pbhawkin wrote:

Hi Dingmark,
I was in Dubbo last week and saw your car on a hoist...NO they weren't doing any work on it!
I am surprised by how close Maya Gold is to Atacama Sand!...very nice anyway.
Paul the service manager, said they were still waiting on parts!

Peter

Peter,

Thanks much for the independent assessment of the status of my D3. It's reasurring that what you said exactly confirms what I've been told by the dealer. Did you get a chance to see the damaged items?

To give the dealer credit, they've been doing an excellent job of keeping me informed as to why work wasn't progressing. Even to the extent of 7pm phone calls (their time). There've been several instances of wrong parts in the correct box (since my D3 is a V8, the brakes are bigger which changes everything and it is unusual). I did tell them on 10 Jan when it arrived unannounced on their driveway that (a) I would rather they fix is properly the first time than quickly, and (b) I wouldn't be able to return to pick it up until Easter. Both requests are (hopefully) becoming reality. I'm rather used to these problems, as a project manager of offshore gas developments. It never ceases to amaze me that someone can put the wrong $1 million part in a box and send it to an offshore location where the ultimate re-install costs another $2 million, but it's sadly pretty common. Dubbo is as far down the world's distribution chain as is Perth (as no doubt Mudegee, so the same problem always arises. However, the Dubbo dealer is much better at pre-emptively and honestly keeping me informed than do offshore kit providers.

I'm planning to pick the D3 up with my 22 yr old neurotic daughter (isn't that an unusual mix of characteristics?) the Thursday before Easter and head off to Coffin Bay Nat'l Park and Cape Arid Nat'l Park (WA - 200 km East of Esperance) so I really do hope that the fix is perfect. I may not use the parking brake much on this trip, though "just in case" I also can only fathom what a 220 litre fill of Premium Unleaded on the Nullabor costs. I'm in the oil business but it still hurts.

I agree with your assessment of the colour. I bought the D3 despite the colour as I initially thought it a bit "Hong Kong-ish", but it has grown on me. Particularly in WA it blends in very nicely with our (lack of?) vegetation.