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Dec 15, 2004 19:54:18 GMT
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As Imps and Minis have been accused of taking over the readers rides section ;D ;D ;D heres there own thread.
Imps were the very succesfull small car from Rootes and Minis were the underdog car that never really sold that well. Or something like that.
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BS Nymph Singer Chamois Coupe Series 3 Landy
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Imps n Minis.DarrenW
@darrenw
Club Retro Rides Member 74
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Dec 15, 2004 20:25:49 GMT
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Tell me about the pneumatic throttle on early Imps - was it as bad as everyone makes out? Do some still run with it or are they all converted to conventional mechanisms?
I've always been a Mini man myself ;D
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Dec 15, 2004 20:30:30 GMT
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The pneumatic throttle was only fitted to the early Imps i went by the time the MK2 went into production. Not many Imps have it fitted now.
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BS Nymph Singer Chamois Coupe Series 3 Landy
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Dec 15, 2004 20:33:41 GMT
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didn't the problem come from it causing cylinder heads to warp? Or am I barking up the wrong tree? Also, does anyone have to hand the (performance) specs of an early imp and and early sixties non-cooper mini. I have my suspicions that a boggo Imp may well beat a boggo mini..... (on paper at least!)
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Imps n Minis.DarrenW
@darrenw
Club Retro Rides Member 74
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Dec 15, 2004 20:36:30 GMT
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I've got a couple of 1960s issues of CAR Magazine - one with pics on the cover of a prototype Imp snapped testing and a feature on this radical new car that'll be out soon, and one road-testing it at launch showing it going round in circles with the inside front wheel up in the air
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Dec 15, 2004 20:38:10 GMT
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Imp 0-60: 23.7secs Top speed 80.8
Mini 850 0-60: 23.6 secs top speed 72.4
Damn!!!
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Dec 15, 2004 20:38:56 GMT
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I know of a few still running with the pneumatic throttle, it wasn't a total disaster, ie every one broke, but it's not dependable, like a lot of ideas on the Hillman Imp it was revolutionary technology for a cheap British saloon, and never got the development it should have, the Imp was rushed out to compete with the Mini, Herald, Anglia, Beetle and the like that were already ruling the market by 1963, so a lot of ideas, like the pneumatic throttle, the automatic choke that wasn't really much of an improvment, especially in cold weather, and ended up replaced by conventianal choke systems in later cars, and the idea of coting a number of areas with Teflon in order to get rid of the need for grease nipples, a great idea if the Telfon hadn't worn away so quickly and left a number of earlier cars with no way to be greased when they needeed it, but as I said, all revolutionary technology at a time when mechanically Fords and Standard Triumphs were as conventianal as they come, and even the Mini had a cast iron engine and no synchromesh on 1st gear, and still had an engine in hte front, which helped keep people from being a bit suspicious of the new technology, as some people did a little with the Imp. A few years more development, and they would have been Ok.
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"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"
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Dec 15, 2004 20:39:28 GMT
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Standard Imp 875 0-60 25 seconds and 80mph top speed.
Mini 848cc 0-60 27 seconds top speed 71 mph.
Well thats what Practical Classics says.
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BS Nymph Singer Chamois Coupe Series 3 Landy
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Dec 15, 2004 20:41:17 GMT
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ILIKELURKINGME
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Dec 15, 2004 20:42:46 GMT
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Is that an Elf or a Hornet?
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BS Nymph Singer Chamois Coupe Series 3 Landy
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Dec 15, 2004 20:43:39 GMT
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Forgot to add... the brown one got 4 K.C.Daylighters fitted,(2 up ,2 down) then 3 days later I drove it into the side of a bus! ;D
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ILIKELURKINGME
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Dec 15, 2004 20:46:39 GMT
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Is that an Elf or a Hornet? Riley Elf if I remember rightly...was some 17 years ago! It had knackered hydraulic suspension that caused it to veer left then right when you changed gear ahhhh the good old days.
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ILIKELURKINGME
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Dec 15, 2004 20:51:35 GMT
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I like the Elf and Hornet more then normal Minis. Also prefer the vans and pick ups. The standard Mini shape is cool aswell.
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BS Nymph Singer Chamois Coupe Series 3 Landy
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Dec 15, 2004 20:56:36 GMT
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BS Nymph Singer Chamois Coupe Series 3 Landy
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Dec 15, 2004 21:02:32 GMT
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Which proves the Imp engine's not all that bad! It's lighter than an A Series for a start, even if it wouldn't respond well at all to the 1380cc treatment (I wouldn't like to try it, not witout a fire extinguisher handy!) but then an Imp engine is best suited to 998cc, an A series prefers to be slightly bigger.
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"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"
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Dec 15, 2004 21:03:47 GMT
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When I think back to the amount of vans and pickups I've had and either scrapped them or sold them it makes me want to beat myself with a cracked LCB. That van looks excellent.
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ILIKELURKINGME
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Imps n Minis.DarrenW
@darrenw
Club Retro Rides Member 74
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Dec 15, 2004 21:16:02 GMT
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Cracked LCB, that brings back memories... Had LOADS of trouble with those until an extra engine-steady cured it! as seen in the matt black bonnet thread: One of my old ones... Cobra buckets, Hi-Los wound right down, 1293cc lump on twin SUs, 10x6" rims, I loved it!
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Dec 15, 2004 21:18:05 GMT
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Which proves the Imp engine's not all that bad! It's lighter than an A Series for a start, even if it wouldn't respond well at all to the 1380cc treatment (I wouldn't like to try it, not witout a fire extinguisher handy!) but then an Imp engine is best suited to 998cc, an A series prefers to be slightly bigger. In the 60s Issigonis designed a six cylinder 1000cc engine for his 9x project mini replacement. The engine was supposed to be powerful and smooth as silk but the project was axed so the money could be used for the Marina. Ho Hum!
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Dec 15, 2004 21:20:35 GMT
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mmmm blue minis
that van aint nice
clicked it thinking it was gonna be standard
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2001 HONDA CT110 (NOT RCV)
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Dec 15, 2004 21:24:58 GMT
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I new you'd be a Mini person if you got the LCB bit. There's deff. something about Minis that no matter how slow they are they're still good fun to thrash about. Hi-Los..(with added hole through rear valence!), 1293, 6x10s with 165/70 Dunlops SP Sports.....leaking driveshaft seals,worn rear arm bushes, engines that died when it rained....it all makes me feel nostalgic ;D
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ILIKELURKINGME
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