Maintenance Search, DC area

[Dick Quirk]

We have a '78 Newell and live in the DC area. I am looking for a maintenance company (or companies) to (1) Conduct a preventative maintenance program for the vehicle components (brakes, steering, running gear), (2) Do body work and paint (corrosion on skin and underlying steel), and (3) Provide preventative maintenance on the Detroit 6V92 engine(without excluding me from the work area as the Baltimore based Detroit company does). I'd appreciate any leads.
Thanks,
Dick Quirk

[TechTalk]

Our recommendation was going to be pretty easy--go to the nearest Detroit Diesel distributor (not a dealer, as distributors have more expertise and parts). However, then we noticed your requirement to remain in the work area. While we allow this in the Newell Service Department due to the specialized nature of the operation and customers, it is unusual for a shop, and generally not a very good idea, to allow customers in the work area. If you can tolerate not "helping" with the work, we suggest the most convenient Detroit Diesel distributor for chassis work. Otherwise, you might have to come to Oklahoma. Body and paint work is another issue. There is a wide range of quality levels. Done correctly, this is labor intensive and expensive. Done inexpensively, it is often not done to a high quality standard. We have recently organized a paint and body section of our factory Service Department, removing this work from the group that had primary responsibility for new production. As a result, we are doing a much larger volume of paint work and body repair for our owners. You might want to contact Jerry Allen, the Newell customer paint shop manager, toll-free at 1-888-3NEWELL to discuss your needs. The work would be done right.