My name is Rick and I work for Bowetts in Leeds. I would like to say thanks to everyone for the great compliments that I have received.

Just to let everyone know that I am not just some "cowboy" who doesn't give a damn about peoples' "pride and joy". I live and breath Subarus. My wife often tells me that I should have married one rather than her!

As anyone who has been to Bowetts will know, I will always come out of the workshop to have a chat with people and sort out any problems that they may have, or just to give advice etc. As you are probably aware, it is a new dealaship which also does the Saab range and sometimes the "Saab process" does rub off on to Subaru customers. This is a problem area that I am trying to sort out at present, so to any users of Bowetts, please bear with me on that.

I am dyslexic and find forums very hard to deal with, so it is a lot easier for you to contact me by email or phone. I can repair Subarus, build rally and track cars but just can't type quick enough and process the questions quickly enough in a forum or chat room.

I live in the York area and have a unit nearby, so if anyone wants to come and see me to have a chat about anything, please do send me an email.

A big thank you once again for your comments and hopefully I may get to meet some of you soon.

Happy Motoring!!!

 

I try and avoid the customers in our reception...They usually want to shout at someone

 

Had noone shout at me yet, I try and not let it get that far.

 

We average 30 to 50 customers a day, get a bit hectic sometimes

 

I can vouch for Rick, he's always been extremely helpful at Bowett's subtle touches such as giving you the oil they don't use the service (how many people do that?!) go along way....oh and a nice shiny radiator the day the warranty runs out.

I've also been up to his workshop at Elvington where he sorted my brakes out a treat (and probably helped saved my life driving over Woodhead Pass and Cat & Fiddle ). He's working on an absolute MONSTER of a Subaru at the moment and I can't wait to see it in action (sometime soon eh Rick?) and I've seen some of the parts going on - should be very special.

He's also got some very special 'ceramic coating stuff' although that's where my technical knowledge of it end

In short he loves Subarus.

Trust we'll be seeing you at the NBO Rick? Come over to the stand and I'll flip you a burger or 2 and we can maybe talk about louder exhaust systems

 

Good evening Rick

And welcome to the WYIOC area, I would not worry about your dyslexia my friend, I sometimes think I must have it along with some others

There has indeed been some favourable comments about bowetts, and your unit sounds like the sort of place I would love to walk around

ceramics hey

 

Food and exhaust sounds like a good recipe to me see you there

 

Thanks for the support, where going to the NBO, and I,ll bring the turbo up pipe done in ceramic to let every one have a look at

 

Saturday,
been to see Rick @ Bowetts.... new tie rod and fitting a.s.a.p. and a WYIOC discount of 10%, still probably need a front wishbone and some whiteline bits, and,and, more, and more....
Dunx

 

Visited Rick @ Bowett's today, got a new tie rod fitted with 10% off the bill, (WYIOC rules!) and at lunch time he took it to his workshop and did a geometry workout, I'm tempted to see how it goes by visiting SMACS.... A really great job by a really nice guy who knows his stuff, even if he did say my brakes are rubbish....

 

Welcome to WYIOC and SNet Rick. May have a chat with you about UP's, DP's, VF35's, injectors and fuel pumps soon I'm feeling the need

 

Happy to see that you were looked after Duncan.

I'll drop some WYIOC flyers in next time I'm passing

Will be doing the same on Thursday down at St Ledger (Technically South Yorks, but near enough )

 

The need to spend,
oh I men't to say for speed

 

Thank Dunx
Just made an observation on the brakes as a safety aspect , hope the car drives ok
Cheers Rick

 

just had quote for first service (1000 miles) from bowetts £190 plus vat dont think so will not be paying this without vat for a service what a joke

 

what does the 1000 mile sevice consist of ?

 

just had my 10000 mile service at r n goldern it cost£173 all in so i dont know where they got £190 from, are you sure it wasnt for a 10000 mile service? im sure i only paid £42 for my 1000 mile service.

 

The 1k is just to drop out the p!ss thin running in oil and IIRC is usually free. If the car was bought from Bowetts then express your frustrations at them supplying a car with unsuitable oil for continued use and using this as an opportunity to effectively extort more money from you. State that you will be contacting IM if they insist on charging for this essential service and that their attitude has put you in doubt of ever using them for future work. They usually bend Do remember though that under EU law, your warranty is perfectly safe if you get the car serviced at any VAT registered garage whom have the necessary skills to complete the work, use OE quality parts or better and do all the required work stated in the service schedule.

 

yep b8ste i actually rang them back after digesting first load of crap and was quoted exactly the same

 

hi corradoboy no my imprezza is a parallel import but still cant se this price robinsons of rochdale quoted £145 all in and is also a very nice drive over saddleworth moor (from hx area ) so is nearly worth it

 

Monty's charged me £47.51 for my 1000 mile service. The labour was free, I only paid for oil, gasket sump*MOQ=50* and oil filter.

 

hi wrx300scooby sounds good is yours uk or import either way have you there adress only asking in case subaru uk are financing labour on uk cars (as if they would) thanks steve.

 

Has anyone else let Rick loose on their cars geometry ?
How did you rate it ?
I'm "resting" for financial reasons, but on the run home from Bowetts I had a BIG oversteer moment into a ninety right.... seemed a bit too easy to provoke, not sure I want to emulate Mr. McRae on the way home every night ! Answers on a post card to Alton Cars ?????
Please any feedback gratefully received, hope to be mobile again in a while,
Dunx

 

My car used to oversteer, not any more...



Set up by Stuart Tams with AST coilovers, Whiteline 22mm rear adjustable ARB and solid link.

 

Dunx, do you mean you actually binned it, or is the Alton Cars reference there as a light hearted point, and it was just a 'close one'?

 

Hi shooter, my car is a UK model. Montys are situated opposite Hillsborough Football Club about 1/2 mile towards town centre. Tel: 0114 221 4333
Fax: 0114 221 4343 are the numbers.

 

Mine used to seriously drift to the left got to the point where I was having to really compensate to keep it in a straight line. Rick did mine down at Bowetts in December and it's been fine ever since.

 

Sorry, a bit rushed earlier, missed Alton Cars by a narrow drystone walls width, it just seemed too easy to get, VERY sideways, rather quick for my tired old reactions.... Thanks to Corradoboy for the spec, sadly Rick's set-up is a trade secret, So can't compare unless I find a cheap place to check it and get a print out.... Will have to wait till I get some money to get back on the road ! Yours in a pedestrian styleee....

 

P.S. Should I try a more neutral set-up with a 22mm or 24mm rear ARB, solid drop links and an anti-lift kit on the front ??????

 

I have the 22mm bar set to its stiffest and my driving style could probably justify the 24mm. Of course, the stiffer the car is the more is required of the tyres lateral grip, so you may exaggerate the problem unless the geometry is set up to suit. Even more so with the ALK. The geo must be set up by someone whom fully understands the reason for fitting it and what it is meant to achieve.