Alex Sharphouse, who lives in Bouth near Ulverston, has teamed up with Morris Lubricants, the oil and lubricant manufacturer, to create Power & Performance, a new YouTube channel documenting ambitious mechanical builds, vehicle restorations and crazy engineering projects.
Alex is known nationally for his recreation of Talisman, a Fowler B6 Big Lion Road Locomotive – a feat that took six years and was supported by Morris Lubricants.
The new channel follows Alex as he takes on engineering projects ranging from building a Bentley Blower recreation to an aero car powered by a Rolls-Royce Griffon engine.
“One of the main projects we’re following on the YouTube channel is what I call an aero engine car – basically a car with an aeroplane engine in it,” said Alex. “We’re using a Rolls-Royce Griffon engine, a big V12 engine, from a Shackleton aeroplane and putting it into a 1933 Rolls-Royce car chassis.
“It’s pure period engineering – no modern electronics or safety features, just done as they would have in the 1930s and 40s.
“When I got the Griffon engine it was seized up and was a complete block of rust, the poor thing had sat outside for years. I spent two years taking it apart and rebuilding it to get it running again – now the challenge is putting it into a car and seeing what it can really do.”
“We’ve also got a four-and-a-half litre Bentley Blower project on the go – a recreation of the famous Birkin Blower from the 1930s. The idea is to build it from scratch and then go and use it properly at events, track days and races. It’s about the skill and the challenge of trying to build one, not just making a showpiece.”
Alex said the idea for the YouTube channel came from wanting to share the behind-the-scenes side of engineering that people rarely get to see and show the genuine side of engineering, and not the “polished, made-for-TV version” often seen on screen.
“Part of the reason for starting the YouTube channel was to let people see what we do day to day,” he said.
“We build and restore steam engines and old machinery for a living so we almost take it for granted. But when someone walks into the workshop and sees a car with a massive Spitfire-type engine in it, they just go, ‘Wow – what’s that about?’ People are genuinely fascinated, so we wanted to open the doors a bit.”
The Power & Performance channel already features over 25 videos including Dave Jenkins’ Race Truck, Bentley Blower: The Project Plan, and Rolls-Royce Griffon Aero Engine Start Up.
He said support from Morris Lubricants had been key to making the project possible.
“We’re very fortunate to have the support of Morris Lubricants and have had for several years,” he said. “They were keen to stay involved in what we do, and we felt that, rather than chasing TV, the way the world’s moving now is towards YouTube. It means we can tell the story ourselves, regularly, and people can follow along with the projects as they happen.”
Marketing Manager from Morris Lubricants Jason Vigrass said the company was proud to support Alex as part of its Power & Performance initiative.
“Alex is one of our brand ambassadors at Morris Lubricants, alongside truck racer Dave Jenkins,” he said: “Both Alex and Dave use, trust and love our products because they know they work – not just because we’ve put a logo on something. They’re using our oils, lubricants and greases day in, day out, and they’re not shy about telling us what’s good and what isn’t.
“The idea behind the Power and Performance YouTube channel is to showcase some of Alex’s frankly crazy engineering projects as they develop. Some will take months, others will take years, but throughout all of them he’s using our products in the build ups and in the completed vehicles and machines.”
Alex said future plans include hauling heavy loads with Talisman and possibly creating a First World War tank to display in Ulverston’s Tank Square.
Alex added: “There used to be a tank displayed in Ulverston – Tank Square is named after it – and I’d love to recreate one to go back on display, promote the town and use it to get engineering skills into schools and colleges.”
To find out more, visit the Power & Performance YouTube Channel. or visit the Morris Lubricants website
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