Current Owner: Tom Partridge, Darlington
Previous Owner(s): Martin Reade
When bought by Tom Partridge (04/03) it had been off the road for a year, and required TLC to brakes etc. He intended to use the vehicle whilst completing restoration of a Morris Minor, and then transfer his attentions to the LR.
Close inspection of this vehicle shows a possible anomaly — it would appear to have been a soft-top from new, but there is no sign of the double holes on the lower body sides that would have held the station board. However, under the paintwork on the doors can be read 'HOME OFFICE FIRE SERVICE TRAINING CENTRE'. As the station was signwritten, would it perhaps have not been fitted with boards? [See also note on SXF576]
Tom has further written to say that, after contacting Brett Clayton (who had a Fire Service Series One featured in LRM Oct03), it would appear that SXF 100 to (possibly) 114 were all issued to the Home Office Fire Service Training Centres, which were at Morton-in-Marsh (now the Fire Service College), and Washington Hall, Lancs (now Lancashire Fire Brigade Training Centre). There was also an additional facility with the Army at Devizes in Wiltshire.
According to the info given to Tom from DVLA, this is where the first civilian owner of 105 was located, so he reckons that his vehicle was stationed there. However, according to the info he's been given, all Fire Vehicles were sold through Central Vehicle Auctions in Ruddington, Notts until the mid 1980's, but he thinks 105 slipped the net. It was designated CC (which is Command Car), which means it may have been fitted with Radio, explaining the visible holes in the rear tub.
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Pictured together with SXF 870 at the 2003 Masham Steam Rally.
In November 2020 Tom supplied the picture at the top, and wrote:
SXF105 has been undergoing surgery at my own hand! Started off needing a replacement rear cross member as the previous owner had fitted a S2 one some 20 years ago — it all looked fine but I noticed what I thought was a little crack... turned out it wasn't welded across the top as they had not removed the body, so it had started to crack the side welds!
So new cross member from Radfords and body off..... as is always the case, it turned out to be much worse than expected and I had to remake about 18" of chassis, new springs, rebuilt rear axle, chassis re-painted all the way up to the bulkhead, lots of leaks fixed and mountings replaced!
Almost finished now — its back together... just needs the hood on and a little weight in it, then tighten up all the suspension nuts and bolts! Seats have just come back from recovering —need to fit them too! A few years and I will strip the front out to match the back!
Glad to see that offside front wing now matches the other. Tom also sent me some pics of interesting modifications that had been made to the car in the past — the driver's side door latch plate had been bent and re-positioned on the centre bulkhead, and the fuel tank lid had been divided in two with a hinge.
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My theory (for what it's worth)... did a former owner fit a different seat (now removed) which needed these mods? I also found that back in my archive I had a photo of the Ministry of Supply underbonnet plate, and one of the infamous (cos no-one seems to know what the significance was!) stencilling on the underside of the bonnet — note the appearance of B399 on both:
Tom, however, debunks my theory, saying: I think the mod was something to do with whatever kit they fitted in the back — perhaps an extra tool, or other equipment didn't quite fit! Whilst I had the tub off the 3 floor supports were full — and I mean absolutely full — of very dry sand, so at some point in its life its been in sand! Desert perhaps?
Now that would be interesting.
[To add (or alter) information on this page, please contact me on sxf@teeafit.co.uk.]
I am pretty sure the seats that are in it are the originals. Martin [Reade] says it always had them in and there was only one other owner between it being discharged from Home Office and Martin. Same goes for the tank mod — always been there as far as we can tell. Maybe we need a trip to the Home Office records and find out who B399 was and what mods they did to these vehicles...... be interesting to see if any others in the run 100 to 110 have anything similar.
