Serious advances have been made in ECU tuning at Tolman
I have to be dragged away from the electronics room. Car electrics are some sort of dark art to me, but this space almost makes it understandable. I feel like I might be able to get my head around how to wire in a new set of spotlights into a loom. A job I’ ve found almost impossible before. I am eventually lured away with the promise of fresh coffee. What workshop is complete without a fancy coffee machine these days? As we walk back to the main building, I ask Chris which tool he couldn’ t live without. I know they’ re all essential, that’ s why he has them, but there must be one that he always seems to go back to and needs close by.‘ I bought an endoscope with a 360-degree head, it’ s got a full colour HD screen and it’ s incredible. When I was in the MOD, we had something similar and it was fifteen grand.’ I enquire where his is from, expecting either a big name or some obscure, never-before-heard-of specialist manufacturer who originally designed spy equipment or something. The answer is even more shocking.‘ I got it from AliExpress. It was so cheap.’ It’ s nice to know that it’ s not all about sticker price or a fancy brand, Chris chooses what’ s best for his workshop. Whether it’ s bespoke Swiss-made Lista cabinets that need to endure repeated work over years, or a cheap endoscope.
I came along today knowing I’ d lust after some incredible and immaculate cars. I also expected to get all hot and flustered over racks of Snap-On tools and gleaming metal workshop furniture. And while Tolman hasn’ t disappointed on those fronts, Chris has got me so excited about flat torque curves and undulating colourful ignition maps that my lasting memory is of racks of wires, crimping tools and loom jigs.
An engine build room designed to be serene and help you concentrate
Summer 2025 The Engine Rebuilder 55