Answers to questions frequently asked of ECR:
If an email reply has directed you to this page, that means the answer to your request/inquiry is listed on this page. Please do not be offended that we have directed you to this page. We receive hundreds of emails a day, and this page helps us save time so that we can try and answer all our email.
We hope this page helps you. If you do not see your question listed, please feel free to email us. We'll be glad to help you in any way we can.
Photo by: Greg Hren (ECR4 on 21 Road, Fruita, Colorado)
We also have a "Most misunderstood
section" to help you with common misconceptions about Rover stuff,
as well as a Selling Rovers FAQ section
that can help with sales questions.
If you are an ECR customer, some information you need is located here: Customer FAQ.
Q: Can I get a catalog?
A: Sorry, but we are not a mail order source. We do not have a catalog, nor do we sell many parts. We do sell a few items like 1997 NAS D90 cubby box inserts, but for most mail order type items we will send you to other US suppliers. The only things we handle as "mail order" are a few products we make like 1997 NAS 90 cubby box inserts and such. For the most part we are a custom and restoration shop. Our focus is building custom vehicles for customers. We have no desire to be packing boxes all day, sorry.
Q: I want to order some parts I saw on some of your projects?
A: Sorry, but we are not a mail order source. We do sell a few items, but for most mail order type items we will send you to other US suppliers. We are a custom and restoration shop. Our focus is building custom vehicles for customers.
Q: I am buying a Defender and I think you may have worked on it before. How do I confirm this?
A: To trace work that we may have done we would need the previous owner's name. We do not have a way to track Defenders by VIN. If you do not have the previous customer's name, then send us some pictures of the truck and we can usually match it up and be able to pull the work list for you.
Q: I am buying a Defender from Copley Motor Cars and you guys go over all the Defender there right?
A: Wrong. We have built some higher end Defender 110s for Copley in the past, but we no longer do. The Defenders that Copley sells have nothing to do with ECR unless they are clearly listed as ECR vehicles. The vehicles that are listed as ECR vehicles at Copley are usually vehicles we built some years ago and that we have not seen in our shop since. We do not certify, service or inspect anything that Copley sells. If you have questions about a vehicle being sold by any dealer feel free to contact us. We will gladly tell you when we last saw the vehicle and what we did to it. Assume nothing when buying a vehicle from any dealer, no matter who it is.
Q: I have a Land Rover that is not a Defender and I want some work done on it. How do we go about getting that work done?
A: Sorry, we narrowed our focus a number of years ago to be Defenders only. We narrowed our focus in order to try and better keep up with our heavy work load and maintain a better parts inventory of everything "Defender". We are not currently taking on any projects that are not Defender based. On a Defender we will do any job, large or small. We are sorry if this means we can not help you, and do not take offense if we say we can not help you. What we have done is focus our efforts (and our inventory) into what we are best at, and that is upgrades and repairs of Land Rover Defenders.
Q: I need some Safety Device parts and you are listed as the USA contact. Can you help me?
A: Yes and No. We try to stock the Safety Devices parts that we commonly use on projects here at the shop. We do not have everything they offer, nor do we ever plan to stock everything they offer.
We try to keep inventory of 90 and 110 hard top external cages, but we would need to special order any other cages and that takes alot of time (many months). There is not enough demand for us to stock the other types of cages.
Please be aware that we only sell Safety Device parts that we plan to install here at the shop. We do not offer mail order cages at all.
-We do not sell, or have access to, the 1994-1997 NAS Defender 90 style padded roll cages, sorry. These are no longer made and the jigs for them have been destroyed.
-We only sell Safety Devices products for Land Rover Defenders (no other make or model).
-We do not sell any Safety Devices products for Series I-II-IIA or III Land Rovers.
-The original style Safety Devices roof rack for the 1994-1997 NAS Defender 90 is now now longer made. It has been retired forever. We do have some repair parts for these, but not the rack feet, sorry.
-We do not sell pieces or parts to Safety Devices cages. We only sell complete cage systems. If you have damaged a cage that you bought through ECR we will do our very best to get you replacement parts asap.
-We do not offer any roof racks for the Discovery or Discovery II. (although we do offer the clamp mount repair kits for those who already have a rack and are missing those parts)
Q: How do I import a Defender?
