Chapter 2: “Raymond Gets A Facelift”

05.07.2022

Raymond may be one of the cheapest members of our fleet, but that doesn’t mean he deserves any less. That being said, it might be interesting to see how cheaply you can run and maintain a Range Rover.

So lets get down to brass tacks, Raymond needs a lot of work including the brakes, the key, the smell and that is only scratching the surface. What did you expect for under five hundred pounds?

Firstly we have an actual safety concern to contend with, the mirrors, or more importantly the drivers side wing mirror. You would think we can’t scrimp and save on something as vital as this, well you would be wrong again. Ebay…Ten Pounds…Bargain!

Sorting out the brakes had to be the next thing on the list of things to do as both the discs and the calipers were very worn and cracked. So lets fit some fresh ones and get Raymond stopping as well as he looks.

Final issue for today is the front fog lamp bezels. Raymond is missing one of the plastic bezels and it makes him look a bit sad. Now this is purely an aesthetic upgrade as it poses no danger, but let’s get it done anyway. We found these chrome bezels online for twenty five pounds. Now Raymond looks like he’s ready to release a rap album!

– Famous Four

Chapter 1: Finding Raymond

25.05.2022

A sunny May afternoon, I received a phone call from a gent who was trying to sell his broken 2003 L322. Did it run? Did it change gear? Surprisingly, the answer to both was YES! Does that mean that it had dreaded corrosion around the sills and arches?

The next morning, I decided to meet this gentleman as he was only a short distance away. When I got there, I laid my eyes on Raymond for the first time. He looked very poorly sat on his haunches, broken bits and damage as far as the eye could see. Raymond was definitely in need of some TLC.

After a short negotiation, a deal was struck, and Raymond limped to his new home at Famous Four. We put him up on the ramp, fully expecting the ramp to go right through the jacking points, but lo and behold, Raymond held tough. Like Ashford and Simpson, he is solid! However, that is where the tale turns a little sour. It is probably easier for me to tell you what was working, rather than the list of problems, but here goes…

• Brake pipes and flexi’s
• Brake discs and pads
• Two rear tyres
• A front light
• Driver’s door mirror glass
• Door card repair
• Suspension fault to repair
• Good clean (he smells funky)

– Famous Four

A Defender 200 Tdi, Defender Td5 and Discovery 300 Tdi off-roading in Dalby Forest; the weather has been more reminiscent of tropical parts of the world in the UK recently, with very hot spells followed by heavy rains. Heavy rain on British green lanes can lead to some challenging off-road conditions, and that is exactly what Rob, from Famous Four’s Mail Order department, experienced during a recent trip to near Dalby Forest in Yorkshire this August, where he travelled for a weekend’s off-roading fun with his mates William, Nicolas and Mason in their vehicles.

Rob uses a Terrafirma A12000 Electric winch on his Defender, which was brilliant even in the extreme conditions. He had to deal with an alternator belt failure, but his truck was otherwise trouble free. William uses a Warn 8274 which also performed beautifully, and his only issue was an air box full of leaves! Mason uses a Britpart 12000lb winch which was good, but slower than ideal. Due to the rain and mud, winching was tough, and progress was slow. They slept in the wild, and Rob admits that although it did become a little uncomfortable, a few beers and a bottle of brandy made the night pass a little better.

They really enjoyed the weekend, and took some fabulous pictures of their exploits. Needless to say, a good hose down was required when they returned to Lincolnshire. Hopefully their next trip will be drier 🙂

You can view Famous Four’s extensive range of Off- Road accessories on our website: https://www.famousfour.co.uk

JANUARY 2019

Freelander 2 – our Pre-Production Press Release VX56 ETY – has recently been helpful as a bike transporter.  Having carried my bike safely using a Thule 9104 (which requires a lighting board), a couple of FF staff decided to head over the Lincolnshire Wolds for a quick blast on the pushbikes after work.   Cobwebs blown away, bikes and riders suitably dirtier than the start, we were happy.  I wonder where VX56 is going to take us next…

Famous Four continue to re-introduce long obsolete items back into the worldwide Classic market.

