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Interesting thread.
I purchased an insurance write off Imp, in 1968 and rebuilt it for my younger bro.
Nice little car: was strange driving it back from the salvage dealer's yard.
Everytime I braked or accelerated, I heard whooshing glugging sounds.
And then it ran out of water! And needed constant topping up each few miles on the circa 20 mile journey.
It was hit hard, nearside rear quarter and sill. Once we stripped it, the problem was obvious: the hoses to the front-mounted rad ran through the sills!
Had loads of probs with the gearbox: kept jumping out of second gear. Aventually, after three strips and rebuilds of the transaxle and some bug-sorting updated synchro hubs from Rootes, problem solved.
One nice thing Imps and Chamoise did, was to rupture the fuel pump diaphragm: and since the pump sat right on top of the cam cover, the sump filled up with petrol!
Had a customer with one of these probs: she had been running around like this for weeks!
Interesting feeling and smelling lubricant!
I ran a Chamois (The later version with the modified steering/suspension) as my road car, for a bit, on extra sticky Dunlops radials . Amazing cornering if you knew how to drive, were brave and in a hurry!
Remember frightening my workshop foreman rigid once: and the big wimp had just finished his Jim Russell advanced course and was pedalling a Formula Ford 1600.
Mike Parks of course, designed the engine block configuration of the Imp originally, with identical bore centres and stud positions so that the Climax Twink head could pop straight on. In production, however, they were all moved. Spoilsports.
Built up a new Davrian for a customer: Imp based, of course.
Now that really handled!
Nice little cars but underpowered for their weight and wind resistance.
However like the Deux Cheveaux, once you wound 'em up, and had faith in their cornering ability, you simply kept going!
Until you were hit by a strong motorway cross wind, that is!
Exciting.
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