Classic Land Rover 2018-03 PDF

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MAKING
TRACKS
Driving a IIA 88in
Cuthbertson Land Rover’s 1948
Launch Model
Rediscovered
SPECIAL ISSUE
March 2018
£4.50
WORKING LAND ROVERS Pick-ups and Vans

JAN 2017 £4.40
ExmoorTrim.indd 1 17/01/2018 11:44
FROM THE EDITOR
MARCH 2018
JUST THE WORKING LIFE

“Over the
I
am of the opinion that one reason conversions to Land Rovers but such things
that Land Rovers are ingrained in the started on Land Rovers like the Series One decades this
British psyche is because of their role and continued into the coil-sprung utility reputation
as working vehicles. Sure, explorers and Land Rovers long after the demise of the has been
authors have given them a star quality
but it’s the working vehicles of farmers
Series Two. That’s why in this issue, we
have a selection of conversions as well
subtly
and soldiers, and all sorts in between, as pick-ups especially designed for hard endorsed by
that have built their reputation as tough work such as a IIA One-Ton and a Series III specialist
machines that get the job done because Hi-Cap alongside everyday working Land conversions”
of their ubiquity. Over the decades, this Rovers.
reputation has been subtly endorsed by
specialist conversions especially those Enjoy the issue,
made to the IIA models. These made the
Land Rover into the vehicular equivalent
of the Swiss Army Knife so there was
EDITOR JOHN CARROLL
seemingly no job it couldn’t do with the john.carroll@keypublishing.com
addition of a power take-off.
The production run of the Series PS - Don't forget to look at CLR's classified ads
IIA may have been the golden age of online at www.classiclandrover.com
John Carroll Garry Stuart Martin Port Kate Russell

Editor John has owned leaf- Photographer Garry Stuart has Regular contributor Martin Kate, who now owns a 109in
sprung Land Rovers continuously been photographing Land Rovers, Port is the art editor of Classic Series IIA camper, does the sub-
since 1985 and now has a small and plenty of other things with and Sports Car magazine and editing and a lot of the behind-
collection that covers Series One, engines, for decades and is the owner of a former Trans-Africa the-scenes work on Classic Land
IIA and III models owner of a Series III 88in expedition Series II 88in Rover magazine
Steve Donovan Emrys Kirby Louise Limb Ros Woodham

Art editor Steve is deeply Knowledgeable contributor Emrys Louise is well known around Contributor Ros now has two
immersed in all things fifties so has his own collection of Land the club scene as an illustrator, Land Rover Santana classics,
needed little encouragement to Rovers and is immersed in the club photographer and writer enjoys overland travel and takes
work on CLR beyond a sunny scene which makes him an ideal and you'll frequently see her great pictures, so she's most
greenlaning weekend in Wales member of the team scribbling away at events definitely one of us
Luke Want Clare Westbrook Vicky Turner Ian Clegg

Luke is new to the CLR team. Writer Clare has been using Vicky Turner is the latest Photographer and designer Ian
Having worked on another Key Nellie, her Series IIA 88in with a addition to the CLR team Clegg is gradually sorting through
title, he is the perfect addition to 200Tdi engine, as daily transport as the magazine's Editorial the files of his 1980s B&W
deal with our advertisers and their for the past decade and has now Assistant. She's the owner of a negatives for the regular and
specific needs bought two classic Range Rovers 88in IIA Searle Safari Sleeper nostalgic Memory Lane feature
Copies of Classic Land Rover can be obtained Classic Land Rover (ISSN 2052 2258) is
each month by placing a standing order with published monthly by Key Publishing Ltd We are unable to guarantee the bona fides of
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Design: Ros Woodham Classic Land Rover, Printed in England by Warners (Midlands)
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ISSUE 58 MARCH 2018

IN PURSUIT OF Engineer’s Restoration
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TECH AND TOOLBOX

THE WORLD'S BEST SELLING
CLASSICa LAND
UNSPOILED
• Rejuvenating ROVER
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MAGAZINE www.classiclandrover.c
PROGRESS BY
• Rebuilding a Series III Station Wagon om
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LAND ROVERS
WORLD SERIES
Leafers in Maine, Latvia
SURVIVORS
and Wales
January 2018
£4.50
Vintage 88 & 109in

Africa expedition
FAFFING ABOUT trucks
Team Faff go to Latvia in JAN 2017 £4.40
three Series Ones
MAKING MOVIES Land Rovers, life and John Wayne in 1960s Africa
THE WORKING Blacksmith’s

LIFE: Estate 88ins, 109in 109 Hi-Cap, February 2018
£4.50
JOURNEYS Overlanders, 110 ‘Laner
8 RIDING HIGH
TECH AND TOOLBOX
Americans in Europe
in a 109in Station Barn Find: Long lost 1948
80in
Wagon Series III Brakes: Marrakech Express JAN 2017 £4.40
109in
Restoration: Range Rover
Vogue
A different sort of project;

a Cuthbertson-tracked IIA
22 HISTORY IN
THE MAKING
One of the first Land Rovers
to be seen by the public has
been rediscovered
26 2018 DEFENDER
WORKS V8 74
The first official V8-powered
Defender to be introduced since 1998.
34 FULL TO CAPACITY
The short-lived Series III High Capacity Pick-Up began a
new direction for Land Rover’s utility vehicles
40 HIGH AND MIGHTY

Martin Port meets Michael Hall, the owner of a cherry
picker he bought on a whim
44 THE WOOD WORKER

Barry Porter’s Series IIA works hard for a living in his
furniture restoration business
52 SECOND TIME AROUND

Joe and Tom Kench tell the story of how their family has
twice owned and restored this Series One
74 TESTING TIMES
Durability and validation driver Don Hall talks about his
role in testing Discovery prototypes
60 TAKING THE TOP OFF

The joys of driving a Land Rover without a roof
66 ONE-TON WRECKER
Tom Waite’s ex-Kenning breakdown One-Ton is his daily
transport - one of only 170 Series IIA examples built
78 POWERING THE FUTURE

Emrys Kirby drives Dunsfold’s 2,286cc petrol powered
Series One 86in Station Wagon
60
TECH AND TOOLBOX REGULARS

82 MARRAKECH RE-EXPRESS: 16 NEWS AND VIEWS
BULKHEAD PART 2 Letters received, products reviewed and news
The Marrakech Express’ bulkhead still required a lot of
work and parts re-fitting to complete its refurbishment
25 BEHIND THE WHEEL
And Another Thing…John Carroll is turning into a cynical and
86 MARRAKECH RE-EXPRESS: BODY grumpy old man. Scrappage schemes? Pah
The Marrakech Express begins to look like a Land Rover
again; May Hill Land
29 EVENT REVIEWS
Toby Savage attended the Bicester Heritage Scramble on a
86 Rovers re-assemble chilly winter’s day
the bodywork
30 EVENT LISTINGS
Looking ahead to a busy 2018-19
www.classiclandrover.com
WWW.CLASSICLANDROVER.COM
CONTENTS
JOURNEYS
92 IN SEARCH OF A PASTY
Toby Savage recreates his 1960s family holiday route to
Cornwall in his 1948 Land Rover
50 CENTRESPREAD 73 LOGGING IN
The 1972 model year Land The Teuchter Wagon goes north and is sent to work straight
Rover Series III Station after Christmas
Wagons in 88 and 109in form
71 OUR LAND ROVERS
59 VINTAGE Beginning a Journey - Elle Rogers recounts
ESSENTIALS the tale of buying her first Series Land Rover,
Collectable radiator grille badges an ex-military 109in
from the Scottish Land Rover Owners’
Club that mark two key moments
98 LOOKING BACK
The Pennine Land Rover Club and the Keighley
72 OUR LAND ROVERS and Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society
Abersoch-in-Wharfedale; there’s little to beat a both have their origins in the 1960s
late summer camping weekend with good mates
71
Paddock LHP.indd 1 06/12/2016 15:39
Paddock Spares.indd 1 06/12/2016 15:45
CUTHBERTSON-TRACKED SERIES IIA
8 MARCH 2018 www.classiclandrover.com

