ManiacImp - 1966 Singer Chamois

pubcrawler · Post by **pubcrawler** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 4:08 pm

When you've practised on yours and got the hang of spraying I'll drop mine in to you early next year

basil imp · Post by **basil imp** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 6:10 pm

Great that your getting back on with your car Paul.

Infact finally I did something on my car last few weekends, pretty sure that both of us doing something on our cars at the same time is one of the signs of the apocalypse

Keep the updates flooding in

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Tue Oct 15, 2013 9:56 pm

^^

Now, I've been blamed for some stuff in my time on this planet but the apocalypse...

I shall be watching for updates on your car too. And I shall keep the updates on mine coming too.

IM

bornagain-imp · Post by **bornagain-imp** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 10:18 am

Good to see you've started work on the car again

looking forward to seeing the progress

Eagerly waiting for plenty of pics

Rod

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 12:22 pm

Hi Ash. I am fairly sure that it's 1" by 1" box section steel. At one point it did look as though it was bending but then I remembered to attach the upright section to the engine cover rain gutter and that seemed to sort it out.

If I remember later, I'll measure it for you to double check. It was made by Impspeed, though, so a quick call to Ron should yield your answer for you.

IM

Duk · Post by **Duk** » Wed Oct 16, 2013 4:36 pm

Thanks for the reply, does it just bolt through the normal captive holes? I wondered if 1" would be enough as I've plenty left from my recent ahem modifications

gnatman · Post by **gnatman** » Thu Oct 17, 2013 12:25 am

I have an Impspeed one I think it's 3/4" box section

moose · Post by **moose** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:44 pm

good sign tonight tried to ring Paul whilst i was walking the dog no answer so must be working on the car!!?

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 8:54 pm

^^ Sadly not, my friend. I was stuck in queuing traffic on the A1 about 1/2 mile north of Apex Corner on my way home from work. It was heavy tonight; I suspect it was caused by some event at Wembley stadium.

I hope to get some time to work on the Imp in the coming days. Most of tomorrow is accounted for already. I think I am free for some of Sunday, though.

While I am out i the garage, I might take some photos of the chassis jig that I am quite excited about for you lot!

IM

chris d · Post by **chris d** » Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:08 pm

well done for starting paul
keep at it and you will soon be wizzing around in it again
chris d

Richard Claydon · Post by **Richard Claydon** » Tue Oct 22, 2013 6:48 pm

That's good now keep up the IMPetus and don't stop!

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Wed Oct 30, 2013 12:37 pm

I made a quantum of progress last night. I removed the clutch slave cylinder and drained the clutch hydraulics by pumping the pedal. I have left a jar under the dangling flexi to catch the drips of hydraulic fluid that were continuing to emerge apace last night. This evening, I hope to remove the hydraulic fluid reservoirs, their mounting bracket, the pedal box and anything else that I can see that I can remove with a spanner or a screwdriver.

After that, I want to remove the Superlite alloy wheels and then the brakes so that I can put my slave steel wheels on the car and store the alloys, most likely in the loft. That should avoid the alloys getting damaged.

The steel wheels only fit at the front with thin spacer plates because they foul on the calipers slightly.

The only thing is that at least one of the steel wheels doesn't hold air.

I am considering trying a can of that tyre foam stuff (I already have two cans in the garage) in it just to enable the wheel to hold air for slave wheel use. The steel wheels would be blasted and repainted before being used on the road again anyway. The 12" tyres are good, though and were brand new, I think. They may be on the old side for road use now, though; I need to check.

If I relieve the calipers ever so slightly, I could use the steel wheels on the car as an alternative to my beloved Superlites. So I think I shall!

More soon.

I'll try to get the car out on the drive at the weekend (weather permitting) for some photos.

IM

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Wed Oct 30, 2013 10:19 pm

The pedal box is out, as are the hydraulic reservoirs. I also removed the blanking plate from the passenger side of the front compartment. I managed not to cover everything in hydraulic fluid.

