998cc Hillman Imp Rallye is a winner!

Waiting at the first service point at the end of the first stage on the Targa prologue is always a nervous time for a service crew. Our thoughts wandered back to the last few days. Had we prepared the car correctly? Did we do up the final nut and bolt? Despite all the hard work, the checking and scrutineering, it was not until the car finally appeared out of the woods and down the hill that we knew we had done a good job.

The enthusiastic note of a meticulously built Imp engine pulling plenty of revs is uncannily like a BDA motor and had brought a smile to our faces. The distinctive sound became a feature of our Targa. We knew the little car would come sweeping into view for its service and then roar off after a quick stop for fuel and a clean windscreen. If the service crew had come to work on the car during the rally we were certainly disappointed. The driver often sounded the cars horn and drove by leaving the crew to wave and pack the tools before moving on to the next stop.

This little Hillman Imp was certainly going to turn a few heads and make some people eat their words. In New Zealand Imps never overcame the unreliable image that came with a faulty car released too soon to the market. With the exception of Jim Richards in the Sidchrome Imp the cars never enjoyed the recognition on the track or in rallies as they did in the UK. To show our faith in these cars we were also using a rare Commer Imp van as a service vehicle. Gluttons for punishment or enthusiastic supporters of these under rated classics? Time would tell.

Based on the successful 998cc Rallye car circa 1965 and painted in the period blue and white colours of the all conquering Fraser track cars. This race Imp was a very different beast. The team represented a truly international effort. Andrew Bryson, a Scot now living in Australia had brought the car to compete in the Targa at the suggestion of Brian Bradshaw of Impwerks in Christchurch. Impwerks Ltd being the only professional business in the southern hemisphere specialising in Hillman/Sunbeam Imps. The rest of the crew being made up of an assortment of Kiwis and a Pom.

Andrews racing history in Imp powered machinery is extensive. He came to New Zealand with a track record of racing and rallying in the Far East and Australia. This including solid results in the Targa Tasmania where he has achieved a second in class. For this rally Brian had built a wet liner 998cc Imp unit to run on 96 Octane road fuel. Not for us the cartage of vast quantities of Avgas on the back of trucks! Brian has spent many years working on making the Imp powerful and reliable. This little unit represented one of the best so far. It was a testament to his engine building skills that our only problem was a worn clutch and release bearing. And this being a $2000.00 Us unit! We should have expected that Andrews racing starts would take their toll! Still not one component was replaced on the car during the entire rally.

91 BHP was seen on the dyno at the rear wheels. Petrol heads out there may like to estimate what that is at the flywheel and then remember the car is 998cc. Maximum power should come in somewhere around 8000 but it was not taken beyond 7000 rpm on the dyno as it was still being run in. Even on road fuel with a lower compression ratio power was not going to be a problem. The R20 cam that Impwerks used is simply the best all round cam available. It retains a surprising amount of torque to make the car tractable from 2000 rpm while also being kind to the valve gear. Just to round off the unleaded engine Brian had sourced and fitted hardened valve seats and special valves.

The engine may be the heart of a racecar but as we watched the car through some of the early stages it was clear that this car could handle. A few weeks earlier the man at Dunlop had described the tyre options as soft, sticky or jelly. We went for Jelly! The excellent Dunlop tyres helped keep the car on the road and surprisingly for such a soft compound were only partly worn by the end of the event. One reason for this is that even in standard form Imps are well balanced and handle better than some more expensive and exotic machinery.

There is simply little that needs to be done to make an Imp go round corners fast. This car was standard in all aspects other than the addition of period Koni shocks and factory supplied Monte Carlo Springs. There were no expensive suspension modifications for us. One area however where Andrew has made modifications from standard is in the braking department. The normal drum brakes are adequate for a fast road car and short sprint races if kept in top condition. For the longer rally stages Andrew like many Imp racers has fitted disc brakes. These brought the car to rest with eye-popping speed if required. Luckily Andrew's smooth driving style only saw them tested out on a few occasions.

None of this was in our minds when we quietly worked our way through the prologue ironing out the bugs and allowing the driver and co-driver to settle in. At the end of the day we where happy to finish and relaxed about our steady but unIMPressive times. We knew the real race began the next day. Andrew had targeted the longest day on the Wednesday to make a push as he rightly surmised this was when the biggest gains would be made. Each stage saw the little car going faster and faster. With 9000rpm used on a couple of occasions the team knew the car was going fast. Our thanks go to the driver of the Rx7 and Escort for allowing us to pass without incident. My only regret is not having a picture of the Imp coming out of a fast corner passing the Escort for the second time!

By the middle of the Targa we were well placed behind the (Datsun powered?) Anglia in the smaller of the two Historic Classes and held a respectable position overall. The crew hardly got their hands dirty but we made a point of being present at every available service stop just in case. We need not have worried. Apart from dropping the engine out at the final overnight stop in Tauranga to check the release bearing and clutch the crew continued to enjoy watching the car run faultlessly. The site of the engine being pulled out the back of the car drew a small crowd of onlookers who were amazed at how easily and quickly the engine came out. Not quite as simple as a VW Beetle but the principle is the same.

The last day was taken as conservatively as the first; by now we wanted to maintain our position and let the car in front make the mistakes. With the rain coming down in torrents we were optimistic that the Imp would have an advantage in the wet weather against the more powerful Anglia in front of us. Unfortunately this was not to be and the Anglia to its team's credit maintained its lead. When we finished the final stage we still felt like winners. Andrew and Brian had brought the car home 2nd in the smaller Historic class. 61st overall and in the progress we had picked up the Diggers Trophy for the first Australian car home. On the index of performance based on capacity and age we had come a creditable 33rd overall. The satisfaction for the crew was to be awarded the Trophy for the best period service vehicle and the knowledge that we had provided a professional crew. The rain and the unacceptable shortening of the prize giving ceremony could not dampen the spirit of the team. Despite the disparaging comments at the start from the organiser we had not only finished but also finished well. The whole team felt like winners.

