|
|
Owner Richard Lines, Aberdeenshire
Fitted with a Turner Diesel engine, No 6.155.3L3C. Original engine was 11170366.
 |
 |
The 3-cylinder Turner diesel engine was offered as an after-market replacement engine in the 1950s, when Rover had yet to develop a diesel of their own. This one would have been fitted later, as the vehicle would have had the conventional 1997cc petrol engine when in Home Office service. Richard Lines is a great Turner fan.
In January 2012, Channel 4 television broadcast a documentary 'The Great Train Robbery's Missing Mastermind?', which investigated the possibility that one of the UK's biggest robberies may have had inside information. It's been reported to me that "One clip showed SXF590 (a soft-top LR) arriving at Leatherslade Farm as part of the police investigation in 1963. It had a lot of script on the side panel, but impossible to read what it was."
Richard Lines replied (Sept 2012):
My understanding is that it was bought at the ministry sales by Kent County Council so I would think that is is the script on the doors.
As it happens I'm currently working on SXF590. Having bought an Ashcroft High Ratio kit some 3 years ago I've finally gotten around to fitting it. It isn't a complete kit, which is irritating to say the least, as the transfer box output shaft has to be removed which requires two bearings not supplied in the kit. Of course I found this out after I had started and had to wait 2 1/2 days for a supplier to get the bearings to me. The case supplied also has the later drain plug hole as well.
I can tell you that fitting the engine wasn't straight forward. It has an LR notation leading you to think it should bolt on to the gearbox and fit first time. I had to remove the flywheel from the 2 cylinder I have to make it fit in the end. I will be grinding the top webs off the front differential housing to give the sump some clearance once I've re-fitted the gearbox. I had a leak in the gearbox at the bell housing/gearbox mating face and took the bellhousing off having undone the layshaft nut by hand (so much for 75lbft!).
I still have to remove the rear silencer/back box section of the exhaust and get somebody to plasma cut one end off so we can drag the wadding out as it offers too much resistance as is.
At Chepstow, 2008 |
Looking through my photo files I came across this one — 590 is on the extreme left of this (posed) picture of a CD unit deployed. The year is unknown and I'm afraid I can't credit the photographer or archive.
Sadly, SXF590 was severely damaged in a fire at Richard's home in May 2019, along with a number of other classic cars (and rare) Land-Rovers, including a very early mobile welder. Mercifully, there was no injury or loss of life in the fire, and we wish Richard and Kate all the very best as they recover from this upset.
 |
 | |
 |
 |
Richard's plans for the possible resurrection of the Land-Rovers is not yet known, but clearly it will be a very complex job. 590 has been officially scrapped, but he has kept some of the bits that weren't completely destroyed — whether or not there will ever be a 'Son of SXF590' is way down on his list of proprities at the moment. The barn is being rebuilt as a modern steel-framed building, half for his Land-Rovers and half for Kate's horses.
[To add (or alter) information on this page, please contact me on sxf@teeafit.co.uk.]