Lents Body Shop supports Oregon History Museum’s one of a kind experience: Pedal to the Metal: Oregon Motorsports Tradition
At Lents Body Shop we are committed to supporting Oregon’s rich automobile history. This year we are proud supporters of the Oregon History Museum’s Pedal to the Metal exhibit; which runs from May 29 through September 2, 2011 at the Oregon History Museum.
For more information on the event, here is a copy of the OHM’s event press release.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rachel Butler, 503.306.5221, Rachel.Butler@OHS.org
Additional: Jim Beriault – (503) 968-6806, jb@b5pr.com
Historic race cars drive into the Oregon History Museum for a one-of-a kind experience: Pedal to the Metal: Oregon Motorsports Tradition
May 29 – September 4, 2011
Portland, OR – May 3, 2011— It’s the summer of the automobile in the Portland Park Blocks, and the Oregon History Museum is ready! The Oregon History Museum has created Pedal to the Metal, an original exhibit about Oregon’s motorsport history. Pedal to the Metal will explore Oregon’s contribution to automobile design through its rich history of race car builders and drivers who dedicated their lives to this iconic sport. Never before have so many Oregonian owned race cars, motorcycles and engines been staged in one place at one time!
See Pedal to the Metal May 29 through September 4th at the Oregon History Museum.
“OHS is bringing the automobile design theme across the Park Blocks and making a wonderful connection to Oregon by showcasing race cars of many shapes and sizes which were designed, built or driven by Oregonians,” said Interim Executive Director, Kerry Tymchuk.
In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Indy 500, and in collaboration with the Portland Art Museum’s Allure exhibit, Pedal to the Metal commemorates the rich history of racing in Oregon, and will showcase a breathtaking display of race cars, motorcycles, and engines. Video footage, photographs, memorabilia, and eye catching wall graphics will provide the context and history for the extraordinary items featured in the exhibit. Never before has this collection of racing history come together in a single exhibition. Exhibit curator Robert Joki has been working with OHS to track down famous race car drivers, builders and enthusiasts to piece together this magnificent show.
A significant portion of this exhibit will highlight Oregon’s connection to the famed Indy 500 by exhibiting Indy Cars that were driven or designed by Oregonians over the years. The exhibit is also a Rose Festival Sanctioned event, and is designed to pair with the Portland Rose Festival’s Rose Cup Race, which will run its 51st race on June 17-19th, 2011.
Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday, Noon to 5:00 p.m. Visit WWW.OHS.ORG for more information.
About the Oregon Historical Society
The Society has served since 1898 as Oregon’s primary research collection and museum about Oregon history. OHS has an extensive collection of historical pieces, including over 85,000 artifacts and 3 million photographs and films. It safeguards and presents Oregon’s history through a museum, research library, traveling exhibits, school programs and website content.
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Preventing Pollution is Everyone’s Business
We use the same care in protecting the environment as we do in servicing your car or truck
Watch those chemicals
We use non toxic cleaners and solvents whenever possible. We also maximize the use of cleaners and fluids before they are recycled. This reduces air and water pollution and is safer for our employees and for you, our customers.
Keeping it clean
We sweep, vacuum and mop floors instead of hosing them down. Wash water can carry pollutants down storm drains and directly into local rivers and streams. We clean up spills immediately.
We clean up
We use chemicals only in designated area. We clean up spills with dry absorbent and dispose of it properly to avoid contamination.
Safe storage
Our shop follows manufacturer’s directions for storage and shelf life of the products we useto service your vehicle. We use only what we need, and we safeguard against leaks and spills.
Recycling makes sense
We reduce, reuse and recycle fluids and solid wastes on our site. Unless you want them, we recycle used parts from your vehicle. We buy recycled office supplies and other material whenever possible.
Practice makes perfect
We train all our employees in good environmental practices. They know storage requirements, spill procedures and potential hazards of materials and practices.