Racing Imps Interest in racing Imps was high almost from the time it was launched and once the sports tune version was developed in 1966 it was much easier to tune the Imp. Fraser Imps (mid '60's) made a name for the car: these pseudo-factory cars cleaning up everywhere in the hands of Bernard Unett, Tony Lanfranchi, and Nick Brittan. Fitted with 5-speed Jack Knight 'boxes, the little cars regularly pulled 120mph, gaining classic wins galore against hot Anglias and Mini-Coopers. Imps won the British Touring Car Championship outright in 1971 and 1972 in the hands of Bill McGovern. In New Zealand Jim Richards had a successful spell in the Sidchrome Imp - this car is alive and well in Dunedin.

The Sunbeam Stiletto was introduced by the Rootes Group in October 1967, powered by the Imp Sport 875cc engine, and, 998cc conversions meant 100mph was possible.

The man from Impwerks
I thought I had a passion for the little Linwood wonders but that pales in comparison with that of Imp enthusiast, restorer, builder and racer Brian Bradshaw who runs the Christchurch-based Impwerks Ltd in partnership with his wife Karen.
Brian's career has seen him racing at Le Mans - fourth place in a Porsche 911 Turbo 'Moby Dick' replica, and a spell in the States with Bobby Rahal's Truesports team running Indycars for seven years, helping Rahal to his 1986 championship win. Team Manager was another Kiwi, Steve Horne and Brian attributes his own drive for perfection to Steve Horne's influence. Then Brian worked for the Rocketsport organisation in Lansing, Michigan, preparing racing Oldsmobiles for the factory Transam racing team led by Paul Gentolozzi.

Back to New Zealand
After ten years of constant travelling, Brian returned to NZ in 1992, and in 1994/95, when Greg Lancaster put together a TranZam style team of three cars, he persuaded Brian to build up two brand new chassis. From there Brian became involved full time in maintaining Dennis Chapman's stable, turning his little Fiat-Abarth racers into competitive cars. Obviously a dab hand behind the wheel as well, Brian accompanied Dennis Chapman to Bathurst, racing the 318 BMW sedan in 1997 where they came home 8th, and 11 th in 1998, 10th in '99.

Racing a Stiletto
I recently joined Brian at Teretonga to have a run in his pride and joy, a beautifully-prepared Sunbeam Stiletto. Brian had a special 998cc motor for the Leitch Motorsport meeting to give a bit more grunt on Teretonga's main straight. Unfortunately a clutch problem on Saturday meant a drive was out of the question and the little car was sidelined. Two years of spare-time work has gone into the Sunbeam and the result is quite incredible. It's no cheap budget racer, with high quality of workmanship and attention to detail evident everywhere.

Body preparation
The body has been completely stripped, de- rusted, and panel-beaten. Paint is weight, says Brian, and a glossy but minimum red two-pack paint job was done inside and out and all glass except for the front and back windscreen was replaced with perspex. POR 15 coats the underside. A full roll-cage was added (Brian believes safety is paramount even in classic racing) and a full set of management systems, including a shift limiter, was loaded in to run all the electrics. The control panel in the centre of the floor is something to behold in a car such as this! A full race-harness and racing seat completes the interior.

Suspension
Rootes got it pretty right with the Imp's suspension design, according to Brian, as very little extra work was needed. Brian has turned up Nylatron (a self lubricating material) bushes and these, with Koni shocks all round, are the only major mods done. Wheels are 13-inch Superlites, shod with A008 Yokohamas, and really finish off the car. Brakes are still drum all round and while Brian has contemplated using discs, he has found the drums well up to the task with a booster and hard linings.

Engine and gearbox
This part intrigued me the most as I was eager to see just what Brian had inside the 930cc Talbot blocks that he uses. These later blocks are still being made and are readily available - turning the Imp into a reliable racer, they really are the only way to go. Brian bought in this particular engine, already extensively modified, from England. The bottom end has a full cradle and main bearing blocks for the caps to keep everything together. Arias' forged pistons are used and everything is balanced and cleaned to a very high level of perfection. There are some very trick bolts on the con-rods as well.
Brian believes it works out at around $6000 for this engine - still relatively cheap for a full race motor.

Twin side-draught Webers and extractors hang off the side of the motor, while a full stainless steel and braided pipe breather system catches any oil spill. The sump has been extensively modified and enlarged with baffles added by Brian to increase resistance to overheating - and an oil cooler is essential.
The gearbox has a set of rally ratios in third and fourth gear but is otherwise untouched as the rest of the Imp box is a very solid little unit. On the track Brian spins the little beast up to 900Orpm quite safely and with an output of over 100bhp per litre - who needs all these fancy injection systems and electronic engine management gizmos?

THE IMPWERKS STILETTO COMPLETE AND RACING!

Levels, September 1999
The very first meeting for the 'Impwerks' Stiletto.

Ruapuna PDL Classic meeting, February 2000.
Great to see the Mini's know their place!

Ruapuna PDL Classic meeting.
The only mini able to stay in front, this 1460cc version.

Dunedin Street Race, February 2000.

Dunedin Street Race.
The yellow imp, approximately 100kgs lighter and similar
horsepower was no match for the 'Impwerks' Stiletto.

Teretonga Classic meeting, February 2000.

Sorry no more photos available at this time. Due to the change of business premises, as well as the pressure of business, the 'Impwerks Stiletto' was put in mothballs and later sold.