Tuning firms

[ian.stewart]

The company was called STONE MANGANESE BRONZE,They were bought by Vickers for the MOD contracts, then asset stripped, Bits like Kent Alloys and Stone Platt were sold off
I wonder if Manganese Bronze Holdings are whats left of the main Company.

[Fireblade]

There is a forum member who currently works for them and has done for some time.
No doubt he will be along to shed light on the subject and tell us the current score. He is away for the weekend but has been made aware of the thread.

[ian.stewart]

Originally Posted by ian.stewart

The company was called STONE MANGANESE BRONZE,They were bought by Vickers for the MOD contracts, then asset stripped, Bits like Kent Alloys and Stone Platt were sold off
I wonder if Manganese Bronze Holdings are whats left of the main Company.

Got that wrong only workrd there for 7 years,
Stone Manganese Marine, not Bronze, I beleive that was a former name,

[Tim Falce]

Aha, Stones, I used to have to go in there two or three times a week collecting waste.
From memory it was split up in the mid nineties and bits of it shut down just before we lost the contract.
It's now back to Stone Foundries

[petestenning]

And Gordon will know there was Mountains Garage in Hildenborough owned by Ian Fraser the Imp tuner and racer. My late father worked there and had one of the first production Imps. As Rootes produced any update Ian gave Dad the mod to put on his car to see if it worked .

I am glad to say they did and it was great as a small boy to see us sitting at a set of trafic light on the north circular with an E type Jag next to us reving his engine like a twot. Lights change and the Imp was across the junction before the Jag moved lol. A rather silly looking driver soon went passed , i expect he did not sit reving t the next set of lights.


Pete

[GORDON STREETER]

I worked for Alan Fraser

[petestenning]

Yes Gordon and my father was Vernon in answer to youre PM.


Pete

[Gerry Taylor]

Originally Posted by SidewaysFeltham

AL, you take me back to the early days of modding Minis.

We used to modify bottom links (to promote negative camber) by cutting and shutting and arc welding high tensile head bolts in the web of the forging.

I even made a jig for this.

Racing Oil light switches (which invariably used an A35-type indicator lamp! on top of the dash!), were expensive. And I then found that a Bedford truck part which cut in at 30 psi (bearing in mind that in those days on straight mineral oil we used to run the pressure relief valve at circa 75-80 psi!), was ideal and fitted most blocks!

By merely carrying a batch back from our local dealer, filing off the AC part number (cunning, huh?), they changed from 30 bob to £5!

Whilst still at Fords (But I'd already started building up the final racing, tuning and garage biz - As you do), I cheekily phoned Dunlop, in Coventry and somehow managed to be connected to the Sales Director, a charming chap called Mr Yardleigh. End result was a was buying Dunlup 51/2 J steel 13" rims, bare and 4 1/2 J Mini rims at the same price as Ford near enough!

My old mate the late Alan Daykin of Southend Racing Partnership had already commenced AdRad (Alan Daykin Racing and Development) making Cut N Shut wide steel rims, so we branched out into "Safe" wheels by making 5 1/2 Js by simply grinding out the rivets holding the centres to the rims (some were welded as new- couldn't use those) and making big steels rims for the boy racers with the new Dunlop rims.

Happy days.

On tuning firms; yes, I do remember Raymond Mayes as distinct from Mays.

He followed on a long line of people who saw the Mk 1 Zephyr as a handy rally tool: Maurice Gatsonides actually won the Monte one year in one.
Sydney Allard also I seem to recall drove one in the Monte. I will never, ever forgive Gatsonides for designing his speed radar trap (for testing rally cars on stages as they set it up!).

Loads of old names and tuning outfits: Tony Rudd (Ruddspeed) in Worthing, mainly Volvo; they used to make the staid P1800 hackle!;Bill Blydenstein, Vauxhall who built Gerrry Marshall's Droop Snoot Firenzas.

Steve Burton in Ilford Essex, still going and very big now on engineering.

Steve did lots of engine balancing for me in the 60s and 70s.

Glyn Swift, Swiftune a mate of Jon Mowat, the last person to campaign a 1,293 s in Group II amongst hordes of Escorts in the European Touring Car Championship.

Alexander Conversions were mainly Mini and A series BMC.

Jan Oder down in Salisbury, Janspeed; Brown and Geeson in Ilford. Alf Geeson kindly sold me at bottom trade (I used to work with a childhood mate of his at Ford!) a Group II Cooper s exhaust, which used to really annoy the ploddies as it was rather "Crisp" for a road car in 1966!

Superspeed, again in Ilford, Essex, Mike Young and his bro John; Chris Craft used to drive one of their cars.

Ralph Broad in Birmingham, Broadspeed; Ralph used to build and enter the all-conquering Ford Anglia 107E; I re-built one of the actual Ford works cars for a Ford chum; and had the pleasure of driving it at Lydden on its maiden voyage afterwards!

Broadpseed then went on to build the even more spectacular Escort BDA, driven with such success by John Fitzpattrick.

The list is really endless.

I enjoyed that wallow in nostalgia!

I know this is slightly away from the train of thought, but you mentioned Dunlop, and I remembered recieving a letter from them....here it is from all those years ago.
Gerry.
ps Thanks for the memories.

[ian.stewart]

I need to find out a bit of info on Speedwell, I know in the 60s they did mini tuning stuff which they are well known for they also did imported VW stuff, Did they ever make anything for tuning Fords??,

[GORDON STREETER]

Just looking at CCC mag adverts . Ford Anglia immaculate/wide wheels/mot/ new twin cam fitted £175 ono . Trouble is its 1971 also a shorrocks supercharger complete £15

[Farbrooke]

Originally Posted by ian.stewart

I need to find out a bit of info on Speedwell,

Try
http://www.mk1-performance-conversio.../mk1_index.htm

[GORDON STREETER]

http://mk1-performance-conversions.c...nder_story.jpg
A mate of mine now occupies this building and informs me that Ted Martin used to work for Alexander Tuning many moons ago and still pops in to get a few things made.

[kevind]

Originally Posted by ian.stewart

I need to find out a bit of info on Speedwell, I know in the 60s they did mini tuning stuff which they are well known for they also did imported VW stuff, Did they ever make anything for tuning Fords??,

Hi Ian do you still needs some info as I have a Speedwell catalogue somewhere and will dig it out if you like

[Gerry Taylor]

Phil was another excellent engine builder/developer. He operated out of part of an old factory in Walsall, very difficult to find unless you had good directions. He amazed me with standing next to an engine dyno, with a race engine full chat, and the whole thing rocking and rolling....very clever man.

George Whitehead. WRA of Harrow, was another clever engine builder. Both built engines for me in the late sixties early seventies.