Here is a photo.

I'll remove the brakes next, hopefully later in the week.

IM

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 11:18 pm

I spent a few hours on the car yesterday. I removed the spare wheel spindle and one or two other minor parts. Then I set about trying to remove the flat steel plate that is welded over the rear parcel shelf. I tried parting the spot welds with a chisel and a hammer. No joy.

So I thought I'd get violent with it and attack it with a grinding disc on my angle grinder.

Success! Well, partial success. I've removed about a third of it thus far, as the photo shows.

I feel vindicated in removing the panel too because, as I suspected, the condition of the metal beneath it is less than ideal.

Some of my hammering and chiselling has damaged the parcel shelf but I think I can weld it up. It will take some work to restore the parcel shelf to its former glory. I ground it a bit thin in places but shall try to build it up with weld - carefully and slowly to avoid distortion.

More grinding this week, if I can free up the time.

IM

Post by **Lars Hagermark** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 11:29 pm

Wouldn't a spot weld drill do it in no time?

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 11:36 pm

Yes, I think it would. But I wanted to get the plate out right away, so I tried with what I have in the garage.

Anyone know where I can get a decent spot weld drill.

One that does the job with minimal damage to panels and stays sharp?

IM

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 3:36 pm

I'll take a look at Screwfix, I think. There's one of those down the road from me. Thank you, Rod.

The car will indeed get done. I am just starting out but shall pick up the pace. It's just a matter of when!

IM

pubcrawler · Post by **pubcrawler** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 5:53 pm

mmmm.....you've got me thinking now Paul, should I remove my plate as well

My daft question is.....What is the difference between a spot weld drill and a normal drill

philgsmith · Post by **philgsmith** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 8:41 pm

Well done Paul. Keep up the good work.
Lesley

gnatman · Post by **gnatman** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 9:23 pm

I removed that plate from mine too, Paul. The underside appeared to have been bare metal....

I also used the grinder !

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 10:47 pm

Well, I didn't manage to find a spot weld drill bit down the road this evening.

Now I've read that you removed your plate with your grinder, Don, I am minded to save myself a few bob and crack on - for now.

The bit I would have bought earlier didn't look online like the one that you posted above, Lars. So it was possibly a cheap alternative. I'll get one in due course.

More on the car in a few days.

IM

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Sat Nov 16, 2013 10:49 pm

The plate is out.

Not much left.

All gone.

The parcel shelf needs some localised repairs. I might start tomorrow, once a few other chores are done.

More soon.

IM

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 12:38 pm

^^ Nah.

The way I see it, it doesn't bring anything to the party. It creates an area where corrosion can set in unseen and is more difficult to repair. It adds weight too.

I am hoping to spend some time on the car this week to wire brush the rust off that area and try some rust killer on it. I want to protect it for now, pending welding up the holes and thin areas shortly.

IM

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Mon Dec 02, 2013 10:50 pm

It's been a couple of weeks and I haven't been completely idle.

I have dismantled the pedal box, the brake bias adjustment mechanism of which was seized.

I got there in the end but the whole of the original adjustment mechanism is junk. Luckily, I have another new or nearly new one to use when I reassemble the box.

I have also dismantled the rear transom panel, which on my car is a cosmetic panel only because I have an Impspeed tubular crossmember.

On top of those relatively minor but still time consuming chores, I have also done some more tidying and sorting in the garage.

There was a blocked drain that needed attention and I have organised my tools much better, which will save time finding them in future.

I shan't be able to get much done this week. I am out tomorrow with the Stevenage AC posse for Christmas dinner.

Wednesday, I have a very long day at work. Thursday it's the Stag Owners Club regular meet. Then at the weekend, Mrs. IM and I are away for one night. Next week should be quieter.

I am going to stow some trim parts in the attic in the coming weeks. The seats are going up, along with assorted other trim bits. I also have a complete Triumph Stag interior to go up. That should free up a lot of space in the shed, which will in turn free up space in the garage when I shift stuff across. Then I'll get into the Chamois shell itself. Or that's the plan.

