[Rovernet] Rovernet Digest, Vol 72, Issue 4

[Jamie Kitman]

What a great testimonial, Jeb
Jamie Kitman

On Sat, May 11, 2019 at 12:00 PM <rovernet-request at rovernet.org> wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
>
>    1. For Peter Macardle (Kellogg, Charles)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Fri, 10 May 2019 10:21:11 -0700
> From: "Kellogg, Charles" <charlesk at darebritannia.com>
> To: rovernet at rovernet.org
> Subject: [Rovernet] For Peter Macardle
> Message-ID:
>         <
> CAEuq98sAsN0EOpOwZXtfMvKNYK4oifcX1VDWjLSux+n0K5DYYQ at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
>
> To whom it may concern:
>
>
>
> I am writing this letter to outline my experiences working with The British
> Northwest Land-Rover Company of Olympia, WA.  My experience with classic
> and antique vehicles as both an owner and amateur mechanic spans
> approximately 35 years.  My experience with British Northwest covers the
> last 17 years and has been quite positive.
>
>
>
> In January 1994 I purchased a 1971 Series IIA Land Rover 88 from British
> Northwest Land-Rover Co. (BN) while I was living in Portland, OR.  I should
> note that I had owned an older but similar vehicle some years earlier and
> was familiar with the brand and models, though at that time was far from an
> expert.  From the time of purchase through 1998 when I moved to New York
> City, I used the vehicle as my daily commuter, covering approximately
> 50,000 miles -- very high mileage for a vehicle of this type and age.
>
>
>
> I drove the Rover to BN in Olympia a couple of times each year for service
> or repairs that were beyond my advanced amateur skill level.  Each
> experience was excellent and the repairs were well done.  I should note and
> will relate the details of  one frustrating service experience during this
> time.  It involved my Land Rover?s brakes.
>
>
>
> After a year or two I felt there was a minor pulsing of the brakes during
> stops.  At a service visit I mentioned this and Charles Kellogg of BN said
> they would look at the problem.  When I picked up the car, he said it
> looked like one of the drums might be a bit out of round so they cleaned it
> up.  This involves a machine that shaves off thin layers of metal from the
> brake drum to ensure it is perfectly round.
>
>
>
> Unfortunately the problem persisted.  I returned the car on two more
> occasions as time permitted.  Charles took me seriously, but could not find
> the problem.  We agreed that it was not dangerous, just annoying.  Still,
> it bothered Mr. Kellogg and he did more investigating.  He called me to say
> that the after looking at everything, he now was certain the problem was
> that a dial caliper (a measuring device) on the machine they use to clean
> up brake drums had been faulty.  When he thought the drums were correctly
> adjusted, they weren?t.  He immediately took care of the issue and indeed
> it was resolved.  I should note that he only charged me for the initial
> repair and never for any of the subsequent and ultimately successful
> remediative efforts. He always [ CK EDIT: ATTENDED ?] to my concerns
> seriously, even when it would have been reasonable to consider my
> complaints hyper-sensitivity on my part.
>
>
>
> In mid-1998, on moving to New York I left the vehicle with BN, unsure what
> the future would hold in terms of vehicle requirements.  I told Charles to
> go ahead and perform some substantial upgrades, but that I might not want
> the Rover in NY.  He undertook the work (which was to be quite substantial,
> amounting to well in excess of $10,000, closer to $15,000 if my memory
> serves).  When it became clear I would not need the Rover I suggested he
> keep the vehicle and sell it, covering the repair costs and we would deal
> with any profits if there were any.  As it happened, costs and profits more
> or less balanced out and for the time being our relationship was concluded.
>
>
>
> In 2005 I purchased a 1973 Land Rover off of eBay similar to the one I?d
> purchased from BN, though in seriously flawed condition.  My goal was to
> undertake a full restoration of the vehicle myself.  The project is now
> complete.  I began by speaking to a number of known Land Rover
> restoration/service companies in the East.  I received unofficial
> quotations ranging from $30,000 to more than $50,000.  With this
> information I set my own work budget and began the project.  Over the 4
> years I worked on the restoration, sourcing quality parts from the least
> expensive suppliers from all over the United States, Canada, and Britain,,
> I spent approximately $20,000.
>
>
>
> This is notable for two reasons.  First, a basic restoration of a Land
> Rover even for an experienced amateur costs many tens of thousands of
> dollars and can take years, though I had no other projects outside of work
> to devote to this singular task.
>
>
>
> Second, during the project, I purchased only a few items from BN (a
> restored alternator, spark plug wires, spark plugs, points, and
> condenser).  Yet when I called from time to time whether seeking parts or
> advice, Charles Kellogg was always generous with his time and advice
> without any expectation of compensation.  When he suggested a strategy or
