Mk1 hillman imp saved from scrap

Post by **hillmanimpfan** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 10:46 pm

just bought this yesterday saved from hands of the crusher local farm being redone
mk1 hillman imp has no reg letters i.e A** 3** so it early example question is how old is it ?
wondering about reregistering was in a barn from 25 years plus not on DVLA computer
ethier
nightmare to remove her all wheels were locked for a start but we got her out thought pics so everyone can see it

Post by **hillmanimpfan** » Fri Apr 10, 2015 10:50 pm

after four hours removing her taken to jet wash to get 20 plus years of dust off and pumped up all the tyres amazingly

Post by **The Nun** » Sat Apr 11, 2015 4:08 am

You need to find the chassis plate for the number and go from there first if theres no clue as to what the original reg was?

Post by **GURNSIMPS** » Sat Apr 11, 2015 6:57 am

Well done for saving it from the crusher mate.

Post by **bazzateer** » Sat Apr 11, 2015 7:28 am

What are your plans for it?

Post by **hillmanimpfan** » Sat Apr 11, 2015 7:41 am

The Nun wrote:You need to find the chassis plate for the number and go from there first if theres no clue as to what the original reg was?

original reg is still there but chassis plate in engine bay far too corroded to read, reg is removed a digit 924 UV* no preffix A or anything believe its a mk1 tbh i ll get more pictures today, and i d like to restore it tbh only needs sills, few plates under front panel and four arches

Post by **hillmanimpfan** » Sat Apr 11, 2015 9:19 am

more pics few period mods i figured out last night originally a sky blue hand painted at some point and fitted with lots extras

Post by **hillmanimpfan** » Sat Apr 11, 2015 1:24 pm

where are locations on these early imp for vin chassis number ? wondered if anyone can help as the one in the engine bay unreadable too rusty

Post by **Dave ' Linwood ' Lane** » Sat Apr 11, 2015 3:05 pm

Thats all there was a small ally plate in the engine bay , digits are stamped so a bit of metal polish might help

Post by **Grahame59** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 9:19 am

Hi HillmanImpFan (sorry, you do not give your name),

Great find and another Imp saved from oblivion. Well done.

First step would be to join the club. Apart from the usual benefits of being in a club bring you will then be able to contact our DVLA Contact, Gordon Wellbelove, who will be able to assist in getting an up to date logbook for the car. I am sure with great care — try various cleaners with a toothbrush to remove the oxidation —the chassis plate could reveal the number.

Looking at the pics there are clues that at least one previous owner was an enthusiast: sporty steering wheel is obvious but less so are the Stiletto interior door trim, extra dashboard switch panel and Sport oil cooler.

From the chipping around the rear lights and crossmember the original colour looks like Skye Blue.

Post by **Shawl** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:16 am

Hi. Well done on saving this car. Great find.
Very early imps had no soft crash pad to the right of the dash binnicle. Its not possible to see from the pics. If it is just metal then this is a very early car. I have a June 63 one. Great to see another saved.
In terms of getting chassis plate i had same problem. Join the club and Gordon will be a good help. "VO" was a Nottingham issued plate when the car was made so it looks to have been local to you originally. If you dont get anyehere with DVLA then try the local council. They often keep records of cars registered locally before DVLA centralised everying.

Good luck and keep us all posted.

Regards

Paul

Post by **hillmanimpfan** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 12:27 pm

clean the chassis number up and thanks guys i was in the club 3 years ago so might rejoin soon here what i found can anyone decode it for me

Post by **Dave ' Linwood ' Lane** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 12:35 pm

Paint code 72 tells you the Original colour was Skye blue .
411 makes it a MK1 Deluxe

Post by **hillmanimpfan** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 1:31 pm

if i have decoded correctly it was built at ryton ? not linwood

Post by **Dave ' Linwood ' Lane** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 2:04 pm