IM

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Mon May 19, 2014 4:08 pm

I did a bit more work on the Chamois yesterday - nothing major. I have fitted the steel wheels to the car because I don't want to ruin the Superlites during the forthcoming grind-a-thon and weld-a-thon. I've already managed to wreck a perfectly good toughened windscreen with sparks from cutting out the steel plate that was affixed to the top of the parcel shelf.

The steel wheels would not fit comfortably on top of the Fiesta brake discs, so I have removed the brakes front and back too. I left the rear backplates on for now to avoid the need to remove the rear hubs.

I have been reminded lately quite how much I enjoy working on cars. So I hope to have more progress to report soon.

Imp 2014-05-18.jpg

IM

cov_climax · Post by **cov_climax** » Tue May 20, 2014 11:06 pm

I can see the papers now, "ImpManiac in grafting shocker"

Glad you're back on it Paul, just try and do one job a week no matter how small it seems, it's all progress and if you put the updates here it'll help boost your mojo. Be good to see it at the national..

Keep at it
Brian

pubcrawler · Post by **pubcrawler** » Wed May 21, 2014 5:43 am

cov_climax wrote:it's all progress and if you put the updates here it'll help boost your mojo. Be good to see it at the national.
Keep at it
Brian

It does help

Glad to see you back at it Paul

Post by **Lars Hagermark** » Wed May 21, 2014 9:09 am

Glad you've made a "re-start".

bornagain-imp · Post by **bornagain-imp** » Wed May 21, 2014 10:39 am

Glad to see you're back at working on your Imp

Keep some pic's coming, everyone likes plenty of pictures

Rod

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Wed May 21, 2014 12:28 pm

Thanks, guys.

Next job is to remove and replace the door hinge pins, so brace yourself for an order, Brian!

I'm not sure which size to opt for yet, though.

Once they're done, I'll cut the sills off and see what the damage is beneath. Then I'll work my way around the lower portions of the shell - floors, suspension mountings, etc. Then I'll work upwards from there.

bornagain-imp wrote:...everyone likes plenty of pictures

Not least me!

IM

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 5:27 pm

Well it was 49 years ago today that my Chamois came off the production line, according to factory records.

With that in mind, I have set myself the target of getting my wee beastie back on the road in time for its fiftieth birthday.

As many of you will know, restoring a car well within a year is entirely feasible. You will also know that I have not been very good at keeping up any sort of momentum with my projects in the past. However, with some considerable focus, I think it can be done.

Anyway, we'll see.

Whatever happens, I'll keep this thread updated as I go.

IM

cov_climax · Post by **cov_climax** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 7:19 pm

Excellent, thought you've been quiet of late and perhaps you'd been getting into it.

Would it be inappropriate to say roll on next year

Sorry I couldn't resist.

If it's solid then it is do-able in a year, try and find a couple of evenings a week to dedicate and at least half a day at the weekend if possible, keep nibbling away a bit at a time and the bits of progress will all join up eventually. Or sub the bodywork out to a reputable place and refresh the mechanicals yourself.

Cheers
Brian

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 9:55 pm

cov_climax wrote:Would it be inappropriate to say roll on next year Sorry I couldn't resist.

Yes it would! Funny, though!

As usual, Brian, your advice makes sense. I'll most likely end up doing just that. I think that my shell is reasonably sound but who really knows what they're getting into with an old car bodyshell until they get stuck in, eh?

IM

philgsmith · Post by **philgsmith** » Wed Jun 18, 2014 11:00 pm

Get stuck in Paul... we want to see you driving it at next year's National.

You gave us lots of support and encouragement on the forum when we were doing Hilda - we want to give you the same encouragement!

Just got back from Cardiff for the area meet - passed an Audi TT on the way! I think he was reading texts - looked shocked when I waved my phone at him as this 40 year old Imp went past !!! Enjoying the results of our hard work - so come on, get stuck in and the enjoyment will come sooner.

