March 28, 2024, 03:54:28 PM *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
News: Manky Monkey Motors Merchandise now available Cool Items at cool prices http://www.mankymonkeymotors.co.uk/merchandise.html
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Gallery Login Register  
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 5
  Print  
Author Topic: Supercharged Hillman Imp engined bike  (Read 19432 times)
Manky Monkey
Administrator
Hero Member
*****

Karma: 264
Posts: 55102



WWW
« on: July 09, 2012, 09:19:19 PM »

I called in on Mr Dslam a few weeks ago, (he lives just a couple of miles down the road from me). He showed me this beastie, but swore me to secrecy until it's debut. A couple of days ago he sent me these snaps & wrote:

Top secret until July 8th when it gets revealed at the festival of 1000 bikes at Mallory where the owner will have first dibbs as the star turn opener in the demonstration sprint and I will ride it to close the sprint. He has asked me to pilot it from thereon. It's called "Impulse". A 998cc works Hillman Imp engine with a Shorrocks supercharger. We reckon on about 130bhp at the back wheel. If it stays in one piece I'll be riding it at the Brighton Speed trials in September which will be it's first competetive 1/4 mile outing since 1966, when it was last at the speed trials and competed at the Elvington world records meeting that year too. Loads of history and a good ten years ahead of the Japanese. I've nearly worn my lathe out making bits for it.
I'll endeavour to do a write up for the forum after Mallory. It's taken nearly 7 months to rebuild. Everything bar the crank was either bent, rusty, worn out or missing.
The things we do for a bit of fun!!

An update on the Imp. We found the guy who built it in the 60's yesterday and he is still in touch with the guy, Vic Phillips, who designed and rode it. We thought they were no longer with us. They're well into their 70's but hope to come to Mallory to see it run.
I'll do a write up in the near future with a history and the re build story.

Cool huh. Crazy, but cool.
Logged

On the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City.
Manky Monkey
Administrator
Hero Member
*****

Karma: 264
Posts: 55102



WWW
« Reply #1 on: July 09, 2012, 09:19:42 PM »

.
Logged

On the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City.
morrag
Hero Member
*****

Karma: 49
Posts: 2875


Carpe diem!


« Reply #2 on: July 09, 2012, 10:11:25 PM »

Beautiful.................
Logged

Beware the Ides of March, But!
hunter
Hero Member
*****

Karma: 88
Posts: 3344



« Reply #3 on: July 09, 2012, 10:23:04 PM »

I remember seeing that race many years ago,
Very nice restoration well done.
Logged

I
panthershaun
Hero Member
*****

Karma: 52
Posts: 3193



« Reply #4 on: July 10, 2012, 09:02:52 AM »

ohh superb... maybe that's what I should use my NSU4 for... NOOOOO sorry nearly started another project there....
Logged

you ain't it, till you've "Bobbed" a Brit!!!
nabsim
Hero Member
*****

Karma: 51
Posts: 1539



WWW
« Reply #5 on: July 10, 2012, 12:44:39 PM »

Outfit looks lovely but if thats supposed to be a brew in the mug YEUK!!!! Smiley
Logged

Dslam
Sr. Member
****

Karma: 13
Posts: 457


Wot ho chaps, its bloody Whitworth!!


« Reply #6 on: July 10, 2012, 04:35:46 PM »

Thanks for all the positive comments and the mug of tea was very yeuk. Thats why it stayed there and went cold Grin.
I will add a write up of the restoration if anyones interested and perhaps some of its history.
I will be piloting it at the VMCC sprint at Wroughton nr Swindon on 19th August in preperation for its return to the Brighton Speed Trials after a 40 year absence.
I will try to get something up on here with some piccies in the next few days.
« Last Edit: July 10, 2012, 04:37:48 PM by Dslam » Logged
Dslam
Sr. Member
****

Karma: 13
Posts: 457


Wot ho chaps, its bloody Whitworth!!


« Reply #7 on: July 10, 2012, 06:45:18 PM »

