ARB has just announced that they have added more options to their already popular line of fridges. The already popular 50QT fridge has quickly become an essential “must-have” for any off-roader. The new fridge options are a 37QT, 63QT, or an 82QT.

Please follow the link below for ARB’s release, and for more information on the newest additions.

www.arbusa.com/uploads/PDF/newProductAdvice/New_FridgeModels_PR_jobber.pdf

If you are interested in any of the fridge options, you can special order this product through Columbia Rovers, and Columbia Overland. Please visit us at www.columbiarovers.com and www.columbiaoverland.com for more information.

Columbia Rovers recently completed a 1993 Land Rover Defender 110 for one of our local customers. The Defender was previously plagued with a multitude of electrical and drivetrain issues. After sorting out all of the gremlins, we were able to focus on bettering the driving experience. Since this Defender serves as a daily driver, it needed to be comfortable and reliable. Loud, smelly, and gutless are not traits a customer wants to use to describe their vehicle.

The Isuzu 4JB1T 2.8L 4 cylinder turbo diesel was anemic at best. Proper HD motor mounts, custom flexplate (to replace the cracked stock unit) and exhaust work turned the motor from violent to tame. Next we addressed the lackluster performance by rebuilding the turbo, complete with a new cassette. Despite providing a noticeable improvement in power the motor still lacked the punch of a modern day diesel. Next step was to fit a large intercooler and re-tune the entire system. To accommodate the intercooler, we also had to replace the radiator with a unit that allowed the intercooler piping to pass into the front grill. To keep coolant temperatures in check, a 3000 CFM electric fan with a digital temp control switch was added to the mix.

A diesel is still a diesel, and therefore a touch louder and more odorous than a gasoline motor. Columbia Rovers went to work sealing the cabin from fumes and adding sound deadening to the doors, dash, bulkhead, hood, floorboards, and the roof. We then re-upholstered the headliner to finish off the clean interior look. Occupants are now able to carry on a normal conversation, and if they don’t want to, the Alpine stereo with iPod control and new speakers will keep the peace.

(Photos courtesy of Jason Deymonaz)

Columbia Rovers and Wilwood Engineering recently teamed up to design and manufacture the FIRST EVER Wilwood brake kit for the new Range Rover Sport and LR3.  The kit includes red or black 6 piston calipers and 16” rotors for both front and rear axles.

(Columbia Rovers/Wilwood brakes)

Weighing in at nearly 6000 pounds, the hefty Sport struggles to reign in the speed delivered by the supercharged Jaguar motor.  Adding larger diameter wheels only exacerbates the problem.  Installing the Wilwood brake kit on our Supercharged Sport yielded a noticeable increase in brake grip and stopping distance.

(Stock brakes)

More to come as we finalize pricing and testing on our exclusive Wilwood brake package.

Columbia Overland is proud to announce the opening of its location in Bend, Oregon. Columbia Overland specializes in Land Rover, Toyota Truck and Jeep service, as well as accessories. They offer a revolutionary approach to your independent service facility. Their clean and welcoming facility sits on ¾ acres, is fully fenced and secure. They provide a free car wash with every service, comfortable waiting area with entertainment and complimentary refreshments and Wi-Fi.

Columbia Overland is an environmentally friendly facility that reduces waste, recycles packaging and fluids, and utilizes 100% wind power. They are the exclusive distributor in the northwest for BajaRacks and Campaign Furniture Company, as well as carrying a full line of ARB accessories, Odyssey batteries and an array of rooftop tents catering to the Overlanding lifestyle. Additionally, they design and manufacture accessories for Land Rovers, Toyota Trucks and other vehicles.

Please visit them today at 2422 NE 2nd Street in Bend, Oregon. Their hours are Monday-Friday 8am-6pm and Saturday 9am-1pm. Phone: 541.728.0625. Let their friendly, knowledgeable and passionate staff help you get ready for your next adventure. You can also visit them online at ColumbiaOverland.com.

In an announcement from ARB, they will be releasing a more modern looking winch bumper for 1985 and newer Defenders. Here is the release from ARB:

ARB 4×4 accessories is happy to announce a completely new design Land Rover Defender winch bumper that offers a more modern style but still retains traditional ARB strength and function. Although similar in appearance to a Sahara bar, the winch bumper features no option for fog lights or the alloy center tube. 

Unlike ‘traditional’ Land Rover bars, the new bar incorporates recessed Hi-Lift jacking points and integrated tow points along with upswept stepped wings, giving a more aggressive look. Due to variations that are found in individual vehicles, the mounting system has been redesigned to enable the fitter to position the bar in the best possible position before final assembly. 

