The latest stuff from, by, about, at, or for British Pacific

Last update 06/29/08

British Pacific will be CLOSED
Friday July 4th
for Independence Day

Extreme Lifter Wear
Pushrod V8's
Range Rover Classic, Range Rover 2, Discovery 1, Discovery 2, Defender

Here at BP we've been selling V8 parts for over 20 years, and all of a sudden we're selling dramatically more lifters than we ever have before. Generally they just flat wear out: the pictures above show a new one on the right, and a severely worn one on the left. These used to last the life of the engine.

We believe this is a result of removing ZDDP from engine oil. Virtually all motor oil is being reformulated to take this zinc product out so that catalytic converters will last longer. The zinc provides protection for components under high pressure, such as a liter on a camshaft. If the zinc is reduced or removed this will happen: the additive was created specifically for flat tappet cams. Modern engines with overhead cams are less effected, so this does not apply to RR3, LR3, LR2, or Freelander. It also does not apply to Series trucks with their roller lifters. And the oil you bought last time may have been fine, but the next batch will be reformulated.

If a lifter pits or galls like this they will also wear out the cam lobe, creating a pretty expensive repair.

When changing your oil make sure that (1) it contains ZDDP or (2) add an additive that restores ZDDP levels. BP sells Red Line's Engine Oil Supplement, which is concentrated ZDDP and will not add viscosity to the oil. Part number 80202, $11/bottle, one per oil change. And be sure to use an oil filter with an anti drainback valve!

If you're thinking this is some 'snake oil' deal where we get an extra few bucks out of you and it doesn't really do anything, that's fine. We have plenty of camshafts, lifters, and gasket sets ready to go. Like the old commercial said, 'you can pay us now, or you can pay us later'. Honestly, we don't care where you get it, just make sure you do. Other products that restore ZDDP are STP and Z-Max.

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Premiere Auto Group: 2001-2008

As of Monday the Premiere Auto Group is no more. Created by Ford Motor Company to oversee the US business operations of Volvo, Lincoln, Aston Martin, Mercury, Jaguar and Land Rover, PAG was headquartered in a modern, all new office complex in Irvine, California. Most of the world's automakers have design offices in that part of Orange County, and the PAG building was quite conspicuous along I-5, just north of the 'Orange Crush' intersection. All the modern latte sipping elements were included, including training facilities, meeting rooms, and a workout facility.

These vehicle groups were a diverse collection of high ticket models that were to be the prestige line within the Ford brand. The concept never really worked. Volvo remained stagnant, Mercury almost died, and Lincoln had to be re-imaged to compete with Cadillac. Jaguar never turned a profit, Aston Martin was sold as a profitable operation, and Land Rover was basically holding its own or turning a modest profit. The operation never produced the returns Ford had hoped for, particularly when considering the cost of developing new models. Therefore PAG became part of Ford's restructuring to help stem the flow of red ink.

Ford had a different agenda for Land Rover North America when they purchased it from BMW. LRNA's US image was created by Charles Hughes back in the late '80's, but since Ford had other models and brands to worry about, they made decisions that hurt the brand. For example, the Defender line didn't fit into Ford's marketing plans for a 100% upscale line. The Freelander was a sales and product disaster that is still costing Land Rover money on warranty claims. The LR2 didn't find a niche in the US despite being a good vehicle (Volvo platform). But the Range Rover has always sold well, and Discovery was the best selling model during PAG's leadership.

Lincoln and Mercury were taken back into Ford's direct control and both have been brought back from the brink of extinction. Aston Martin was sold as a healthy brand and is doing very well. In September 2006 the 'Rover' brand name was bought from BMW by PAG to protect the Land Rover brand. The actual tooling for the Rover passenger cars did go to China where they are being made now. Ford didn't want to see a Chinese sport ute using the name Rover, to keep the brand value up for eventual sale. In May 2008 Jaguar and Land Rover were sold to Tata Motors. As part of that deal the Rover brand name was included, as well as the defunct Daimler and Lanchester (both bought by Jaguar many years ago).

When PAG opened many folks were moved west from New Jersey, where British marques had long been based. Those staying with Jaguar/Land Rover will be moving yet again, back to New Jersey. That's assuming anyone wants to leave Orange County for New Jersey. The move is expected to be gradual over the next several months.

Recently PAG had allowed their parking lot to be used for very popular Sunday morning car shows, specifically for British marques but that later expanded into Ford muscle cars as well. We don't know yet if that will continue. The Mazda offices are still on the same grounds but they migh have less interest in vintage Jags, Triumphs, or Cobras.

The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust was also operated as a division of Jaguar. Aside from a great museum in the UK, they also oversee the archives of many of the British car companies that existed over the last 100 years. We don't know yet if Tata will continue to support that effort.

Changes were expected under Tata's ownership, and so they begin.

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Tata Finally Takes Operational Control of Land Rover/Jaguar

June 1, 2008 marks the day Tata officially takes over Land Rover from Ford. Naturally we're all watching to see what kind of changes will come down the road as a result.

So far what we're hearing is that Jaguar parts distribution is going to be changed from Ford's system to 'something else'. That could spell trouble for folks requiring parts during the transition. However, Land Rover has been using Caterpillar warehousing services under contract, and should not be affected at all. One would expect that one obvious cost-saving move would be to consolidate Jag and Land Rover parts distribution in the US, but apparently that's not in the works. Dealers will need separate operating systems, website access, etc. for each product line, as it is currently.