A: This is the question we get the most. It is not feasible in most cases. It is also not legal to do so in most cases. If you want the long answer as explained directly to us by an officer with the DOT/NHTSA, go here: Importing
data
If you have other ideas on the subject that is great. We wish you well, the more Rovers in the USA the better. We got our information directly from active agents at the DOT/ NHTSA, US Customs and the EPA. We do not import any vehicles.
Q: I want to put 20" wheels on my Defender for some bling. Can you help me?
A: We are not the shop for you. Chrome 20" wheels and a ton of goofy add-ons are not what we think Defenders should be. There are other places that will gladly help you with that.
Q: I have a Rover and I'd like you to convert it to diesel. How much will that cost?
A: Sorry, we no longer offer diesel conversions.
Q: I have found a 2002 Land Rover Defender for sale that was imported
as a 1971 Series III Land Rover 109. Should I buy it?
A: Would you buy a 2003 Infinity G35 that had the vehicle identification
number (VIN) and import paperwork from a 1974's Datsun Z? We wouldn't.
Swapping a VIN plate is a crime. We do not suggest anyone buy anything
that is "registered as" or has an altered VIN. People will justify
anything in their minds if they want the Rover badly enough, but buyer
beware, owning and driving something with an altered VIN carries a lot
of liability. Its your ass, make sure you cover it.
Q: Do you have ECR built vehicles on hand ready to purchase?
A: No, unless a past customer is selling a truck that we have built previously, and that doesn't happen very often. Everything that ECR does is custom built for a client.
Anything we do have for sale is listed here:
http://www.eastcoastrover.com/ecrforsale.html
Q: I see lots of Rovers in the pictures on your web site. What ones
are for sale?
A: All the vehicles that we have for sale are listed here:
Land Rovers For Sale
The rest are customer vehicles here for service or restoration. The
For Sale page is always kept up to date for your viewing pleasure. If you
are looking for something specific, email us. We may know of one for sale
privately, or might be able to help direct you to another site or vendor
that has what you are looking for.
Q: Does ECR have any other locations closer to me? (and/or) Can you suggest another shop just like ECR?
A: Nope. ECR is a small independent Land Rover shop. We do not have any other locations or a nationwide network. Large networks and their impersonal service is what we think is wrong with the vehicle service industry. We are a small group of dedicated (read that as "nuts") Land Rover mechanics that strive for quality and attention to detail, not mass production.
Q: Where can I find more information about Land Rovers?
A: We have packed this web site with all kinds of information.
It is a good source to get you started. Start by looking at the model you
are interested in on these pages: Land Rover
Information
You can also surf the web there are a lot of great Rover web sites
out there.
Q: I have a car or truck that is not a Land Rover and I want to convert
it to diesel. Can you help me?
A: Sorry, but we are a Land Rover specialist. We do not have any
data or information on VW, Toyota or other diesels. Nor do we have any
information or on other types of conversions. You should contact a specialist
for your type of car or truck to help you.
Q: Can I buy an ECR sticker?
A: Nope, but you can have one! Send us a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) and we'll shoot you off an ECR sticker for your Rover or your fridge.
Q: Where is ECR and how do I get there? Where do I fly into?
A: We have set up as much information as we can for you about lodging,
airports, shuttles, maps etc. all on this page. ECR
travel information
Q: Just what do all these abbreviations and "slang"
mean?
A: Some commonly used "slang" in
the Land Rover community are as follows:
Series Rovers- This means the older Rovers built from the late 1940s-until
the mid 1980s. It is also abbreviated into SI (Series I) SII (Series II)
SIIA (Series IIA) and so on. For a break down of Series Rover commonly
found in the USA go here: Series Rovers
D90- This is how people abbreviate
the Defender 90 model
D110 - Same as above but for a Defender 110 model
NAS - This stands for North American Specification
(NAS). It means the vehicle was built for the North American market and
was imported by Land Rover North America and is legal for use in the USA.
SW, Wagon (or Station Wagon) - This typically means "metal
hard top" as fitted from the factory.
RR - Short for Range Rover
Disco - Land Rover Discovery
D2 (or DII) - Short for Land Rover Discovery II
Here is a test of your new "language" skills: 1995 NAS D90
SW
You should now know that this vehicle is a: 1995 model year, USA specification,
Defender 90 with a metal hard top.
Q: I want to order an engine (gas or diesel) from you and have my local mechanic install it. How much will the engine cost me?
