Vintage Thing No.173 - Nick Symon's Singer Chamois

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Nick Symons on the 2025 Tamar Trial in his Subaru-powered Singer Chamois

Nick Symons campaigns this Singer Chamois in classic long distance and local one day trials with his son and wife.

Nick is the son of Dave Symons, a very experienced competitor who spectates these days and once gave me a 928cc Chrysler Sunbeam engine. That was way back – the last millennium in fact – when I was trialling my Siva Llama (Vintage Thing No.22). At the time, Dave was running Chrysler Sunbeams with Avenger engines. He found they ran hot and once gave Judi Spiers from Television South West short shrift when she tried to interview him about some steam coming out of his car.

Since then, Nick has been perpetuating the trialling dynasty. Some time ago, he bought a Singer Chamois off Adrian Booth and converted it to flat-four Subaru power. I’ve caught glimpses of it over the years but, when Nick let me have the Imp bits he didn’t need anymore, I had the chance of a closer look.

The non-turbo Subaru engine has proved very reliable in standard form

He uses a non-turbo Subaru engine fitted to a four speed VW gearbox. This drives VW hubs on fabricated rear trailing arms. 

There's not a lot Nick can't do such as make his own rear trailing arms 

He uses Fox rear dampers and 500 pound springs. Other types of damper have tended to overheat as their mounts are shrouded and they don’t carry much volume of oil. Front suspension is still Hillman Imp but Nick runs Protech dampers here. He had to retire from this year’s Edinburgh trial when he damaged the offside front top damper mount. “In all my years of trialling, Corkscrew was the roughest I’ve ever seen,” he told me. After my attempt in 2024, I know zactly what he means.

Repaired front damper top mount. Nick may yet fit a brace across the tank 

He’s fitted an MX5 radiator up front with an enlarged fuel tank. The GRP bonnet is vented like a Subaru to cool the tank as much as anything and although the engine runs hot it hasn’t overheated yet. Nick had a wider core radiator to fit while I was there. The car was apart following a chunk of starter motor falling into the bellhousing and causing damage. He’d finished the 2026 Tamar Trial a few weeks before despite snapping some driveshaft bolts so with this latest problem was taking the opportunity to improve other components while it was up on the lift.

Nick's office when he works away from home. The fatter rad will live up front

I’d helped him source some late Imp doors. Years ago, he caught the driver’s door handle on a tree and doesn’t like the beat up look the gold car was getting. He’s keen to re-paint the white bonnet and, like me, is constantly battling with rust but it’s the climate we live in and the way we use our cars. Wheel arches are Golf Mk1 in steel and he’s looking for some 14 inch Minilites for the front for a more period appearance. MX5 alloys don’t look quite right in his eyes. Rear wheels are straight steel transporter 15 inch affairs.

The front compartment is full. Heat from the rad is a very effective de-mister - on the outside of the screen - especially with the fan on.

He was also fitting rear discs. VW Transporter drum brake parts are so expensive now converting to discs was obvious. He’s fitted a brake servo and, with the hydraulic handbrake, just the gentlest of touches keeps the car anchored on the steepest incline.

At the business end, Nick has fitted a brake servo. The compressor is for inflating tyres, not supercharging. Water pipes run through the tunnel next to a shortened VW gear linkage.

Nick’s next event will probably be the Camel Classic in December but he’s a dead cert for the 2027 Exeter Trial in January. The car is now approaching consistent levels of reliability after years of development. Nick says he’s still learning how to drive it. Grip is not a problem and it can do a wheel stand and say “Hello sky,” without much provocation.

He also says he’d one day like to build a road Imp with a 2.5 litre turbo unit. Apparently, you can reverse the drive of the front wheel drive box to retain six speeds. However, he has BMW-powered diesel Land Rover to finish first.

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