Hillman Californian Coupe, fitting out begins

This car was not an expected return to my ownership, its a long story but it now seems the car while having been sold was never transfered licence wise so in legal terms was mine all along? and has been some twenty years or so now.

Click on the picture to enlarge it.

So I bought the car back, paid the unpaid four years licence fee (ouch!) and started on this 1967 Imp Caliornians restoration.

I have since found out just 2600 or so were made, of those maybe 55 to 60 are left? this one came off the Rootes Car Co assembly line at the Linwood factory in Scotland February 3rd 1967 and was an export model sent to Mozambique.

RCO stands for Right Hand Drive, Coupe and Export, the number 108 is for the cars original White paint job.

 The car has its original engine, the Vin plate and all numbers match, the engine is still on its original 875cc bore pistons also.

Easy work? well the above front end took me three weeks and at this stage I am far from finshed!

It may be for sale.

Roy

Disaster in Hout Bay Harbour

Yet another fishing boat sinks in the fishing harbour, the reasons are many, one reason it seems is the lack of a fishing quota to go out and catch fish?

Click on the image to enlarge it.

The boat is the Barbra, its been tied along side for some years and has not fished as long as I can remember, the part owner has been trying to raise the boat but is way underfunded.

Shame,

Yesterday and they were still trying to get the boat upright.

They have a small air pump and have managed to get the front of the boat floating.

The block and tackle gear is a good idea but without floats and more power they have made little progress.

Roy

The Hillman Imp cooling fan assembly

Now a design that's over fifty years old, once the early Mk1 problems were sorted out, the fan assembly works fine, as long as its kept clean.

I was asked the other day was that the petrol tank filler cap? the reply was No, the petrol tank is at the other end of the car.

Check that huge Lucas generator, all it puts out is a bout 20amps at 12v dc, enough for normal service of course.

Roy