Indie Garage nr Bournemouth/Poole

Hi, can anyone recommend a good independant Land Rover garage in or around the Bournemouth/Poole area?

i know of someone that used to do them in verwood if thats not too far away..i don't know if he still does.......

Cheers Slob. Verwood is very close to our side of Bournemouth but fear they may not be trading anymore. Visited our main dealer Westover in Barrack Road for a new remote & key. They were highly professional and very pleasant but you're paying a high hourly rate and top prices for parts there.

Had a look through our Yellow Pages and a Land Rover mag but didn't come up with much at all which is why I posted. Was dreadfully disapointed when we drove over to Ringwood to visit an indie garage I knew of. Got there and it'd gone At least the brewery is still going strong

Its always better if you can use someone that comes with a recommendation.

Cheers,
Nick

check in yer phone bookfor verwood mini and 4x4 centre or is it verwood 4x4 and mini centre. its next to verwood autos the motor factors. so you could try them as paul may have moved.

Hey Nick, my neck of the woods too. I'm in Winton & though haven't had need of a garage for my III as yet am loath to go to Westover when I do for the same reasons.

You could email someone at: http://www.dorsetrover.co.uk/ Roger Pardy, the Chairman has been helpful to me. Nice sounding Land Rover bunch & they meet 1st Thurs of the month @ The Potters in Hamworthy. Their website seems to be working better now (just checked). I've been trying to make it to the boozer to join them for several meets now (+ a trial......they do seem to have access to some wicked looking land......saw it but couldn't join in as late & not a member!) & have failed dismally to hook up due to work commitments mainly & my own forgetfullness ocasionally (!)............If you do get a result I'd be interested to know about it.

Best,
Marcus.

Indie Garage? Not really my scene; I prefer a bit of Stravinsky

Hi Marcus, many thanks for the post- will be checking out Roger Pardy and that website at some point soon.

Cheers for now,
Nick

Hi, have had no luck tracing Roger Pardy of Verwood. However after surfing around a bit more I've found an independant Land Rover 4x4 garage in Poole,Dorset called Range Motors. Their website looks very comprehensive. Has anyone here used these guysor heard about them ?

Any feedback would be really appreciated.

Hell man, you don't need no stinkin' dealer. You've obviously already found the Landyzone forums so all you need now is some tools and a Haynes manual.

I also have it under good authority that listening to Jonny Cash helps...

I have used RANGE MOTORS several times in last 12+ months... SEAN is the Main man, and very knowledgeable on all things LANDY... if you can keep his attention long enough!

Alas, some of their techies aren't quite as good or thorough, and sent my 110 back 3 times to repair one of their fixes...

But generally very good, and I continue to use them.

Also, they do give a FREE courtesy car, if they have one spare, so that's a big bonus!



I've also heard of a guy in Verwood, but lost his number... will post if/when I find it.



I live 100 yards from Westover in Christchurch, but daren't even ask them their Labour rate!!! ...and get all my new/used parts from EBAY or RIMMER BROS - Westover bever have anything in stock anyway, so it's quicker to order from RIMMER BROS by phone, and in my letter box in 1-2 days!

A few of us Dorset folk around then. Ought to organise a spot of greenlaning? Range motors sound interesting Nick, tho' a bit concerned about Sibbo's experiences there!

As for Westovers Sibbo. Went in there last weekend. It's somewhere between hilarious & scary. Drove up in my ol' diesel III (drove...er, through numerous gentlefolk pawing over the shiny delights on offer outside), pulled up right outside the smoked, automatic, slidey glass front doors (on purpose-ish, well, I knew no better did I? Fnarr!), hopped out & popped in to be "greeted" by some highly made up, middle aged bint who thought she was still an air stewardess. She spied Nelly, me ol' Landy, looked me up & down then proceeded to treat me somewhere between dog **** & a leper on account of I obviously would notbe spending £30K +!

I only wanted to buy a fan belt. Tsk, Land Rover ought to remember their roots.

