Jim Stokes Workshop Ltd

My brother James and I recently paid a visit to the Jim Stokes Workshop LTD (JSWL). Jim and Hillary Stokes started the company over 40 years ago in their back garden. Jim as an apprentice worked with for a man with a collection of 14 racing cars and woud go to evening classes to study. He then worked with Chris Crawford and Ian Harrower at ADA Racing and took various cars to Le Mans over 14 years. Jim went self employed in 1981, since then the business and reputation has grown. They are now 4 companies that employ 50 staff and have 5 industrial units in Waterlooville. The companies are Jim Stokes Workshop Ltd, Triple M, the manufacturing wing of the group, Southshore Coachworks and Classics by JSWL. The group of companies are all stand alone but work as one to offer everything you need to restore or build a classic racing or road cars using the historic designs. 

Although they work on classic cars, the technology that the workshop employs to make these classics is anything but. Jim was telling me that this year he had spent £17,000 updating to the latest CAD software. They can make an engine and test it before it is made to make sure that when it's made it works. They can also stress test the engine so that when it's made, they know the tolerances the engine will have. As well as racing cars, JSWL has a classic car department. Anything that is worked on here can also be worked on in the main workshop. 

Over the years the workshop have worked on the 1932 Le Mans winning 8C 2.3 Alfa Romeo and the 1959 winning Aston Martin DBR1. As we were walking around the various areas, we were shown some of what was being made and worked on. 

Jim then showed us a crushed Mustang tail piece. This was made for the Fast and the Furious 6. Jim was contacted by the studio and asked to make it as they could not crush a real one as it would not give the desired effect. In all Jim made four of them and got to keep one. 

This was the end of the visit and the tour. I would like to thank Jim for his time and allowing us to visit and a thank you to the staff for making us feel welcome.