Hillman Imp with Honda Goldwing flat six engine - first drive.
Vložit
- čas přidán 20. 06. 2024
- First ever drive of my Imp with its new engine and transmission. This engine and transmission build had many experimental aspects to it and I was not going to know if they worked until I drove it. Very happy to find out that it all seems ok. It was a very wet drive and the engine is not yet tuned properly so I had to restrain myself.
There are some teething issues I'll have to sort out and I'll be writing about those in my next build thread update that you can read here...
oldschool.co.nz/index.php?/to...
Basic details of this engine build are as follows....
After stripping it right down I chopped the casing down in height, removing everything below the crank. I then proceeded to remake the engine to suit its location and bolt up to a subaru Leone transaxle.
Custom parts I've made in our workshop include..
Crank case lower and easily removable sump cover to suit.
Oil pump system remade completely starting with original Goldwing pump, turned 180 degrees, driven by custom sprockets and a sturdy bmx chain off a custom crank hub. New oilways and oil filter moved to the side of the block on a custom pedestal.
Custom flywheel with subaru ring gear.
Custom bellhousing to suit Subaru Transaxle.
Subaru clutch disc, Honda prelude clutch cover.
Honda civic starter and alternator (goldwing engines rotate anti clockwise)
Custom inlet with welded on injector bosses. Custom brazed steel sidefeed fuel rail to suit Nissan Micra injectors.
Custom inlet plenum where originally there sat two carburetors. Honda integra throttle body.
Custom stainless steel headers, matched length. Custom front plate with engine mount points. - Auta a dopravní prostředky
That's brilliant, the Imp is probably lighter than the Goldwing too 😂😂
They didn't call them Leadwings for nothing.
I was just thinking the same thing!
Even the man's home made tool cart is a thing of beauty
The 'wheely box 2000'..... 😆
I'm so glad more ppl are doing motorcycle engine swaps now 🙌🏿
Brilliant. The old Imp engines were awful. Constant overheating and cylinder head gasket problems. What could be better than a flat 6, reliable Honda engine. Really nice to see this great little car given a new lease of life.
Around 50 years ago I had a MK1 Imp. The clutches (three in a year) and the heating system (blocked)were my biggest problems but the engine never missed a beat, even with it's auto choke.
I would say it was a better car than the Mini of the time and was much easier to work on.
There is nothing remotely wrong with the Imp engine itself - they can take a right old thrashing and come back for more. The only reason the head gaskets failed was due to the cars marginal cooling system and failing water pumps - and as a result people would slap on head gaskets without skimming the head or doing any servicing to the cooling system to prevent it happening again.
Totally agree. I did several head jobs. The only one that failed was after a solid thrash round the M25 at a speed not considered appropriate and it blew as I sat at a red light in Egham! I should have put an electric fan on it.
"...and that's how my ancient wheezy English car ended up in the lake, four hundred and eight seven yards from the shoreline, Constable. And thanks for the towels."
Seriously, mate - nice work, cleanly done. Kudos.
Scottish actually.
What a beast. And I never thought I would say that about a Hillman Imp.
Powered by Honda.
An Imp that sounds like and probably runs like a Porche 911 , neat 👌
Just more reliable
I love it. I owned a 1984 Goldwing GL1200 25 years ago. I have often wondered why these engines, in all of their variants, have not found more homes like this. Brilliant.
Very strong lightweight compact engines. Ideal and easy to swap in if one is to keep the stock transmission. Of course I had to make lots of work for myself......
They can be a bit bulky to fit in some cars which originally had straight fours; there’s one guy attempting to put one in an MG Midget but he’s had to cut so much out of the front structure that he’s essentially building a whole different car (and not doing a great job, judging by the pics) With the normal Imp engine laid over almost horizontal, the space is much better suited to a flat six
@@yoeddynz looks like you are in New Zealand mate is that right?
@@yoeddynzdid you keep your original transmission or use something else?
@@malcolmwhite3567well the clue's in the name. 🙄
The amount of engineering that went into this banger floors me. You sir are either a certified genius or a madman.
