<div><div dir="auto">What a great testimonial, Jeb </div></div><div dir="auto">Jamie Kitman </div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sat, May 11, 2019 at 12:00 PM <<a href="mailto:rovernet-request@rovernet.org">rovernet-request@rovernet.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Send Rovernet mailing list submissions to<br>
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Today's Topics:<br>
<br>
1. For Peter Macardle (Kellogg, Charles)<br>
<br>
<br>
----------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
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Message: 1<br>
Date: Fri, 10 May 2019 10:21:11 -0700<br>
From: "Kellogg, Charles" <<a href="mailto:charlesk@darebritannia.com" target="_blank">charlesk@darebritannia.com</a>><br>
To: <a href="mailto:rovernet@rovernet.org" target="_blank">rovernet@rovernet.org</a><br>
Subject: [Rovernet] For Peter Macardle<br>
Message-ID:<br>
<<a href="mailto:CAEuq98sAsN0EOpOwZXtfMvKNYK4oifcX1VDWjLSux%2Bn0K5DYYQ@mail.gmail.com" target="_blank">CAEuq98sAsN0EOpOwZXtfMvKNYK4oifcX1VDWjLSux+n0K5DYYQ@mail.gmail.com</a>><br>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"<br>
<br>
To whom it may concern:<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I am writing this letter to outline my experiences working with The British<br>
Northwest Land-Rover Company of Olympia, WA. My experience with classic<br>
and antique vehicles as both an owner and amateur mechanic spans<br>
approximately 35 years. My experience with British Northwest covers the<br>
last 17 years and has been quite positive.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
In January 1994 I purchased a 1971 Series IIA Land Rover 88 from British<br>
Northwest Land-Rover Co. (BN) while I was living in Portland, OR. I should<br>
note that I had owned an older but similar vehicle some years earlier and<br>
was familiar with the brand and models, though at that time was far from an<br>
expert. From the time of purchase through 1998 when I moved to New York<br>
City, I used the vehicle as my daily commuter, covering approximately<br>
50,000 miles -- very high mileage for a vehicle of this type and age.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I drove the Rover to BN in Olympia a couple of times each year for service<br>
or repairs that were beyond my advanced amateur skill level. Each<br>
experience was excellent and the repairs were well done. I should note and<br>
will relate the details of one frustrating service experience during this<br>
time. It involved my Land Rover?s brakes.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
After a year or two I felt there was a minor pulsing of the brakes during<br>
stops. At a service visit I mentioned this and Charles Kellogg of BN said<br>
they would look at the problem. When I picked up the car, he said it<br>
looked like one of the drums might be a bit out of round so they cleaned it<br>
up. This involves a machine that shaves off thin layers of metal from the<br>
brake drum to ensure it is perfectly round.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Unfortunately the problem persisted. I returned the car on two more<br>
occasions as time permitted. Charles took me seriously, but could not find<br>
the problem. We agreed that it was not dangerous, just annoying. Still,<br>
it bothered Mr. Kellogg and he did more investigating. He called me to say<br>
that the after looking at everything, he now was certain the problem was<br>
that a dial caliper (a measuring device) on the machine they use to clean<br>
up brake drums had been faulty. When he thought the drums were correctly<br>
adjusted, they weren?t. He immediately took care of the issue and indeed<br>
it was resolved. I should note that he only charged me for the initial<br>
repair and never for any of the subsequent and ultimately successful<br>
remediative efforts. He always [ CK EDIT: ATTENDED ?] to my concerns<br>
seriously, even when it would have been reasonable to consider my<br>
complaints hyper-sensitivity on my part.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
In mid-1998, on moving to New York I left the vehicle with BN, unsure what<br>
the future would hold in terms of vehicle requirements. I told Charles to<br>
go ahead and perform some substantial upgrades, but that I might not want<br>
the Rover in NY. He undertook the work (which was to be quite substantial,<br>
amounting to well in excess of $10,000, closer to $15,000 if my memory<br>
serves). When it became clear I would not need the Rover I suggested he<br>
keep the vehicle and sell it, covering the repair costs and we would deal<br>
with any profits if there were any. As it happened, costs and profits more<br>
or less balanced out and for the time being our relationship was concluded.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
In 2005 I purchased a 1973 Land Rover off of eBay similar to the one I?d<br>
purchased from BN, though in seriously flawed condition. My goal was to<br>
undertake a full restoration of the vehicle myself. The project is now<br>
complete. I began by speaking to a number of known Land Rover<br>
restoration/service companies in the East. I received unofficial<br>
quotations ranging from $30,000 to more than $50,000. With this<br>
information I set my own work budget and began the project. Over the 4<br>
years I worked on the restoration, sourcing quality parts from the least<br>
expensive suppliers from all over the United States, Canada, and Britain,,<br>
I spent approximately $20,000.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
This is notable for two reasons. First, a basic restoration of a Land<br>
Rover even for an experienced amateur costs many tens of thousands of<br>
dollars and can take years, though I had no other projects outside of work<br>
to devote to this singular task.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Second, during the project, I purchased only a few items from BN (a<br>
restored alternator, spark plug wires, spark plugs, points, and<br>
