A red paint day for the Hillman Imp Californian

Early days but progress!

This car is a pleasure to restore.............

Roy

Project Hillman Imp Californian by the Rootes Car Co, Scotland 1967.

This one has been with the family over two decades, then sold and bought back six months ago in mid July 2014.

The car is dated 3rd February 1967, a rare export model, it was found with Mozambique plates on it some many years back.

It was originally white, then sprayed red and right now its in an automotive twin pack grey primer and almost ready for some red paints.

Soon to be red again.

The car is licenced and even has its original engine so the numbers match, not only that but the crank still has its original bearings (they are perfect) and the pistons are the originals also!

Roy

Barry's Proteus 106 build

Barry took delivery of his Proteus 106 kit last May, he has made great progress since then.

The fact he has a suitable covered space is a bonus, he has reached the stage where the cabin roof will be constructed.

He also fabricated his own forward cross beam, it looks good to me.

Roy

The International Mirror dinghy class kit is available ex stock

We have a number of these here In Cape Town right now, this far we have produced ten (10) kits and they are the first ever cut in the fifty year history of the Mirror with a CNC machine.

To enable our customers to understand the size of the kit and what it contains we have produced a Word document with a decent description of the kit and with lots of pictures.

Please email me and I will forward the Mirror Word file and pricing right now.

Roy

Hout Bay YC marina members

Seen here yesterday is John and Athol on the far side of the marina.

As you can see we have really nice weather right now.

Both yachts in the pictures are wooden classics designed by Wm Garden.

Roy

Black Cat to win the 2014/15 Governors Cup Race ??

Well I really do hope so.

This is the startling news just in, it turns out that the yacht Avanti used her motor to get in front the the Dix Design Black Cat.

Black Cat on her way to winning the 2014 Governor’s CupPicture taken just after they rounded Cape Point on Saturday 27 December 2014

There is still an outside chance that two yachts and some 500 miles away can still win but this seems unlikly?

http://www.fbyc.co.za/page14.html

Read more on the story on the FBYC web site.

Better still read about the event at the link here http://dudleydix.blogspot.com/

A Trevor Wilkins photo, taken at the island and when Black Cat was finishing.

The name Black Cat came from a sponsership that the boat got over twenty years back, I note the sponsers are still being rewarded for their support!

Well done to the Black Cat team for winning fairly.

She took the first across the line and handicap award, so did a clean sweep and will have been awarded the Governors Cup !
Roy

Hillman Imps in South Africa ?

There are some and I know of most of them, some pictures of others exist but I have no idea where they are now?

One picture shows three and all with CL plates, they were some place in Stellenbosch, I wonder where they are now?

This car has been in our family for around twenty two (22) years, it may be longer? I have now removed all the sports parts such as lower competition road springs, front disc brakes, 13" road wheels and tires, sports exhaust but left the twin Stromberg 125 CD carburetors on. I also rebuilt the cars engine for the new owner.

Having now sold our 1967 Singer Chamois I am looking for another Imp related challenge, do you know where an Imp based car my be hiden and for sale in Southern Africa?

Cars like the Hillman Imp can be prepared to a very high standard to your order, finding them right now is the issue.

There is a classic Mini Cooper looking for a new home if anyone is interested?

Roy

Optimist kit pricing in January 2015

Another enquiry just in was for the next smallest kit we offer, the Optimist dinghy, prices are as follows:

We can supply as follows:

The jig to build in is made from MDF or Chipboard, its reusable if your careful.  R800.00

The plys and CNC work are R4875.00 .

Plans are free and we supply a 14 page builders guide with pictures.

We can also offer epoxy at R285.00 per 1.65 kg pack, you will need two of those, micro balloons at R40.00 a pack, fumed silica at R40.00 a pack and 50mm glass tape at R12.00 per meter, you need 20 meters?

Vat applies to the above prices. (no vat for those outside South Africa)

You will have to source the required meranti wood list from you local timber merchant, we can supply the cutting list.

Regards

Roy

Dix Design Dixie Dinghy

Starting the new year off with a request for a price on one of our smaller boat kits seems like a good idea for me. The Dixi Dinghy is just two sheets of plywood, we have nothing smaller that I can remember?