A: Sorry, we do not offer mail order engine sales of any kind. New engines sold by ECR are installed at ECR. We are a custom shop, not a mail order parts source. There are good mail order sources for you out there, but we aren't one of them.
Q: How much will it cost to ship my Rover to or from ECR?
A: This is a question we leave up to shipping professionals. You can find a link to the phone numbers of some shipping firms we commonly use on our web site here: Transporting your Rover
They can answer your questions and give you a estimate. Be sure and tell them if your Rover runs or not, as it makes a difference in the price you will be charged. If you have special needs, like your Rover needs to meet a ferry schedule, or is apart in boxes, contact us and we'll help you out.
Q: Can I order some RPI parts from you?
A: No. We are not affiliated with RPI Engineering in the UK in any way. We do not use or sell their products. They are a good source if you need Rover V8 parts, but we do not use or sell them. The web site link they offer is out dated, so please contact them directly if you want RPI parts.
Q: How much will it cost to restore my Defender?
A: There is no way for us to answer that question. We get this question all the time and usually from owners who describe their Rover as in "good" shape (we still don't know what that means because when we see these Rovers they are usually a mess), without sending us pictures, or giving us a full list of what they do and do not want done. It is like asking how much it will cost to restore an old house without sending in the contractor. What is the foundation like? What kind of appliances do you want? etc etc. The only way we can even give you a guess is after we have your full list of desired work and after we have done a complete evaluation on your Rover here at the shop. Short of that it is all just "ranges" We have done Rovers from as little as about $400. for a simple servicing to over $200,000 for a pristine, updated show stopping 110 Station Wagon. There is a great British phrase that we like to use as an answer to this question, "How long is a piece of string?" Think about it... that question is just as vague as "How much will it cost to restore my Defender?"
Q: Why do ECR vehicles cost so much?
A: The reason we appear expensive is that people do not compare apples to apples. When you take your Rover to be serviced at your dealer or local shop you may get a tune up and some minor repairs done for a few hundred dollars. When people go to the trouble to send their Rovers to ECR they usually have a long laundry list of items that include repairs, upgrades, paint work and off road items. These pages and pages of work orders add up quickly into big bucks. If you had your local shop do all that work it would cost more than it does here at ECR! Our labor rates are lower than most shops in the country, and our parts prices are in line with all the other suppliers, so it is not that we are expensive, it is that when Rovers come here they have lots of work to be done, unlike the one or two work orders you are used to at your local repair shop. In regards to restorations, no other shop in North America does Rovers to the level that we do, nobody, bar none. These Rovers take a ton of time and a ton of parts. It all adds up quickly, but if you had another shop do the work to the same level of quality we do, it would cost you more. Apples to apples we are cheap by comparison.
Q: Is an ECR built Defender 110 as expensive as a used 1993 NAS Defender?
A: An ECR 110 is not a cheaper alternative to a used, over decade
old, 1993 NAS 110. The ECR 110s cost much more, more than double in most
cases. The difference is that ours are new, built on galvanized chassis
with stainless steel brake pipes, fuel lines, hardware and more. The ECR
110s are available in your choice of colors and with options the factory
never offered, like automatic gearboxes and 4.6 liter engines. Ours our
built to last and hand built in the USA. We can not compete with factory
assembly line prices.
Q: Why does it take so long for ECR to complete a project?
A: Actually that isn't the case. The project time is not that long, it is the wait time. Once we start working on a project Rover, customers are usually amazed at how fast things are completed. The wait time for us to get to that project is another story. That is currently a VERY long time. We are a small shop that has built our reputation by doing the best Land Rover work in North America. We are only interested in building machines that we will be proud of - it goes way beyond money. If we did it for the money, we'd be doing the lucrative quick repair work like most other shops. We only build or modify a few Rovers each year. We have clients from all over the USA, Japan, Germany, the Caribbean just to name a few. You can see what our past customers have had to say about our work by reading their feedback here: Customer mail
The projects that we tackle are usually build ups that take a lot of time to complete, like full restorations, or the building up of the ultimate Defender 110. Oil changes and brake work at your local shop take hours. Our projects take many months, and we have a lot of projects to do.
If you can take the wait we will offer you the best service and the best final product in the business.
If you need it fast, you know who not to call.
We want to be the best shop, not the biggest or the fastest. Attention to detail and doing it right are our only goals. If that means we can not meet your desired time table, we apologize, and we hope we can work with you on another project in the future.
East Coast Rover Co.
Contact Information