Riding
WORDS MARTIN PORT
PICTURES GARRY STUART
High
When John and Ian
Dyke fancied tackling
an unusual project,
they came up with a
Cuthbertson-tracked
Series IIA
S
ome people dream of getting behind
the wheel of a Ferrari 250 SWB,
for others a road trip in charge of
an early ‘flat floor’ Jaguar E-Type is the
stuff of yearning, but for a portion of the
classic-owning world it is the chance to
drive something truly off-the-wall that will
see certain boxes ticked.
Among the Land Rover community, what
stands before me is definitely one of those
creations and, if you are in any doubt, one
look at the reaction it encourages is enough
proof. Something that could be witnessed
as it did laps around the showground
at last summer’s Dunsfold Collection
weekend as people hurriedly grabbed
their mobile phones and cameras in
order to record the event.
If the spectacle of seeing an
88in Series IIA perched atop a
set of Cuthbertson tracks isn’t
enough, then the moment it
sets off definitely is; selecting
low range, slipping the
lever into second gear and
lifting the clutch suddenly
promotes a lurch as the
tracks take up momentum
at precisely the same time
that the smiles of those
onlookers expand.
The steering is vague but
not heavy thanks to the
hydraulic power steering
pump driven from the
bottom pulley and, although
With the four tracks spreading the load, turning demands a little more
the Series IIA will work its way across forethought than usual, it is
some normally challenging terrain certainly not an alien experience

to anyone used to driving a classic Land

Rover. What does require a little bit of
‘The steering is
attention is the increased width: from the vague but not
driver’s seat the view is perfectly normal as
you automatically judge gaps by the wing heavy thanks to the
tops, but peer over the side and you are
reminded that the tracks easily add another hydraulic power
12in on each flank – not a problem out
in the open, but useful to remember when
steering pump driven
navigating smaller apertures!
Even in the midst of a ‘pay-and-play’
from the bottom
off-road site, the Cuthbertson-tracked pulley’
IIA belonging to father and son John
and Ian Dyke of Dyke Services Garage in
Southampton, is causing others to stop their
‘mud-plugging’ and spectate. Surrounded
by Range Rovers, Defenders and a variety
of smaller Suzuki ‘jeeps’ that have all been
highly-modified for weekend play, our steed
is slowly and solidly progressing around
the sticky site riding roughshod over pretty
much anything in its path!
So just how did this particular Land Rover
tangent come about? Back in 1936, James
Archibald Cuthbertson began trading in
Biggar, Lanarkshire, specialising in the
manufacture of snowploughs. Expansion of
the business led to the company producing
top right: Power steering makes

manoeuvring the Land Rover much more
manageable. Pump is driven from the crank
pulley; right: Much of the Series IIA remains
standard, so the controls are familiar
to any Series Land Rover owner; below:
Cuthbertson tracks had either three wheels
plus the driven wheel, or more commonly,
just two

arrangement gained approval from Land
Rover around 1961 and, in May 1962, the
RAF ordered six conversions to be completed.
In September, these were delivered and
immediately put into use as explosive
ordnance disposal vehicles around the UK.
It is fair to say that if a tracked Land
Rover was a rarity back when James
Cuthbertson was assembling them, they
are even more so now - thanks mostly to
top: From the rear, it is possible to see the
rubber tracks as far back as World War their rather specialist and arguably limited
simple Cuthbertson chassis that connects the
bogies together; above: Correct wheels are
Two. Further applications then included application. When John and Ian decided
often difficult to come by, but similar were tracked options of Series Land Rovers to that they fancied tackling a project with
also used on construction and agricultural aid the farming community in successfully some difference, they set their sights on
machinery of the period; above right: Tracks are traversing challenging terrain thanks to the a Cuthbertson and then embarked on the
held together with metal braces – care has to reduced ground pressure. difficult process of actually finding one for
be taken so that they don’t dig into deep mud The design was relatively simple: four sets sale.
and tear the ageing rubber of bogies, driven by a toothed replacement “We missed one for sale at Billing a few
for the normal road wheel and with two or years ago,” says John, “but I happened to
three small wheels at the bottom completing then speak to Phil Bashall at Dunsfold and
the tracked triangle. It is likely that this he let on that he had a pile of parts he may

consider letting go.”

That pile of parts originated from a clear out
by auction and the tracked parts ended up in
Surrey - enough for around one and a half
vehicles in fact, although there were naturally
a few bits missing.
“Phil wasn’t too interested in doing
anything with the parts and so happily
sold them on to us,” says John, “and so
then we had to start looking to find those
errant parts.”
John and Ian were two wheels short
for starters, but before too long they had
either found, bought or made everything
necessary to begin assembly.
Of course the pair needed a vehicle to sit
atop the bogies and so they bought a 1969
88in Series IIA in need of some restoration
work. Soon John and Ian had stripped it
back to a bare chassis - replacing outriggers
and carrying out the ‘usual’ repairs before
‘Before too long they

had either found,
bought or made
everything necessary
to begin assembly’
top: If old Land Rovers and an off-road site

are usually a good recipe for a fun day, then
the Cuthbertson-tracked IIA takes it to a
new level! above left: 2,286cc petrol engine
propels the tracked vehicle along more than
adequately when in low-range; above right:
John and Ian Dyke have decades of Land
Rover experience under their collective
belts; left: John and Ian’s Forward Control,
previously featured in CLR, makes an
excellent tow vehicle for the Cuthbertson

beginning the rebuild process.
Everything was done in-house by John
and Ian, but with decades of Land Rover
ownership under their collective belts, they
certainly weren’t short of ability, experience
or enthusiasm. “I rebuilt a 109in Series II
when I was 21,” says John. “And we’ve got
quite a few examples still - in fact, I don’t
think we’ve ever sold any!”
An 80in Series One, 88in Series II, two 101
Forward Controls, a Forward Control cherry
picker and an APGP amphibious restoration
project are just a few from their collection,
but it is the APGP and IIB Forward Control
fire tender that can be labelled the rarest of
all their vehicles.
The restoration of the Cuthbertson took
around two years to complete and required
a level of ingenuity as John explains: “We
used Metro wheel hubs for some of the
wheels as they were the right size, and we
made some extensions from gas pipe so
that it all lined up. The only other main
component needed was a replacement
power steering hydraulic ram, and that was
sourced from a tractor.
John and Ian’s Cuthbertson-tracked Series
IIA eventually broke cover at Billing around
RIGHT: Earlyadvertisement for the

Cuthbertson tracks, featuring a Series One
with additional wheel arches; BELOW: The
109in exiting a wading pool, clearly having
been put through its paces with some vigour