Well, here we go. The Impulse saga started for me some 15 - 20 years ago when I was round at my mate Paul's place in east London. "come out ere' and catch a load of this" said Paul.
I was taken to the garage where amongst other 2 & 3 wheeled contraptions lurked a fairly rusty beastie known as Impulse.
It was built in 1966 by Mickie Pierce who built bike frames for a living (more of him later) and ridden by Vic Phillips.
It did the rounds including the Brighton Speed Trials and various sprint events and also competed in the 1966 Elvington records meeting.
Vic & Mickie also built Impetus. A road race bike with a carburetted Imp sport engine. This was seen by someone at the Rootes Group who subsequently sponsored the bikes and provided a works 998 sport engine for Impulse.
Back to this January. Paul called me to say that he would succumb to the pressure I had applied over the last 2 decades and would I rebuild Impulse with a view to running it at Brighton once more. Game on said I Grin.
I went over to Paul's place with Mr oily bike and a trailer and picked up what can only be described as a bloody mess. The rolling chassis was complete ish but the old girl had suffered a flood, a leaking shed which filled the blower up and a fire which smoke damaged it.
A full strip ensued and the fuel tank (frame top tube) was drained of 20 year old fuel and water emulsion which had left so much crud in the tank even hot triclorethelene struggled to remove it.
Tank cleaned out as best I could I then pressure tested the tank. A small leak at the back and a gusher at the front where the fairing bracket had been bent. I decided that the only way to go would be to have the frame blasted so I could see what was going on with the tank and the rest of the joints. Got it back a few weeks later to be surprised by the lack of damage. One lightly cracked joint and the two fuel leaks brazed up then the frame went to powder coat. It only has a light dust of powder so any frame joint cracks can be detected before they become disastrous.
The rest of the chassis came next, 3 wheel rims and hubs dismantled and polished. New spokes and bearings. Plated fasteners and rebuilt. I did all the work except for the polishing. I hate polishing because of the mess it makes of the workshop,
Fork stanchions hard chromed and plated. Fork legs and bottom yoke powder coated. New bushes made and as the head races were obsolete, 'near enough' metric taper roller bearings sourced and thin wall bushes made to accommodate them. Brake shoes relined and hey presto a front end. I moved on to the transmission. The AMC/Norton gearbox was completely refurbished. All bushes and bearing fitted. The gears were surprisingly good. There is an extention piece between the gearbox and the clutch to get it in line with the engine flywheel which has been turned down for lightness and adapted to take a Norton crank sprocket. This was missing as was the adapter plate to mount the sprocket. This was remade and a Jawa speedway sprocket was used as many sizes are available if gearing changes are needed and are the right chain size. The tranny extention is a home made item and carries a double row bearing in a special carrier to support the now, very long output shaft. This was re-furbed and plated.
On to the motor. Took the bottom off to find the crank in perfect nick. It is truly a work of art. Hand polished and tufrided. Has an unusual bluey purple colour. Rods, pistons, bearings oil pump etc found to be in good nick too. So far so good. On to the head. These heads run Wills rings. They replace the head gasket. They are hollow steel rings filled with nitrogen under pressure and sit in a recess machined in the head and bear on the liners and are designed to cope with the high pressures generated in a blown engine. The head was shagged sadly but Paul being Paul had a spare. New Wills rings sourced together with the special water jacket gasket the head was on.
These motors have under bucket shims and I had real problems shimming it until we found that the buckets had worn barrel shaped and were rocking causing variable clearances. This was due to the mildly radical cam sweeping the buckets sideways whilst attempting to open the valves. This sorted the top was on. Engine fitted and the rest of the cycle parts re-furbed and in place the old bus was taking shape. Next was the blower and the SU carb. Easy enough. strip & rebuilt. New bearings and trunnions for the blower and a new needle and a rebuild for the carb. Job done. Sounds easy but this all took nearly 7 months and 350+ hours to do plus countless journeys sourcing parts and advice.
Cooling system re-furbed and a neat electric pump from the states fitted all that was left to do was the ignition system. Paul decided that the Scintilla Vertex magneto was the way to go. I bench tested it and it sparked. Sourced a new cap for it. Made up some leads, timed her up to 32 degrees and we have ourselves a bike. Woo hoo!!!.
Paul arranged for the paint on the fairing and the chair as this is not my forte. And a really nice job too.
In the next installment I will relay its first fire up and its maiden voyage at the festival.
Pictures below.............
« Last Edit: July 10, 2012, 10:07:18 PM by Dslam » Logged
Cabman77
Hero Member
*****

Karma: 32
Posts: 2132



« Reply #8 on: July 10, 2012, 08:47:27 PM »

Me n a mate put together a few Impsa`s in the 70`s, A10 rolling chassis with the Imp lump in there. Went like s**t off a shovel and handled well too. Tried one with a Triumph T110 chassis but it didn`t work out so well. Grin Grin Grin Grin
Logged

..........and Joshua entered Jericho on his Triumph..............
Dslam
Sr. Member
****

Karma: 13
Posts: 457


Wot ho chaps, its bloody Whitworth!!


« Reply #9 on: July 10, 2012, 09:12:37 PM »

They became really popular as an engine because of their lightness and modern design. Add a supercharger and you get really quick s**t!!
Logged
Manky Monkey
Administrator
Hero Member
*****

Karma: 264
Posts: 55102



WWW
« Reply #10 on: July 10, 2012, 09:29:22 PM »

Andy, (Dslam), had some problems loading the photos, so these are they:
Logged

On the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City.
Manky Monkey
Administrator
Hero Member
*****

Karma: 264
Posts: 55102



WWW
« Reply #11 on: July 10, 2012, 09:30:33 PM »

.
Logged

On the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City.
Dslam
Sr. Member
****

Karma: 13
Posts: 457


Wot ho chaps, its bloody Whitworth!!


« Reply #12 on: July 10, 2012, 09:34:26 PM »

Another
Logged
Manky Monkey
Administrator
Hero Member
*****

Karma: 264
Posts: 55102



WWW
« Reply #13 on: July 10, 2012, 09:36:47 PM »

Teeny tiny piccie. Your shed's shrunk Andy.
Logged

On the last freedom moped out of Nowhere City.
Dslam
Sr. Member
****

Karma: 13
Posts: 457


Wot ho chaps, its bloody Whitworth!!


« Reply #14 on: July 10, 2012, 09:37:19 PM »

and another
Logged
Pages: [1] 2 3 ... 5
  Print  
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.18 | SMF © 2013, Simple Machines Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!