Best wishes

Phil

bazzateer · Post by **bazzateer** » Thu Jun 19, 2014 12:03 am

Back on the road for 2015 for a year of fettling and then you can join us in convoy to Going Dutch 2016!

pubcrawler · Post by **pubcrawler** » Thu Jun 19, 2014 5:40 am

Looking forward to reading your updates Paul and finally seeing your Imp back on the road

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Thu Jun 19, 2014 12:06 pm

Thank you.

Going Dutch 2016 sounds like an excellent plan.

I'll get the doors fitted properly first. That means new hinge pins and mounting screws, probably followed by some fiddling with shim plates and/or some brute force. Mind you, they're not bad at the moment, so maybe I'll get lucky.

I'll get some photos of the car at the weekend.

IM

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Tue Jul 15, 2014 11:41 pm

So these photos then...!

This was me changing the Superlite alloys wheels for the steel wheels. I don't want to damage the alloys, grinding and welding, so I fitted the steel wheels until the car is ready for the road.

This is how the car looked a month ago, just before I removed the doors for paint stripping, new hinge pins and proper fitting to the shell. The hinge pins are properly worn out!

Another shot of the car. Look at all that stuff inside!

That's my collection of cloths, plus some other stuff. I need to find somewhere else to store some of it.

The driver's side of the car doesn't have much paint left on it! Well, a large proportion of it has been removed. Glen and I were working on the bodywork, filling the dents caused by the roll at Teesside Autodrome back in '08. It came a long way but then we spotted the crudely made cover sills and I more or less decided to restore the shell properly at that moment. It was restored 'on the cheap' last time around. Not this time.

She'll be getting some proper metal bashing, rather than 1/4" of filler. Well, that's the idea anyway.

Doors removed. I had already loosened most of the fixing screws, so they came off quickly and easily.

Look at the state of the hinge pins! Obviously you can't tell but there is a huge amount of free play in them. I took this picture after clouting them around for a bit with a reasonably sizeable hammer, followed by some blow lamp action and some more clouting. No movement!

I'll be taking them round to Glen's for some more convincing clouting in the next few days.

And lastly, a shot of the driver's door following some paint and filler stripping using a zip wheel on Sunday just gone. I think the doors look pretty good, to be honest.

I'll strip what I can from the larger surfaces and then take them to Glen's mate for shot blasting - carefully! I want the guy to get into the corners and inside the doors, where it is much more difficult and time consuming to try to strip using a zip wheel.

More soon. I need to figure out when I can get some time off work in the next week or two.

IM

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 10:22 am

Thanks for your comments.

I would really like to get the car on the road and largely finished in time for my Chamois's 50th birthday, which will be the 18th June of next year.

Considering the pace of work so far and my, er, track record, that would seem improbable!

However, it can be done, as others on here have shown. I have all the tools and facilities - or access to them. So I just need to fit the work on the car into my routine. That's the tricky part!

Anyway, I'll give it a go.

IM

Post by **Lars Hagermark** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 12:17 pm

ImpManiac wrote:I have all the tools and facilities - or access to them. So I just need to fit the work on the car into my routine. That's the tricky part!

Just like me then and I know the problem only too well.
Tried the other way round, i.e. fit routine(s) into work on car, without much difference.

Glad to see you're going back to the car when ever you have an opportunity. Even small steps count.

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 12:30 pm

Lars Hagermark(DJH705) wrote:Even small steps count.

Yes, they do. And that is the big lesson for me, not just in my car restoration.

IM

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Tue Aug 19, 2014 10:41 pm

On Saturday, Glen and I chemically stripped the paint from the second of my Chamois's doors - the passenger door. There are no signs of primer on the door!

Suffice it to say that this is the motivation for the shell restoration that I am beginning to get stuck into. Glen was shocked!

Anyway, the shell will be stripped completely bare and then prepared properly.

Three of the hinge pins came out really easily. The fourth was tough. I had tried to shift two of them previously without any success.

