From: Graham Miller
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 12:26:44 -0000
Subject: [imps] Husky questions...

Hiya everyone, I've just bought Tim's Husky (thanks Tim!) and now have a few questions...

How do you improve the high speed stability (apart from avoiding cross-winds and bridges!)? She feels like she'll go a lot faster than sixty to seventy, but she does start getting a little vague and wandery...

Has anyone got a spare Husky manual they'd like to sell, I've a Rootes manual but it only covers saloons.

What's the best way to improve the braking on a road car? I've been following the disk conversion debate, but that doesn't seem to be an easy route for a road car, would better pads and/or a servo make a noticeable difference?

Aside from that, it's a wonderful car and I'm really happy to be back driving Imps again after years driving anonymous Euro-boxes...

From: Impmann@aol.com
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 09:14:51 EST
Subject: [imps] Re: Husky questions...

Sideways stability? She's about as good as a saloon... (the car that is). Erm, not a huge amount can be done to improve her further (suspension mods etc have already been done), you could try the Dolomite spoiler trick (use a Dolly Sprint spoiler with a section removed), as I'm told this keeps the nose down a bit more.

Otherwise, just ride the rollercoaster ride:-) She will do 80-85, but expect the front to feel a bit light. The thing to learn is when to correct and when not to...

Disc brakes? Hmmm. I wouldn't, you could fit a servo and uprate the linings (they're all standard Feredos at the mo), otherwise buy heavier boots!:-)

I have got the original Owner's Manual for the car - sorry I forgot to give it to you. It doesn't tell you much though... most things are the same as the saloon (try the Haynes jobbie)...

From: Graham Miller
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 14:31:45 -0000
Subject: [imps] Re: Husky questions...

I'll have to have a look out for one of those in a scrapyard... would wider tyres do anything to the stability or not?

I was just thinking about taking the engine out to change the gearbox, is this the same as a saloon with just a larger crossmember at the back?
Apart from that, you're right, I can use my Rootes manual..

BTW I've only ever owned short-MoT, in need of restoration Imps in the past and so far everyone who knows me and has seen it have been very impressed with her...

From: Impmann@aol.com
Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 10:26:37 EST
Subject: [imps] Re: Husky questions...

Removal of the engine & gearbox is 99% the same as a normal Imp. The crossmember is exactly the same as the saloon one, you just have to remove the engine UNDER the rear panel (where the door latch is), which can sometimes be a bit of a wiggle. Best bet is to remove the central bolt from the engine mount (rather than the four bolts to the crossmember - which are well difficult anyway on a Husky, but possible) and remove the engine mount with the crossmember.

Wider tyres may stabilise her a bit. My old buddy, Dave Lane has 175/70/12 inch tyres on the alloys propping up each corner of his Husky/Van thing and that is rock solid (and bloody lovely). The trouble is 175/70/12 tyres are very hard to find (I think I've just bought the last four in the country - but I may not be fitting them, watch this space) and can promote "tramlining" on rutted roads (eg M25).

You could go to 13inch rims & tyres. I know that Bruce Gardener (her previous owner) ran her on 13inch Weller wheels for a while, as I think this was more stable for the stupid speeds he used to do with the 930 in the back:-) This could prove expensive, but I'm reliably told that these make a difference.