With GM announcing the shuttering of 4 North American truck plants, and a cut back in Hummer production, one wonders how Tata is forecasting sales for the balance of '08. Hey, guys? D90 turbodiesel V6 is your answer, at least short term...

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You think the US Congress is bad?

PROPOSAL TO REDUCE TIRE NOISE EXPECTED BEFORE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The European Commission is expected to shortly propose tire noise standards which are rumored to include a cut in tire noise of five or six decibels. The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association and the European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers' Association (ETRMA) have both come out against the proposal. The Commission is also expected to come out momentarily, in the same document, with limits on “rolling resistance” of tires setting maximum levels of friction levels between the tire and the road surface as additional measures to cut carbon emissions.

The ETRMA is on record stating that a reduction of more than two to three decibels is not technically feasible. The association has also said that the Commission has not supplied impact assessments to justify the costs. Following the release of the proposal, it will be considered by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers.

EUROPEAN OFFICIALS EXPECTED TO IMPOSE CIGARETTE-STYLE WARNINGS ON AUTOMAKERS

The European Commission is expected to propose later this week new rules affecting new-car advertising in the 27 nations that make up the European Union. The executive branch of the European Union is likely to require a minimum of 20% of the space of new-vehicle advertising be devoted to information on fuel economy and C02 emissions. The regulations would cover any magazine, television and billboard advertising or point-of-sale displays in showrooms.

The new requirements, mirrored after measures imposed on cigarette producers, is being pushed by the Commission and a number of members of the Parliament citing a “dissatisfaction” with car assemblers compliance with more general guidelines, in place since 1999, which call on them to include information [regarding fuel economy and C02 emissions] that is "easily legible and no less pronounced than the main part of the advertising message" and "easily understood, even when read briefly."

All of these measures affect SUV's more than any other passenger car.

Source: SEMA

There are car-friendly politians out there: know who they are, and give them your support!

California:
Senator Dick Ackerman
Senator Ron Calderon
Senator Dennis Hollingsworth
Senator Tom McClintock
Senator Gloria Negrete-McLeod
Assemblymember Mike Duvall
Assemblymember Bonnie Garcia
Assemblymember Martin Garrick
Assemblymember Bob Huff
Assemblymember Kevin Jeffries
Assemblymember Doug La Malfa
Assemblymember Nicole Parra
Assemblymember Alberto Torrico
Assemblymember Michael Villines

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Dear BP:

I recently bought some parts from you for my Discovery. My mom forwarded me this picture of my brothers and I (lower right) in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on top of an old British Army Land Rover parked in our driveway. The British Troops were patroling our street and this was probably taken in 1973-4. Thought you might be interested. Maybe you should start a website scrapbook!! Parts worked out well. Cheers, Daniel O'Kane, Liege Home and Garden, San Francisco, CA 94115 www.liegeflowers.com

Thanks for sharing this with us, Daniel. Not too many of us know what it was like in Northern Ireland with the IRA trouble. Certainly the sight of a trusty Series IIA with British troops on board had to make you feel safer. Many times we in the US only get to see military Land Rovers on the nightly news. Kosovo, Lebanon, Israel, UN relief in Africa, they still turn up all over the world.

If anyone else has an interesting land Rover picture, send it along. We'll add it to the 'scrapbook'.

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Consumer Reports Heard From:

"Another interesting tidbit discovered in the comparison is that the Range Rover is the most expensive vehicle on average for five and eight years when it comes to maintenance and repairs, costing about $2,000 in the fifth year alone. Meanwhile, the comparable Toyota Land Cruiser costs only $600 in that year to maintain and repair."

Well CR, from where I sit the Land Cruiser is hardly 'comprable' to a Range Rover. And if you look at other luxury makes like BMW 7 series you'll find that the cost of repairs is also high on them. That could be because the dealers charge more, even for routine maintenance, not that the vehicle itself is bad. If you've ever had to have your brakes replaced at a dealership, you know what we mean. If CR had quoted BP parts for routine service, it would be closer to the Toyota numbers for sure.

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Land Rover US Announces Major Price Increase

To tag on to the story above, the dealership network has been notified of a major parts price increase, in many cases doubling where they were just a few months ago. This does not appear to be a move made by Tata. LR-US has sited the exchange rate and distribution costs as the major reaso for the big change. However, Jaguar parts did not go up, thereby discrediting their explination. An economic slowdown is also not a good time to be doubling prices.

Virtually all Land Rover parts suppliers and your local repair shops buy from Land Rover US. In some cases they are cheaper than getting parts direct from the UK, and we go with whatever source gives us the best deal. However, we now have to requote virtually everything as a result. Many items might be cheaper out of the UK now, but higher than they were. When you use our Price Lookup, the price you saw last week may not hold to this week, and our printed prcie list could be out of date as well. We're doing our best to keep the prices down, but Land Rover sure doesn't make that easy.

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Remember the older Michelin ads where babies were flying around in tires? This fellow is a good deal happier than they were, his tire is attached to a Land Rover! Thanks for sending this, Keith.

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