Cautious Hello

Hello. I'm picking up a Hillman Imp soon. Is this the right place to talk about it and to get advice, or do I want some other NG like the mainenance one? I've been lurking a bit and trying to get the feel of this'un, but so far it's eluding me rather.

Reply to
Fran
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In message , Fran writes

There's an active Hillman Imp mailing list on Yahoo that's well worth subscribing to, and the Imp Owners Club website has some very well supported discussion threads.

(I have a Clan Crusader, so Imp-related stuff is always of interest)

Reply to
Chris Morriss

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember Fran saying something like:

There's a few here have owned Imps and their variants, so go right ahead.

Reply to
Grimly Curmudgeon

Thanks. I've seen you before occasionally, BTW, on other NGs. In fact I've got an idea I've even seen you in a certain garden outbuilding, yes?

Reply to
Fran

Used to have one a few years ago. Remember I paid £30 for it. Absolutely rubbish on the steering when putting it into a corner.

Reply to
John & Lisa

Gosh, thanks for the encouragement! My first car was an Imp, and it's the only thing I've ever regretted getting rid of. I may well decide I hate it after a few weeks, but at least I'll have given myself the chance to find out. My memories of driving my 1967 Imp include aquaplaning (the only time it's ever happened to me) and discovering the disadvantages of hammering an air cooled rear-mounted engine vehicle down the M4; OTOH I also have fond memories of what seemed like infinite space, and the ability to lower the back seat to form a lovely solid bed for solo camping. This one's a J reg (71?) so I assume I'll need some form of fuel additive to go in the tank. I don't suppose for one minute that it'll like trying to run on unleaded petrol, but I gather there's a lead wotnot that can be purchased in garages for recreating as near as possible the mix of the old 4* stuff.

Actually, can anyone confirm that I'll need to buy the additive?

Reply to
Fran

You're in the right place here; Maintenance is fine for modern stuff but I wouldn't trust their opinions on classics. Apart from those who frequent both groups that is!

Reply to
Chris Bolus

Fran realised it was Sun, 21 May 2006 21:06:03 +0100 and decided it was time to write:

Don't Imp engines have alloy heads? In that case, it'll drink unleaded and survive on it.

Reply to
Yippee

Indeed, alloy heads that have a tendency to blow gaskets.

Reply to
John & Lisa

Fran realised it was Sun, 21 May 2006 21:28:18 +0100 and decided it was time to write:

Alloy head means steel valve seat inserts mean no leaded fuel needed.

Reply to
Yippee

Excellent. I'm a bit hazy on car maintenance in general, to be honest. It's been a long time since I used to sort out my little 89cc scooter engine and I've been incredibly lazy with cars over the last few years. I'm going to have to give myself a bit of a crash course - if you'll forgive the unfortunate turn of phrase...

Reply to
Fran

The Imp engine does have hardened valve seats in the alloy head, but no-one seems to be too sure about how long they last if you're pushing the engine at all hard. The real problem with standard 95 octane fuel is the 10.5:1 compression ratio. I suggest that either something like Castrol Valvemaster+ (with the octane booster) or using the premium 98 octane unleaded petrol that's available these days.

Reply to
Chris Morriss

I didn't know that would make a difference. Is there an easy to understand reason for it?

Reply to
Fran

On alloy heads, the valve seats have to be hardened, otherwise the valves would hammer them out.

Richard Web pages:

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- caravanning,
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- personal web site and
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I loves the domain name for email.

Reply to
Richard Cole

Well, that's got to be a shining example of the marque, for £30. Especially for a car with light steering and a reputation for fun handling.

Richard

Reply to
RichardK

Says the man who thinks a FWD Honda with a crappy V6 made by a defunct car company is a 'miscle' car (South African musclecar?) and claims to have experience of Imps in a £30 example...

Richard

Reply to
RichardK

You are not going to let me off with the "miscle" thing are you :-)

Reply to
John & Lisa

Yes. Alloy engine parts are soft and valves and stuff rattle about with a lot of force. So most of them/all of them had hardened inserts for the valve seats.

Richard

Reply to
RichardK

Pretty well all cars of that age should use Super as a substitute.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

In message , Yippee writes

Our local garage sells 4* leaded fuel, though it's pretty dear at summat like a quid thirty per litre. We put it in the series MM Minor, which still has the valve seats cut into the block.

Yes, they do. If the valve seat inserts are hard enough, it should be OK.

Reply to
Andrew Marshall

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