Gringo

yes, and if I actually get a reply on Tuesday, it will make just shy of a week since I started trying to contact them. It's a bank holiday here, Monday, too. I DO live in a British territory after all.

Well, it's now noon in the UK. No reply to last nights fax, either.

Yep, I hear what you are saying, and in fact that might explain some things. Heck, if I could block emails from Nigeria.... (but then I wouldn't be getting all these fantastic offers from complete strangers who want to make me filthy rich..._) Yes, with Rovers North I had no problem placing the order. The problem was their "company policy" was to only ship to the billing address on the credit card. Can you imagine a set of aluminum bonnet plates and a swing away tire carrier going to small Post Office Box in Miami? SO, in that case, I changed to a company called D.A.P. and they were great. They told me they would ship it anywhere I wanted it shipped. In that case, I had them send it to an air freight company in Miami, and they shipped it here to me. No problem. Took three days. Goodbye, Rovers North. They will never get any business from me. I put all the info in a fax, and sent that to Craddock. So far, they are the only company I have found who have everything I need in their product list. Well, everything except the windscreen washer pump. They don't have that. I very much appreciate the help from you guys, especially those who are offering to get personally involved. If I can do this directly with a supplier it will be the best way. Hopefully I will get an email from Craddock's sales people later today. I know they are open in the morning on Saturday. Or at least their website says they are. But then, their website has lied to me before....you know....

We do 100% of our shopping via the internet. thousands and thousands of dollars a year. I have imported three boats, outboard motors, auto parts , gas grills, bed frames, kayaks, clothing, electronics, etc. etc. etc. Some companies refuse to ship outside their own country. Some refuse to ship to an address that is not the billing address on the credit card. These companies are being run by idiots. I prefer not to waste a lot of time with them. The Credit card is not usually a problem with companies who understand how expats live. When it is an issue, we use a bank transfer. As for calling, I am near deaf. Too many years of gunfire, diving, and rock and roll music. It's difficult for me to talk on the phone.. The UK is also five time zones ahead of me. Very limiting. Things discussed on the telephone are subject to interpretation at either end. If it's written in an email, it tends to be unambiguous. If companies do not want to export their merchandise and market over the internet, then they should not advertise themselves as that kind of company. Having said all that, I see what you mean about spam filters. While I would think it pretty asinine that British companies would filter out sales inquiries about a British vehicle coming into their own designated sales email addresses from a British Overseas Territory, I certainly would not put it out of the realm of possibility. I will try a fax.

Thanks for the link, but unfortunately, I got an error message. Something about me not having the right to view that site or something. Just the way my week has been going, it seems.

I started out trying to place an order online with LR Direct. No response. I have tried several times to place an order with Craddocks online. No response. I took a look at Famous Four's site this morning, and they don't list the little pieces I need. I am trying to source it all from one supplier, and establish the ways of making it happen so I don't have to keep going through this time after time. I don't want to be paying $ 100 shipping with four different vendors for $ 20 parts from each. I need a vendor who can ship Fed Ex or UPS. Too many of them insist on using the British postal service. I don't know what la la world they live in, but the British Postal Service has absolutely zero chance of being able to deliver something here. It's getting a bit frustrating. I have been trying to order these parts now for three days. And don't have a single one ordered yet. I just basically get absolutely no response of any kind from any UK suppliers online. There are times lately when I think I should just sell the damned Defenders and buy Toyota.

Thank you Pete. I wil now try to see if I can get any response from either of those. I am into day three without a whisper of a reply of any kind from Craddock. Do you think a $ 600 order is just too small to interest them?

Oh, it's primitive, I tell you. Harsh. Nasty environmental conditions, high salt. UV. Constant wind. And we are just about to move into hurricane season. And I think we are low on sunblock.

Oh, I have no problems at all passing what passes for vehicle regulations here. Basically, if all the lights and the horn works here, it's good to go. I have been thinking of designing up a double roll bar setup, with the tops higher than the canvass and shaped to strap our tandem kayak to them with room for driving light tabs spaced so the kayak fits between them. And I have settled on the Exmoor Trim EX5187 Truck Cab hood, if I can find someone who will sell me one. Seems to be a problem.