The Eco-Logical seal in our window is your sign that we are doing our best to protect the environment. This extra effort and care might result in slightly higher costs to do the right job for the environment as well as your vehicle. We are one of the shops in this area committed to a cleaner environment.
10 Things to Know Before Having Your Car Repaired
- Your car is the second largest investment you’re likely to make. Preserve its value and your safety by having it repaired professionally.
- Never drive a car that could be unsafe because of damages.
- Some insurance companies may want you to visit their drive-in claims center before having your car repaired. You can do this, or you may leave your car at our shop and ask that the insurance company inspect the car here.
- You are not required by law to obtain more than one estimate or appraisal.
- You have the right to go to the repair shop of your choice. Your insurance company cannot require you to go to a particular shop.
- Differences in repair estimates are common. A lower estimate may not include all necessary work. If you’re not sure why one estimate is different from another you’ve received, please ask us.
- Choose a shop that has the proper unibody equipment and has certified technicians.
- Ask if the shop will be using genuine manufacture replacement parts.
- Ask if the shop offers a lifetime warranty.
- Let us help you negotiate your claim with the insurance company.
Automotive “NESHAP” Paint Tech Training at Lents Body Shop
PRESS RELEASE
JANUARY 15, 2010
AUTOMOTIVE “NESHAP” PAINT TECH TRAINING
HELD AT LENTS BODY SHOP INC.
Twenty-three Portland Oregon area professional automotive painters convened at Lents Body Shop Inc. on January 12, 2010 and received new training required to meet the new EPA air quality standard requirements under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Paint Stripping and Miscellaneous Surface Coating Rule (40 Code of Federal Regulations 63.11169-63.11180), also known as “Surface Coating NESHAP).
Instructor John Edwards stated that those in attendance would receive training certification documentation that must be kept for five years. All employees that will be painting must complete training and certification no later than 180 days after hiring, or no later than January 10, 2011, which ever is later. After initial certification, employees must be re-certified every five years. The rule specifies that hands-on and classroom instruction address (1) Spray gun selection, set up and operation. (2) Paint techniques designed to improve transfer efficiency. (3) Booth and filter maintenance (4) Environmental compliance with the rule.
All collision facilities that paint vehicles are subject to the rule, which is designed to reduce emissions of HAP metals (chromium, lead, manganese, nickel and cadmium) from spray paint operations, and reduce use of methylene chloride paint strippers.
Shops may submit a “Petition of Exemption” to the EPA if they are able to demonstrate their coatings are HAP free. Exceptions must be able to prove they use coatings that do not contain metal HAP’s, or that their paint guns use cups of 3 ounces or less. However, state DEQ regulations must still be met.
The initial notification to the EPA was due January 11, 2010. This provides basic information about the facility. A second “Compliance Certification” is due by March 11, 2011, which states your facility is in compliance with the rule. Lastly, an Annual Notification of Changes Report is due by March 1, as appropriate, which documents any changes that may have occurred during the prior year.
The event was co-sponsored by Lents Body Shop Inc., Industrial Finishes, and by SATA Spray Gun Equipment Company.
We Have Gone Green
Lents Body Shop Inc. proudly announces it is the very first Portland-Vancouver Metro area auto body and paint shop to install the Environmentally Friendly “BASF Glasurit 90 Line Waterborne Paint System”.
“BASF Glasurit 90 Line Waterborne Paint” is an award – winning paint system that dramatically reduces topcoat VOC emissions – close to 90 percent over solvent–borne products. BASF earned the prestigious “Presidential Green Chemistry Award” from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They are the first automotive paint manufacturer EVER to win this coveted honor for using chemistry to significantly reduce pollution.
Serving the Lents Neighborhood since 1968, this shop is committed to being an environmental winner in the auto body collision repair & paint industry. With over 70% of vehicle manufacturers already using waterborne coatings as the original paint finish, they know it only makes sense to utilize the same technologies and refinish procedures as the manufacturer when matching colors on vehicle repairs.
