Manky Monkey Motors

A friend of mine, Chris Allen runs Bespoke Bodywork in Church Crookham, near Fleet in Hampshire.

He's doing a project for himself and another bud called Al, starting with a early Rolls Royce, with the aim of making a "Special".

The donor was stripped back around June 2014. The engine sent to a specialist where it stripped and refurbished  (new white metal etc etc etc).

In the mean time, the chassis has been 'revised' (ahem!), a wooden frame built and the whole thing skinned in aluminium - all by Chris and his team. Oh, and they fitted a blower too, well, you would wouldn't you.

The engine components have just returned from the specialist engineering company, and assembly of the straight-six is about to start, which includes a special cam to suit the blower, ready for installation.

Currently the bodywork is unpainted, but a very dark green, along I think with some black, will follow in the near future.

I called in today do drop off the remainder of a job, and took some pics as when I was there last week I'd left the camera at home.

Chris and his team do stonkingly good craftsmanship work, including aluminium motorcycle tanks, and as the company name suggests, Bespoke is the name of the game.

The website is under construction, but Chris can be emailed at  bespoke.bodywork.uk@gmail.com

OK - time for the pics


Stripping the Rolls Royce (June 2014)

The start of the bodywork, and blower mounted to made in-house adaptors

Same era photo. Some of the wooden framework can be seen inside the cockpit

Sept 2015 - bodywork fitted (paint to follow).

I think the lines of this car are superb...............

Sept 2015 - Exhaust fitted (straight six engine).

The cowling & grill are all in-house. Headlights are period genuine articles

Sept 2015 - Close up of the grill/cowl/blower

Sept 2015 - The gear-change and hand-brake are external to the cockpit

Sept 2015 - Proper fuel filler caps

wow wow and wow!!!

amazing craftsmanship.

Some outdoor shots taken by Chris on his phone

Some outdoor shots taken by Chris on his phone

Some outdoor shots taken by Chris on his phone

now that i do like

 :)Named after a battle ship of 1906, or a roofing tile made in the West Midlands I wonder what brought them to a name like that Tony  ???

Just about perfect !
 Makes my little Morris look silly, but I like that a lot and may well steal some ideas.

don't know about that Olds i think your looks just as good especially as your is built at home.not knocking this build by the way ,it's stunning also

Isn't that a beautiful thing.

Very shape and nice metal work.

Chris said "They where a class of iron clad battle ships from 1880s through some of the 1900s. It's a battle car for winning a duel"

The plan was to do some competition Hillclimbs with it, in which case they'll be battling it out with other cars in their class. Now that would be worth watching!

Called to see Chris at Bespoke Bodywork the other day, and while there, took some snaps of a customer's Alvis that Chris is making a body for.

The remit was to have some of the lines similar to an Aston Martin DB4, and other lines similar to a (forgot the model) 1960's Ferrari.

Check out the pics...........

Alvis pic number 2

Alvis pic number 3

Alvis pic number 4

Ooh, isn't that lovely.

Beautiful!

wow.

Fantastic metal shaping though I prefer the Rolls.

"Dreadnought" - out on the road!!

Was passing a bike shop today and what should I see sitting outside but Chris and Al with Dreadnought, along with a little 3-wheel BSA belonging to Chris' younger brother, and a model Y belonging to one of the guys from Bespoke Bodywork.

The mechanical gremlins have been sorted on the blown Rolls Royce motor, so I guess its shakedown time.

They were just about to leave, so the photos are a bit hurried, but it sure sounded good and tramped away like a good 'un!

There are some pics of some of Bespoke's work on this thread (incl little red Austin)http://www.mankymonkeymotors.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=14808.0

Chris starting Dreadnought

Waiting for passenger Al (gear selector and handbrake are both outside the cockpit)
If you look through the grill, there's a nice modern electric fan which compliments the still-in-place original.

The rest of the gang - BSA V-twin 3-wheeler & side-valve model Y

The weather was closing in, rain was just starting, so time for Dreadnought to blatt its way home

Fabulous!

Great stuff, love that Beezer. And that's where a supercharger should be, looks fantastic

Absolutely lovely.
Hmmm. Crank driven supercharger might go well on.. NO NO NO ! Must not think that way.

Go on you know you want to ;D ;D

The seed has been sown !

Chris's new website, including some nice pics to drool over.

http://bespokebodywork03.businesscatalyst.com/index.html

Called in to Chris' place the other day, and took a snap of a Bentley they're working on (they've made the body from aluminium)

Car behind is Dreadnought (the supercharged Rolls Special), and it won't be long before its going off for paint.

Four legged member of the team is called Rusty  :D

Beautiful work. So do these count as straight re-bodies, no  re-registering required? What about the Historic class, which says they have to be as original?

Don't think it applies to the body as when these were new you had to have your own body made

Called to see Chris, Dan and Harry at Bespoke Bodywork, and guess what was sitting in the corner

Dreadnought in paint................

Stunning!

Oooh, I say!

no room for a supercharger? bung it on the front and show it off  :D I could do that, that would get some looks too  :D

Years ago Chris Ireland, ("Desperate Dan"), built a Reliant trike with a crank mounted blower. Don't recall ever seeing it finished.

Didn't,t ,toad,, also start building one ??

Ah dreadnought

At the phoenix this new years day nearly knocked me bike over coming into the car park.

It is rather large!

 :D
Yes, Toad started mocking one up. Mr Lunatic ended up with the parts I believe.

I'll tell him to try harder next year!!  ;D  ;D  ;)