time, I couldn't afford a respray (not that I can now!) so just gave it some protection. The car was my daily too.    Then came the MOT, which it failed on one rusty flexi brake hose connector, a wiper blade and unbalanced front brakes. Not bad for a 43 year old car that had barely been used in the past 5 years! New wheel cylinders, linings, master cylinder and flexi hoses soon saw it stopping pretty well, and of course new wiper blades to get it through the MOT. Then it was water pump:  And on the road! After a high efficiency rad and the odd tweak here and there, it actually ran really nicely and I had a ball for the summer. I fitted a pair of Cobra seats and a Momo wheel too, but I don't think they suit the car so they'll be up for sale soon. It all worked nicely until a headgasket failure. I replaced the headgasket myself and had the head skimmed by local engineer to me N.A. Wright Engineering, in East Sussex. When it was all back together though, it just wasn't working. I was driving around in the snow in fact, and it really wasn't running right. This was the reason - why not to rebuild an engine in the dark of your garage!   It was Chariots, near Lewes in East Sussex that had the car and engine at this point. Highly recommended, they're properly into their old cars and there's always some interesting things kicking around. Since then, the Imp was trailered back to my house by them, where it lived for a while before being moved to a lockup, which I share with a couple of mates. One is the guy with the MG, who now works abroad for weeks at a time so needs somewhere to keep it, and the other is is younger brother, who's building a Herald-based kit car in there and also has a pretty cool Herald daily. All I've really done in there is take the interior out, as I plan to move it again to somewhere with more room, and where there are people to help more - Morley Auto Services in Salfords, where some pretty exciting things should be happening. Should be moving one weekend soon... |
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Hi and welcome back, yes, I am very familiar with this little beauty through Retro Cars, (haven't been on the Imp Club forum since it had a shake up a couple of years back,) I look forward to some progress being made. Thanks! |
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ThePollitt
Posted a lot
Fix up, look... at that car on eBay!
Posts: 4,696
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Nice motor, no Zodiac mind you.
it would be nice if you actually did something to this and then brought it to work. So get on it.
Much love.
The bloke sat opposite you.
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I like Imps, that's a brilliant colour too.
On a completely unrelated note, what are the best ways to go about writing for a magazine? It's something I've always wanted to do.
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I like Imps, that's a brilliant colour too. On a completely unrelated note, what are the best ways to go about writing for a magazine? It's something I've always wanted to do. I'll PM you tomorrow  |
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Thanks! That reminds me, I need to delete some PM's
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meltdown
South West
Isn't letting old age get the better of him, still making the same bad decisions with vehicles.
Posts: 687
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Where have the pic's gone  can't access FB from work due to the internet police  |
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Last Edit: Jun 8, 2011 12:12:25 GMT by meltdown
Powered by biscuits
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Pics are still there! Should be working..?
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meltdown
South West
Isn't letting old age get the better of him, still making the same bad decisions with vehicles.
Posts: 687
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Maybe it's an IE8 thing, just got a box with an x in it.  |
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Powered by biscuits
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Strange... wish I could help, sorry! I'm on Chrome and they're displaying fine.
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I promised updates and alas, I have one! Of sorts!
After a lot of saving and a very helpful 21st birthday last week I have some money! Hurrah!
So I've promised myself that rather than wasting it on Bavarian things with four wheels, I'm going to get the Imp up and running. So far I've spoken to Ben Boult at Corley Conversions to discuss some costs, as I'd like my engine taken out to a 998cc, while I'd also like to leave it for Ben to build as a) he knows what he's doing and b) I'll probably say I'll do it and never will. I've already got a spare gearbox to hook it up to and will get new donuts, new clutch etc while I'm at it.
Once that's sorted I'll be needing to see how much money I have left (if any) and then moving on to sorting out the Imp's underpinnings. Polybushes, Gaz or Spax shocks and some decent springs will be needed, and I've got a very big soft spot for Alleycats so I'll have to do some more saving for them at a later date. Hopefully this, and some general overhauling of the brakes and a few other bits will then mean I have a useable Imp to start working from!
As you may be able to tell, I'm pretty excited...
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Last Edit: Mar 8, 2012 11:26:46 GMT by pbmwben
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What spec are you considering for the 998? Good to see another Imp on here - i only started my thread last week...! |
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What spec are you considering for the 998? Good to see another Imp on here - I only started my thread last week...! As my engine is a Sport anyway I'll probably stick with that head-wise for now, and upgrade later. Depends how tempted I get... |
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Sounds good! You will get tempted by further mods though i'm sure.... Imp engine tuning gets expensive pretty quickly! The sport set-up is very nice on the road though, and the 998 conversion will make a notable difference too.
My van came with a sport spec 930 running a single webber and that went very well indeed!
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Yep, exactly I will definitely be doing more, I've got a pair of 150cd Strombergs somewhere in the garage, and I'd like to put a lumpier cam in it at some point. So long as it makes the right noise and is fairly pokey I'll be happy! Mine as an 875 always went well, until the headgasket went! |
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Have you got a front rad or the standard set-up (am guessing standard set-up looking at the fan piccie above!)? If not the front rad option then i'd definitely suggest going for the HE Rad route, especially if you've had head gasket probs in the past. I've got one in my Stiletto and that has solved any overheating issues, and that's with a very highly tuned 998 lump.
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Have you got a front rad or the standard set-up (am guessing standard set-up looking at the fan piccie above!)? If not the front rad option then i'd definitely suggest going for the HE Rad route, especially if you've had head gasket probs in the past. I've got one in my Stiletto and that has solved any overheating issues, and that's with a very highly tuned 998 lump. I've got an HE rad and a recon water pump - good to know that it'll still be good for a tuned 998 though, thanks! |
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Nice to see yet another Imp on here,good luck with it mate,when its done bring it to Wicked Welsh Weekend,see events over on imp club for more info.
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can't access FB from work due to the internet police 