Freshly-painted front axle sitting The repainted 2,286cc petrol

atop the Cuthbertson chassis engine and gearbox positioned
within the overhauled chassis
Various parts were overhauled

and engineered to complete the
Cuthbertson hub sections
Assembly moving towards

the final stages and time to
get the IIA out in the open
10 years ago. “The reaction was great,”

smiles John. “In fact it always gets people
‘The restoration of builder’s yard - well, strictly speaking that
isn’t true, but it would take a brave soul
smiling wherever we take it, and it won
the Editor’s Choice award at Gaydon a few
the Cuthbertson took to do so, and therefore for the most part
the Cuthbertson stays in the Dykes’ garage
years ago.” around two years to until the pair has a good excuse to show it
Naturally, this isn’t a Land Rover that off again.
can be used to pop to the garden centre or complete’ Today is as good an excuse as any though
and, as it ‘clacks’ its way around the off-
road site like a locomotive pulling out of
a station, I can’t help but think that the
reaction it conjures would be more than
enough to warrant the odd trip to Tesco
just to pick up a pint of milk and a loaf of
bread. This is the true definition of a crowd-
pleaser.a
LEFT: The Cuthbertson Series IIA putting
on a show at Billing; BELOW: The haul of
Cuthbertson parts as found at Dunsfold
Land Rover

P.A BLANCHARD & CO.
EX MILITARY LANDROVER SPECIALISTS, CLAY LANE, SHIPTONTHORPE, YORK, UK YO43 3PU
TEL: +44 (0)1430 872765 | FAX: +44 (0)1430 872777

www.pablanchard.co.uk | email: info@pablanchard.co.uk
EX MOD SPARES,
SURPLUS STORES
& EQUIPMENT
checkout our facebook page & surplus stores page.

1000’s of series parts stocked 1948 - 1984
for military and civilian models.
telephone or
place your order on our website.
wanted
new land rover parts purchased in any quantity
PA Blanchford FP.indd 1 14/02/2017 11:57

NEWS & VIEWS
One Ton in Wiltshire

I read with interest the article on The Welsh hill famer mentioned with regards to the speedo heads. 1376 I have seen go up to 90mph.
Paul Pryer’s excellent 1-Ton res- was a chap called David Evans, 1-Tons, like the 101, had a speedo A One Ton runs out of puff at just
toration (pg34 January CLR) and he was one of the first to respond head with a TPM reading of over 60mph.
thought I might share a few details back in the mid 2000s when I 1344, not 1376 as suggested. I May I also take the opportunity
your readers might be interested started collating a register of the have not been able to establish to let your readers know that
in. The vehicle worked for SEB out surviving 1-Ton 109in vehicles and exactly what the 1376 speedos the domain name for the One
of Melksham depot in Wiltshire, I am pleased to say the vehicle has are from, however it has been Ton register website has now
the photo of the vehicle in service come a long way since then - Paul suggested they are off a Stage been changed to 1-Ton 109in
I believe was taken in Devon in the really has done a great job. One V8. This would make sense as Land-Rovers 1968-77 and links
early 1980s, probably only a year I noticed also the letter (pg19 a 1-Ton 1344 speedo only goes up should be updated accordingly.
or two before the board sold it on. February CLR) from Mr Butler to 70mph on the clock face, the Dan Warden
Please send in your news

and letters for inclusion
on these pages. It may
Young Engineers Excel
be a new product you’re More than 150 of the brightest unearth future talent for Jaguar ia in second and third places
young engineering minds from Land Rover, the UK’s leading respectively.
retailing for the first
16 countries competed recently investor in research and devel- For more information, or to find
time; a show you’re at Land Rover 4x4 in the Schools opment. More than three million out more about working for
organising; a piece of Technology Challenge world finals young people have taken part in Jaguar Land Rover, visit www.
research you’re aware of; in Abu Dhabi. The young engi- Jaguar Land Rover’s jaguarlandrovercareers.com.
a special Land Rover you neers, aged 11-19, used computer global education
coding to programme miniature programme since
own or know of; in fact,
remote-controlled four-wheel-drive 2000. It was a
anything at all you feel vehicles they had designed and school team K-EVO
may be of interest to our built for a two-day competition at from Portugal who
readers. the Yas Marina circuit. One of the were crowned 2017
Please email challenges saw the vehicles ne- champions; with
gotiate a demanding course that Panthera, from
vicky.turner@
wound its way over and through Malaysia and Fair
keypublishing.com Land Rover Discoverys. Dinkum 4x4,
The competition is intended to from Austral-
16 MARCH 2018
NEWS & VIEWS
Land Rover Cat of the

Products Month
More applications for one of the most enthusiastic
Booming Burlen
motoring clubs….
Engineers Burlen Ltd now has the ability to design, prototype and
develop parts that had previously been unavailable or not economi- To enter please send photographs of your pets and classic
cally viable to manufacture. Land Rovers, and a few words about both, to vicky.turner@
The company had a big presence at the Goodwood members’ keypublishing.com
meeting where it displayed prototypes of SUi – a complete fuelling
This feature proves ever popular, if you have already sent in
system that sees a fuel injection device work photos, don’t worry, we will put them in this section as soon
inside a carburetor. as we can, we work through the submissions in the order
that we receive them.
Bowie Ispíní
Bowie (named after the rockstar Ispíní (Irish for sausages) has
Save in the sales as she has one blue eye and one taken a fancy to making a nest
Sealey’s are selling a two tonne
yellow) making herself at home on my 1975 ex-MOD Series III
combination trolley jack at a
on rebuilt Series III 109 FFR hardtop.
special offer price of £96.95
plus vat. It’s a single-piece
Martin and Annie Wells Enda Byrne
hydraulic unit with a heavy Wimborne, Dorset Dunshaughlin, Ireland
based design fitted with a
safety overload valve and pump
through valve to prevent the
handle locking
at maximum
ram extension.
There’s also a twin blade cut-off Saw (£69.95
plus vat) designed for cutting metals, plastics,
woods and aluminium materials. It has twin blades
that rotate in opposite directions creating a
fast, burr-free, clean cut while minimising
kick-back and sparks for safer operation.
Finally a cordless ratchet wrench can be
yours for £152.95 plus vat. This is a powerful 14.4V 3/8in
square drive tool with a hardened steel anvil and twist-to-re- Charlie Shadow
verse mechanism. Offers valid until February 28. www.sealey.co.uk This is Charlie, my ten-year-old Shadow seems to appreciate
for current promotions and to view the full catalogue. tabby supervising as I load the Series IIA wheels in particular,
remains of a tree into my 1961 whether bonnet-mounted or not
Series IIA. she will lie on one under the
An Ex-Coastguard
Reg Reynolds wheel arch.
Stourport-on-Severn, Ian Jones
Worcestershire Ledbury, Herefordshire
Workhorse?
I read with interest the letter from Mark Lotinga
(pg16 February CLR). This indeed looks like an
ex-coastguard vehicle (except the wheels). Mine,
pictured, is a late model from a batch of 14 which
where the last Series IIIs into service, distinguished
by being ‘blind’ sided.
The winch is key if it has a smooth drum and ‘CG’
cast into it with a stainless steel fair lead; it’s rare
and was used in cliff rescues. See Classic Land George Molly
Rover February 2015. It looks like the lights are fitted as original and al- George always hangs around Molly likes sitting on car roofs
though difficult to see, possibly the emergency stop set up for the winch,
while I’m working on Gladys as she was rescued from a
which I am in the process of replicating at present. I would be interested
my 1968 registered Series scrap yard in a local village.
to know if there is any auxiliary wiring still fitted?
Thanks for a great magazine; it’s very useful as a reference for my
II 88in Andrew Taylor
present IIA project. Paul Hill Dave Clarke, Dorset Deeside