Definitely mad, did you note the demonic grin at the beginning!
Seriously though, a very well executed project.
I would say genius not mad
Finally someone found a good use for a goldwing engine !
Great build. I love the uncluttered engine bay.
It’ll be more reliable than the original lump!
The Imp engine was no lump, it was a great little engine.
Coventry Climax Pump motor
@@johnmyers7054Same design but built to a budget.
@@davidmatthews3093Until the head had to come off when the head bolts would often break off in the block.
Yeah hannahs first classic was an imp and when it's head gasket started to leak we discovered the head bolts had been replaced by long bolts with nuts at the bottom and lots of sealant applied... Everywhere!
Wow, from an Imp to a Impala!
The perfect engine for that Hillman
A Kiwi, can't say I'm surprised. You guys are crazy, in a good way. Nice job, mate. Cheers from across the ditch.
Looks like that lump belongs there, nice conversion 👍😎👍
I pass by the Rootes Group offices everyday ( that's all that left of the factory now ) in Linwood, near Paisley, Scotland.
Car looks and sounds amazing.
Best Wishes from Bonnie Scotland 🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴
Wow- smooth as silk-
Sir-if you yourself did the engineering on this rig you should be super proud. I consider myself a gearhead-there is no way I could build that-BRAVO TO YOU SIR😊
Thanks man. Yep - all done by me with help from my wife and not to forget the workshop cat.
Lovely build and cool concept of using a goldwing engine in a IMP of all cars. Love it.
I passed my test in a 1964 Imp 53 years ago, and miss it lots. What a lovely powerful and smooth running conversion this is.
The same.
Frank Spencer learned to drive in a Hillman Imp. Until he parked it in a lake!
I had a Hillman Imp, 1970 model. It was 4 years old when I bought it. I enjoyed driving it, but the steering was much better when the fuel tank was full. Since the tank was at the front of the car. I kept a few house bricks on top of the fuel tank as well. For extra grip on the front wheels. I have fond memories of this car.
Sweet! Not just the swap but sits nice and clean. Other people have the skills but zero skills in making it look nice.
100 percent spot on . Too many project car look way off . I like a good basic ,clean yet freshened up look and this car nails it .
Thanks fellas. It was my main goal to keep it looking neat . There's still more tidying to do as well.
Hi Mate. Now what everyone out there needs to know is this is an incredibly talented chap and his lovely wife whom im very fortunate to know. They Live in the best place in the world. Can do miracles with anything.
I like people with IMAGINATION ! Did something similar 15 years back in my Garage - Business when i got Bored ,had a Suzuki hatch given to me & when the engine died i could not give it away , so i bought a Honda CBR1000 from wreckers & spent next 6 months creating something unique ,mostly parts of bike & what i had on my shelves ,bit of custom work ,it actually worked ! 6 reverse gears amazed a few people .Your IMP- HONDA is a much better finished product ,congratulations fellow car nut .
Cheers.
a very intelligent swap to give a new life to an old car.
congratulations.
Very impressive. What a nice piece of work!
It's about time someone put the "great" back in Great Britain. You nailed it mate with an iconic car fitted with superb Japanese engine.
Wow. Cood car. Love the intake. We (the family) brought home a 1967 Hillman Husky to the states in 1968 before Dad shipped off the Vietnam. First car I got to drive at 11 years old. Not much pep but a nice car! Thanks Dad..and Hillman. No matter how many times I watch a UK video it still spooks me to see another car coming at me on the wrong side of the road! :)
Hillman husky would be a rare thing in the states!!!
@@yoeddynz Hillman Husky (or the Commer Cob van variant) are a rare thing here in the UK these days. Many years since I saw one.
They're driving on the left but it's not the UK. The speed limit signs are in km/hr. Must be somewhere like Ireland or NZ.
@@doglover31418 NZ
Filmed in New Zealand. NZ, Australia like the British Isles drive to the Left.
Brilliant, just brilliant. Great choice of engine. Subscribed! Best wishes from Manchester, England...
