UK-based company Tolman Engineering has announced a new restoration service and increasing range of products to assist the owners of certain Group B rally cars in keeping them on the road and operating at their best.
The new service builds on Tolman’s experience with its Tolman Edition programme for the Peugeot 205 GTi, but takes things a step further. Having already recommissioned a 1200-mile Ford RS200 and a Peugeot 205 T16 this year, the firm is now turning its attention to other Group B derivatives, starting with a Renault 5 Turbo 2 due in its Warwickshire workshops this autumn.
Group B cars were hurriedly built in limited numbers between 1982 and 1986, often prioritising performance over refinement and reliability. While this produced some exciting machinery, it also left road-going examples fragile and, today, increasingly underused. With OEM support long gone and motorsport-derived parts in short supply, many survivors languish unused in collections.
Tolman’s approach is to engineer subtle upgrades that preserve originality but restore confidence. For the Peugeot 205 T16, this included a bespoke cambelt and pulley kit, fresh coolant pipes and new anti-roll bar bushes. For the RS200, Tolman developed an ECU upgrade that improves both driveability and reliability – a solution it can now offer across other fuel-injected Group B cars. Transmission rebuilds, damper overhauls and even sourcing working with suppliers to source fresh Michelin TRX tyres.
‘Not exercising a car can lead to more headaches,’ explains founder Chris Tolman. ‘Belts, seals and hoses deteriorate, and rare parts may already be past their planned life. When properly sorted, these cars feel special – we want owners to experience them at their best.’
The programme has already sparked wider demand, with projects ranging from a Group A Mitsubishi Lancer to a historic MGB rally car scheduled for 2025. By applying modern engineering to period icons, Tolman is ensuring the legends of Group B need not remain static museum pieces – but living, breathing cars once again.
See tolmanengineering.co.uk for more info