Owner Randy Dagel has built a business that has earned top recognition as a “Certified Eco-logical Automotive Business” by meeting the strict requirements set by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, the City of Portland Environmental Services, and the Oregon Metro Open Spaces program.
Lents Body Shop Inc. has also received the AAA of Oregon “Certificate of Approval” in recognition of superior performance in meeting its customers automotive service needs, and have also earned top recognition as a Gold Class Facility by I-CAR (the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repairs). They are also members of ASA (Auto Service Association), NATA (Northwest Automotive Trades Association), and OCRS (Oregon Collision Repair Specialists).
LENTS BODY SHOP INC. 9038 S.E. FOSTER ROAD, PORTLAND, OREGON 97266
TELEPHONE 503-774-7497 * FAX: 503-774-6118
STATE AIR QUALITY CONTROL REGULATORS TOUR OREGON’S “LENTS BODY SHOP INC.”
PRESS RELEASE: TUESDAY MAY 13, 2008
Lents Body Shop Inc. in Southeast Portland hosted over thirty state air quality regulators from four western states (Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Colorado), so that they might better understand how new federal automotive refinish regulations will impact collision repairers.
Patricia Huback, air toxics coordinator for Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), said the site visit pas part of a training session coordinated by the Western States Air Resources Council (WESTAR).
The four-day educational training was to cover different topics of interest on each day, and one of the issues that is of interest to air quality inspectors nationwide is auto body and paint repair shop.
State agencies are currently developing plans to implement new federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that will require collision shops to meet specific equipment and training requirements.
“There are a lot of inspectors who don’t really know very much about auto body and paint shops, and now, they really need to,” Huback said.
“So, for the site visit portion of the training, I called Randy Dagel at Lents Body Shop to see if he would allow us to visit their shop, because they have gone above and beyond in the past with their environmental compliance”.
Huback said the visit to Lents Body Shop gave the regulators clear information and perspectives beyond classroom theory. It was nice to actually go into a shop and talk to the people working there and find out what issues and concerns they have, she said.
“It was a chance for them to get a real-world view of what the rules mean for collision repair business,” said shop owner Dagel, whose business I marking its 40th year in business.
Under the new EPA regulations, by 2011 shops will be responsible to ensure all painting is done by technicians with hands-on training using high-volume, low pressure (HVLP) spray guns and are also working in compliant paint booths or prep stations. Also, paint gun cleaning must be done with products or solvents that do not contain certain hazardous air pollutants, or are done within a fully enclosed spray gun cleaner.
Lents Body Shop, in fact, is one of the very first Oregon automotive collision repair shops to have earned the “Eco-Logical Business” designation through a program designed by environmental regulators to recognize and promote to consumers businesses that reach the highest standards in minimizing their environmental impact.
Lents Body Shop Inc. is located at 9038 S.E. Foster Road, Portland Oregon, in the heart of the new Lents Town Center.
The Founding History of the Lents Neighborhood Portland, Oregon
by Randy Dagel
Click to Enlarge
Oliver Perry Lent was born near Marietta, Ohio on August 31, 1830. His wife, Martha Almira (Buckley) Lent was born at Parkersburg, Virginia on March 19, 1833 and was left an orphan in her early childhood. They were married in West Virginia in 1851, traveled back to Ohio, and soon thereafter left for California.
During the trip across the plains, the Lents’ initial plans changed, and they instead joined an expedition on the overland trail to Oregon, arriving by oxen team and covered wagon in 1852.
There is an unsubstantiated anecdote of the Lents breaking an axle and suffering irreparable damage to their covered wagon, necessitating the termination of their westward travels on the Oregon Trail. Thereafter, they unloaded their wagon, set up camp, and secured permanent shelter in nearby Richey Valley, which is located approximately ten miles east of Portland.