This is the best use of a Goldwing engine. It's wasted in that flabby two wheeled turd. Love it
Remember to put a big sack of cement under the bonnet to hold the front down when cornering. You don't want to wreck such a fantastic project.
This is the sort of back street inventiveness I love, nice one.
Even better than the Ford 351 powered Imp I raced against in late 70's.
that would be a handful!!!!
Impressive to say the least. My mother bought one of these back in the day and the first thing my father did was plonk a big bag of cement in the front to keep the thing on the road.
A trusty bag of cement - also the answer to the dodgy back end in my triumph herald!
Always loved Imps and this one is fantastic, the Honda engine sounds so smooth.
Such a cool build. Great milestone. Well done that man
Absolutely brilliant job, it also looks and sounds great. The Imp engine itself was excellent when enlarged to 998cc and beyond getting up @ 100 bhp for the road.
In the UK there were several specialist manufactures like Ginetta, and Clan that produced small sports cars using Imp mechanicals. I have seen a Clan with a BMW bike engine.
Around 1970 a guy named Fred Puhn made a tiny and very successful sports racer called the Quasar. He used an Imp engine, destroked to 850cc, because it was all aluminum and canted over to 45°. It used a Hewland gearbox, which was basically an upside-down VW transaxle.
That fits in there really well.
Now that's really good. One of my favourite cars with an awesome powerplant
That is a very nicely done engine graft...suits the Imp very well👌
I am so impressed the imp was and still is a great car i had two in my life loved them
Brilliant choice of engine. What a transformation that must be. Plenty of smooth power but not over the top. Well done!
At least now changing the air filter is not a 2 hour job! Fantastic build btw!
really like what people are doing to Imps these days. the car was lambasted back in the day but it was always a looker with so many right fundamentals and its light.
your conversion is so good it could have come out of the factory (or Allen Millyards shed if he ever got into cars lol)
Haven't seen you and your blue Imp in town or around for quite a while. I guess that's because you have been busy!!
Engine looks magnificent under the lid at the back.
Motueka Saab guy.
Thanks mark. You'll see it back on the road now 😁
I was watching this and thought, I swear that all looks like NZ. Sure enough. Nice job on a what are a cool little car. A mate years ago had one with a V6 Ford and welded diff in it he used to use for autocross etc. It was a crazy little thing. Immaculate workshop you have there too. Nice job. I imagine you have seen John Reynolds doing his Corvair. I sure admire people like you guys who have the patience, experience, and equipment to do this stuff.
Thanks man. I'll look the covair up.
Absolutely fantastic. 👍😃
I have been following your progress with this project on RetroRides and it’s awesome to see and hear it running and driving. 👍👍👍
Thanks mr knackered rovers :)
No problem. I’m GlenAnderson on there. 👍👍
First drive on a wet road in a rear engine car... Impressed how smooth it sounds!
What a beautiful Imp. The engine is ‘lost’! Super smooth. Thank you.
I loved my "Imps". I had two of them (though one was the posher "Singer Chamois"!)..Great conversion. Looks very neat.
I had a Sunbeam Imp Sport and a Sunbeam Stiletto 😊 great fun 👍
Congratulations, I have been looking forward to seeing this video. Great work Alex and Hannah!
Cheers for that. Pleased to entertain :)
What a brilliant idea. I always admired the Imps.
A brilliant idea and beautifully executed. Well done, sir!! 👍👍
That’s a beauty. In 1976 I rallied a 998cc wills ringed imp and was a blast until I rolled it. This must be a beast
Brilliant! Bags of torque, plenty of giddy-up and go. Great project, can't wait to see it in the dry.🤩🤩🤩
My first car at the age of 17 here in the UK in 1985 was one of those in the exact same colour. Albeit with the 37 bhp 875cc original engine lol. I love what you've done there 👍
Imps certainly have to be loud, bright colours on the road these days with the size of all the other traffic :) Cheers.
Man that sounds AMAZING!
You'll just have to get your arse down here and see it in person..
@@yoeddynz Only if I can sniff the tail pipes.
Stunning, never would have put the two together but brilliant - you could even get away with the flat fours as well! Used to drive the Sunbeam one and memories of holding on for grim death as the front ploughed straight on!!!