condenser). Yet when I called from time to time whether seeking parts or<br>
advice, Charles Kellogg was always generous with his time and advice<br>
without any expectation of compensation. When he suggested a strategy or<br>
solution he would follow up to determine if it worked or with an additional<br>
thought. For anyone who has ever worked on an historic vehicle, especially<br>
a British one, it can seem there is no rhyme or reason to what works<br>
consistently and what does not. Kellogg?s imagination, persistence and<br>
perfectionism are the difference between a typical restoration project and<br>
a successful one ? and I?ve worked on many British and European cars and<br>
motorcycles. His approach can seem overly detailed, fussy, or even<br>
unnecessary to the uninitiated or those seeking a bargain or a car destined<br>
as a status symbol rather than a working vehicle. But BNs cars run<br>
correctly, are period accurate, and reflect their time and culture of<br>
manufacture. This is expensive and far from an exact science, but then<br>
classic car restoration is an art.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
My last notable involvement with BN was in 2010. Charles Kellogg was on<br>
the East coast to attend to a customer issue in my general geographic<br>
area. He stopped by to say hello and to see how my project was going. I<br>
related my progress and an issue I was having (the car would not start and<br>
all attempts at troubleshooting failed). He and the person he was with<br>
went to my work area and spent the next four hours troubleshooting the<br>
problem as well as a few others I had not yet begun to address. Having run<br>
out of time (it was now midnight and I needed sleep), they left. A day<br>
later he called me without prompting, having related the issue to one of<br>
the mechanics in Olympia. The mechanic suggested a fix that worked and<br>
like many classic era Land Rover issues it was neither obvious, intuitive,<br>
nor something that anyone with less experience would think of.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
The challenge of maintaining and operating older British vehicles, and Land<br>
Rovers are no exception, is a complex and idiosyncratic one. Even the<br>
least expensive or simple-seeming task can give rise to endlessly<br>
escalating tasks that require time, money, resources, and knowledge. After<br>
35 years as an old vehicle enthusiast I can attest to this ? old cars are<br>
old and niche old cars are challenging no matter what the quality or cost<br>
of the work done.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
In my experience, The British Northwest Land-Rover Co. is not inexpensive,<br>
not especially quick, nor are any other quality restoration shops. But<br>
they are relentless trouble shooters, generous with their time and<br>
knowledge, obsessively detail-oriented, and willing to make every effort to<br>
equitably address issues, even where those issues are endemic to the<br>
vehicles themselves and not of BN?s own creation.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
I recognize that everyone?s experience with any company will be different<br>
for better or worse. But in the emotional and idiosyncratic world of old<br>
Land Rovers, where expectations often do not match the real limitations of<br>
these old vehicles, and where owner ego and insecurity are a fact if life, for<br>
me BN has been consistently honest, detail and service-oriented, and<br>
generous with time and knowledge. I?ve worked with just about every<br>
supplier of parts and services for old Land Rovers with more and less<br>
positive outcomes. I can say unequivocally, I would and will continue to<br>
be a customer of The British Northwest Land-Rover Co.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Should you have any questions or require additional information, please do<br>
not hesitate to call on me. E-mail tends to be best.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Sincerely,<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Jeb Weisman<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Charles Kellogg<br>
Director of Restorations<br>
Dare Britannia, Ltd.<br>
1043 Kaiser Rd. SW, Unit C<br>
Olympia, WA 98512, USA<br>
<a href="http://www.darebritannia.com/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">http://www.darebritannia.com/</a><br>
<br>
*Thank you for your enquiry for our parts and services. We offer the<br>
highest-quality spare parts for the vintage Land -Rover. Our staff is<br>
minuscule while the demand for rare and ?unobtainable? parts for early<br>
Land-Rovers is relentless. While your concern is important to us, our<br>
ability to respond to each and every enquiry may be limited and stocks of<br>
many items are critically low.. We are primarily a restoration-based<br>
enterprise but when we have a surplus of a given item, we are able to<br>
offer excess stocks to our dedicated clients. If your need is urgent, we<br>
encourage you to contact us by phone, in person. Leaving a message is<br>
rarely effective, so we recommend direct contact. With many buildings full<br>
of parts, it is not always easy to locate obscure items, and the process is<br>
often time consuming. We hope you understand. Please<br>
provide complete details of your exact model including year, wheelbase,<br>
which side drive, engine, Country of origin, etc. When giving part numbers,<br>
please also state the catalogue number (typically found on the front<br>
cover). We appreciate your understanding and will do all we can to help.*<br>
<br>
<br>
Voice 360-866-2254<br>
<br>
<br>
[image: New Logo]<br>
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</blockquote></div></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">Jamie Lincoln Kitman, Esq.<br>The Hornblow Group USA, Inc.<br>The Nyack Express Building<br>38 High Avenue, 4th floor<br>Nyack, New York 10960 USA<br>tel +1 845 358 7270<br>fax +1 845 358 7270<br>mob +1 914 953 7422<br><<a href="mailto:ilcommodor@hornblowgroup.com" target="_blank">ilcommodor@hornblowgroup.com</a>></div>