Timerline Dodge Closing

[mad0953]

Bad news today: Saw this on the list of Doge dealerships to be closed. Anybody know anything more?

TIMBERLINE DODGE INC DBA TIMBERLINE CHRYSLER JEEP DODGE 42184 DTCJ
2406 N E SANDY BLVD
PORTLAND, OR 97232-2399
ARTHUR A LAWS

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[Martin]

I just left a message for Russ over there. It's definitely coming as a surprise to them because when I talked to him a few days ago, he said that everyone in Detroit that they were talking with had assured them that they weren't on the list. Not good - they have the best Viper tech around...

 

[JonB]

TIMBERLINE RALLY SAT 5/16 11am-12noon

Bring your Viper for a horn-honking rallye and some local press, to help them in the Appeal.

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Hello PartsRack, and VCA Members

I'm sorry about the short notice.

Timberline customers have organized a rally to support Timberline on Saturday 5/16 at 11:00 AM. This is expected to last approximately 45 minutes. The public is encouraged to come.

Hope to see you there!

Timberline Dealerships
2406 NE Sandy Blvd.
Portland, OR 97232
503-234-0771
800-888-6241

PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE Timberline Chrysler Dodge Jeep Sprinter
(c) 2009 Timberline Dealerships

 

[Rollin4]

To all Chrysler dealers good luck with your appeals.

 

[rcl4668]

TIMBERLINE RALLY SAT 5/16 11am-12noon

Bring your Viper for a horn-honking rallye and some local press, to help them in the Appeal.

----------------

Hello PartsRack, and VCA Members

I'm sorry about the short notice.

Timberline customers have organized a rally to support Timberline on Saturday 5/16 at 11:00 AM. This is expected to last approximately 45 minutes. The public is encouraged to come.

Hope to see you there!

Timberline Dealerships
2406 NE Sandy Blvd.
Portland, OR 97232
503-234-0771
800-888-6241

PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE Timberline Chrysler Dodge Jeep Sprinter
(c) 2009 Timberline Dealerships

Jon --

I couldn't make the rally today but would be very interested in whatever ideas Alex Laws and the folks at Timberline have for public support to reverse this decision. This is a great dealership with highly qualified Viper techs.

/Rich

 

[Martin]

Jon --

I couldn't make the rally today but would be very interested in whatever ideas Alex Laws and the folks at Timberline have for public support to reverse this decision. This is a great dealership with highly qualified Viper techs.

/Rich

I was talking with them, and one of the things that will be REALLY helpful is to contribute to their letter writing campaign. They're going to hand-deliver customer letters to detroit next week. I'm going write about how I've built a relationship with the folks at Timberline for over 15 years, I've bought many cars from them, and I go back to them for a reason. Their customer service is great, the quality of work is outstanding, and I TRUST THEM. I've 'tested the waters' at a few other dealerships in the area and, frankly, I can't understand why Timberline got on that list and those others didn't. There must have been some sort of subjective error in putting them on the list, and we as customers would love to give Chrysler the opportunity to correct that error before it's too late. I as one will not buy anther Chrysler product from another one of those dealerships. And, not sure that it matters to Chrysler or not, but if I can't get my sold-order ACR through Timberline as per the purchase agreement, I may just cancel that order and take my chances in re-ordering the car when the 'new Viper owners' take over.

Another thing to do is dial into the Lars Larson national broadcast - he's putting up a fight for Timberline and the more people that call to express their outrage at this stupid decision the better...

 

[ASPIRATIONS]

Martin,
Looks like you will not have to worry about cancelling your order,Dodge probably did it for us..


Originally Posted by Yellow32
Of the dealers I have spoken with this week all Viper orders not currently in physical production have been cancelled.

Given that, all you can do is hope the Viper is resumed under new management and orders are again being taken.

Yellow,
Does that mean that if your car is in D1 status or beyond it will be built after the BK proceedings.?
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Yesterday, 11:02 PM #9

Yellow32

VCA Member





Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: texas
Posts: 507





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Re: When is the last year of the viper officially?
Aspirations,

I would recommend checking with your dealer to see if your order has been cancelled or not.

