A bit more: Originally the Imp engine was under the rear deck and it was flat with a lip (à la Kamm) When we fitted the Alfa, we just cut a hole in the deck for the cam covers to poke through.
Before we finished the car for registering, we trailed it to the airfield where I worked for a few test runs. We often had teams testing cars and bikes round the runways and perimeter tracks, partly because a few of the directors were racing drivers (our chairman used to leave his 250 GTO in the hanger occasionally.....)
Any way, after a few runs, some of the helpers were given a go. One was a biker and could drive a car, but was too young to have a licence. Off he set and I heard him going up through the gears thinking, nice for a tyro, but shouldn't he be backing off for the turn at the end of the runway? Difference of sight height of a bike down to a very low car, he left it too late for the turn and slid off through a post and barbed wire fence. We legged it over and since Richard had a plate in his ankle, I was far ahead, but, since there was no windscreen, I was really worried what I was going to find. Blood all over the place and I lifted his helmet thinking he had been garroted by the wire. He groaned and muttered something. Seems the wire had been cut by the rear view mirror pylon and one end had flicked through the side of his mouth by an inch, hence the blood. The wire had ripped the top of the steering wheel and peeled the back off his gloves, without touching skin.. Off to the local vet for a stitch up and returned him to his home, where his father, the local vicar... was not very amused!
After it was regged, Richard was on the back road to Norwich and thought he had been going some. But, since we had fitted a Fiat 500 speedo to satisfy the road regs (we are talking the old 500 here) we had to do a calibration test off the revcounter. Seems he was doing 140 with a bit still to come, like a 1000 revs. Like I said, lotta fun to drive.
LW
