Who has a good type IV machinist-engine builder recommendation?, Time to post your secret sources or remind everyone who's good Options

[rick 918-S]

With Jakes most recent posts and his request to have his access to the forum blocked it's time to talk about your good fortune with your local engine builders. It's clear that there are guys all over the world that know these engines very well and can build killer type IV's.

So you guys that race and AX let's hear your stories about the guys you use.

Even though Jake decided to terminate his association with us let's not forget about Len Hoffman. Without His heads Jakes engines would not have been any better than the air cooled Wisconsin I used to run my arch welder. So you could say without Len, jake wouldn't exist. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

So from there, Who has other head sources? How about cam? We all know the secret to a efficient air pump is how it moves it's volume. Who was Jakes cam grinder? I'm sure it's been mentioned but I likely missed that commercial.

There is a number of posts on setting up your rockers and making up your pushrods to the proper length. Anyone have a good experience or posted about this dig up the link and add it to this thread.

My hat's off to a couple guys that I can think of in the first few minutes here.

Sean Malloy. Sean builds engines, does support work for guys that race type IV's and does chassis work and anything else you need. I've been to Sean's shop and spent time really talking with him. Sean will take care of you with no drama.

Chris Folley is another guy that has gone out of his way to keep our cars moving. Chris has built and raced 914's for longer than I have owned my car. There is nothing he doesn't know about these engines. He also has Ed working at his place. Ed is a 914 dictionary on steroids. Chris recently stuck his neck and his wallet out on the chopping block and brought us a kit to repair our MAPS.

Mark De Bernardi, Most resently McMark completed an outragous engine for Rob Simes. We all know how capable Mark is. I have visited Marks shop too. You will never get a cross word from him and you will always get top notch work whether he's building you an engine or repairing your chassis on his Celette.

Let's not forget about Joe O'brien. He is currently working on a custom injected type IV for John Faure. Check out his progress at Series9. I've been to Joe's shop. It's clean and organized. Joe is building an awesome shop and growing fast in Florida's economy.

Let's here about your positive experiences. Keep it about the type IV. No bashing or Drama or I will ask the admins to lock this.

[HAM Inc]

Even though Jake flaked out Let's not forget about Len Hoffman. Without His heads Jakes engines would not have been any better than the air cooled Wisconsin I used to run my arch welder. So you could say without Len, jake wouldn't exist.

I appreciate the kind words, and consideration for the work I do. But let there be no doubt that Jake deserves a ton of credit too. I started my business in 1996. It grew steadily and slowly. Jake was already much more established with a wider audience than I had when we started doing business together in 2003. The two of us combining our love for R&D and air-cooled engines was good for both of us. That's why it's lasted so many years. My business really took off at that point and I have a debt of gratitude to Jake for that. Jake's business has grown too since then. But that's because he has fought hard for it, and takes an enormous amount of pride in the work and products his company sells. Some would argue too much as he takes it rather personally when someone goes medieval with one of his "babie's". As flaws go there are much worse in this age of corner-cutting and dishonesty.

But it doesn't matter how good your products are or how much effort you put into to customer service, there will always be someone out there who just can't be satisfied. Every business deals with it at some time.

I know everybody has the ability to rub folks the wrong way when caught at just the right -or wrong- time. Jake is no different. He puts up with no non-sense. And perhaps his tolerance for it is shorter than a lot of other businessman. But In the years I have dealt with him he has been nothing but fair with me and I have received countless e-mails and phone calls from folks to thank me for my involvement in their powerplants. These were customers that I had no prior interaction with because they were Jake's customers. They thanked me too because they were so pleased with the final results. Results that were made possible by Jake integrating all of the best possible ingredients to make the best possible engine.

I think every member of this forum can understand how much Jake has contributed to this community. Whether directly or not. I mean really; try for a moment to consider the state of our little sphere without Jake's fingerprints all over it for the past 10 years or so. He can be grumpy, but let's not forget the ways that's balanced with insight and help.

Let's please not throw someone under the bus because of a public disagreement with a customer whose bad experience was largely self induced and clearly an anomaly. (No one could grow a business if he conducted business the way that incendiary thread alleged)


I really hate to see this impasse and hope that once a little time goes by this community can continue on with all[i] of it's members with their diverse backgrounds working together to share info in an effort to keep these unique cars rolling.