Although designed primarily for 2009 on models, the bar will fit all Defenders from 1985 on.
Features:
• 2x Hi-Lift jacking points in the center pan
• Integrated tow point in Hi-Lift jack recess
• Factory style jack mounts in the center pan
• Fits 800 & 900 Series IPF lights
• 2x aerial mounts on outer wing panels
• Fits Warn winch models M12000, XDC9500, XP9500, XD9000

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This bumper will be available late September 2010 according to ARB. If you are interested, you can special order this product through Columbia Rovers, and Columbia Overland. Please visit us at www.columbiarovers.com and www.columbiaoverland.com for more information.

Columbia Rovers now offers proprietary Top Hat Liner engines for Discoveries and Range Rovers from 1987 to 2004. The conventional steel liner/aluminum block design was prone to failure. The aluminum block expands and allows the steel sleeve to move vertically with the pistons, thus pounding on the sleeve pedestal and resulting in a “dropped liner.” Once this has occurred, hydrocarbons are allowed to enter the coolant system, causing the vehicle to overheat and the coolant to pressurize above the engineered PSI specification.

(Standard block)

A Top Hat Liner incorporates a lip into the cylinder sleeve that rests on a specially machined ledge at the block’s deck. Thus the liner is locked into place and will not move vertically, even under intense heat. We are able to configure a variety of displacements with our engine blocks.

(Top Hat Liner block)

Customers may opt for a factory replacement 4.0 or 4.6, or push the displacement all the way to 5.0L. We are also able to spec high-flow cylinder heads, high performance camshafts, and other performance modifications at the time of the engine build. Please call or email if you are interested in a Columbia Rovers Top Hat Liner Engine.

This weekend will mark the 34th annual All British Field Meet at Portland International Raceway. Join us at the car show to celebrate Land Rover, and everything British motoring has to offer on Saturday, September 4 from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm. Columbia Rovers will be CLOSED on Saturday so our employees can attend. We will also be CLOSED on Monday, September 6 in observance of Labor Day. For more information about the ABFM and to register your vehicle, please visit www.abfm-pdx.com. Hope to see everyone out there!

When you purchase the first model year of a vehicle, your options for aftermarket accessories are limited. One of our customers contacted us for this very reason. He bought his 2010 Land Rover LR4, and wanted to put an ARB bumper on. The only problem is that ARB doesn’t make a front bumper for the LR4. The team at Columbia Rovers didn’t hesitate to take on the challenge.

They needed a starting point, and that starting point was an ARB bumper meant for an LR3. The challenge was that with a makeover of the front bumper, grill and valance for the LR4, it is drastically different than the LR3. The team started by trimming the fender flares so they would meet at the bottom of the headlights.

To fill the now visible gap on the truck, the team fabricated a trim piece to fill the gap between the headlights and the top of the bumper. The biggest gap needed to fill was three inches. The team welded on the trim piece, and painted it too match the bumper.

Next, the team needed to replace all hardware that goes into the stock LR4 bumper to align with the new LR3 bumper. This included the headlight spray nozzles, fog lights, as well as replacing the LR4 washer fluid reservoir with an LR3 reservoir. Along with replacing the hardware, the team had to hard wire the running lights and turn signals that were in the bumper, to the electrical system on the truck.

The finished product is a one off, one of a kind ARB bumper that was once meant for an LR3, now installed on an LR4. Thank you to Matt, Byron, Ryan and the entire Columbia Rovers team for their hard work, and engineering. Congratulations to Murray for having this one of a kind front bumper on his LR4.

This year, Portland’s All British Field Meet (ABFM) will be celebrating Land Rover. You can do your part to help celebrate the brand we all love. Simply register your Rover into the ABFM, display a Columbia Rover’s sticker, and receive a coupon for $35 off of your next service.

In its thirty-fourth year, the Portland ABFM is a celebration of British motoring. The ABFM features over 800 British vehicles, including motorcycles, and vehicles made from British components. This year’s show is on September 4, 2010 and gates will open at 8 a.m.

To register your Rover, please visit www.abfm-pdx.com. If you have any questions please email cs@columbiarovers.com. We look forward to seeing you at the show!

Cheers!

It was a close call, but the rain stopped just in time for our open house.  Irving was blocked off and both sides of the street were packed with Land Rovers and a few other special guests.  Thank you to all of our customers and friends that came out to enjoy the day with us!

We successfully raised $544 for Rose Haven Women’s Shelter.  The proceeds were used to purchase much needed hygiene items for the shelter.  Volunteers from Rose Haven, Ellen and Cheryl (Brent’s mom), were on hand from Rose Haven to accept the donation at the end of the day.

A big THANK YOU to the following sponsors for kindly donated prizes for the raffle:  ARB USA, Baxter’s Auto Parts, NAPA Auto Parts, SPOT, and Lucky Lab Brewery.