GTO Engineering are pleased to announce the addition of an enhanced fabrication facility to complement the manufacturing process on-site, which include the engineering drawing and quality control functions, as well as, a machine shop that together allow us to have the capability needed to manage restoration, engine-build and repair projects in-house. These services are also available for trade and retail sub-contract work, where within each function, we have an incredibly skilled and versatile team ready to service all your requirements.
From exhaust system pipework suited to the individual requirements of period road cars ,or, indeed custom-built competition cars, through bespoke water pipes, fuel tanks, wishbones, radiators, header tanks, pedal boxes to any other fabrication need that can be manufactured in steel or aluminium, the skills of Eoin and his team utilise the full range of skilled-fabrication techniques.
Having joined GTO Engineering from Formula 1™, Eoin has over thirty years fabrication experience with the Toyota, Renault, Arrows and Lotus F1 teams, in addition to podiums at Le Mans with TWR and a land speed record with the JCB Dieselmax in 2006.
The fabrication shop can create virtually any required metal structure; whether from scratch by skilled cutting, bending and assembling the raw materials, in plate or from formed metal, expanded metal (mesh) or tube stock amongst many other options.
A 250 front water pipe fabricated from the original using period tooling techniques
Modern machine mandrel bending does not have the organic flowing-style required to recreate what is both artistic and functional, such as an exhaust or water pipe whereas sand bending requires the tube to be filled with burnt fine sand, compressed and heated by oxy-propane and manually hand-formed to the required shape. At GTO Engineering, we hand-craft each and every system using this method which can be thought of as the difference between a Savile Row and an off-the-peg suit.
Hand-made 250/ 275 oil sump pick up pipes in the fabrication shop.
The skills these techniques required are fast disappearing, which is why we are passionate about employing the next generation to work as part of our team to pass on the craftsmanship needed to give our customers the highest quality, period-styled components.
An inverted 250 GT chassis with dummy engine so its manifolds could be used as reference points for completing the exhaust pipework. Photo: Edward Eves, March 1959
Sixty years on, our inverted 250 SWB chassis with manifolds and dummy engine block. March 2019
However, here at GTO Engineering, we do not solely rely on traditional materials and have very much moved with the times with our made-to-order components being also constructed from stainless steel, titanium and aircraft-grade steel and aluminium which are steadily growing in popularity.
A fresh batch of hand-crafted carburettor trumpets in the fabrication shop
We are moving the fabrication department forward with heavy investment in both people and equipment. Our mission is to give you a component of the highest-achievable quality and, at the same time, one that is beautiful and engineered to perfection.