Finm is this taking place tonight then (Wednesday)? Normally I'd take a wander but the weather here right now is shit. Might still go along, not sure
i remember well the days when it used to start in Blythswood sq,, seen a lot of the top boys of the era then,, Hannu Mikola, with early mk1 escort etc,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, oh yes , had a few Imps back then,, mini porsche they was,, fantastic handling things.
I don't recommend changing places with your pillion passenger at any speed though,especially when you're wearing a brand-new,first day out pair of Levis,(back when Levis were the ONLY jeans to have,none of yer old Tesco Tearaways for me ...) My trusty T500 may be a distant memory,but the hole in the hedge and the scar on my knee still exist,silent reminders of my teenage idiocy...octor:
Are you sure it was an Imp? Mine, and I thought all Imps had an air operated throttle, ie; throttle connected to an air tight plunger, with a pipe to the back and a diaphragm connected to the throttle linkage on the carb?
Definitely an Imp my old mate..one of the worst cars I've ever wasted £40 on... Lifted from an Imp website: Throttle cable Throttle linkage If the throttle movement in relation to the pedal is too violent, the car won't be easy to drive in traffic. Plus the engine mounts and transmission will take a hammering. If the relation is too slow, the car will feel sluggish, even if it is perfectly tuned. You may have to experiment with various lengths of throttle lever to arrive at the ideal result. The throttle cable needs to bend 90° to activate the carb. I found a 90° curved tubing off a motorbike throttle twist grip proved invaluable - saves the cable from snapping. M. Parris. - Impressions Oct 1986 There are throttle cables available made of an inner cable of stainless steel, and Teflon (PTFE) outer. A stiff throttle operation is not economical.
More Imp stuff:From 1963 to 1966 (when the first series-production 'sporting' derivatives were announced) all cars had carburation by a single semi-downdraught Solex B30 PIHT unit. At first Imps used an automatic choke and a pneumatic throttle control. These were included because of the lengthy run from the driver controls to the carburetor. The pneumatic throttle was dropped within two years as it was unreliable, and so was the automatic choke. (There was a Chrysler kit #432: the auto-choke override.) And, by the way, Imps were not the first car to feature an automatic choke. 1932 sees Oldsmobile become the first manufacturer to offer automatic choke on an automobile. Single carburetors were used in Hillman Imp, Singer Chamois, Hillman Husky and Commer Van models. Twin carbs were standard in the Sunbeam Imp Sport, Singer Chamois Sport and Sunbeam Stiletto, and in the Rallye Imp.
I had one of these, very similar to the Imp , but far superior imo. Very light and all aluminum ohc 1000cc rear engine. Great fun for throwing into the bends in the dry, but virtually useless in the wet as it would just spin as the rear end lost traction.
Indeed you are correct Peter, I forgot to say it's an NSU. The Germans make some great cars, and this was one of them.
another car produced in Scotland, always thought these where built in lochgilphedd on the minofish carb site apparently not. made near lochlomond. any one remember them.
NSU was a terrific firm, truly ingenious, innovative and brave. Great motorbikes, great cars. Eventually scuppered by the consequences of SS Obersturmbannfuhrer Wankel's designs, and sadly swallowed by Volkswagen. The old NSU factory now builds Audis, I believe, thus a second cousin to Ducati.
Nearly bought a Ro 80 as late low mileage models were easily affordable due to the problems. The car was bristling with lovely minute design features I remember.
