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Norton Imp Anyone ?
T66 - 10/1/13 at 08:44 PM

How about this then, a Norton with an Imp lump





Norton/Imp 4 cylinder





eBay Item

r1_pete - 10/1/13 at 08:48 PM

I remember my father and his mate building a Norimp in the late 60s early 70s, I think I've some pics, will have a look and scan them in.....

T66 - 10/1/13 at 09:08 PM

quote:
Originally posted by r1_pete
I remember my father and his mate building a Norimp in the late 60s early 70s, I think I've some pics, will have a look and scan them in.....




So its not a one off then ? Never seen one before, please do......

paulf - 10/1/13 at 09:48 PM

I had heard of these before and as I used to run imps years ago quite fancied the idea of building one but never got around to looking into it seriously.Last year I saw a Norton frame with a rover V8 fitted in it in a similar fashion but decided it looked to unwieldy and think nowadays I would stick with a bike engine.
Paul

britishtrident - 10/1/13 at 10:12 PM

I can think of dozens of better things to do with a feather bed frame and dozens of better things to do with an Imp engine, apart from the engine being canted to the wrongside I can't see a cooling system.

MikeRJ - 10/1/13 at 10:34 PM

quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
I can think of dozens of better things to do with a feather bed frame and dozens of better things to do with an Imp engine, apart from the engine being canted to the wrongside I can't see a cooling system.


Looks like there is a radiator hanging of the other side of the front downtube. Does seem a very odd choice though, there are hundreds of bike engines that could have gone in there to make it more powerful, lighter, reliable and oil tight than the original engine.

Plenty of the classic racing sidecar outfits run the imp engine still.

[Edited on 10/1/13 by MikeRJ]

T66 - 11/1/13 at 07:29 AM

If you look close enough there is a radiator cap showing above the tail section behind the seat.

britishtrident - 11/1/13 at 07:33 AM

An 875 Imp engine really needs a decent effective cooling system, anybody that owned it would spend their life changing head gaskets which wouldn't be a fun job.

britishtrident - 11/1/13 at 07:40 AM

quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
I can think of dozens of better things to do with a feather bed frame and dozens of better things to do with an Imp engine, apart from the engine being canted to the wrongside I can't see a cooling system.


Looks like there is a radiator hanging of the other side of the front downtube. Does seem a very odd choice though, there are hundreds of bike engines that could have gone in there to make it more powerful, lighter, reliable and oil tight than the original engine.

Plenty of the classic racing sidecar outfits run the imp engine still.

[Edited on 10/1/13 by MikeRJ]



Side car outfits back in the 1960s used a full size rad and the 998 wet liner engine with Wills ring head gaskets. The Wills ring converted head is much more resilient to head gasket problems than the plain 875 and 930 engines which can's use Wills rings.

chillis - 11/1/13 at 10:08 AM

And from the title I thought it was a ike engined car

maccmike - 11/1/13 at 12:45 PM

''do you want some motorbike with that engine sir?''

Peteff - 11/1/13 at 01:24 PM

That's just stupid It looks unusable and bodgey where do you put your knees ?

Dingz - 11/1/13 at 01:59 PM

''do you want some motorbike with that engine sir?''


Look up E J Potter the Michigan Mad man, I saw him in the late 60s at Santa Pod. Impressive but Alf Hagon beat him with his old JAP twin.

britishtrident - 11/1/13 at 02:56 PM

I love where they stuck the coil !