NEWS & VIEWS
Well-deserved award
Gumtree 4x4 Ltd were one of two cialists look after their customers,
Highly Commended companies dealing with every Land Rover
in the Specialist Garage of the from Series Ones to nearly new
Year section at the Independent Range Rovers. He paid tribute to
Garage Awards organised by the hard work all his staff have
Workshop Magazine in London on put in saying ‘this is very much
December 11. their award’.
Gumtree 4x4’s managing It’s fair to say that without the
director John Bowden believes team at Gumtree 4x4, Classic
that this award shows how well Land Rover magazine’s own Light-
his small team of Land Rover spe- weight would not be on the road.
Left to right Dave Ince - parts, Mike Waterman - part time mechanic, Rob Taylor - service workshop mechanic,
Tom Harmes - rebuild workshop mechanic, Ben Standen - service workshop mechanic, Charlie Matthews - rebuild
workshop mechanic, Martin Stapleton - rebuild workshop foreman mechanic and John Bowden - managing director
plus Dundee - the dog.
Tours Pre-heated
end Problems
Ardent UK has decided to stop
organising UK weekend treks from I thought I would share a few thoughts
the end of April 2018 - the final on Jim Willett’s article on engine
event is the Lake District tour, April pre-heaters (pg78 January CLR). I
14-15 - but will continue the Coast have had a Kenlowe Hot Start fitted to
to Coast treks (this year May 2-8 and November 21-25). my Series IIA for many years which I
The decision was taken in part due to the lack of good lanes available fitted it when I used the Land Rover
to drive in the UK - the ones that are open becoming ever more crowded on a daily basis; it suffered terribly from carburet-
– and also due to the success of the company’s overseas tours. tor icing on frosty mornings, even more when damp or foggy.
It took a while to find a position in the engine bay that proved the
best for flow to and from the unit. I would certainly not expect the po-
sition Jim has fitted the one on his engine to work well at all, mounting
Shorty’s Festive
it on the engine will also cause problems for the element too, even on
a 2,286cc petrol.
The best way I have found is in a position that provides a good head
Illuminations
above the unit as this eliminates air lock and element overheat. The
outlet is also better plumbed into the engine itself, not the heater. By
flowing around the engine the warmer coolant will naturally circulate
(to some extent) to the heater and will be available for instant warm
I’ve just been reading the most 2004. Since then I have fully coolant when the engine is started while not restricting coolant flow at
recent edition of CLR and I rebuilt it once, which included a the pump of the heater.
thought I would share this photo colour change, from matt black My heater is fitted to the bulkhead, the socket is fitted to the wing
of my 1965 Series IIA with its as I bought it to pastel green (near the grille) using a 16amp surface-mount socket. I have also
festive decorations! which was the original colour. I found that a timer fitted to the house socket works well if set to cycle
Affectionately known as also fitted the hard top in place the heater in 10 or 15 minute blocks for 45 minutes before departure.
‘Shorty’, I have owned it since of a truck cab; it better suits This prevents 13amp plug melt down!
my needs. In summing up, I would think Jim should give it more time and
It has been in intermittent use thought and it will (with patience) prove a cheaper alternative to fuel
since I’ve had it and in mid De- powered units.
cember passed the MOT again Incidentally the Range Rove my farmer friend has (a V6 diesel) has a
after I returned it to the road in factory-fitted Erberspacher heater mounted in the engine bay, which,
late 2016, having been sat in a reading the manual, will not work when the engine is started below a
field for around three years. certain temperature. Surely a waste of time?
Since last December it has I am also interested to see Jim has an SU carburettor fitted to his
been in daily use taking me to 2,286cc, I made an ‘agricultural’ manifold adapter to use an HS6
work and back and for general after I became so annoyed with the throttle spindle wear on two new
use around the local area. It Zenith carburettors I have had in the time that I have owned the Land
looks a little battered and has Rover. Rover missed a trick not fitting these robust and simple carbs
some moss growing in the rear in production. I also note HNJ engineering is now making adapters to
window channels but I’m plan- do the same conversion as I have utilising the original manifold. Maybe
ning to give it a fresh coat of it is time CLR had a tech section on this subject, talking to people
paint and attend to some other that have the ACR set-up and others like myself that have made it all
areas at some point, but for now from scratch. The linkage/cable adaption was a challenge, as was the
it’s just earning its keep. correct needle and jet set up to use.
Phil Stevenson Graham Raymond, Wiltshire.

GlobalRoamer.indd 1 17/01/2018 10:05
P020_CLR_MAR18_ad.indd 1 22/01/2018 10:41

NEWS & VIEWS
The Return
of the Patina
National RTV
Fancy a weekend in lovely North also welcome. Trophies shall be
Yorkshire near Helmsley? In con- awarded for each of the three
junction with the YLROC we have trials classes and one for highest
a trials site and a campsite for the placed ‘Non-Land Rover’.
2018 Patina National RTV. Awards will also be given for the
Vehicles of The Patina National is for non-

shiny, road legal, leaf-sprung 80,
86 and 88in Land Rovers. It in-
Longest Distance (for the entrant
who drives his/her Land Rover
the furthest to enter), the Best
Historical Interest cludes a camping weekend and an

eight-section RTV trial with YLROC.
Classic Land Rover Magazine staff
Dressed Crew (for the duo most
suitably dressed to suit the age of
their Land Rover), Editor’s Choice
The government has recently reissued its guidance clarifying their will be out in force. (for something to be decided on
stance on Substantial Change. Most vehicles manufactured or first Patina National RTV trials the day) and the Spirit of the
registered more than 40 years ago will, as of May 20, be exempt from classes will be as follows; Leaf Event (for the entrant who most
periodic testing unless they have been ‘substantially changed’. springs ‘up to 87in’, ‘over 87in’ enters into the spirit of the event).
A vehicle that has been substantially changed within the previous 30 and ‘95in and over’. Door tops Camping is situated nearby within
years will still have to be submitted for an annual MOT test. Keepers of are not required but hood sticks walking distance of a pub. YLROC
VHIs exempt from periodic testing continue to be responsible for their and windscreens are. Drivers must is holding an RTV on Sunday 16 so
vehicle’s roadworthiness and can voluntarily submit vehicles for testing. be in an MSA-registered club and there’s scope to enter two trials in
The guidance as to what constitutes substantial change is, in bring their membership card to one weekend or drive a couple of
summary, that: a vehicle will be considered substantially changed if prove it. Scrutineering will be to local scenic green lanes too.
the technical characteristics of the main components have changed. MSA regulations www.facebook.com/
Main components are the chassis; though replacements like for like Jeeps, Austin Gipsies etc are events/233139490440896
not considered a substantial change, the axles and running gear; any
alteration of the type or method of suspension and the engine, although
alternative cubic capacities of the same basic engine and alternative
original equipment engines are not considered a substantial change.
The following are considered acceptable changes if they fall into
these specific categories - changes that are made to preserve a vehicle,
Registration Hopes
which in all cases must be when original type parts are no longer On July 11, 1962 my Land
reasonably available; changes of a type that can be demonstrated to Rover was registered as
have been made when the vehicles was in production, in respect of 1619 UP and dispatched
axles and running gear changes made to improve efficiency, safety to the Durham Fire Brigade
or environmental performance; in respect of vehicles that have been where it stayed for 25 years.
commercial vehicles, changes which can be demonstrated were being It was bought as a station
made when they were used commercially or a vehicle which is a runabout and transport
reconstructed classic vehicle as defined by DVLA guidance. vehicle and came from
new equipped with a front
Capstan winch but no pumps
or tanks, the photo shows
Cleaning up their act the Consett’s Land Rover,