That's awesome! Sounds just like a porsche too! My first car was a sunbeam stiletto. I've always loved these cars and variants! Great insight for fitting this engine! 👏
Fantastic effort! ....congratulations.
brilliant! just brilliant
that looks like all of the fun, even sounds good, just the kinda hotrod i love
Amazing, always wondered why people didnt use these glorious engines more
that shold move it down the road nicely....geez....I hope my old Gold Wings engine found a similar fate and not just rotting in the last owners garage....
handling should be interesting,given back in the day when I drove these they would lift a front wheel with little incouragment,should be fun though.Enjoy,looks great.
Outrageous, who would think to do that to the beloved Hillman Imp. When I was a lad growing up in England they were everywhere. Not anymore. Cheers
Looks beautiful, so well executed and sounds lovely.
Sweet! I bet it breaks traction easily on those wet roads so please try and keep it out of the ditch. I hope to see some follow up videos.
Wow! Brilliant work, and it sounds so good.
Sick build bro.
Have fun🙌
Love rhe Hillman Imp, beautifully done conversion.
Excellent idea and brilliantly executed 👌
Great wee car. With this setup, you need some weight up front as the steering with the bigger engine can be too light. 👍
Absolutely marvelous! Well done
That sounds incredible, amazing, and it drives better than it sounds, CONGRATULATIONS. You Sir have produced a true masterpiece!
Inspirational! Outstanding.
You created something amazing!
Very neat installation and a great sound
Looks like it grew there, very clean.
What an amazing conversion! It would benefit from a sportier exhaust note,a nice raspy sound would be the icing on the cake.
Fits perfectly, sounds so smooth.
People think Americans build the best hot rods.
They're good when "there's no substitute for cubic inches" and when "only an LS swap will do". But this kind of ingenuity is always found elsewhere. This is The Way!
Awesome job Alex, must come and visit next time I'm in the neighbourhood 👍
Hey Ren- yeah definitely drop in man!! Coffee and cake and talk shit about cars and bikes :)
I always loved the Imp, my first car was a Mini 1275GT ....... it would've been an Imp but for the standard engine, that was enought to make up my mind.
This look rather wonderful and a whole heap of fun, despite the labours !!
Very nice, the imp what a classic well done worked on many of those .
Thats fun, great job. 🎉
Always loved the "Dimp" even though it allegedly had a few issues ranging from skittish front end to lighting components that, as manufactured, didn't comply with UK positioning regulations.Concrete blocks in the front was a seemingly stsndard modification as I remember as well. Love this conversion.
Lovely job!
You Sir have created ART !
That is crazy! Awesome job. That thing must ride on rails.
Thanks man. It handles really well considering its almost bone stock suspension with only lowering springs.
I had a '67, after i decambered it, it handled very well. Easy as, just cut top off suspension struts and compensated with spacer washers.
I really like your car, now if there was a Sunbeam Imp handy........
Lovely little build 👌👏👍
Oh heck! We had an imp back in the 70s. I think it had a 600cc engine. It had no power at all, and it would keep overheating a lot .I remember one time we were buying gas at the gas station and it couldn't even make it up the ramp to get out. we had to get out of the car, and my brother alone had to drive it up to the street. It was a laugh. Good times, though. Great video, thanks for sharing and reliving my childhood memories
875cc or 998cc ... no 600
bloody brilliant, mate great idea very pro looking job too.🚙
Nice clean build. Cheers!
Fantastic build mate enjoy
Nice! Also, I have garage/workshop envy.
Beautiful work. That would go well in a Japanese Jai truck as well. Just another job for you. Love to see how many revs you are pulling.
I only got up to just over 4000 in the vid due to it not being ruined yet, the very wet road and a dash of nervous mechanical sympathy 🤣
Wonderful absolutely wonderful so your down under greetings from Scotland 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
Amazing conversion. I had an original and that was a smooth car. This sounds brilliant.
Nice job m8....gud to see more on this car...
Cary
Mt maunganui nz