I remember Steve from Off Roaders Rant Page, now about 14 years ago. He did some superb write-ups on V8 re-working/tuning, unfortunately it seemed he was not always so good at actually doing the work, can't remember it all but he seriously peed some people off. Lucky escape maybe, but I nearly bought a RRC V8 off him .......................
I knew him from ORRP when he first started his business. He did a top end rebuild of my first 3.5 carb and it was a first class job for a really good price; unfortunately about a year later the oil-pump failed and the big-ends went tonk-tonk-tonk-tonk
We found a blob of black silicone wedged in the pump....? I argued that it could only have come from the rebuild and as he did use silicone gasket then he was liable
Steve agreed to replace the engine with a rebuilt 3.9 hotwire with gas-flowed heads and larger valves, for a price but still very reasonable. I had time-off and spent two weeks with him helping strip down, clean and rebuild the 3.9, watched him like a hawk, did it all by the book and I checked everything (he was cool about it); ended up with a rip-snorting V8 running mostly on lpg. Was in my 90 and then went into a 110, minor crank seal oil leak sorted f.o.c and no other issues. He definitely knew his stuff as his website showed and, given time and space, could do very good work.
I think that it all went wrong when he took on a commission for Team Saluki in the UAE. I think it was too much, building two racing spec V8s in short time, then performance issues, breakdowns, a trashed engine, big arguments. Then people started complaining that his work was not up to scratch, issues with wrong parts sent or not sent at all, delays, going incommunicado......I hear he had bit of a breakdown and well as health problems.
I still think that he was good engine builder but a poor businessman.
Took me for a spin along the A4 in his stripped down IIA with 4L V8 auto with rear rad, don't think I ever been so scared
Photos from the Shuttleworth show 2004; I attended his Lund Engines stand with my 3.9.
