A Wee Bit IMPISH
Simon Kirkby has been in motorsport virtually his entire life, beginning in 1966 when he started in rally and “grass track” competition. Since then his CV includes being test driver for Reynard Race Cars; winning factory driver in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) for both Alfa Romeo and Chrysler U.K.; winner of dozens of open-wheel races – including finishing second in the British FF2000 championship twice – and winner of the Avon Motor Magazine Tour of Britain Manufacturer’s prize. He is currently Director of the Lime Rock Drivers Club and relaxes by racing this Hillman Imp in Vintage racing.
So back to our little beauty, we stripped it, painted it (notice the I bought this one litre screamer in the tribute St Andrews Cross on the UK for four thousand pounds as a race roof as seen on the Fraser Imps), it featured a complete make over with car that had only ever done driver a new dash, (instruments are modern eductaion days. copies, they flash until everything For those of you not familiar with the Hillman Imp it was a compact car is warm, then don’t come on again built in Scotland by the Rootes Group. unless there’s a problem, pretty cool really), a welded cage, aluminium It featured a 875cc rear engine with panels, 10 thousand rpm 998 cc a four speed transaxle. Before long engine rebuild from Andy Jones (the the under one litre racers in the UK best imp engine man) in Manchester, discovered it handled well enough custom single adjustable Ohlin that it would be able to challenge shocks, a windshield with electric the Mini Cooper for race wins. It came with various monikers including heating element built in (works perfectly in the rain) big front rad that Singer Chamois and the sporty was not big enough as the engine Sunbeam Imp which featured twin likes to run below 80C (176F) so I had carbs and a power increase. some NASCAR guys in Indy build me Back in the day names like Bevan, Fraser, Greetham and Scotland’s own new ones, now it is perfect, I rarely favorite Hugh Shannon were building have to turn the fans on. I run Avon FF tires up front and Hoosier TDR in race versions and uppin the capacity to 998cc to keep the car in the under the rear for perfect gearing, the TDR’s won’t fit in the wheel wells up front, one litre class. All Action, All The Time from MotorWerks Magazine
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