Might go there weekly & do the same just for the feck of it! Never been to a main dealer before, they are FARNY!

it might just be dorset bints that do that.. i went to b&q there when i lived in verwood. i only wanted some rawplugs or summin like that but decided to look at the kitchens as i would soon be wanting one. i got the same dog **** treament cos i was in me best working jeans and t shirt. she proceeded to tell me how expensive they was and that i couldn't possible afford it.
i went to the manager and she got the sack , cos it wasn't the first time a paying customer had complained about her. i even got a discount voucher for a kitchen if i ever bought one from them. on the other hand when i wen t the masser garage for some bits i got treated like royality even in be bestest jeans and t shirt. richard the store dude would take us round the workshop to have a sniffty at the ferrari's and stuff, even me son got a shipload of freebees from them. but then i was rebuilding the engine so they was getting a right load of me. and .. and they are the only garage i know that wouldlend out their special tools.

Ere', spotted another Bournemouth one. There was a Defender in the car park in town with a sticker on it for an outfit called AL Services, Land Rover specialists. Anyone heard of them / had any experience? Their fone number is 01202 668666.

Verwood Mini Centre
Tel: 01202 813521
Unit 1 7 Black Moor Rd, Verwood BH31 6AX
Text number | Map
try this dude ..ask for paul

Hi Folks

In response to your query regarding RangeMotors, Sean really knows what he's doing, but he also knows how to write big bills. He has a reputation at taking a long time to finish a job (3 months for a 60k service). If he does the work himself it is likely to be good though.
However, he has a number of gorrillas working for him who don't always take a lot of care, or indeed do what you asked them to. My experience is very similar to Sibbo, except that I got a bill for >£1k and the wrong parts fitted.

AL Services can be very good if Andy is in the right mood. However, if they do make a mistake the spanners start to fly and then it gets really expensive and embarrassing.

Paul at the Verwood Mini Centre is sound and honest. Good mechanic as recommended to me by Simmonites.

There's another guy going under the name of Stunning Services based in Springbourne, Bournemouth. He fixed a major brake problem on my Disco for <£20, he's a genuine mechanic and he only charges £25/hour. He's also a genuine LandRover anorak and regularly trials a number of vehicles.
Stunning Services 4x4 :: Land Rover / Range Rover Specialist :: Bournemouth Dorset

As for main dealers, they all know how to charge and they don't always get it right. They don't seem to employ mechanics, just fitters who can use a computer keyboard. Westover quoted me £2800 to fix my Disco brakes, but it was just a brake pedal switch - apparently the computer told them to do it so it wasn't their fault.
If you're up in Salisbury, Ottons have a decent parts shop. They are owned by Westover now, but the man behind the desk is very helpful and knowledgeable and eager to help, even if you do turned up in a knackered classic.

Good luck...

Even more of us around the bournemouth area than you know. I live in the Boscombe/Southbourne area, and just around the corner is another off-roader with a jacked-up challenge-type Vitara. I know what you're thinking, but we don't hold it against him as he also has a rather capable Volvo Laplander as well! Into all sorts of 4x4 mayhem, I'm the guy behind the 4x4 Calendar . co . uk website, the free resource for events.

Personally I'm into RR Classics and as it happens, Shaun Bridgeman at Fernside Garage Ltd. (the new name for Range Motors) fixed up my RR for Landy Rally 2007, and a damn fine job he made of it! He also has some scrap LR around the back, so it's possible at times to get some used spares.

Fernside Garage
6 Leyland Road
Poole
Dorset
BH12 5BH
01202 523030
range rover, land rover, 4x4, off road

Hope this helps.

Totally agree to the Westover attitude! Not great at all. Stunning Services are very good and there is also T Johnson's in Three Legged Cross

T Johnson

As welll as a breakers near them (useful in this present economic climate):

Home

Sadly Paul Choat (Verwood 4x4 / Mini Centre) is now deceased - so don't try that one anymore.

I thought I'd dig this one up as I'm going to be working in Poole for a bit and would like someone to have a look at the Air Suspension on my RR Classic.

Currently I'm thinking I'll try Stunning services - are they still good or is there someone else I should try first?

Thx
Chris

i know a bloody good landy mechanic in lymington just down the road.can find out if he's still in the trade if you like ?

Dunno wot bullfrog are like - but they come highly recomended - anyone tried them?