Nope Linwood

Post by **hillmanimpfan** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 2:13 pm

left gordon a message hopefully he still has same phone number also has starting handle dog fitted i know bits about imps i know thats rare, can i still get the skye blue paint ? like to return it to standard paint but leave mods in place.
needs sills been pop rivetted in the past , window rubbers all round but floorpans are good
also rear crossmember
clutch slave and master and all brakes doing and hubcaps and bumpers post more pics soon

Post by **hillmanimpfan** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 2:31 pm

started on the floorpans inside removed the soundproofing and carpets while i wait for gordon started derust the floorpans no rust holes to report

Post by **hillmanimpfan** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 2:32 pm

dont think these seats are original but someone here may know better

Post by **ImpManiac** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 6:38 pm

Lovely project!

Don't know about the seats. Sorry.

IM

Post by **Dave ' Linwood ' Lane** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 6:43 pm

Seats should have thinner backs at this early stage so id say they have been changed , im not even convinced yours are Imp seats

Post by **Grahame59** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 7:32 pm

They are def Imp seats, there's a pic of a green one with this sort of pattern and stitching half way down the first page on this thread:

forum_back_phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=12&p=227164

However yours are recliners. Did early Imp Sports and Chamois have recliners or was it just coupés?

Post by **hillmanimpfan** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 7:40 pm

process today on imp engine started tidying it up and poured some diesel down the bores hopefully get it freed up and yep my seats are recliners

Post by **hillmanimpfan** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 7:53 pm

also someone spent money on this car when it was new and bought period speaker grilles seen these before on mk2 i had few years back

Post by **Teddie2003** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:44 pm

Grahame59 wrote:They are def Imp seats,

However yours are recliners. Did early Imp Sports and Chamois have recliners or was it just coupés?

My first car in '76 was a '67 Imp Sport, GRV735E, bought to stop me falling of motorbikes, that had pale blue recliners.

Steve

Post by **impmann** » Tue Apr 14, 2015 7:08 am

Looks like someone mated bits of a pre 68 Sport with your mk1. Door cappings aren't Mk1, the diamond embossed vinyl bits of the dashboard aren't original either.

Yes you can get Skye blue paint - ours was repainted 10 years ago in 2 pack. I had some Celly knocked up in aerosols a couple of years ago.

Good luck with it - good to see another Mk1 saved.

Post by **tim sears** » Tue Apr 14, 2015 7:19 am

As Tim said, looks like a MK1 and early sport ,check the engine number and casting number on the cylinder head .It could well be a sport engine as it has an oil cooler and is not a "curly" block.
Tim (not Morgan)

Post by **Grahame59** » Tue Apr 14, 2015 8:34 am

impmann wrote:Door cappings aren't Mk1

They're Stiletto.

Post by **HARTWELL MK1** » Tue Apr 14, 2015 12:15 pm

hillmanimpfan wrote:started on the floorpans inside removed the soundproofing and carpets while i wait for gordon started derust the floorpans no rust holes to report

From the. Shape of the floor it used to have a pneumatic throttle

Post by **The Nun** » Tue Apr 14, 2015 1:35 pm

HARTWELL MK1 wrote: From the. Shape of the floor it used to have a pneumatic throttle

You can see the IMPression where the guy stamped on it to get it to work??

Post by **hillmanimpfan** » Tue Apr 14, 2015 8:44 pm

process this evening treated the whole floorpan to hyrate 80 bilt hammer rust convertor removed all the rust so red oxide going on hopefully in the morning.
John

Post by **impmann** » Fri Apr 17, 2015 4:52 pm

Grahame59 wrote:
impmann wrote:Door cappings aren't Mk1
They're Stiletto.

Could be early Sport too...

Post by **kilty** » Fri Apr 17, 2015 7:21 pm

[quote="impmann"][/quote] Could be early Sport too...

Aye, mine has them.