bought at the same time.
Looking at the old log books
Toulouse, Haute-Savoie, Savoie, control pollution levels. from the DVLA, up until 1996
Maine-et-Loire, Vendée and Gers The Crit’Air badge, available in when we bought it, a number of different owners had painted it a few
are the latest departments to six colours, distinguishes older different colours but all lived within 25 miles of its first registration.
declare ‘Green-Zones’ in a bid to from newer vehicles and gradually In February 1992 the registration1619 UP was transferred to
curb air pollution. excludes EURO emission standards another vehicle. Between 1992 and 2007 I know it was on a Triumph
Certain French local governments 0 to 5 from cities such as Paris, Stag and in June 2007 it was registered to a red 1996 Peugeot 205.
can now also declare temporary Strasbourg, Grenoble and Lyon. The Peugeot is still on the road but had a few recent MOT failures; I
(weather dependent) ZPA zones, The crit-air.fr website has believe it’s in the Durham area.
which come into force in the event information about the new envi- A lot of information can be obtained from the web but what I can’t
of particularly heavy air pollution ronmental zones and the current find out is who owns this Peugeot so I can ask them if I can buy it in
which exceeds the specifications of state of daily circulation and the the hope to transfer 1619 UP back to its original vehicle. Wouldn’t
the EU limit values. interactive maps show possible al- that be wonderful?
These are in addition to (perma- ternative routes. The free Green- So, does anyone recognise this Peugeot with this number? If you
nent) ZCR zones. Zones app is also useful to do then I’d be extremely grateful if you could pass on my details to
Traffic restrictions are imposed guide tourists and commercial the owner and explain my interest. I think I can transfer the original
on Crit’Air badge classes, dictats traffic through the increasingly number since I own the original car. I think the car has to be MOT’d
will first exclude vehicles without complex jungle for a number of months before the transfer can take place, does
Crit’Air badges from circulation of localised anyone know if this is in fact the case?
then later ban the worse Crit’Air regulations. If anyone knows of another way to trace the vehicle’s owner please
badges 4 and 5 as necessary to www.crit-air.fr contact me. Chris Mortimer, cbm214@gmail.com

NEWS & VIEWS
History in
the Making
An ‘irreplaceable piece of automotive history’ This Land Rover was first registered on June 25,
1955 with registration SNX 910; it spent time in
has been uncovered – one of the first Land Handsworth, Sutton Coldfield, Stratford-Upon-Avon,
Alvechurch, Wales and Birmingham; ABOVE: By 1968
Rovers to be seen by the public it was being used as a static power source in Wales,
but by 1988 its engine had seized
WORDS VICKY TURNER, PICTURES JAGUAR LAND ROVER
J aguar Land Rover, which, this year,

celebrates the 70th anniversary of the
Land Rover, has just revealed it has
found a vehicle, missing for 63 years.
production parts by the engine department
and converted to its current RHD setup.
For years the whereabouts of this Land
Rover were a mystery; it was last on the
But this is no ordinary vehicle, it is one road in the 1960s, after which it spent
of the company’s launch vehicles shown in 20 years in a Welsh field before being
1948 at the Amsterdam Motor Show, one of bought as a restoration project. It then
the three pre-production Land Rovers that lay languishing, unfinished, in a garden.
gave the world the first glimpse of what Following its surprise discovery just a few
would become the instantly recognisable miles outside Solihull, where the car was
Land Rover shape. first built, the experts at Jaguar Land Rover
Initially this car was built with LHD and Classic spent months in company archives
listed as ‘experimental’ on the logbook but researching its ownership history to confirm
later in1948, it was upgraded with new its provenance.
‘This vehicle has a lot of special features

that are unique to the 48 pre-production
Land Rovers’

NEWS & VIEWS
The team behind the Land Rover Series Jaguar Land Rover classic director Tim This vehicle has a lot of special features
One Reborn programme, which allows Hannig said: “This Land Rover is an unique to the 48 pre-production Land
customers to own a slice of Land Rover irreplaceable piece of automotive history Rovers that were produced prior to the
history with meticulously restored Series and is as historically important as ‘Huey’, mass production vehicles, such as thicker
Ones, will now embark on their most the first pre-production Land Rover. aluminium alloy body panels, a galvanised
challenging project yet, the year-long Beginning its sympathetic restoration here chassis and a removable rear tub. The patina
mission to preserve this prototype and at Classic Works, where we can ensure it’s of its components will be preserved, including
enable it to be driven again. put back together precisely as it’s meant the original Light Green paint applied in
to be, is a fitting way to start Land Rover’s 1948. It has loads of period detail, including a
70th anniversary year. There is something 1948-stamped radiator and 70-year-old wood
charming about the fact that exactly 70 packing above the crossmember.
years ago this vehicle would have been Previous owners of this historic vehicle are
undergoing its final adjustments before being invited to Jaguar Land Rover’s Classic
being prepared for the 1948 Amsterdam Works facility to share their experiences and
Motor Show launch”. to witness its restoration. a
It has loads of period detail, including a

1948-stamped radiator and 70-year-old wood
packing above the crossmember
This pre-production model had loads of special

features such as thicker aluminium alloy body panels, a
galvanised chassis and a removable rear tub

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Lloyd Street, Whitworth, Rochdale, Lancashire OL12 8AA
P024_CLR_MAR18_ad.indd 1 22/01/2018 10:44

