Hillman Imp Californian returns home

In this case the home is my own, after selling the 1967 Imp Californian some four and a half years back, I was able to buy the car back last week.

The car after restoration about twenty years back, it does not look like this right now but will eventually!

The car came off the Rootes Car Co Scotland production line dated February 3rd 1967, destined as an export model it still has its original Vin plate and engine, still on its 875cc pistons and running really well.

The car was an export to  Mozambique, the speedo is in kilometers and shows just 771119.9 Ks,

Nice to get the car back again!

The Imp Club know of only 74  Californians left, of around 7000 of this model sold, 6100 were sold in to the UK, so some 900 went out as exports, how many other export cars still exist I wonder?

Roy

DS 15 Foil and Rudder blanks

They are ready now and will be packed for shipment early next week.

The shapes are cut into the hardwood blanks, the job next is to remove the excess wood and release the shape. The final finish becomes biaxial glass cloth and epoxy, we supply those materials also.

We can also supply finished and to an etch primer coating ready for top coats.

Roy

Barry is building a Proteus 106 kit set

This is a great value kit set to build your own multihull sail boat.

We sent the kit off by road only a few weeks back and just look at the progress a CNC cut kit gives the builder!

Words from Barry:

We’ve spent about 200 hours so far on the project. The set up took longer than I expected, but I tried to get all check measurements e.g. stem to opposite hull  stern etc to within 2 to 3 mm of accuracy. I hope that this is ok,

Hout Bay from the East Fort by a Didi Mini Transat kit builder.

Hello Roy,

Took an American friend around the peninsula yesterday and this panoramic
was taken from the east fort - not the best resolution as a phone was used.

Was a bit disappointed to see that all the informational bronze plaques had
been pried off the rocks and I'm guessing sold for peanuts.

Thought you'd like the photo. They guys racing around the bouys seemed to be
having fun.

Have a great day,

Malcolm

My thanks to Malcolm for a very well composed picture!

Roy

Andreas builds an Argie 15 from our kit

This is one of the most popular boats we offer and a lot of boat from six sheets of plywood only.

The size offers space for at least four adults and when two use it you can lie down and sleep inside, so it makes a fine camper when a cover is placed over the boom at night?

http://sayachts.blogspot.com/2014/06/argie-15.html



Roy

North Sails for the Argie 15 kit boat

This suit of sails will be sent off with the Ronstan deck package as soon as we have it, the sails are rolled in the sail bag for ease of access.

We have been agents to North Sails for many years and offer the buyers of our boat kits their sails as part of the order.

Two sails are rolled up together here.

The Argie 15 has a jib, that is rolled up in the mainsail with this order.

Roy

Mia likes my new Tex rear view mirror

Fitted today and after setting the best view angle for the driver I went down to the Hout Bay Harbour.

Mia found a better use for my new mirror and this had me re setting the angle suitable for driving!

The Imp Club in the UK now stocks Tex products, I can recomend them for quality and service.

Roy

The Imp front panel, sans Lucas light fittings

Soon to be fitted and next week, we have a whole car to put back together, just starting was a mind game!

 

Click on the image to see it full size.

We found the car to be very straight and with hardly any damage that a little work did not correct, with 92,000 miles on the odometer this 1971 Hillman Imp Deluxe was in great shape.

Its also a one owner car!

Roy

South Africa's new Hillman Imp

The idea is to make the car as new as we can, the entire car has now been re painted, that is underneath, inside and out.

We will receive the car by a specialist road trailer soon.

The car needs a nice clean with a wash leather then we are ready to start re fitting the shell, all the suspension is in place right now.

Roy

Learning skills for todays youth?

The heading could mean lots of things but I did see on Sky TV the other day that the British Government (was it Labour) now want to stop free hand outs to youth who  are not learning a trade or skill?

This came in from my good friend Joe yesterday, seems to make a point?

Read it and if you agree maybe its time to build that boat you have been thinking about!
Joes letter can be found posted in blue below my own entries.

Roy

Doing things for ourselves, it was Joe who assisted with my 998cc Hillman Imp engine back in the early 1970s, he found a company named Bremco to do the engineering work. That was to bore out the old 875cc piston liners and then re bore and fit a set of steel 998cc liners similar to the set in this picture.

Like Joe and a few other like minded guys, learning new skills was a part of the challenge.

We need to invent some tools to get the job done better, this is now the second Hillman Imp based car to use the same turning jig.

I think the real problem with boating of all types are a number of things that these days make the door to entry into that world a really tiny one.

Just like DIY, repairing cars is a thing not done by many anymore, with the result that their children do not learn any mechanical skills and often leave school unable to add a plug to the end of an electric wire, so those who mess about with the sea are becoming fewer and fewer.

I think it is the inability to just go ahead and risk your life in a tin canoe made from a sheet of corrugated iron flattened by a steam-roller, as I did when I was very young, to the stringent safety rules and regulations, coupled with the expense that, relative to other pursuits, make it less attractive to the amateur, leaving only those with real passion or who have grown up gaining some experience to want to be involved. If you just look at fishing you can also see how that has fewer participants today because of our lifestyle.

I was at dinner with my brother a few years ago when he remarked that we had an absolutely idyllic childhood.

No over-crowding, no inflation, minimal crime, and a freedom to go anywhere at any time and to experiment with every possible thing imaginable, in what was relative to today a very simple world, all of which the current generation do not have. We never had any money yet we never really lacked for money either.

From the little I know it seems you have had a good life, and for that I am glad.

The Eureka canoe by Mike Storer

This canoe just looks right, its a load carrier and stable, easy to assemble and a joy to look at, even when upside down it seems?

This is our test boat and put together to check the CNC cut files we made, as you can see they worked
out well.

We can supply the plys pre cut for easy assembly, the epoxy and glass tapes, micro balloons and fumed silica to make filler pastes from.

Easy to build!

We have the plans on a PDF so you can have them quckly.

Roy

Proteus 106 Coachroof jig

This is supplied made from removable 16mm MDF board.

The roof is then made from 4mm okoume marine ply top and bottom and a suitable 25mm foam core making a structure that is strong enough to walk on.
 

Andy Mitchell

My friend of very many years, Andy Mitchell is no longer with us, my best respects to the family and all of his many friends.

 

http://www.andymitchellwines.com/OurStory.html

Farewell my friend.

Roy

Hillman Imp transaxle servicing

This is not one of the usual items that I get involved in but as the 1971 Hillman Imp Deluxe has an oil leak in the joint of the alloy casing, its time to open it up and do the repair.

This is the early Mk1 input shaft gear cluster and with the baulk rings removed.

The bearing will be replaced, part #  6204 2RS C3 

A selection of Imp transaxle spares from the parts shelf, there is nearly enough for two transaxle input shafts here. The brass baulk rings fit on the output shaft,the upper four are  new, the lower three are used but servicable.

input shaft needle bearings, one only per transaxle is required, the baulk rings suit the earlier transaxles.

New seals and SKF bearings which are the prefered choice.

Roy

A happy Fathers Day to you!

In South Africa today is Fathers Day and tomorrow is a public holiday and Youth Day being June 16th.

 

Art work is by Jean.

All the best to those fathers out there!

Roy