However, Glen is an old hand at this

and we mounted the doors in his metal vice and then clouted heck out of the pins. That moved 'em!

They are bent and unusable.

Chemical paint stripper in action.

Most of the paint had now been removed. Final sanding using a dual action sander removed the last knockings of the paint from the outsid of the skin.

The doors were then taken to a shot blasting specialist for the shuts and the insides (as much as possible) to be stripped of paint and rust. Glen will collect them this week, hopefully.

He will also kindly etch prime them for me too. We will then ream them as necessary and fit the new hinge pins (thanks a million, Brian

). Then it'll be time to mount them, ensuring proper fit using shim plates, etc. Glen said that they were the best Imp doors he'd seen for a long time.

More soon, hopefully.

IM

chris d · Post by **chris d** » Wed Aug 20, 2014 8:11 am

great to see your back at it paul
have a little faith that it will be ready for the national (but don't tell us which one)

keep the updates coming
all the best
chris d

pubcrawler · Post by **pubcrawler** » Wed Aug 20, 2014 8:28 am

Looks like you're surrounded by all the correct equipment for a good resto

Keep the photo's coming Paul, looking forward to seeing it at next years National

philgsmith · Post by **philgsmith** » Wed Aug 20, 2014 8:35 am

Well done Paul, no stopping you now! The doors do look good. Strange that there's no evidence of primer.

Phil

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Sun Sep 21, 2014 10:24 pm

I got my doors back from Glen a couple of weeks ago.

To recap, the paint on the outside of the skins was chemically stripped. The doors were then cleaned and shot blasted in the area of the shuts, the window frames and as much of the insides of the doors as possible. They were then etch primed.

Going back a couple of weeks, here are the old, rather 'used' hinge pins.

Here is the passenger door. Ignore the spare roof in the background.

The skins are not too badly corroded.

There are a few pinholes. The dents are worse! Mind you, many of them were caused by me tipping the car at Teesside Autodrome back in '08.

This pinhole is bad but still repairable.

The door skin on the driver's side is split at the front of the door. It has been rubbing against the rear edge of the front scuttle.

The driver's door may also have been adapted from a later Imp door. The lock fitments from an early car have been grafted in. Also, there is some evidence of the door handle having been relocated.

The insides of the doors. I think they look pretty good.

More repairs needed.

Work on these begins soon. I've been tracing a fault with the airbag system in Mrs. IM's Daewoo this weekend. I was going to spend some time sanding inside the doors and then priming to keep the rust at bay.

There is sound deadening material still attached to the insides of the doors. Underneath this, where it has broken away, rust is evident!

Anyway, I want to remove the bituminous material.

What's the best way for me to strip it out? It doesn't budge easily with a flat bladed screwdriver. I don't want to use heat. What about using petrol? I have a couple of gallons of very stale petrol in the Imp's tank in the shed. Would that work?

Any ideas?

IM

The Nun · Post by **The Nun** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 5:11 am

It comes off easiest if you warm it then clean off the residue with white spirits, use a paint remover heat gun or hair drier, not something too drastic like blow torches etc, then you don't need to worry about damage to the metalwork.

ImpManiac · Post by **ImpManiac** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 8:03 am

Thank you, Peter. I'll give that a try.

IM

bazzateer · Post by **bazzateer** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 8:06 am

So that'll be a new hairdryer for Naomi when you blow hers up!

cov_climax · Post by **cov_climax** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 8:53 am

Screwdriver may dent the skin if you're not careful, I would use a 1" scraper or an old bone handle butter knife, heat really helps but if you're worried about direct application, then heat the scraper with a hot air gun or blowtorch away from the panel then it will slice through the bitumen dead easy. Only the tip if the scraper is in contact so heat transfer to the panel is minimal.
The residue will come off with wd40, thinners or petrol .

If it's a warn day leave it in the sun for an hour before you start, or heating the skin gently with a hair drier will certainly also help, and they don't get that hot so warping the skin is unlikely.

Brian