After having lived in Richey Valley for a short time, Lent received a 320-acre government land claim in the Sycamore area, which is southeast of Mt. Scott. In 1866 he sold this land and purchased a 190-acre farmstead just outside of the Portland city limits called Cason Prairie, named after early pioneer William Cason. This farmstead is where early on Lent became known as an authority on farming and ranching. It is also where they had 12 children, however two sons died of diphtheria in 1863 and one daughter died at childbirth. Much of this farmstead later became the site of the present day Lents Community.
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The naming of the settlement of Lent, Oregon came about by a coin flip between Oliver P. Lent and another early pioneer, William Johnson. Lent won the coin toss, the new post office station was named after Lent, and Johnson was then awarded the naming of the creek that runs through the area, now called Johnson Creek.
From early on, Oliver P. Lent was very involved and contributed much to his church and community. Hard work and steady employment was important to him. Having been trained as a carpenter and stonemason as a young man, he arrived in Portland and secured employment cutting stone block for the old penitentiary near Kelly Butte. He also cut stone for the foundations of the old Portland Courthouse, the Post Office at Sixth & Morrison, the Hawthorne-Prettyman House and numerous other homes and businesses.
Mr. Lent was a leader in business, and in 1883 he operated a sawmill on Johnson Creek near S.E. 92nd Avenue that gave employment to many early settlers. He also held the office of Justice of the Peace, was a Road Supervisor, and several times served as master of the Grange.
Oliver P. Lent also had deep feelings for education. He saw the need of a school for the children of the early settlers, and thereafter donated land opposite his home as the site for one of the first Lent schools, a one-room hewed log cabin. He was also the school director and later was clerk of the school board.
Not far from the schoolhouse, the local Indians had a favorite spot called Indian Rock where they often camped and carried on ceremonial dances. Mrs. Lent often told of how the Indians would come to her back door and ask for milk and eggs. But, said Mrs. Lent, we had a big dog that disliked the Indians, and when they came he would place himself across the doorsill. We would kindly give the Indians what they asked for, but they never once set foot in the house.
The Indian trail that slanted diagonally across the land claims later became known as Foster Road. The early Indians would travel down this trail until it hit the Powell Valley trail (now Powell Boulevard), and from there followed it down to the Willamette River which took them up to Willamette Falls to fish.
Oliver P. Lent and his eldest son George P. Lent were both instrumental in bringing the first steam railway into town, with a “Lent Junction” grand opening celebration held on June 17, 1892. The line initially ran from S.E. 50th and Hawthorne Boulevard south into Lents, and in 1903 it was extended by the Portland Railway Light and Power Company up to the Cazadero Dam being built on the upper Clackamas River.
The Cazadero Dam was being built to generate electric power required to run Portland’s early electric trolley cars. Materials for the building of this dam were carried by rail up to the construction site, and on the return runs it carried produce and cheap cord wood back to Portland. After the dam was completed, the rail line was retrofitted to include transporting passengers. Early Portland citizens often traveled up into the Clackamas River country, which served as a resort and suburban area to the wealthier citizens of the city.
The official town of Lent, Oregon was first platted and registered with the county recorder on August 17, 1892 by George P. Lent, an attorney and the eldest son of Oliver P. and Martha A. Lent. The center of the town was considered to be the main intersections of Foster Road and S.E. 92nd Avenue. On November 5, 1912, with a rapidly growing population, the town of Lent voted to be annexed to the city of Portland. At that time the citizens of Lent, Oregon were all united in saying that there never has been, and never shall be, any saloons in Lents. This distinction was also true because there were nearly a dozen good substantial churches in town representing nearly every religious denomination. Alcohol was not tolerated in a Christian community.
The early town of Lents was a thriving community with a sense of independent spirit amongst the friendly people who lived there. The pioneers who settled this region were strong hearty individuals with a pride of community that still shows through the citizens living there today.
LENTS TOWN CENTER
In the early 1970’s, the historic downtown Lents District and the neighborhood were split in two by the construction of the I-205 freeway, which ran right through the middle of it. Although it had languished for a number of years, it is again showing signs of new revitalization.
In 1998 the City of Portland partnered with the Portland Development Commission and established a 15 year, $75 million dollar urban renewal district.
