Hey everyone,
I had the privilege of being invited over to Fonse Performance today to check out the shop, talk to Al Jr., and see what they are all about.
I'll try and relay my experience the best I can.. hope I get it right Al !! some of the stuff is still greek to me
I could go on for hours, but I was pretty amazed to get the whole history of Fonse performance, where they came from, and what they do now. For those that are in the dark (like I was) Fonse is a family business that Al Sr. started up decades ago over in Sicklerville. The business has grown over the years, as Al pointed out you can tell inside just how many times the building has been added on to. They are a full service machine shop doing any sort of engine work you can dream of, from street cars to top fuel to marine motors!! These guys are all about doing things right the first time, and judging by what I hear from their customers, their attitude and the way they carry themselves, and what I saw today, they really know their stuff!!
The front area of the shop has a 2 bay garage that is used for storage and also parts cleaning.. they have a furnace that blocks go into for 12 hours at 800 degrees I believe? This bakes off all the crap on the blocks, then they go into a media blaster which hits the parts with steel shot while they rotate inside on a big rotisserie.
The next room you walk into has a machine that does things like 3 angle valve jobs, another machine that compresses springs for head assembly, and more workspace.
Moving forward is a big area that has a bunch of machines in it -- crank balancer, machine for resurfacing heads, flow bench, and even more work area.
At the end of this room is the Engine Dyno which I was lucky enough to be around for a dyno session with a 454 Blown Big Block! In this area of the shop they take the assembled motors and tune them to perfection! There is a hatch that opens up to the roof to allow fresh cool air in.
As we get to the back.. there is a room that houses their CNC lathes, one of which is brand new. Also an old school lathe where these masters can do whatever needs to get done! And a machine that checks for cracks in crankshafts
One garage bay is dedicated to the Chassis Dyno. This thing has an electromagnetic brake to simulate load on the engine, it can do RWD and FWD cars, and has a 1/4 mile simulator on it that I hear kicks ass!!
The last (HUGE) garage area in the back gives them even more storage space as well as an area to work on boats. They do a ton of marine business!
Thank you Al Jr. and Sr. for inviting us in to your shop for the afternoon to see what you are all about!! You guys are top notch and whatever we can do to help out, just say the word!
Fonse Performance Shop Visit Photo Gallery
