Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1998 17:29:46 -0400 (EDT)
From: Carsten Bussmann
Subject: Tecnical questions about imp engines and Centaur things

Hi there,
I have a some questions about imp tecnics an the Centaur... thanks !!!
I have a Centaur which is full-packed with Smith' round instruments,

---Where are the engine sensors on Imp sport engines ? I mean for -rp/m,
- oil pressure warning light - is it the one just below the lucas ditributor, and does it close on 'too less pressure' ?
- water temp -just next to the thermostat housing ? Would a smith instrument show 'real figures' here, or do I need a special Smith-made sensor here?

About the Centaur itself: I NEEEEEEEEEED PAAAAAARTS !!!!! AND INFORMATION !!!
Needed:
- front lamp covers, or forms to make a pair- I have a broken left one here, and plan to build my own forms from scratch,
- Doors -urgent: I have both, but right one (driver's) is broken. Any idea how to repair it (a 15*15 cm piece is shell-like broken out of the rest), any glue to doe the job ?
- the rear motorroom cover. As to be seen on franka's page, it is sectioned into 6 stairs. I have no further idea of it's look-alike. I plan to make my own from V4A-steel. Which material was original ? GRP , as the rest of the car ?
- The periscope-like rear-mirror from the center of the front window.
Mainly the GRP housing for the mirror would help alot. The mirror itself and the metal parts could be done by me then.

Are there any Centaurs for sale anywhere ? I'd like to buy another one if complete and cheap or so... :-)
I paid 400 pounds for mine, but it was in a terrible condition: no engine, no transaxle, above parts missing, car was stripped down to bodyshell, no interior, no tyres, axles and brakes rusted to dirt, no steering. no lamps (they are R4 halogen ones now, fit nice!). But got it to drive, so the tecnic bits are almost complete now.

- A list like 'what goes where' would help, even better would be a manual for the do-it-yourself-version. They must have had a printed manual for the homeworker to do the imp conversion. They even had a brochure (now online at franka) !
It would tell me where some parts came from I could not yet identify and tell me where to buy some bits, like the front radiator, or the heater.

- Tips from other guy who had one, made one, drove one would help me.
- Any idea how many are left today ? I only know some 6 by now.
- Any picture of a pulsar (2+2-version) would dammned interest me. The Centaur is a bit 'strange' when seen from the side, but it is a clear 2-seater. A lengthened version with conventional doors must have looked even more than only 'strange' or 'excentric'. And this Pulsar car seems to be really rare, I only found one sentence telling about it's existence- in chris' Rees book about british kit cars, on the Centaur/Probe 2001-page.

- Does anyone know what happened to 'Concept Cars', northhampton, UK ?
They built it, maybe the bodyshells are still there somewhere ? I'd like to get them and make some more cars for some friends who tried to convince me to take a copy from my car first....:-)

thanks for answering to all, I really enjoy reading all your Imp mail,
Carsten, Germany (strange home for a Centaur...:-})