Ah, yes. Post is the kiss of death here. Would be better off taking the merchandise and smashing it with a hammer at the source. Would save the cost of postage and skip all the anxiety wondering what became of it, month after month. Strange, but four years ago I couldn't imagine living in a country with no official, fixed road names and no house numbers and no postmen delivering mail. Now, it doesn't seem to be such a big deal. Until someone tries to mail me something, of course. Still, comes in handy when the IRS is trying to find me.

Well, that's good to hear. I am into day two, and no response of any kind to either the online order form or two emails. One to their "contact us" form, and the other to their "enquiries" at Craddock etc. email address. How do you usually contact them? And how do they ship to Canada? I have hopes this might work out.

Well BritCar has five of the eight things on the list....at least. Too bad they don't carry the most expensive one, the EX 5187 Truck Cab Hood ( Exmoor trim)

Well, I tried Paddocks...and they have four of the eight things on my list. on to Brit Car!

okay, thanks. I will now give Paddocks a try with my shopping list.

I prised it open and although I somehow lost some little interior part ( it shot out of there so fast I never saw it, so would assume it's a spring) I put it back together and can use it now. NOT as a check valve, because it no longer works. It is now just a coupling until I can get a replacement one ordered. So, it just takes a little longer for the fluid to reach the windscreen. Speaking of ordering, the frustration continues. I have now tried for two days to place an order with Craddock. I know it's not a huge order, some $ 650 or so worth of parts, but to me it's a substantial starting order. But I cannot get any response from them via their online ordering form, their online "contact us" form, or direct email to them. Nothing. Zip. Nada. SO, if Craddock was your first choice and you could not get any response from them, who would be your second choice as a good supplier?

Thanks for the tips. I actually need to establish a long term relationship with a supplier, but it needs to be one supplier who carries just about everything I will need to upgrade and maintain the D-90 and the 110, and I have a lot of plans for these. But it also needs to be a supplier who can ship via one of the very few couriers who fly into here. You would not believe how many times I have readied an order with an internet vendor ( and not just in the UK, the USA is just as bad) only to be told at the last moment that they could not ship FedEx. Or UPS. Or to a designated freight forwarder in Miami. (Rovers North has lost several thousand of my dollars in business because they insist on only shipping to the credit card's billing address. Sorry, but my US billing address is not equipped to accept and then reship spare tire carriers and aluminum plate. ) This is incredibly stupid. All they have to do is pick up the telephone and call FedEx. They will send a truck to their very door, and bring the form to fill out, and the driver will even help them fill out the form! And they will let me pay the freight charges at this end! If I were running a supply house and found out my sales people refused an order because they were too lazy to look into the customers shipping requirements, I would shortly have a new sales person. It's all about maintaining market share. And companies who do not understand how to react to customers needs should be allowed to fail. Get out of the way. (Okay. That's the end of my frustration rant for the day. Forgive me, I just had a total knee replacement and the pain meds make me aggressive, short tempered, and intolerant of certain sales cretins who should be facing early retirement.)

Well, with other nice bits I need I have managed to put together a shopping list of about 130 quid worth of stuff, and I have tried repeatedly to get it to the LR Series people, but no luck. The online registration thing doesnt work. The online ordering thing doesnt work. And they do not reply to emails. Its a shame there isn't one responsive company out there who carries all these parts and have customer service people who actually work. So far, I have not been able to find one.

Oh, I have hit every wrecking yard on this little island, looking for parts for a Ford and then a Suzuki Samurai. Never, ever, did I see a Land Rover in one of them. Its possible, but not likely. I have now found that the pump itself is bad, too. So perhaps I can put together enough of a shopping list to make it worthwhile to pay the shipping. Part of the price one pays to live in a small third world island nation, i suppose.

