1965/67 Hillman Imp pick-up (lots of panels)

Those sparks look like fun! 4 foot breaker bar and WD40! I had to pull a corroded spark on my daily drive fiesta mk3 a few days ago and it sheered the bolt curse word! Thankfully I live opposite a friendly tyre/breaks shop and they popped over and had a funky tool which pulled it out. Didn't charge me either! 

Interesting thread. Got any photos of the pickup itself as it now sits? What happened to your Daimler?

So, getting back to the ancilliaries, here are some more detailed pics of the carb (distributor later)....


Found this link carb diagram which is great (I have the middle one on the chart, 3133, incidentally) so can tell what jets etc would be correct but this would only be relevant to a non-sport head but in the meantime it's ideal.



quite a bit of dirt at throttle plate/progression holes. easy to clean in these days of sonic-cleaners and with carb off car and time to spare. not so easy if it was your daily transport to work in 1960s and car was alien to local mechanics



choke flap didn't want to move. not a good idea to force it



this actuating assy looked a bit crusty so applied some ATF and let it soak



flap now moves freely



top cover removed



no nasty surprises in float bowl



looks like someone has been in here before (accelerator/enrichment pump)




view of jets (items 28/29/30 per carb diagram) at top of carb



emulsion tube came out fine and looks clean but small (air correction?) jet next to it looks like it will be tricky to get out as head is damaged



outer jet leading to damaged one came out fine and was a little dirty but easy to wipe clean


I've also Googled re the head and I do have a late L4 type head. I need an early sport head 7010162 as my car was built from a 1965 shell and first registered early 1967. The Sport Imps were released in 1966 so I guess it would have had the head used on those models but there was a rare earlier Sport head 7010107. I'll never know which one was on my car and it will be easier (but not easy) to source a 7010162 so I'll go with that. This link gives details about the heads Imp heads

Never knew there was an Imp pick up. Love it.

Cant wait to see more.

Hi Bibbles. Yes there was never officialy one but mine is the nearest you'll get to it. I did a lot of research into it in the late 80s when I got Lonesome George (as I call him being green and the only one of his type) and this is all detailed in The Story but basically the Sales Manager of Rootes North America (John T Panks) lived in Banbury, Oxon and got the guys in the Rootes Competition Dept to make it as a present for his wife. That's why it also got the Sport head, Minlite wheels, Armstrong adjustable shocks etc.

ok. as promised. minimal words and mucho pictures



impulse-buy: early Imp cylinder head. £15 plus £18 P&P. well wrapped



it's for an IMP



mating face looks a little corroded



not sure exactly where this head comes in the sequence but pretty sure it's an early one



everything looks ok in here



as with cylinder head this number will ID the camshaft

So it's been a while since my last post, where I said next things to find would be air-cleaner, exhaust manifold and exhaust...

Well I got the manifold ages ago. Very nice one but surprised I haven't git pics of it on here

Got an air-cleaner (bit shabby) and the elbows which attach it to the carbs.

I should have an exhaust in a week or so. I won one on Ebay for about £5 but the seller won't post so I've just posted him a large box to return it in. Fingers crossed it all works out.

I also got a mint oil-cooler (£51) plus the metal oil-drain pipe (£23.69) which takes oil from the head back to the block. My engine would/should have had one of these as they were fitted to Sport engines but also the later (non-Sport) 533 heads which my engine had. Whoever changed the heads must've went to trouble of blanking the holes which surprises me. Where would a DIY guy get the correct plugs BitD?

Strangely a couple of months before buying the pipe I bought bolt c/w washers which connects the pipe to the block. It was listed as NOS and was only £5. When I got the pipe it had the bolt but only one washer so at least I've got everything needed there now.

Another bit I missed out on posting was that I got a Sport head (£100). Now there are 3 different Sport heads (according to The Imp Site www.imps4ever.info/tech/cylinderhead.html) and I thought if I ever get on it's bound to be the last type 7010180 which wouldn't be period-correct for my car so I was amazed when I found the very first type 7010107. The Imp Site says about them 'Very early Sport, may even be part of an initial run, prior to production of the 'Sport'. Destined for use on competition cars, including the dry liner 998cc 'Rallye Imps', produced from the end of 1965.'

So I think am nearly there with the Sport bits. After all this there's only really the correct distributor to find (bit of a minefield I believe) and a Sport cam & carrier. I do have a damaged Sport cam, which I got for a £1 or something, and apparently you can modify the normal carrier, to allow the Sport lobes to pass thru, but the cams seem to come up for sale quite often for around £65 and there is actually one c/w carrier on Ebay just now for £95 plus P&P. Seems quite expensive to buy it all in a one but prob a good buy.

Anyway that's us sort of up to date altho need more pics and details about some of the bits. Would need to check back on my records for what I paid for some bits. Airbox for example



found very first version of Sport head for £80 plus P&P





shabby but complete Sport airbox c/w filters



NOS(?) oil-pipe to block banjo-bolt c/w washers



slightly dented and corroded oil drain pipe



bolt from used pipe only had one washer so NOS one was a good buy





nicely refurbished oil cooler



new manifold next to carbs and damaged Sport cam

Got another bit of the Sport jigsaw-puzzle. Exhaust.

I'ts not in great condition but will def be good enough to use till something better is found/made.

I was highest bidder on Ebay at £5.50 as it was 'collection only' but I really wanted it and the guy agreed to post if he didn't need to get into any hassle with couriers etc so I sent the box and packing materials to him (£6.71) and then when he got it paid for return postage and posted him the label (£7.72).

So about £19 (and a bit of hassle) all-in.



Sport silencer



TI logo makes me think of Raleigh bicycles for some reason



mounting stud looks good



pipes to manifold are a bit worn



looks ok here too

Could TI be 'Tube Investments'? The British company that made steel tubing.
TI also made the fancy butted seamless Reynolds tubing that would have been used in a lot of Raleigh bicycles.