The time has come for me to put The Pest up for sale after a lot of time thinking if I should sell or keep this Hillman Imp Deluxe I bought back in 2009 as a bit of a lost cause/basket case some may have said of it.
Those who do not know the car it has been a regular on the forum since back in 2009 and for the last two years it has been a regular at the Imp events and other shows in Scotland. It even won the Best Modified Imp at Perth Imp National which I am grateful to the kind peeps who voted for it.
A few photos before I give a description of what has been done with the car from 2009.
A video of how it is here.
Bodywork.
This was in a sorry state when bought so it has had inner and outer sills, all four corners have had replacement panels, arches inner and outer have been replaced, repairs to the scuttle, lower front panel below the grill, floor has been repaired on both sides, behinds the rear crossmember has been completely rebuilt and replaced with good metal, below the rear window at the engine cover has been replaced.
Bonnet is a Honeybourne Mouldings fibreglass panel fitted with new hinges and bonnet pins
Engine cover is also Honeybourne Mouldings single skin fibreglass panel.
The rear crossmember is fibreglass fitted with quickly removable pins for easy engine access.
Fibreglass doors are fitted with Imp hinges and the standard Imp locking mechanisms.
Window and door seals have all been replaced with new items, the rear hatch has been replaced with a single piece polycarbonate unit. The side windows and door windows are also polycarbonate. The doors have rally slider fitted. All fasteners used are stainless.
Bare metal respray in 2K then Waxoyled.
An alloy bib spoiler is fitted to the front of the car.
Suspension/steering
All four wishbones have been blasted and coated with Hydrate 80, zinc primer and two coats of Smoothrite satin black. This was done once the wishbones and the rear Sport crossmember were strengthened then fitted with Polybushes front and rear.
Stainless track control arms are fitted with Fiesta track rod ends.
The steering rack greased and new bellows fitted.
Protech shocks from Mike Dent were fitted late last year and have not done many miles since fitting but have improved the ride quality for such a low car.
Rear springs are 1" shorter Montes at 750lb, front springs are also 1" shorter Montes but cant remember the rate of those sorry.
The steering column is now a MG TF column allowing the steering wheel to sit lower than a standard Imp, this suits the lower seating position. This is fitted with standard Imp switchgear.
7x13 Minilites on the rear of the car shod with Yokohama A539 185/60x13 tyres, 6x13 Minilite wheels up front shod with Yokohama 175/50x13 tyres. These tyres were new at the first MOT only 4500 miles approx ago,
Brakes.
Fresh king pins and wheel bearings fitted to the hubs.
Fiesta front disc conversion fitted to the front to improve the braking, rears have uprated shoes.
Braided hoses for all flexes fitted front and rear.
The brake lines are copper and run inside the car through the front/rear bulkheads using stainless couplings.
Cooling.
19mm cooling hoses are fitted in the heater channels running forward to a Cinquecento radiator up front with twin cooling fans, silicon hoses have been used where I can with stainless jubilee clips.
A kit car heater is fitted in the car under the dash which chucks out a great temperature if needed.
A Davis Craig water pump pushes the coolant to the radiator.
Interior.
10mm closed cell foam sound insulation fitted throughout the cabin and on the roof.
Lesley Smith provided the new headlining in perforated cream.
The carpeting is 4 way stretch in black to match the BMW reclining leather seats which sit lower than in a standard Imp.
Custom dashboard reusing the Imp speedo and a revcounter which is covered in faux suede material.
A full bolt in cage is fitted with door bars all colour coded to the car which is the anchor points for the 4 point harnesses.
Engine/drivetrain
A Honda Blackbird 1127cc motorbike engine sits in a custom made frame which carries the engine and the Mazda MX-5 LSD attached to hybrid MX-5/ Imp driveshafts out to Imp hubs.
The engine is a 1997 with carburettors, custom airbox intake and stainless exhaust. The balance shafts have been removed from the engine and the appropriate oil feeds have been blanked of for the balance shafts. A sump baffle plate is in the engine between the modified sump which gives better ground clearance than if it was standard sump. The Honda Blackbird oil cooler is relocated with longer oil lines.
A flywheel is fitted between the engine output shaft and the diff which allows you to go backwards if needed using a Kia Sportage starter motor. The propshaft is a Nova Transmission kit that was used by Westfield when they did their Megabird conversions, this gives a cush drive so not to shock the gearbox when engaging gear.
As can be seen a lot of time and money has been spent on this wee car and I have enjoyed the journey but feel I need to move onto another project or two. It is incredibly fun to drive and it is pretty quick as can be imagined, handles extremely well and always a crowd puller with comments every time you stop for fuel or anywhere for that matter.
If you want anymore photos or information drop me a message.