Multi-purpose, they can be rowed, motored or sailed and are light enough for one person to lift on and off the family car or yacht.
Simple stitch and glue construction, they can be built with the minimum of tools, no previous boatbuilding experience and in very little space.
Step-by-step instructions included in plywood plans.

http://www.dixdesign.com/dinghies.htm

The Dixi is on the left and the Argie 10 on the right, both are really great projects to build.

Price wise and including the plans, CNC work, epoxy and glass tapes we have a price of R4139.00 which includes Vat of 14% for local customers.

Roy

A holiday in Hout Bay near Cape Town, South Africa?

Its posted that we Cape Town residents do not need a holiday as we live a life of holidays every day?

This is the sea side village of Hout Bay and as we can see its a real tourist attraction, the big red bus makes regular stops in Hout Bay.

Benches and sun umbrellas are brought out for the waiting riders when its really busy.

I asked the management of the red bus company about the service, next they will erect gazebos!

Roy

Hillman Imp wanted in South Africa

The 1967 Singer Chamois we have owned for over twenty (20) years has been sold and will travel to the North in a month or so, I am busy preparing the car by removal of the upgraded parts and taking it back to standard specification. These include re fitting of the 12"steel rims and higher profile tires, re fitting the front drum brakes over the Ford KA disc brakes now fitted, taking off the Monte Carlo lower competition road springs and re fitting the engine that matches the cars licence papers. There is more also but I can talk about that another day?

So I need another similar car for my next Imp based car restoration project.

The move back to an  'As Standard'   car is interesting, as the 1971 Hillman Imp Deluxe I restored last year went to an owner who wanted an upgraded but otherwise standard car. The special parts on this Singer Chamois will be re used by myself and possibly on the 1967 Hillman Californian coupe I am re building right now?

Does anyone own or know where I can find one in Southern Africa? a bare shell can also be considered as my parts stash includes many body panels, front bonnet and rear engine cover, suspensions and engines etc etc.

Roy

South African Sailing C.O.F safety check

The annual S.A.S check was done yesterday, to save the survey guy time all safety gear was hauled out and placed on display, just look at all the gear we have to have.

Keith the surveyor asked the questions.

I was informed that class C which covers a vessel to fifteen miles offshore now needs a life raft for sailing at night! Seems we pay but get more restrictions than we ever had before?

Roy

Taylors 30 stove top and brass fiddle for sale

January 30th, 2015, its now sold and has been boxed and will ship by courier soon.

We have one here, plus the  rest of the stove which includes the double glazed oven door.

R3000 for it as it is, the stove was cut down some to make it smaller but the parts are still with the stove.

There are no burners or pipes but I have a pair of new burners at R1400 each, plus restored ones at R800 each, so you can make a plan? You will need to supply your own pressure pump and paraffin supply line.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

We have sent a Taylors 30L to Australia and in two cartons due to the weight, this one is smaller and lighter so can go as one carton.

Roy

Happy Christmas

Where ever you are, have a great festive season!

Yanmar 1 GM10 servicing

I am not going to tell you how to change the oil and filter, just highlight what other items you need to check.

Compliments of the season!

I serviced my Yanmar yesterday and found the normal house of horrors in the raw water cooling system, so if yours is raw water have a look at my blog in a day or so?

I took this picture to show me at what sector the drive peg was at so that refitting will be easier.

It is far simpler to remove the entire pump rather than just the impellor.

The impellor area had become salt bound, it was still turning but the in and out pipes in the pump were near blocked.

The anode had gone, changed a year back I need to check my log bookon the date?

The thermostadt was also blocked with crap from the salt build up and while it works it does not quite close and I need a new one.

Running the engine after salt water with a three way valve and bringing in freash water will solve all of this.

A friend asked about a rev counter, I asked Jamie at IMS about how they worked?

There are two pick up types, one is from a mark on the flywheel, the other is a sender unit that fits in the block someplace I think ?

So you may need to check which rev counter you find uses which pick up and what is on your motor now?

Roy