HLG 772C at Cestrian 1975; competition no. 45
	HLG 772C at Y Draig Goch 1977, competition no. 15 Photogr.: Motophoto, Gareth M. Jones; Garlaine, Dingle Rd., Leeswood nr. Mold Stickers: Tecalemit; Dependable Delivery
	HLG 772C at Y Draig Goch 1978 Stickers: Imp PI; Dependable Delivery
	MMB 196T at the Ian Harwood Stages, 23rd Febr. 1980; competition no. 22 a SpeedSports (Ruthin) photograph
	MMB 196T, Welsh Border Car Club Forest Stages, 8th November 1980; competition no. 46 a SpeedSports (Ruthin) photograph Stickers: Helsby Motoraids
	MMB 196T, Manx 1981

Paul S. Rogerson

HLG 772C

The first rally car started life as a 1965 Forest Green Singer Chamois, bought in 1969 and used to commute to work in and the occasional 12 car navigational event. After a year or so it was brought up to 'Sport' spec with the addition of a new cylinder head and cam and twin Stromberg carburettors. GT alloy wheels and Goodyear Ultragrips brought it a specification that could be used for road rallying.
Over the next few years saw further modifications with the engine now 998cc with twin 40 Dellorto's and R17 camshaft, suspension uprated with RAC springs and adjustable Koni shock absorbers, Vauxhall Viva discs and callipers grafted onto the original front stub axles. The gearbox fitted with the close ration gear kit. This all required extra cooling and a front radiator was fitted (half of a Jaguar XJ cross-flow radiator); alloy pulleys replaced the original steel ones.
It was then finished in Chrysler colours of pale blue and white.

After competing in many events it was decided to convert the engine to Fuel Injection, with the help of Skip Brown (who had already experimented with TJ mechanical injection on his own Imp) the conversion was completed in 19??.
This novel system incorporated 3 fuel pumps; a low-pressure high volume pump, a high-pressure electric pump and an engine driven (belt) pump. The advantages of this system over twin 40 Webber or Dellorto's was that power was available further down the rev range with increased torque, which meant that a more ambitious camshaft could be used, in this case the R22 racing cam.

Rallies

• Shell 200 Rally
• Plains Rally
• Radbroke Trophy
• Cestrian Stages
• Y Draig Goch Rally
• Bartley Rally
• Station Motors Clwyd Rally
• Colonel Fitzporker Rally
• Hairpin Rally
• Mid-Summer Rally
• Regent Rally

MMB 196T

In the summer of 1978 it was decided to build a new car using a new shell and some of the parts from HLG 772C. One of the last bare Imp body-shells was purchased from Tim Millington at Chrysler Competitions Department in June of that year. The new body-shell was seam welded and plated in all the vulnerable areas, namely: the rear cross-member, pick up points and front shock absorber mounts. All the unnecessary metal was removed to keep the weight down to a minimum. The shell being finished off once again in blue and white.

The Fuel Injected engine was fitted from HLG 772C along with the gearbox (now with LSD), an extra oil cooler and pump for the transaxle was fitted in the original engine oil cooler's position with the engine oil cooler now upfront with the water radiator. It was in this form that the car rallied with some success from 1979 until it was sold in 1982.

Rallies

• Jeans Gold Cup Rally
• Autela Stages
• Ian Harwood Stages
• Manx National Stages
• Welsh Border Stages
• Mid-Wirral Stages
• Cestrian Stages
• Rally Petite
• Mid-Cheshire Autumn Stages
• Astra Stages
• 061 Road Rally
• Demon Tweeks Stages