I am not certain what "status code" was used for the cut off.

The dealers I spoke with basically said if the car was not already "rolling down the assembly line" its order has been cancelled. Not sure what 'status' that would be.

-J
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'01 Blue/Sapphire ACR + Track Extras

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[ASPIRATIONS]

What a total screw-up from Chrysler....First we were screwed on ordered 08s when they offered them for free..then duped into ordering 09s when they knew they probably couldnt/wouldnt make them...Thanks Dodge for the 1K rebate to get someone else to order your crap too...Iam done...after I sell my car its on to something else...
I do really feel sorry for the dealers who are the collateral damage in this mess....They had to try to sell poor product with poor upper management... Rant OVER

 

[Martin]

Hmm..... That is actually good news for me. My car was just about to go to Prefix right before the shut-down so I might just have a rare one. From what I've heard, mine is the only GTS Blue ACR with the black center band. Apparently there were a couple others ordered with stripes - but no other 'standard' GTS Blue ACRs...

I also heard that yours was supposed to be built, too. I heard they ran SSG cars right before they ran a few GTS Blue ones.

 

[Bobpantax]

Since it appears unlikely that the new Chrysler will continue Viper production if the Viper Enterprise is not sold to a third party and will definitely not continue Viper production if the Viper Enterprise is sold to a third party, whether or not a dealership gave great service to Viper owners in the past is probably meaningless data to the "people" who determined what dealerships would continue under the new Chrysler. Also, with the cancellation of the current SRTTE dates ( Homestead Speedway on 5/22 was just cancelled), the future of SRT itself may be the subject of current discussions. The bottom line is that I doubt that any data pertaining to the performance side of the old chrysler has much meaning to the number crunchers and bureaucrats who made the decision regarding which dealers were to survive. Sorry to sound negative but reality is reality.

 

[Martin]

Since it appears unlikely that the new Chrysler will continue Viper production if the Viper Enterprise is not sold to a third party and will definitely not continue Viper production if the Viper Enterprise is sold to a third party, whether or not a dealership gave great service to Viper owners in the past is probably meaningless data to the "people" who determined what dealerships would continue under the new Chrysler. Also, with the cancellation of the current SRTTE dates ( Homestead Speedway on 5/22 was just cancelled), the future of SRT itself may be the subject of current discussions. The bottom line is that I doubt that any data pertaining to the performance side of the old chrysler has much meaning to the number crunchers and bureaucrats who made the decision regarding which dealers were to survive. Sorry to sound negative but reality is reality.

Yeah, the truth is the truth... It is sad, but there is hope. Knowing the guys at this dealership the way I do, and knowing the other dealers in the area, something just really strikes me as odd that Timberline got on the list... I think there's a chance to get them off of it. I'm hoping at least.

 

[KenH]

Here's an opportunity for local Viper owners to help Timberline Dodge.

Timberline has asked the local VCA and all local Viper owners for that matter to attend a Viper Rally on Saturday May 30th or possibly that Sunday if it worked better to get a big turn-out.

If we can get a good headcount going they will bring in the media to cover the event and bring attention to their battle. Vipers always draw a crowd and media exposure is their best weapon.

Timberline has been a great VCA supporter. Their Viper tech crew headed up by Ken Klickman are perhaps the best in the pacific NW. Many local Viper owners won't trust their Vipers to anyone else.

Here's my own example of why I am a Timberline customer. After I received a quote for $1500 from another dealership to put in a new rear differential because of a noise it was making shortly after an oil change I gave Ken Klickman a call. Ken said bring it down and we'll get it taken care of for you. After putting the right fluid in the rear-end with the correct friction modifiers for less than $100 it has been running like a top for the last 5 years or so. They have done all the wrenching on my car since that day except for the stuff I have had the courage to do myself.

If you can make the rally post up here with your name and contact info so that we can get a headcount going. If you know another local owner, give them a call as well. Time and other specifics will be nailed down later, but for now we need to get a headcount going.

If we get enough cars, we could consider some other options. Might be time for JonB to break out the pace car and light bar.

