Old school machine shop, welding, milling turning

I'm struggling to find an old school machine shop. I'm based in Dorset but I can post the parts as they aren't super heavy.

All I can find on Google are squeaky clean CNC shops. Ideally looking for a place that hasn't been cleaned for over 20 years run by a grumpy old man with more chips on his shoulder than in the lathe bed. Sadly it seems like these places have died out since I last did anything like this - at least in the Dorset area.

I need a Plenum base milled down on two faces, a spline end Tig welded and turned onto a steering shaft - this might need a fitting made up to weld around.

If anyone has any recommendations? This is for an MGB V8 swap.

Thanks,

Might be worth a look: https://hamlinsengineering.co.uk

These guys have quite a reputation also. https://crosthwaiteandgardiner.com/ - sort of place you go if you need someone to sandcast and fabricate a new set of carbs for a '20s Bugatti (as you do..!!)

Are you East or West Dorset?

They are not the kind of businesses that bother with Google seo. Try yell.co.uk and look for Engine Reconditioning or Engineer near Dorset a few I found you could try;

D & R James Engineering Services Ltd
Fred Pope Engineering Services Ltd
Crusherform Grinding & Engineering Ltd

That's not a recommendation of any of above. I've used a couple of places in Bradford which are very good and have done all sorts for me from milling to welding. but in my experience they are drop in not mail order. They are always busy though;

W Drake (Bradford Ltd)
Panda Engineering

Great thanks, I will take a look

That's a good point - thanks!

Not at all from my point of view, interesting to see what's out there.

Could be worth a call to Elphis Engineering in Wells Somerset. They do lots of one-off stuff and the Directors are car guys

Just used Bannister Race Engines of Bamber Bridge to fit new seats, valves and guides to my Lotus TC head - Bill is in his 80's and still there every day in his brown overcoat and loving what he does. So knowledgeable and such a nice guy. He's a model aircraft enthusiast too and makes his own engines from scratch, even down to casting the crankcases and pistons.

There's another old boy I use in Whitehaven who is similarly brilliant but likes to stick to more routine stuff now like surface grinding, boring and crank grinding. One of the few who still does motorbike cranks on his Prince machine - he has a few Vincents and still ride them.

These old school eningeers have me in complete awe, total legends.