BEHIND THE WHEEL
And Another Thing…

John Carroll is turning into a cynical and grumpy old man. Scrappage schemes? Pah
WORDS JOHN CARROLL ILLUSTRATION LOUISE LIMB
I
n recent months I have watched cyclical replacement of ‘cleaner’ cars as though it’s all a new thing. This too is
Ford’s unofficial ‘scrappage scheme’ undoubtedly has environmental costs too, nonsense; my parents - children during the
with some dismay even though I and, not least because of the environmental blitz - grew up when everything was recycled
I suspect, few CLR readers are likely to cost of vehicle production. for the war effort and more land than ever
be trading in a Solihull classic for a new My oldest Land Rover, a 1953 80in, is 65 was used for growing food. Possessions were
Fiesta. The cause of my dismay is that Ford years old this year so, even if other cars few and waste almost non-existent, my late
and, subsequently, others are claiming last a decade, its existence equates to 6.5 father used to recall how used envelopes were
to be ridding the roads of ‘dirty diesels’ other vehicles that haven’t replaced it. It is sliced open to provide drawing paper.
and helping the environment. However, true that it has needed maintenance and These days, the hip have a downer
the truth is balder and less positive in a repair in those 65 years, since I acquired it on plastic - with good reason - and
time when, according the to the Society incomplete and worn out. It has had lots are bigging up locally-produced food.
of Motor Manufacturers and Traders of both, but its new lease of life came from But, in a society that talks of being
(SMMT) new car sales are falling month recycled used parts alongside new spares all environmentally friendly and then goes to
after month. These so-called, scrappage of which make it greener than building a Glastonbury there’s another hypocrisy. It
schemes are nothing more than a ploy to vehicle from scratch. What’s more, when it rings a bit hollow when people think it’s
shift more new cars and I resent the fact comes to fuel consumption and emissions, acceptable to abandon acres of camping
that the gullible will be convinced that it is because my old Land Rover is part of a gear and litter which is largely the
something else. small collection, its annual mileage per packaging from food.
Tdi Defenders and Discovery 1s will fit annum is tiny. That’s why I can sleep Camping equipment is only cheap enough
in the era of vehicle that Ford perceive happily at night without worrying that I to be considered disposable because it
as worthy of scrapping but the constant, am destroying the planet despite what a is made on the other side of the world
hypocritical society might suggest. and transported to the UK. Both of these
Why hypocritical? Simply because it is processes of manufacture and transport
suggested that our old vehicles are have environmental costs. Then there
not environmentally sound. are supermarkets who have removed the
And this by a society that - seasonality out of fruit and veg by air
in other areas - chooses freighting it around the globe. You might
to ignore environmental think my Land Rover doesn’t meet modern
costs in favour of emission standards but tell me how many
convenience and has 777s are in the air?
turned TVs, fridges, Talk of 777s reminds me of the plan to
washing machines, end the production of petrol and diesel
hair dryers and cars by 2040. Achieving it seems like a tall
‘phones into order anyway but I can’t help wonder if all
disposable items those aeroplanes will be plugged in on the
to be discarded stands at Heathrow.
and replaced every Yes, in case it’s not evident, I am cynical
few years regardless and grumpy about it all so the unlikely
of issues with gases bedfellows of self-serving politicians,
and batteries. shiny-suited new car salesmen and earnest
In the last decade granola heads shouldn’t be too surprised
or two, words and if I don’t sign up to their fashionable but
phrases about insubstantial policies, scrappage schemes
recycling and and green living ideas until they put their
being green are own lifestyles in order. Right, I’m off to
increasingly and Wales camping.
glibly used And I’ll be bringing my tent home. a
‘These days, the hip have

a downer on plastic –
with good reason – and
are bigging up locally-
produced food’
MARCH 2018 25
NEWS & VIEWS
2018 Defender Works

The five-litre naturally-aspirated 2018
Defender Works V8 is the first official
V8-powered Land Rover Defender to
be introduced since 1998
V8
WORDS JOHN CARROLL PICTURES JLR

NEWS & VIEWS
8
able to release the full potential of the iconic is available in the UK and MENA markets
Defender, whose much-loved shape remains on a personal import basis. European market
synonymous with Land Rover, 70 years availability is also on an individual import
since it was seen in public for the first time. basis, subject to rules on importation of
The idea of reintroducing a V8 Defender vehicle conversions.
was something we were discussing as far All enquiries from prospective Land
back as 2014, when we were still building Rover Classic customers should be directed
the Defender in Solihull. We knew the to: info@classic.landrover.co.uk/+44
demand was there for a powerful and fast (0) 203 601 1255. On another note, the
Defender; the Land Rover authenticity is all-new Defender is subject to further
the ultimate finishing touch for discerning
clients purchasing these collectors’
announcements. a
www.landrover.com/explore-land-rover/
edition Defenders.” reborn.html
L
and Rover has announced a limited- The V8 powertrain will be fitted to 150
edition high-performance version specially-selected and re-engineered
of the iconic Defender, with up to Defenders for the 70th Edition, Spec Sheet
150 V8-powered examples re-engineered complemented by an eight-speed ZF Engine capacity: 4,999cc
to celebrate the Land Rover marque’s 70th automatic transmission with sport mode,
anniversary this year. The Defender Works V8 uprated brakes and handling kit comprising Cylinders: V8 naturally-aspirated petrol
pays homage to the engines in both the Series springs, dampers and anti-roll bars plus (EU5)
III Stage 1 V8 of 1979 where the carburettor- exclusive 18-inch diamond-turned Sawtooth
equipped 3.5-litre Rover V8 produced 90bhp. alloy wheels fitted with 265/65 R18 BF Power: PS405 @ 6,000rpm
The Land Rover One Ten from 1983, and Goodrich All-Terrain tyres.
Ninety from 1984, used the same 3.5-litre Eight standard body colours include two
Torque: Nm515 @ 5,000rpm
Rover V8 engine as the Stage 1 V8, but satin finishes, contrasting with a Santorini
in 113bhp form, uprated to 135bhp from Black roof, wheel arches and front grille,
Transmission: Eight-speed all-wheel
1987. From 1992 and for North American finished with machined aluminium door
Specification (NAS) Defender 90s and handles, fuel filler cap and Defender bonnet drive, two-speed transfer box
110s only, a 182bhp fuel-injected 3.9-litre lettering. A comprehensive lighting upgrade
version of the Rover V8 was fitted, along includes bi-LED headlamps. Full Windsor Axles: Live beam axle
with a four-speed automatic transmission. leather interior trim covers the dashboard, door
In 1998, the fuel-injected 190bhp four-litre panels, headlining and Recaro sports seats. Suspension: Coil springs, telescopic
V8 from the second-generation Range Rover Land Rover Classic’s own Classic dampers. Panhard rod and Radius arms.
was fitted, with a four-speed automatic Infotainment System is also fitted. Both ‘A’ frame and Trailing Links. Anti-roll bar.
transmission, to a limited run of 50th 90 and 110 wheelbase Defender Works V8
Anniversary Defender 90s.These rarities derivatives will be available to buy direct Brakes: Servo-assisted discs
are highly sought after by enthusiasts and from Land Rover Classic, with prices starting
collectors today. from £150,000 for a 90 in the UK. Steering: Recirculating ball, power-
The Defender Works V8 is the most A select number of high-performance assisted
powerful and the fastest version Land Rover upgrades inspired by Defender Works V8
has ever created. The five-litre naturally- will also be available to buy soon from Land Wheels: 18in Sawtooth alloy wheels,
aspirated petrol V8 power train produces Rover Classic, including power upgrades for
399bhp and 515Nm of torque compared to the TDCi diesel engine, fast-road suspension Tyres: 265/65 R18 AT tyres
the standard recent Defender that delivered and braking kits.
120bhp and 360Nm. The Defender Works Land Rover intends to continue the 0-60mph: 5.6 seconds (90
V8 will accelerate from 0-60mph in 5.6sec, Defender lineage and will use its technology, Station Wagon)
while the top speed is 106mph. pioneering engineering capability and
Tim Hannig, Jaguar Land Rover classic design expertise to ensure the longevity of Top speed: 106mph (limited)
director, said: “It’s fitting that we’ve been the Defender name. The Defender Works V8
‘The V8 powertrain will be

fitted to 150 specially-selected
and re-engineered Defenders
for the 70th Edition’

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P028_CLR_MAR18_ad.indd 1 22/01/2018 10:48

