S2C Forum Archives
Main Section => Welcome to our virtual Pub Meeting ... => Topic started by: Craig T on November 04, 2020, 03:47:09 PM
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I've just read on the series one club and confirmed on the DLR website that they have now closed for business. Phil is concentrating his time on the collection vehicles and taking retirement.
Real shame that, they were local to me and helped me out many times over the years with parts and sold me my series IIA in the first place. I was looking forward to visiting again when I start my series one project.
A big loss to the Land Rover world.
Craig.
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Devastated..... So many times they were the only ones who had spares that I needed. Add to that, the person on the other end of the phone wasn't just a salesperson, he would help and advise too, unlike some other parts outlets. What a shame, another nail in the spares coffin.... :-\
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I'll introduce you to Jon holmes if you don't already know him. Between him, the Series 1 club shop and ebay, I reckon you will be able find everything you need to restore yours.
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I'll introduce you to Jon holmes if you don't already know him. Between him, the Series 1 club shop and ebay, I reckon you will be able find everything you need to restore yours.
Strangely enough I do know Jon through Facebook and visited his place for the first time on Monday to collect a one piece floor for the series one which hasn't had a hole cut in the side! He is based only 5 miles from my home so very local and very useful. As you say, he has lots there and seems keen to help so a very useful find.
Cheers, Craig.
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DISASTER. As soon as I read it I phoned and spoke to Phil Bashall expressing my deepest regret and thanking him for the many years of excellent service and asking him to pass my grateful thanks to him, Tim and Nick for their patience and not minding answering seemingly daft questions. Phil recognized me from my voice ( a good old Hampshire accent). I added the excellent personal service, sadly lacking these days will be sorely missed. They always had time to discuss and advise. I said to Phil they will be sorely missed. Personal service is extremely lacking these days.
I've posted on the Series 3 forum.
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Strange decision just to close Dunsfold DLR workshops and parts departments ?
I wonder why the business was not sold as a going concern?
Also I wonder what happened to all the DLR stock ?
Shame, DLR and Philip were very help full and knowledgeable.
I guess it will be the same with lots of the Land Rover and Classic specialist, from Radiator refurbishments to engine specialist, when the experts retire who will take over ?
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:'( A great loss, I had a lot of help with my 86" problems when rebuilding it.
I hope the parts stock will pass on complete to another supplier, perhaps the S1 club shop
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I did hear about this some time ago, I’m sure someone in the Land Rover World will be taking over the stock.
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Strange decision just to close Dunsfold DLR workshops and parts departments ?
I wonder why the business was not sold as a going concern?
Also I wonder what happened to all the DLR stock ?
Shame, DLR and Philip were very help full and knowledgeable.
I guess it will be the same with lots of the Land Rover and Classic specialist, from Radiator refurbishments to engine specialist, when the experts retire who will take over ?
I guess quite a lot of stock will be retained to support Collection activity.
If there is a positive out of this, it's probably that we may now see more progress on the Collection now that Phil has more time to concentrate on it. Sad day though - they've bailed me out of the proverbial on many an occasion over the past 30 odd years. It was Phil's father who gave me the original mentoring advice which put me into Africa working for Land Rover. Personally I'll be forever grateful.
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It's a shame that they are closing down. I have a little (actually quite long, sorry) story involving Philip Bashall which I think sums up his valuable contribution to the Land Rover community. Three years ago, whilst looking for my first Land Rover, I found a great looking Series 3 88in in Surrey, on EBay. There were a lot of photos on EBay, including lots of receipts for parts/servicing etc. I could see Dunsfold DLR figured quite prominently amongst these. Surrey is a long way from me, so I wanted to try and check whether the truck was a good one before going to see it. I thought I would phone Dunsfold DLR, who I'd not heard of (I was new to Land Rovers!), and ask their views on the vehicle, assuming they had serviced it/repaired it. I called the number, and the guy who answered said "you need to speak to Philip". He came on the line and proceeded to spend over half an hour on the call, looking at all the EBay photos, checking in his records to see whether his father (Brian) had actually sold the vehicle (it has a Surrey number plate), and talking me through how original it was, except for the Weber carb. He also said "the front offside brake is binding" which I was puzzled by - how could he know this? He said that he could see from the mud skid on the grass next to where it was parked in the photo. Anyway, to save a long story getting too much longer, Philip said the truck looked like a good vehcile, declined my request to pay him to come and look at it for me (I didn't realise quite how busy he is), and put me in touch with another local Land Rover mechanic who did give it the once over for me. Nearly three years on, and I am loving the green 88in petrol, which has proven a fantastic buy. Oh, and the front offside brake was binding on the first test drive! Dunsfold DLR will be missed, but I am sure Philip will continue to provide a fount of knowledge and support to the classic Land Rover community.
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A big loss to us locally and the community as a whole.
Always so helpful, often sent me small used parts at no cost in the past.
Does anyone have a link to donate to the foundation?
Edit: here it is: http://www.dunsfoldcollection.co.uk/donation
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The official letter below.
I too have a long history with Dunsfold from when I was a teenager through to now. They have helped me out with every Land Rover product I have owned in some way and as I said earlier, Bought my IIA from Phil.
Living only a few miles away made it very easy to go there and get bits at short notice.
I will be missing them but maybe it is a good thing for the collection vehicles as said by others. Would be nice to have a home for them and get them on display. I often wonder if the British motor museum or BMIHT as they were would have room to display them all?
I joined the collection as a member on their launch open day and am member number 54. I'll be continuing my support off course and making any extra donations where I can.
I could add they have made a calendar for next year which I'm sure would brighten any workshop and help to the collection funds. https://dunsfoldcollectionshop.co.uk/
Craig.
