Disc Brake kits to fit the Hillman Imps

Progress from the original twin leading shoe front brake drum set will see a kit such as on the bench in my picture being fitted.

New gas front shock absorbers are being fitted at the same time. As were the brake kits, the shocks were special IMPorts from England.

New Girling gas shock absorber and supplied by The Imp Clubs spares department.
Part number 70094603A 4PS3

Roy

Disc Brakes for the front of a Hillman Imp?

Why bother you may ask?

Well the old twin shoe type with two cylinders and leading shoes work well enough, then need re adjustment

as the linings wear down, reason enough to change ?

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

In the case of the Imp Californian and as I happen to have an all new set of front brake linings and cylinders I have chosen to fit them to the front of the car for now.

One thing with this old type brake system is they can be re built in most centers and to an as original specification.

Good news!

Roy

Typhoon hits Mike Storer

Well not Mike personally I assume?

Typhoon update. Our town was a direct hit. No phone electricity. Only a little tap water no mobile internet. A few towns away everything is OK. So won't be too long. No real probs. We have enough of everything and shopping centres 5km away have everything.
So we are and will be OK but comms are down

--
storerboatplans.com

Hillman Californian gives up some secrets

The return of the 1967 Hillman Californian and by its own motive power was a good day for me, the fact that it still drove was a bonus in itself but what would I find wrong with the car?

For sure it had been messed about with, trims damaged or removed, the back bumper was bent and had a split in it but on the good side was a newish water pump and tyres, not sure where they are from, China?

A good power wash with solid clean water soon showed some changes made but why is there a large space at the top of the road spring on the drivers side?

They have fitted a new (?) shock absorber and its about 35mm too long!

Roy

Hillman Imp Californian Coupe in South Africa

This was always a fairly rare car, with production spanning just three years and only 6100 or so made, this car was then exported to Mozambique, I assume as a Rootes Car Co export and not a personal export?
as the speedometer reads in kilometers and not in miles per hour.

Click on the image to enlarge it.

Seen here I am taking advantage of a break in our cold winter weather to air and dry the car out.

The car was sold by me about four and a half years back, it has spent most of that time parked outside near Cape Town, the paint has taken a hammering and the nice silver wide rim wheels were painted as we can see but otherwise the car has survived, sort of.

The engine is the cars original and numbers match, from Richard at the Imp Club in the UK I am told the car came off the Rootes Car Co production line 3rd of February 1967, the Californian was announced in 1966 but only sold from 1967 and this car was one of the first.

Nice to have such a restoration project on my hands again!

Roy

Classic Car maintainance

This subject bares some thought, you buy back a 1967 Hillman Californian Coupe, the carburetors have been messed with the fuel lines are perished but there is a new petrol filter fitted in line to the fuel pump, why?

Looks just like seaweed to me?

Click on the image to enlarge it, there is a wire filter which caps the area otherwise this mess would be straight on down into the Stromberg 125cd carburetor bowls!

Primus burners (silent type) now in stock

January 30th, 2015 they are still available.

I have just received a pair of brand new Primus type burners and control knobs (thanks Chris) they may be pre sold to fit the older model Taylors paraffin stove that came in some weeks back.

Then again they may become a stock item until we find a new home for them? P.O.A and cheaper than overseas!

Recycled burners and new jets are in stock too.

Roy

Hillman Imp owners meeting in Hout Bay

We are all Imp owners or were at one time, the car in the picture was owned by Eric on the left and also by Willie the tall guy next to the car.

In the background is the 1967 Hillman Californian coupe, a rarer car than I had thought?

Hi Roy,

Great to hear from you and good news you are going to keep another Imp back on the road good luck.

After having been into imps since 1964 have just aquired a Californian myself (my first of this model) trying to get on road for the big weekend lots of problems so far but think I will just about make it.

As regards numbers of cars left   DVLA have a total of only 37 cars on the road and a further 27 cars on SORN (known but not road legal) this does not mean this is the total of cars left only the cars we can prove from records .

Many club members like to play their cards close to their chest and not dIsclose cars they have tucked away, plus cars like yours which never show up on UK records.

As Californians were only produced from 1967 to 1971 they had one of the shorter production runs and our record show a total of 6122 being built.

Regards

Gordon

So thats only sixty five left including my own!

There are only four Hillman Imp based cars known to me in the Western Cape, South Africa, three are with me and Eric has a Mk2 Hillman Imp at his home just around the corner.

Roy