WORDS AND PICTURES TOBY SAVAGE EVENTS AND RALLIES
All classic car events have vehicles of just as much interest in the car park. This Series One
hard top with useful accessories was sharing space with a very smart Series III SWB
Built by Julian Shoolheifer and now in the

hands of a collector from Hampshire, this
Supercharged two-litre 80in was, quite
rightly, displayed in the top spot
Scrambling
Around Toby Savage attended the
A well-restored early Range Rover
showed exactly why these models
Bicester Heritage Scramble on
are creeping up in value a chilly winter’s day
N
ow in its fourth year, the Bicester regrets selling it on. Attention to detail is
Heritage ‘Scramble’ becomes more remarkable and it sports custom-made badges A very tidy and un-restored Series II SWB
popular each year. Those prepared that say Super/Charged where one would was also displayed in the inner sanctum at
to attend the January event can be assured expect Land Rover. Rumour has it that it was Bicester and looks to be in regular use
of chilly temperatures, but at least this driven to Bicester from its home in Hampshire.
year’s gathering on Sunday January 7, had
unbroken sunshine which, if you found a
Parked next to the supercharged 80in
was a K reg Range Rover. Despite having ‘As always, the car
sheltered spot, could be described as ‘warm-
ish’. The total turn out of cars must have
non-original wheels, everything else about
this early Range Rover had clearly been
park had many older
topped 500, with more than 1,000 owners,
drivers and enthusiastic accomplices all
meticulously restored and a delightful burble
of 3.5 V8 came out of the exhaust pipes.
Land Rovers parked
wrapped in several layers of thermal clothing Next to this was an un-restored, but very up for inspection’
- which for some was a chance to wear their tidy 1968 Series II SWB Station Wagon that
Irvin flying jackets with purpose! would have been a new vehicle at about the a Bushel Hall drum winch and a rare tropical
As with previous scrambles, Land Rovers time RAF Bicester was decommissioned. It’s roof looked a very useable classic Land Rover
were well represented and well positioned in UUC number plate, however, confirms it was parked with a smart blue Series III SWB.
the hierarchy of display etiquette. Pride of first registered in London, not Oxfordshire. These events have proved so popular with
place went to the supercharged 80in that has Pottering through the crowds was a very the Land Rover enthusiasts that Bicester
been seen at these sort of events for a few smart and completely standard looking Series Heritage is hosting a dedicated Land Rover
years - but now sporting a capstan winch. IIA LWB pick-up with rear seats for those Legends gathering over the weekend of
This unassuming looking Land Rover was tempted to take a chilly ride. Outside the May 26-27, 2018 as a tribute to the 70th
originally built by classic car restorer and main arena, as always, the car park had many anniversary of the launch of the original
valuer Julian Shoolheifer, who claims to have older Land Rovers parked up for inspection. 80in Land Rover. More details at www.
put his heart and soul into the build and rather A slightly modified 86/88in Series One with bicesterheritage.co.uk. a
Events
Start to mark your diary for 2018
l
c
p
Land Rover Only Event
CLR coverage
Prizes
m
t
Motorsport
Camping
with our at-a-glance guide b Beer Tent i Points of interest
February
9-11
Adventure Travel Film Festival
Bright, Victoria, Australia
info@adventuretravelfilmfestival.com
March
18
Ripon 4x4 Vintage Spares Day
Ripon Racecourse, Boroughbridge Road, Ripon, North
Yorkshire, HG4 1UG
Free parking, well behaved dogs welcome, admission
adults £4, under 15s free
Traders from 7-9am, public 9am-1pm
www.4x4sparesday.co.uk
30-2 April
Land Rover 70th
Birthday Celebrations
Four days of everything Land Rover in the Snowy
Mountains Region. Day trips, camping, BBQs and
entertainment
Hosted by Eventbrite and Snowy Monaro Regional
Council
Cooma, Cooma, NSW, Australia
www.eventbrite.com.au
ltb
26-27
The Scottish Land Rover Show
April The Royal Highland Showground, Ingilston, Edinburgh
www.scottishlandrovershow.com
8 lbp
Newbury 4x4 & Vintage Spares Day
Traders from 7-9.30am, public 10am-2pm, £6.50 per
adult, under 15s free, free parking, dogs welcome 26-27
Newbury showground, Chieveley, Berkshire, RG18 9QZ Land Rover Legends - A New
www.4X4SparesDay.co.uk
Celebration of an Icon
Bicester Heritage
22 The British Motor Museum, Gaydon, www.landroverlegends.com
Ripon Spring Classic Car and Bike Warwickshire CV35 0BJ
l
10am-4pm
Show plus Auto Jumble www.britishmotormuseum.co.uk
Adult £7, child £2.50, 10am-4pm
Ripon Racecourse, North Yorks, HG4 1UG lic 28
info@markwoodwardclassicevents.com Yorkshire Classic Vehicle Show and
18-21 Land Rover Display
28-29 Land Rover Club Holland’s 30th Sorry no dogs allowed, free parking.
Adventure Overland Spring Show Admission (including castle and grounds) adult £7, child
Both indoor and outdoor trade stands, plus camping in the Anniversary International Festival £2.50, 10am–4pm
centre of racecourse. Military off-road-site to play on, camping, kids Ripley Castle, Ripley, Harrogate HG3 3AY
Stratford Racecourse, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire activities and food festival info@markwoodwardclassicevents.com
CV37 9SE Military Training Ground Havelte, Eursinge, Drente www.markwoodwardclassicevents.com
Email 4x4trading@talk21.com to register interest and www.lrch30yrs.nl/uk or
book. www.facebook.com/lrch30yrs
pr-30yrs@lrch.nl
28-30 ltbimc June
Le Jubilé de Platine 2018 1-3
Land Rover’s 70th Birthday Bash with concours
d’elegance, parts sales, trials and camping.
24-29 12th Annual Birmabright Weekend
Lieu-dit Les Robiers, 18210, Thaumiers, Central France. ALRC National Rally 2018, Leaf-sprung Land Rovers welcome for greenlaning and
For further information email: contact@eternal-vehicles. Stainby Quarry, Grantham Leicestershire camping
com www.alrc.co.uk Kutna Hora, Czech Republic
€35 per Land Rover for three days of festivities. www.facebook.com/events/1192881814177461
ltb lpbm lib