Post by **colin rooney** » Fri Apr 17, 2015 7:24 pm

kilty wrote:
impmann wrote:
Could be early Sport too...

Aye, mine has them.

early sport would not have a mk1 dash

Post by **The Nun** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 9:13 am

The vast majority of members IMPs and any IMPs still out there have parts from others fitted, either because thats all that was available, or suitable replacements or upgrades, so most are what you might call Mongrel IMPs, cross breeds of other variants, there arent many that are totally original bearing everything it had fitted at the factory.

Thats why it can be difficult sometimes to age date a car exactly from its looks, and even in some cases its registration, only.
Even a chassis plate can be swopped with quite considerable ease to make a car pass off as one its not, particularly the early models where the shell isnt hard stamped with the number.

Now IMPs are going up considerably in price, especially the desirable early Sport variants, where a shell from a lesser variant could be made to be one quite easily with a basic part and chassis plate swop,
So buyers need to check carefully now I think that youre buying the car it supposed to be and not a doctored up one, that could be fine of course providing its made clear its been done and priced accordingly.

Post by **hillmanimpfan** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 4:58 pm

The Nun wrote:The vast majority of members IMPs and any IMPs still out there have parts from others fitted, either because thats all that was available, or suitable replacements or upgrades, so most are what you might call Mongrel IMPs, cross breeds of other variants, there arent many that are totally original bearing everything it had fitted at the factory.

Thats why it can be difficult sometimes to age date a car exactly from its looks, and even in some cases its registration, only.
Even a chassis plate can be swopped with quite considerable ease to make a car pass off as one its not, particularly the early models where the shell isnt hard stamped with the number.

Now IMPs are going up considerably in price, especially the desirable early Sport variants, where a shell from a lesser variant could be made to be one quite easily with a basic part and chassis plate swop,
So buyers need to check carefully now I think that youre buying the car it supposed to be and not a doctored up one, that could be fine of course providing its made clear its been done and priced accordingly.

nice point there nun use to be similar problem in 90s with mini cooper pass off
but i know my cars history abit more from last owner she told me her uncle did it when his wanted his car more sporty that was 37 years ago
imagine it was tried then 15 year old so paint job was done as well. post a pic of my cylinder head in a minute believe its 998 engine if get it free should have some poke left, putting her on her side soon to my amazement there is no underseal fitted at all, so considering using bed liner for mine might be a first for imp ?

Post by **Dave ' Linwood ' Lane** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 5:14 pm

MK1s never had underseal , only from MK2 on did the factory spray the goo everywhere

Post by **long_gone_John** » Sat Apr 18, 2015 5:25 pm

Noddy wrote:MK1s never had underseal , only from MK2 on did the factory spray the goo everywhere

Yup... (×2)

LGJ

Post by **impmann** » Sun Apr 19, 2015 6:44 am

I firmly believe that the lack of underseal is the reason that Mk1s don't rust into oblivion the same way that later cars do.

Skye, our 64 Mk1, sat in a field for 14 years without any welding needed on the original sills, floors and arches.

Post by **kilty** » Sun Apr 19, 2015 8:10 am

colin rooney wrote:
kilty wrote:
impmann wrote:
Could be early Sport too...

Aye, mine has them.

early sport would not have a mk1 dash

Door cappings...

Post by **The Nun** » Sun Apr 19, 2015 8:35 am

Noddy wrote:MK1s never had underseal , only from MK2 on did the factory spray the goo everywhere

It was done to seal the leaks in the seams, as its an easy way to do it then trying to find a leak, just plaster the stuff over all of it, and it makes it quieter too, and adds 30kg to the cars weight, so affects its economy, but they missed that fact off.

Interestingly the first Avengers, 1970, didnt have any underseal on them just a grey dipped coating on the underside, so the underseal cant have been considered a necessity even then, but the dealer did try to sell you it as an aftermarket add on done by them, saying it was a good idea to have it done, extra money in their bank like.