Ford Servicing in North London.
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ALARGE and well-equipped depot for the sale and servicing of all types of Ford vehicle has been opened by W. Harold Perry at Ballard's Lane, North Finchley, London, N.12. The new premises are known as the Invicta Works. They cover some two acres of ground and cost 125,000 to build.
The. servicing department can deal with 30 vehicles at a time, and the stock of spare parts is valued at between 11,000 and 15,000. Even at the smaller works, which have now beep vacated, the sales of spare parts amounted to 11,500 per month, and this will certainly be considerably augmented in the future. It is interesting to note that of this amount 1,800 per month are sold from a spares van which tours the district.
Apart from the work which is being undertaken for ordinary users, special attention will be paid to the requirements of the trade, and the overhauling of units as well as of complete vehicles will be undertaken for it.
In addition to supplying standard Ford vehicles, special bodies can be built for all trades for those people who demand more than is provided by the standard vehicle. Such bodies must necessarily be more expensive than those of standard type. In this connection it is interesting to note that 95 per cent, of the G.P.O. vans have been built by W. Harold Perry, who also supplied the whole of the Birmingham G.P.O.
fleet of 62 vehicles. The bodies are most carefully constructed and are thoroughly examined by G.P.O. inspectors before being panelled or painted. Actually -over 200 were supplied last year, and orders for 143 have already been met this year. The coachbuilding department is well equipped with face mills for planks, band saws, circular saws, mortising and tenoning machines and other fine up-to-date tools. The paint shop has a capacity for some eight vehicles at a time, and the work is carried out in a most thorough manner, vans such as that illustrated receiving approximately 14 coats in all. After painting they pass into a drying room, which is specially heated by hot-water radiators.
The new premises have an imposing frontage and, on entering, one passes first through a capacious showroom which, at the rear, is flanked on the right side by offices; behind this is a large shop, 286 ft. long and 100 ft. wide, the forward portion of which forms the servicing department, and the end that for bodybuilding. All parts of the works are excellently lighted.