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This is a surprise and a shame. I was there only late last week acquiring parts to sort out my recent purchase, and was looking forward to using them further in the future
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Rather a surprise, but this would perhaps explain why my recent parts enquiry was met with a full "out of stock", although they said they could order them in possibly?
A real shame as they really knew their stuff, unlike many suppliers who frankly haven't got a clue when it comes to older or unusual Land Rovers.
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Agreeing with Dan's comment about suppliers knowing their stuff I suspect Nick Blanchard will pick up some extra trade.
Peter
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A big loss to the Land Rover world.
A great pity Dunsfold is to close. My connection with them was Philip selling me a 24 volt alternator for my Defender XD.
The attached link is a great watch, particularly because of the clips of Philip and the acknowledgment of the Dunsfold collection.
There are also great shots of old LRs, incl the Oxford & Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC_Uahx_niU
:grinder
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in answer to the questions on what has happened to the stock of spares
Jon HOlmes (Cross channel classics) in Brighton tells us that he has (all?) them
What out for adverts on the S2C facebook group as well as other places - or, of course, contact Jon direct
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in answer to the questions on what has happened to the stock of spares
Jon HOlmes (Cross channel classics) in Brighton tells us that he has (all?) them
What out for adverts on the S2C facebook group as well as other places - or, of course, contact Jon direct
I thought it was just the second hand spares that Jon Holmes had acquired not the new stuff?
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you could well be correct - I'm going on hearsay
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Yes, It is just the second hand bit Jon has been collecting up. Jon is located very close to me and I've been over a couple of times to get bits for my series one build.
He is sorting everything he is getting slowly and advertising mainly on the FaceBook page.
If I pop back over again any time soon I'll see if I can get any more information from him about the stock of new parts Dunsfold has.
Craig.
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I've just read on the series one club and confirmed on the DLR website that they have now closed for business. Phil is concentrating his time on the collection vehicles and taking retirement.
Real shame that, they were local to me and helped me out many times over the years with parts and sold me my series IIA in the first place. I was looking forward to visiting again when I start my series one project.
A big loss to the Land Rover world.
Craig.
Forget being "a big loss to the Land Rover world" :thud where am I going to get my SII serviced and MoT'd each year now? ???
OMG, no Dunsfold, this is like the world stopped spinning!
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Safari Engineering in Eversley Hants could be worth a try and they're nearer TJRL. Any feedback would be useful if you do try them.
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Safari Engineering in Eversley Hants could be worth a try and they're nearer TJRL. Any feedback would be useful if you do try them.
I have used Safari Engineering in the past for a gearbox rebuild and rear wheel bearings and seals. They were very good as I recall and may well be where I end up going in July next year. :cheers
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I know Dave at Safari but haven't used their workshop services, only bought a vehicle from him.
Seems a very decent chap and happy to talk Land Rover or classic bikes with you.
They have a Facebook page too where they regularly post updates, they did a chassis change on a series IIA just recently.
Craig.
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We will have to rely on the stuff in the Britpart now.... sadly, probably second hand parts might be better than that :-X :-X sad day for sure, no more good parts!!
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Don't forget Blanchards! Top quality parts and top quality chaps - always served us well here and they are the other end of the country!
Biggest problem I see looming is competent workshops about who understand these older vehicles and who know how to repair them (and are prepared to repair them sympathetically). The pedant in me gets instantly het up when I get I see a client's vehicle rebuilt or repaired at eye watering expense then find rubbish parts fitted, metric fixings etc. Just had to redo all the brakes on a Series 3 88 because again poor quality shoes fitted - cooked the drums and grabbing.
Maybe a Club register of approved garages might work? there are plenty out there who like working on old vehicles and are quite capable - just need technical information and that's not always easy to find for older vehicles unless you are part of a classic car club or an enthusiast.
Philip and the team will be sorely missed in this neck of the woods, but doubtlessly we will survive. Unfortunately, most of the independents around here can make far more money out of current stuff than they can out of an oil and filter change on a Series 2. I'm working on a local solution...
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Word & mouth is as good as a register and likely to be more up to date, at your local pub meetings - when we are allowed back in the pubs.
Conversely you can discuss which garages NOT to go to without fear of libel action.
:RHD
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We will have to rely on the stuff in the Britpart now.... sadly, probably second hand parts might be better than that :-X :-X sad day for sure, no more good parts!!
I swear I wrote Britpart?????
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I did!!!!!!!!! Blue packaging
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Don't forget that Britpart now own Allmakes as well, so its not far off a monopoly.
Good parts are out there - we just need to be firm about refusal to accept poor quality parts. Cheap is fine if they are acceptable quality.
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Does anyone know what Darrell from the Dunsfold workshop is going to do now? I'm just speculating, but if we are lucky he might go to work for another local Land Rover business, or even set up on his own.
He really knows his Land Rovers inside out. He once changed all four road springs on my Series I in under an hour!
David
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He once changed all four road springs on my Series I in under an hour!
David
:o :o :o
It took me 2 days :-[
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I was surprised that Dunsfold just closed. I don't know how may people worked there in the office or in the work shop. But I was a bit surprised that Dunsfold was not sold as a going concern. Dunsfold could have been sold to the current employees.
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I'm using Dingocroft. Always time for a chat like Dunsfold. Surprisingly Blanchards didn't have a Series 3 pedal return spring but Dingocroft had one which is on its way.
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I'm using Dingocroft. Always time for a chat like Dunsfold. Surprisingly Blanchards didn't have a Series 3 pedal return spring but Dingocroft had one which is on its way.
I always find Dingocroft great to deal with.