Hillman Imp involved in a Western Cape road side rescue.

This was after the  1971 Hillman Imp, which had been under reconstruction for over a year left our care, the car was quite safe of course but was taken along for the extra ride.

Morne the driver of the rescue two truck is taking his own pictures at the center of the picture.

The owner of the blue Hillman Imp sent me this message from the crash site:

Diverted to distress call near Swellendam. German tourist couple rolled rented brand new Nissan Almera through farmer's fence and into grazing sheep. Both folk in hospital. Deposited wreck at Morne's depot in Swellendam, refuelled, now resume course for Malagas, where he picks up boat/trailer combo for Swellendam, then re-loads the Nissan wreck to deliver to Europcar rental depot at CTN airport tonight. He's covered his salary cost today for sure! Rob.

Pictures supplied by Rob, click on them for a larger view to see more detail.

About to start the rest of the journey.

The blue Hillman Imp did make it to its new home and Rob is doing some minor works prior to some electrical upgrades he fancies.

Roy

Mirror Dinghy kit wood work parts

If anyone wonders why the Mirror Dinghy kit at first look seems expensive, its because
we have to supply all the machined wood parts with each kit, this adds a lot of content and of course adds to the kit purchase price but at least you do not have to search for the wood.

This was quite a load today, note the homemade roof carriers, Armadillo who made the rear loading cover quoted me R3000 for two roof racks, these cost me time and the scraps of ply and wood in my store.

Andrew, thanks for the good idea!

These specially machined Obeche and Meranti parts were taken from selected timber stock by an expert, he then profiled and numbered each section for me. There is enough stock here to cut nine Mirror Dinghy wood parts, I start cutting to length tomorrow.

I think that these kits will soon be priced at R15,000 plus Vat of 14% if your in the RSA?

Roy

A new Hillman Imp in South Africa

The car is complete and Rob the owner will collect it with a low bed trailer tomorrow.

A years work and then some, the trip was memorable!

Whats next? I have already re started on my own 1967 Hillman Californian Coupe, work on some Mirror Dinghy kits comes first, then its a re paint of the Californians body works.

The cars are now rare, so finding one to rebuild to this standard and in South Africa was not to be missed.

How easy was this? that would be a very very long story!

Roy

Hillman Imp standard wheel trims

The car is near finished and it will be taken away by its owner tomorrow with a low bed trailer.Once he has it at home he will sort out the roadworthy and licence side in his local town.

The rims and embelishers are original, the steel rims were made by Sanky and carry the stamping  / 71 which kind of proves its a 1971 made car.

We managed to fit a set of Ford Fiesta disc brake calipers and Ford KA discs to the front of this Hillman Imp.

This represents a years work.

How easy was that, a good question I keep asking myself.

Roy

Hout Bay, yesterdays weather

In fact we had two days of wind but yesterday it became a full gale, the bay was a white out, just spume and sand blown from the beach high into the sky.

This was not the maximum that I saw which was 57 knots .

The old B and G wind system I set up four years back at the watchmans hut was showing 60 knots in the gusts I was told.

Summer it seems has arrived?

Roy

Mirror dinghy class kits

We start on these again this week with an order of nine to complete we shall be busy.

Peagreen, our first Mirror dinghy kit build.

This is the special timber stock we need to cut to size, all part of the Mirror dinghy kit.

Roy