Its charter is to assist in the development of the Metro 2040 planning of a “Lents Town Center” to be located in the original downtown core area of S.E. 92nd Avenue and Foster Road.
Ten years later, on June 25, 2008, the Portland City Council amended the Lents Town Center Urban Renewal Area boundaries and increased funding by another $170 million dollars for neighborhood improvements.
Copyright ©2011 – All Rights Reserved
The History of Lents Body Shop Inc.
Lents Body Shop was first started in 1968 in the back of a gas station at S.E. 83rd and Foster Road.
The business was initially started by Bill Stephens, who at the time was employed as a painter at Roth and Miller Auto Body & Paint during the day, and was pumping gas at a service station evenings and weekends. While not pumping gas, he started doing small body and paint repairs in the back two service bays.
Shortly thereafter, Al Coyner and Jim Chatelain joined Bill and all three individuals worked collectively together, until business expanded to the point that they officially opened a small independent shop located about 10 blocks away at 9112 SE Woodstock, Portland, Oregon.
Since its location was in the Lents Neighborhood of Portland, Oregon – it was officially named Lents Body Shop.
In 1972, this growing business was incorporated in the State of Oregon, with Bill Stephens as President, Allen Coyner as Secretary/Treasurer, and Jim Chatelain, Vice President.
Business continued to expand, and in July of 1973 they moved again, this time 4 blocks away to a large building located at 8919 S.E. Foster Road.
In addition to customer’s vehicles, they took on insurance work, and added fleet work from new car auto dealers. Continuing to expand, they added truck repairs, and for many years did body repair and paint work for U-Haul.
In late 1973, Al Coyner sold his interest in the company to Bill Stephens, and went to work doing body and paint work for Port Services at the Port of Portland Terminal 4 – doing small repairs on vehicles that had been damaged in transit. However after a short time, he started Coyner’s Auto Body and Paint in St. Johns, Oregon. His son Mike Coyner took over in 1996 and ran the operation until November 2010, when they sold the business.
In 1975, Jim Chatelain also sold his business interest to Bill Stephens, leaving Bill the sole shareholder and owner – operator of Lents Body Shop Inc.
Bill Stephens then managed the business himself, with several employees under him doing the actual auto body and paint repairs.
On January 2, 1979, Randy Dagel was hired as the general manager of Lents Body Shop Inc. – as Bill Stephens had purchased and was operating St. Helens Auto Wrecking in North Portland.
Randy Dagel had moved to Portland from Springfield, Oregon where he previously was employed at Acme Body & Fender – a Porsche and BMW specialty shop. Prior to that, Randy worked at Deano’s Custom Auto Painting in Coquille, Oregon, at Lounsbury Ford in Coquille, Oregon, and for one year at G & G Auto Body in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Randy learned auto body and painting in 1970 –1972 in Northwest Iowa Vocational School in Sheldon, Iowa. That school is now Northwest Iowa Community College. During his Junior and Senior High School years, Randy attended half days there and half days at Sibley Iowa High School, during which time he also worked swing shift in a dairy creamery, Associated Milk Products Inc.
August 1980 found Lents Body Shop Inc. moving operations once again – this time 4 blocks up the street to 8530 S.E. Foster Road.
Randy Dagel continued employment as general manager of Lents Body Shop Inc., and on January 15, 1985 he bought out Bill Stephen’s interest in the company and became the sole shareholder.
NEW STATE OF THE ART COLLISION REPAIR FACILITY
After outgrowing the location at 85th and Foster, it became necessary to find a new home for the company.
Several neighborhood properties were scrutinized, until a dream location came up for sale just 5 blocks away — and in 1999 – a brand new state of the art collision repair facility was built at 9038 S.E. Foster Road – in the heart of the new Lents Town Center Urban Renewal District.
Lents Body Shop Inc. continues to specialize in collision damaged auto body and paint repairs for cars, pickups, and vans.