> solution he would follow up to determine if it worked or with an additional
> thought.  For anyone who has ever worked on an historic vehicle, especially
> a British one, it can seem there is no rhyme or reason to what works
> consistently and what does not.  Kellogg?s imagination, persistence and
> perfectionism are the difference between a typical restoration project and
> a successful one ? and I?ve worked on many British and European cars and
> motorcycles.  His approach can seem overly detailed, fussy, or even
> unnecessary to the uninitiated or those seeking a bargain or a car destined
> as a status symbol rather than a working vehicle.  But BNs cars run
> correctly, are period accurate, and reflect their time and culture of
> manufacture.  This is expensive and far from an exact science, but then
> classic car restoration is an art.
>
>
>
> My last notable involvement with BN was in 2010.  Charles Kellogg was on
> the East coast to attend to a customer issue in my general geographic
> area.  He stopped by to say hello and to see how my project was going.  I
> related my progress and an issue I was having (the car would not start and
> all attempts at troubleshooting failed).  He and the person he was with
> went to my work area and spent the next four hours troubleshooting the
> problem as well as a few others I had not yet begun to address.  Having run
> out of time (it was now midnight and I needed sleep), they left.  A day
> later he called me without prompting, having related the issue to one of
> the mechanics in Olympia.  The mechanic suggested a fix that worked and
> like many classic era Land Rover issues it was neither obvious, intuitive,
> nor something that anyone with less experience would think of.
>
>
>
> The challenge of maintaining and operating older British vehicles, and Land
> Rovers are no exception, is a complex and idiosyncratic one.  Even the
> least expensive or simple-seeming task can give rise to endlessly
> escalating tasks that require time, money, resources, and knowledge.  After
> 35 years as an old vehicle enthusiast I can attest to this ? old cars are
> old and niche old cars are challenging no matter what the quality or cost
> of the work done.
>
>
>
> In my experience, The British Northwest Land-Rover Co. is not inexpensive,
> not especially quick, nor are any other quality restoration shops.  But
> they are relentless trouble shooters, generous with their time and
> knowledge, obsessively detail-oriented, and willing to make every effort to
> equitably address issues, even where those issues are endemic to the
> vehicles themselves and not of BN?s own creation.
>
>
>
> I recognize that everyone?s experience with any company will be different
> for better or worse.  But in the emotional and idiosyncratic world of old
> Land Rovers, where expectations often do not match the real limitations of
> these old vehicles, and where owner ego and insecurity are a fact if life,
> for
> me BN has been consistently honest, detail and service-oriented, and
> generous with time and knowledge.  I?ve worked with just about every
> supplier of parts and services for old Land Rovers with more and less
> positive outcomes.  I can say unequivocally, I would and will continue to
> be a customer of The British Northwest Land-Rover Co.
>
>
>
> Should you have any questions or require additional information, please do
> not hesitate to call on me.  E-mail tends to be best.
>
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Jeb Weisman
>
>
>
> Charles Kellogg
> Director of Restorations
> Dare Britannia, Ltd.
> 1043 Kaiser Rd. SW, Unit C
> Olympia, WA  98512, USA
> http://www.darebritannia.com/
>
> *Thank you for your enquiry for our parts and services. We offer the
> highest-quality spare parts for the vintage Land -Rover. Our staff is
> minuscule while the demand for rare and ?unobtainable? parts for early
> Land-Rovers is relentless. While your concern is important to us, our
> ability to respond to each and every enquiry may be limited and stocks of
> many items are critically low.. We are primarily a restoration-based
> enterprise but when we have a surplus of a given  item, we are able to
> offer excess stocks to our dedicated clients. If your need is urgent, we
> encourage you to contact us by phone, in person. Leaving a message is
> rarely effective, so we recommend direct contact. With many buildings full
> of parts, it is not always easy to locate obscure items, and the process is
> often time consuming. We hope you understand. Please
> provide complete details of your exact model including year, wheelbase,
> which side drive, engine, Country of origin, etc. When giving part numbers,
> please also state the catalogue number (typically found on the front
> cover).  We appreciate your understanding and will do all we can to help.*
>
>
> Voice 360-866-2254
>
>
> [image: New Logo]
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> End of Rovernet Digest, Vol 72, Issue 4
> ***************************************
>
-- 
Jamie Lincoln Kitman, Esq.
The Hornblow Group USA, Inc.
The Nyack Express Building
38 High Avenue, 4th floor
Nyack, New York 10960 USA
tel +1 845 358 7270
fax +1 845 358 7270
mob +1 914 953 7422
<ilcommodor at hornblowgroup.com>
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