1970 EMPI Imp

A 1970 EMPI Imp dune buggy built on a 1966 VW Bug floor pan (shortened 12") with a Bug 40hp (1192cc) engine. She is a project in need of some TLC, as she has been in indoor storage for over ten years, waiting for the time & money to get her done. She was most likely built from EMPI's "Imp Deluxe Kit"

Body: an original EMPI Imp body with its original yellow gelcoat. A previous owner has cut the rear fender wells (tire clearance) and rear engine area (easier to work in the engine). This is clearly seen in the photos. The front turn signals feature clear “bullet” lenses and the rear taillights are the original EMPI chrome housings. 

Floorpan: 1966 Bug floor pan that was shortened 12” to match the body. The front passenger side footwell does have some rust, but nothing that stopped me from driving her. Stock Bug ball joint front beam and swing axle rear suspension. 

Interior: The highback fiberglass seats are in need of replacement, but they are mounted to the original adjuster rails. The roll cage features the original EMPI loop that a previous owner built on with a front loop and connecting bars between the two. The dash features two original EMPI gauges, one VDO gauge, Autometer 'Shift Lite’ tachometer, Bug speedometer, and 4 spoke Formuling France steering wheel.

Wheels: stock Bug 15x4 wheels in the front, and widened (7") Bug wheels in the back. The tires will need replacing, but the fronts are 165R15 and the rears are 255/60R15. The drums have press in wheel studs with lug nuts. 

Drivetrain: 40hp 1192cc (1.2L) Bug engine with a single 30 PICT carb, Bosch distributor, and TriMil header with insert. It features an external oil cooler. When she was running, this engine did very well on the road, including multiple trips on the interstate. The transaxle was freshened and a stronger differential added. 

Brakes: stock ‘66 Bug drum brakes. She was parked when a rear wheel cylinder blew out. They will need to be gone through to get street worthy again. A previous owner welded over the emergency brake mount, so it doesn’t have a parking brake. 

I had great plans to create a great street going buggy with her, so my loss is your gain!

The Story

This fiberglass dune-buggy came way through my brother. I had taken a new job and on my way to work I spotted this buggy. I couldn't believe my eyes, it was just parked in the driveway in the school's neighborhood. So needless to say, I made it a point to drive that way on the way home, making sure to slowly drive by it and see more of it. A few drive-bys helped me to identify the buggy as an EMPI Imp, one of the two models made by the famous EMPI of Riverside in the '60 and early '70s. A few days of doing this, I deduced it was probably a '70 or '71 model, the last two years these buggies were made. I admired it for a while, knowing that even if the owner would sell it, there was no way I could afford to buy it. That's where my brother steps in.

We were up in that neighborhood about a year later, conducting some business, and I asked my brother to drive by this house. He was intrigued. We stopped and knocked at the door, hoping someone would be home on the Saturday afternoon. Well, the owner was home, and he came outside with use to show us the car. He told us that he wasn't interested in selling it, but that he was looking for someone to figure out the brakes. 

We exchanged numbers and agreed that we could be hired to fix the brakes. If we couldn't own it, at least we could get it running, take it for a drive (got to check our work, right?), and make a few extra dollars. That night, my brother gets a call from the owner, saying he and his wife bought a new car and if we were interested in the buggy, he'd be willing to sell it to my brother. That next morning we loaded the truck with a tow-bar, chains and our usual assortment of tools, and we drove over there. That afternoon, we had the Imp in our driveway. 

My brother was now a proud owner of an EMPI Imp. We both shared a deep admiration for the EMPI Imp. We spent all of that day getting it running, figuring out what needed to be replaced or repaired, and discussing how he want to make it better.

Fast forward a couple of years, and my brother makes the decision to move out of state. He knows that he can't take the Imp with him and that he will need a car with doors, roof, and heaters. We make a deal and I become a proud owner of the EMPI Imp! 

Since taking ownership of the Imp, I've worked on a few improvements. One obvious improvement was the wheels. The Imp had these ugly mismatched steel Baja wheels on it, initially white, but my brother repainted silver later on. I was able to locate the wheels on it now, stripped/refinished them, and topped them off with stock Bug dome hubcaps. They helped to give the Imp the retro look I was looking for.