Ah, if that were only true. Shipping that little $ 3 item would cost me around $75 via Fed Ex. Postal service is not an option here. It would never arrive. Well, I guess there is maybe a 25% chance it would arrive in my Post Office Box. Sometimes later this year. But I doubt it. No package has ever made it to us yet via mail. Not in four years. Although I have heard of other people receiving things from time to time. I have never witnessed it myself.

Eureka, as they say in the cartoons. Guess it was good for me to learn how to do this, anyhow. In case I ever feel the need to try to do something about these anemic, pale yellow headlights... anyhow, this gave me access to the pumps, and pulling the tubing off, working my way forward, I found what appears to be a small inline checkvalve right up against the firewall. I have removed that, and cannot blow any air through it. This is the problem, though. I can blow through the tubes the rest of the way on either side of this little troublesome checkvalve. I assume it is to get quicker fluid on the squirter by not letting it flow backwards. Strange place to put it, though. I am almost positive nothing like this will exist on this little island.

Well, the rear one works. Do the squirters just pull off? I have hesitated to apply too much force to them, not being sure if they are attached some way inside.

Well, I just spent another hour with it. I am getting a bit frustrated. It is looking like it would take an airconditioning mechanic to dismantle the ac system, and then perhaps removing the left front fender, and air intake, just to get at the resovoir. There doesn't appear to be any way to get to it. No way to put a screwdriver on the top of the screws to remove the nuts under the wheel well. I can hear the pump running when I close the circuit, but I cannot get a finger on it or see it. I must be missing something.

Hello again, I am slowly working my way though various little annoying problems with this 110 we bought last month. Part of the niggling annoyance is that I cannot locate a manual locally, although I am in the process of ordering one. The latest is that I cannot figure out what is going on with the front windscreen washer. I have found that the little spring in the steering column mounted lever that operates the wipers etc. is missing, but that doesn't explain the problem. I can hear the washer pump motor running, but no liquid is coming out of the nozzles onto the windscreen. And I cannot find any liquid squirting out anywhere else. And I know this sounds strange, but while I can hear the pump running, I have not yet located it's actual physical location. Is it attached to the fluid resovoir? Would I need to remove that to get to it and see if the little hoses are all connected? Thanks for your help and patience.

I am in the process of 'fixing up' this ancient 2005 Defender 110 we bought last month. There are a number of small things I need, and I will be placing an order with one of the UK parts houses shortly. Not only for 110 parts, but some stuff for our D-90 as well. Can one of you knowledgeable LR owners tell me the proper name for the little amber plastic lens that goes on this side light? I have no idea what to call it. Looks like I need to get in there and bang out a dent, as well. Also, the 110 has folding side steps under each side door. Two of them have these little pieces of support bracket that run from the step to the chassis or frame, to keep the step from flexing when you put weight on it. Two of them do NOT have the brackets, although they are drilled for them to be bolted on. Does anyone know what those brackets are called? I can post a photo if need be. Thanks for your help, as always.

Well, I see you live in Belize, so we have somewhat similar climates. My problem is not so much rain, as it is this very corrosive dust. It blows inside and coats everything. It ruins electronics, has destroyed two radios in two years. It's too hot to keep it closed up all the time, so I am looking for something I can open up easily and close up easily. I had planned to buy the roll bar with seat belt mounts from Allwheel trim, but their shipping charges is actually more than the cost of the goods. This is because the major part of the roll bar is one piece. Makes for a big box. I am thinking now of fabricating a real roll bar here. Lets face it, a real one would bolt through the floor to the frame. Not be suspended by aluminum body parts. That way I can do it outside the hood, and put some good offroad driving lights on the top of it. Thanks for the input, I am thinking I will order either the Exmoor or the Allwheel trim one, and go for the extended version. I did consider the bikini styles, and like the look, but the truth is that I need to be able to close up the interior from this damned dust and the open bikini type just wouldnt do that. Plus I think those straps would get annoying after a while. Muddy, where is your spare tire mounted? Do you have photos?