Does old world craftsmanship still exist? I’m thrilled to report the answer is firmly yes!
Case in point: Evan at Big E’s Garage/Machine Shop.
He’s immensely skilled and takes pride in his work. His precision, attention to detail and creativity make Big E’s really stand out.
Before I knew of Big E’s I saw a classic BMW motorcycle with a racing style side car platform that was set up with custom made shifters, brakes and throttle for an amputee to ride – incredible creativity and workmanship went into fabricating the hand made parts for this machine. Later I learned who built it – Evan Scheidet. Then there was the head turning power and speed of the VW Beetle I would regularly see screaming out of town – once again, it came from the guy they called Big E. I had to find out who this guy was!
Since then Evan’s worked on a number of classic and special interest vehicles for me, including a ‘65 VW Beetle and my ‘59 Triumph TR3 sports car. Perhaps most impressive though is the work he completed on my vintage café racer motorcycle where he hand built and machined the components to create a top notch Triumph/Norton hybrid (Triton).
When I stop by to pick up a custom machined part he’s made for me or drop off a new project I’m always impressed by the other jobs coming through the shop – whether it be a vintage MG, Alpha Romeo, Mercedes or the massive cylinder head from the diesel engine of a John Deere pulling tractor, I’ve seen them all in various stages at Big E’s shop.
Then there are the classic Volkswagen's: If you have a Type 1 VW motor – bring it to Evan! His knowledge and skill in finding power and reliability in these air cooled Volkswagen motors is second to none. While he’s spent years building these motors, he’s still researching and testing new ideas on these venerable power plants in search of continual improvement.
Big E’s is where to go if you need your old school motor rebuilt, head reworked, cylinders bored or that special one off part machined to fit where nothing off the shelf is available.
I trust Evan because he has integrity and truly cares about his work.
On our way through the Northeasr Kingdom of Vermont this summer, my 1978 VW bus was running very rough. A garage in Coventry suggested I stop in at Big E's down the road in Burke since Big E specializes in aircooled veedubs. We were given a big friendly welcome by E, his wife and dog and E dropped what he was doing and helped me diagnose my van's trouble. Turns out all I needed was to adjust the timing. I can tell that E knows his volks engines. I met others in my travels who had also used E's services with great success.
This place is now exclusive. Evan started business as a general mechanic, but now focuses on building high-output motors from everything from hill climbing rigs to pulling tractors. I've known Evs for years and can say this:
He's an immensely talented wrench, with incredible focus and attention to detail. While his prices aren't the cheapest in the area, they are certainly better than most places, and you will get what you pay for and more. Things are 100% right when they leave this shop or will be made good.
Ev's shop isn't just a "slam it and jam it" operation. Evan offers head decking, line boring, valve cutting, and meticulous assembly. Every bolt is properly torqued, and doped with anti-seize or Loctite where appropriate. Cylinder bores are as true as possible, and are checked with the best equipment. Evan's gasket work is without par -- no one sweats it that much.
If you need your engine quickly, it's best not to call three times a day. This is a one-man operation, and every hour on the phone takes an hour off the delivery time. Evan will get it right. He sweats the details (probably more than is good for his health,) and delivers a super premium product.
If you need chip tuning, he's probably not your man. Old-school balancing and blueprinting are more his line. Evan has a gift for carbs, and has more knowledge of electronics than most of us, but that's not his love in life.
Getting 120 HP out of a relatively stock VW engine designed for 40, or pushing ridiculous horsepower out of an old farm engine or V8 is what turns this guy on. He can and will do it -- just stay quiet and give him room according to to his strength. Drop your engine off, keep still, and pick it up when it's ready. You will not be disappointed.