Range Rover Classic – One of our latest additions are handbrake lever gaiters for the Classic Range Rover, corresponding to original part number 393136 for LT95 handbrake lever gaiter

We have also just added the plastic vent surround trims corresponding to original part numbers 390608, 390609 and MWC9362 for the trims fitted around the vents on the scuttle panel.

We will continue to introduce more exciting and impossible to find items to our existing extensive range over the course of 2019, and remain as the market leading manufacturer and supplier of parts for Range Rover Classics.

Dispatch Department

Apprentice Dispatch Operative

Due to expansion we are seeking  an Apprentice to join our packing/dispatch department, handling goods in, goods out and warehousing duties.

No experience necessary as training will be given, the successful candidate should possess a willing to learn and a drive to succeed

Please email stuartlister@famousfour.co.uk for further details.

Sales Department

Parts Sales Assistant

Due to expansion we are seeking a suitable candidate to join our busy mail order parts department, serving customers in both the UK & worldwide, by phone, email and over the counter.

Experience in a similar field would be a distinct advantage but candidates possessing a mature attitude and a willingness to learn will be considered.

Please email stuartlister@famousfour.co.uk for further details

In the month that celebrates our 30th anniversary, our brand new showroom is now officially open!

A dedicated service reception area and parts collection stations greet you, along with a brand new customer seating area. You can get up close to one of our display vehicles, usually one which we have restored in our own workshops, or sit and browse the newspapers or read a 4WD magazine. Do come along and see us. As well as our new entrance we are also proud to have our brand new 10 bay workshop facility fully operational, as well as our new goods inwards and goods outwards department, and new mail order offices.

Famous Four are here for you in our bigger and better capacity, whatever your Land Rovering requirements may be, and wherever in the World you are!

Shop Online now at: https://www.famousfour.co.uk
Classic Restoration and Reproduction Parts: http://www.famousfourclassic.co.uk
Range Rover Classic Tailgates: http://www.rangerovertailgates.com

We have been extremely busy in the Famous Four Workshops, and identified the need for more bays and more technicians to enable us to continue to react quickly to our customers’ servicing, repair and restoration needs. We recognise the importance of ensuring appointment slots are available at short notice, as well as the need to stay ahead of the curve of technological advances in vehicle hardware and software in the modern generation of vehicles, thus helping to keep your Land Rovers and Range Rovers on the road at all times.

To this end we have made significant investments in 2018, our 30^th Anniversary year, by doubling the capacity of our workshop to an impressive 10 bays, and have enrolled another three employees into our team of highly dedicated and knowledgeable workshop staff.

State of the art workshop equipment, along with improved working conditions, more space, and a brand new computer system are all now live, and we are now in an extremely strong position as one of the UK’s leading independent specialist workshops for all things Land Rover, Range Rover, Freelander and Discovery, from 1948 to brand new models, catering for diagnostic repairs, servicing, welding, bodywork, electrics, restoration and routine maintenance from our premises in Lincolnshire.

More information about Workshops and Servicing: https://www.famousfour.co.uk/wshop

More information about Restoration Services and Reproduction Classic Parts: https://www.famousfourclassic.co.uk/

Last weekend, May 26th and 27th, saw the inaugaral LAND ROVER LEGENDS meeting at Bicester, Oxfordshire, England, and 6 dedicated Famous Four staff made the 300 mile round trip, setting off at 5am on Saturday morning.

We showcased some of our exclusive products for the Classic Range Rovers, and showed our brand new, UK built, lower tailgates to show visitors, who gave much positive feedback. There was quite a bit to see, including JLR Heritage’s stand with their Range Rover Reborn projects.

Our beautiful 25th Anniversary Range Rover Classic made the trip without any trouble, and is pictured here with another of the very rare 25, and two limited edition 35th Anniversary L322 Range Rovers, including a press-launch vehicle. Thanks to Julian Lamb for the lovely photo.

Hopefully we will be out and about visiting other shows over the next few years. We look forward to meeting you all and showing more of our expanding product range.