Here are some videos posted by Timberline on their situation.
YouTube - timberlinedodge's Channel

You can also email me at [email protected] or call at 503-620-5730

I'm going to post this on a new thread to give it better visibility.

--- Ken Hahn

 

[rcl4668]

I agree that folks should submit letters to Russ for them to take back to DC. Here is a letter I sent to Russ today which you can use as a template:

May __, 2009


President Barack Obama and the Auto Task Force
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama and Members of the Auto Task Force:

I am writing to urge that Timberline Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Portland, Ore. ("Timberline") be removed from the list of dealers slated for cancellation of their contracts with Chrysler LLC.

Specifically, I have purchased multiple Chrysler vehicles from Timberline and have found their sales and service departments as well as their committment to their community exceptional. In fact, in addition to the fact that Timberlibe is a larger dealer which offers exellent inventory selection and parts support, Timberline employs some of the most highly regarded service technicians in the Pacific Northwest. Further, Timberline is the only major Chrysler Dodge and Jeep dealer located near the urban center of Portland, Ore. and as such it is the only dealership positioned to provide the high level of choice, selection and customer support that a dealership the size of Timberline can offer. Consequently, placing Timberline on the list of dealers slated for cancellation makes no sense from either a business or consumer perspective. Losing Timberline as a dealership would be a major blow to me and other customers in the Pacific Northwest who rely on it for invaluable service and support, not just choice in sales.

The above is my personal perspective as a consumer and customer of Timberline and does not address the other economic and community impacts of not removing Timberline from the list, including but not limited to (1) loss of at least 80 jobs that are vitally needed in these harsh times, and (2) less revenue for Chrysler LLC which needs every bit of support to weather the times ahead. The reality is that cutting Timberline as a dealer would do nothing to make Chrysler more viable but it would negatively impact local customers and the greater community here in the Pacific Northwest at a time when we can least afford it.

Again, I strongly urge you and the Auto Task Force to remove Timberline from the list. Thank you for your attention to this letter.


Sincerely,

 

[Martin]

And, here is one that I sent to Steven Landry at Chrysler:

Mr. Landry,

I recently heard that my local dealership, Timberline Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Sprinter, is scheduled to close because Chrysler is cancelling their franchise agreement. I urge you to please reconsider this decision.

Timberline is the only dealership in the Portland metro area that I do business with - and the only one that I would do business with. I've built a relationship with their staff over the past 15 years, purchased a half dozen vehicles from them, and currently have a Viper ACR on order with them. If it weren't for the trust I have that Timberline will treat their customers right, and be there to help with any problems I have with any of the vehicles I've purchased from them, I likely would have purchased from another manufacturer because no other dealerships in the area have made the kind of effort to earn my business that Timberline has.

I'm a businessman, and I know that drastic things often must happen during a bankruptcy proceeding. I also know very well that mistakes can be made when making difficult decisions - often subjective calls must be made when there aren't enough concrete metrics to allow an easy decision. I believe this is one of those cases, and I urge you to please reconsider the decision regarding Timberline and reverse the proceedings to close them. They have a lot going for them, they do good business, and they have a large and loyal customer base that will not blindly transfer their loyalty to another local Chrysler dealership.

If Timberline closes, not only will jobs be lost, but Chrysler will lose a very large and loyal customer base in the Portland metro area. I'm an active and vocal member of the Viper Club of America, and Timberline is the ONLY dealership in the Portland metro area that we, as a club, trust with our cars. The Viper Club is a very brand-loyal group - and we buy from Timberline because no other dealership in the area has earned our trust the way Timberline has. If Timberline ceases to exist, I expect to see a lot of members looking to other manufacturers for their 'daily driver' and fleet vehicle purchases - not to mention the high-dollar 'toys' that we repeatedly purchase with discretionary assets.

In closing, I hope that you are willing to reconsider your decision to close Timberline. Keeping them open seems to be a 'no brainer' to me, and would be a win-win for Chrysler and your loyal customers. Closing them will only alienate your customer base, and decrease overall marketshare in the Portland metro area.

Best regards,