The car is located in Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland. EH42
Could be interested in a part exchange if it was rear wheel drive and interesting. £12750 ono
Cheers
Col.
07917810010
Those who do not know the car it has been a regular on the forum since back in 2009 and for the last two years it has been a regular at the Imp events and other shows in Scotland. It even won the Best Modified Imp at Perth Imp National which I am grateful to the kind peeps who voted for it.
A few photos before I give a description of what has been done with the car from 2009.
A video of how it is here.
Bodywork.
This was in a sorry state when bought so it has had inner and outer sills, all four corners have had replacement panels, arches inner and outer have been replaced, repairs to the scuttle, lower front panel below the grill, floor has been repaired on both sides, behinds the rear crossmember has been completely rebuilt and replaced with good metal, below the rear window at the engine cover has been replaced.
Bonnet is a Honeybourne Mouldings fibreglass panel fitted with new hinges and bonnet pins
Engine cover is also Honeybourne Mouldings single skin fibreglass panel.
The rear crossmember is fibreglass fitted with quickly removable pins for easy engine access.
Fibreglass doors are fitted with Imp hinges and the standard Imp locking mechanisms.
Window and door seals have all been replaced with new items, the rear hatch has been replaced with a single piece polycarbonate unit. The side windows and door windows are also polycarbonate. The doors have rally slider fitted. All fasteners used are stainless.
Bare metal respray in 2K then Waxoyled.
An alloy bib spoiler is fitted to the front of the car.
Suspension/steering
All four wishbones have been blasted and coated with Hydrate 80, zinc primer and two coats of Smoothrite satin black. This was done once the wishbones and the rear Sport crossmember were strengthened then fitted with Polybushes front and rear.
Stainless track control arms are fitted with Fiesta track rod ends.
The steering rack greased and new bellows fitted.
Protech shocks from Mike Dent were fitted late last year and have not done many miles since fitting but have improved the ride quality for such a low car.
Rear springs are 1" shorter Montes at 750lb, front springs are also 1" shorter Montes but cant remember the rate of those sorry.
The steering column is now a MG TF column allowing the steering wheel to sit lower than a standard Imp, this suits the lower seating position. This is fitted with standard Imp switchgear.
7x13 Minilites on the rear of the car shod with Yokohama A539 185/60x13 tyres, 6x13 Minilite wheels up front shod with Yokohama 175/50x13 tyres. These tyres were new at the first MOT only 4500 miles approx ago,
Brakes.
Fresh king pins and wheel bearings fitted to the hubs.
Fiesta front disc conversion fitted to the front to improve the braking, rears have uprated shoes.
Braided hoses for all flexes fitted front and rear.
The brake lines are copper and run inside the car through the front/rear bulkheads using stainless couplings.
Cooling.
19mm cooling hoses are fitted in the heater channels running forward to a Cinquecento radiator up front with twin cooling fans, silicon hoses have been used where I can with stainless jubilee clips.
A kit car heater is fitted in the car under the dash which chucks out a great temperature if needed.
A Davis Craig water pump pushes the coolant to the radiator.
Interior.
10mm closed cell foam sound insulation fitted throughout the cabin and on the roof.
Lesley Smith provided the new headlining in perforated cream.
The carpeting is 4 way stretch in black to match the BMW reclining leather seats which sit lower than in a standard Imp.
Custom dashboard reusing the Imp speedo and a revcounter which is covered in faux suede material.
A full bolt in cage is fitted with door bars all colour coded to the car which is the anchor points for the 4 point harnesses.
Engine/drivetrain
A Honda Blackbird 1127cc motorbike engine sits in a custom made frame which carries the engine and the Mazda MX-5 LSD attached to hybrid MX-5/ Imp driveshafts out to Imp hubs.
The engine is a 1997 with carburettors, custom airbox intake and stainless exhaust. The balance shafts have been removed from the engine and the appropriate oil feeds have been blanked of for the balance shafts. A sump baffle plate is in the engine between the modified sump which gives better ground clearance than if it was standard sump. The Honda Blackbird oil cooler is relocated with longer oil lines.
A flywheel is fitted between the engine output shaft and the diff which allows you to go backwards if needed using a Kia Sportage starter motor. The propshaft is a Nova Transmission kit that was used by Westfield when they did their Megabird conversions, this gives a cush drive so not to shock the gearbox when engaging gear.
As can be seen a lot of time and money has been spent on this wee car and I have enjoyed the journey but feel I need to move onto another project or two. It is incredibly fun to drive and it is pretty quick as can be imagined, handles extremely well and always a crowd puller with comments every time you stop for fuel or anywhere for that matter.
If you want anymore photos or information drop me a message.
The car is located in Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland. EH42
Could be interested in a part exchange if it was rear wheel drive and interesting. £12750 ono
Cheers
Col.
07917810010