25-27 22-24
8ème Goutte d’Huile
May Celebrating 70 years of Land Rover passion
LRSOC Rally
Benllech, Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey
12-13 Hosted by LRWB at Château de Chérimont, Route de
D’Anton 5300, Ardenne, Namur
www.LRSOC.com
The Gaydon Land Rover Show www.lrwb.bea lipc
22-24
Tribute to the 1948 Earls Court
Motor Show
Burghley House
Rolls Royce Enthusiasts’ Club
1946-1949 all makes and models
email: leclerc.g@sunrise.ch
24
Classic Cars at Downside Abbey
Stratton-on-the-Fosse, just south of Bath and Bristol.
email: skerr@downside.co.uk
or call 01761 235194
www.downside.co.uk
30-1
Billing Off-Road Show
Billing Off-Road Centre, Billing,
Northampton NN7 1AL
01604 890271
www.thebillingoffroadexperience.co.uk
ti
August
July 2-5
1 Series 2 Club Rally
BMC and Leyland Show Wing Hall, Wing on the banks of Rutland Water
Contact John Stokes on email: eastmidlands@
Of interest particularly to Series III owners
British Motor Museum series2club.co.uk
Banbury Road, CV35 0BJ Gaydon, Warwickshire or one the events page on Facebook
www.eventbrite.co.uk www.facebook.com/events/77793625239430
5-8 lctp
Paddock Wood TN12 6PY
Jamie Wells 01258 857700 or 01258 858448
Series Land Rover Meet www.warandpeacerevival.com 24-26
Herkenrodehoeven, Opheers, Belgium
carl.vanravensteyn@telenet.be tbp Leafers at’Pit
National Mining Museum, Wakefield
lpt 27-29 lctp
15 Kelmarsh Land Rover Show
Lancaster Insurance Classic and Kelmarsh Hall, Northampton NN6 9LY
01775 768661
Supercars Show
Land Rover’s 70th anniversary will be celebrated here,
email: info@livepromotions.co.uk
www.kelmarshlandrovershow.com
September
including the The National Motor Museum’s 1948
prototype vehicle on display. ltbp 2
Sherborne Castle, New Road, Sherborne, Brimfield Vintage Working Day
Dorset DT9 5NR
email: classicandsupercars@gmail.com
21-30 Vintage tractors and machinery including a display of
static and working Land Rovers
www.classic-supercars.co.uk The Defender Spirit Tour Near Ludlow SY8 4LW
A road-trip for all Series Models, 90s, 110s and
www.brimfieldvintageclub.co.uk
24-28 Defenders driving from the south of France (Alès, Gard)
to the UK (Kelmarsh Land Rover Show).
War & Peace Revival Show Email: landlifeevents@gmail.com 8
Set in over 150 acres, it's a full five-day historical Web: www.land-life-events.com
spectacular. Norwegian Land Rover Club
Hop Farm Show Ground, Maidstone Road, l annual meet
Combined Series and classic Range Rover event,
activities including BBQ and talks
Prestegarden, Kirkeveien 19, 1540 Vestby, Norway
ltb
9
Speech House Vintage Show
Hosted by the Forest Vintage Vehicle and Machinery Club
in the Royal Forest of Dean. A family day out, raising
money for local charities.
email: jim@jwlrs.co.uk to exhibit
www.fvvmc.co.uk
October
14
Classic Land Rover Day
Amberley Museum, Sussex
www.amberleymuseum.co.uk
lc
To have your Land Rover event listed here send
details to vicky.turner@keypublishing.com

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SERIES III
Full
to capacity
The short-lived Series III High Capacity Pick-Up
was one of the 1980s concepts that saw the start of
a new direction for Land Rover’s utility vehicles
WORDS AND PICTURES JOHN CARROLL

The Hi-Cap’s load bed extends past the vertical
sides of the cab and rearwards of the 109in
chassis’ rear crossmember
2,286cc petrol and diesel engines were

supplemented by the six-cylinder option
of the same 2.6-litre engine as fitted to the
long-wheelbase Series IIAs.
a different story. Low mileage and one-owner The two four-cylinder engines would
examples are getting seriously expensive but be replaced by the re-engineered 2,286cc
there’s enough run-of-the-mill ones about engine with five main bearings, rather
to enable a bargain to be found by those than three, in late 1980. The 109in Series
T
he plentiful supply of the various looking to get into classic Land Rovers. IIIs came in soft-top, hard-top, truck-cab
leaf-sprung Land Rovers made This is especially true for those who are and Station Wagon configurations. One
between 1948 and 1983 is largely happy to get their hands dirty, working Ton versions with an uprated load capacity
a function of the vehicles’ longevity. This on their vehicle and treating it as a rolling were offered from 1971 until 1977. The
has meant that, in recent years, Series Land restoration. The uninitiated think that Land colours available were the same as for the
Rovers have gone from being cheap old Rovers last forever and, while there’s no 88in models although, from April 1982, a
workhorses to desirable classics. Initially, doubt that they last longer than many other County-specification deluxe interior trim
it was the Series Ones that became sought vehicles, you need to be careful what you option was made available in with new
after and more recently the Series II, IIA buy. Remember that the steel chassis and exterior colours and graphics.
and III models have gone the same way. the steel bulkhead are a pair of Achilles In parallel, also marking a shift in styling
The Series II and IIA models were made heels so bear in mind that the newest Series and marketing policies, the specialised High
during a period that was perceived as Land III is now 35 years old. Capacity Pick-Up (HCPU) with an optional
Rover’s golden era so, because of this and The long wheelbase Series III models were 1.3-tonne payload made its debut at the
their tax exempt status, they now fetch a introduced in 1971 at the same time as same time. It would stay in production until
premium. the SWB types, with all the same interior 1983 and featured a redesigned rear body
Series IIIs are the most numerous so remain and exterior features. The four-cylinder, for carrying loads of greater volume. This

SERIES III
wider and longer load area was separate in PJ O’Rourke’s epic essay entitled, ‘The Deluxe bonnet as used on the 109in and
from the cab and incorporated a full-width High Speed Performance Characteristics of replacement radiator grille
tailgate. It would be replaced, in late 1983, Pickup Trucks,’ which likens a pick-up truck
by the One Ten version. to a back porch. It’s available on-line but
Not only are they very useful but, these a key quote is: “Because pickup trucks get
days, pick-ups are fashionable in every stuck in the woods so often, four-wheel drive
way - there’s 4x4 double-cabs everywhere has become a popular option. The four-wheel
while classic and custom car events aren’t drive feature is either operated by a lever
complete without a gaggle of patinated which fails to put the truck in 4WD or by a
American classic trucks of all ages. Before lever which fails to take it out. Four-wheel
the fickle finger of fashion had been pointed drive allows you to mire four wheels axle-
at pick-ups they were just working tools. deep in the woods instead of just two.”
British examples included the diminutive All of this brings me to the vehicle on Fairey freewheeling hubs are a once popular
Mini and Minor models as well as the Land these pages. The truck-cab models are period extra
Rover. Somewhere back in the Every Which where Land Rovers and pick-ups are
Way but Loose/Urban Cowboy days of the inextricably linked while the HCPU was a
late 1970s, pick-ups began to move into the direct response to other manufacturers’ 4x4
motoring mainstream and appear in magazine pick-ups and its wide tailgate a response to
road tests in car and 4x4 magazines. The palletising of lots of materials. In the winter
many motoring journalists who thought their months of 1989 or so, a brand new, Solihull
job was all about Italian sports cars and the press fleet HCPU was one of the first test
greatness of Formula One racing suddenly vehicles I ever had on loan.
found themselves talking about payloads on New to the road testing game, I simply
press launches and trying to get to grips with took it greenlaning for the weekend. This Pick-up bed and cab are separate units
high/low levers. was, after all, what I’d been doing with my
My enthusiasm for the peripheral in Series III 88in for a few years and taking
motoring was spurred on by the sage advice it on a lane in Mid Wales that I knew well
The front end bodywork and the truck-cab of

the Hi-Cap is all standard Series III

BELOW: (Top) This press picture shows the
An 1980s advert that trumpets the Hi-Cap’s claimed advantages. The tailgate folds
Hi-Cap’s attributes; down vertically to allow a forklift to get to the
back of the load-bed floor; (Bpttom) Press
launch photo of the Series III Hi-Cap
The 109in rolli

ng chassis in petro
l form
‘This wider and longer load

area was separate from the cab and
incorporated a full width tailgate’
seemed like a good way of comparing its had survived a chequered past but was at
new-fangled coil springs, permanent 4x4, the point where it needed attention. Initially
diff lock and diesel turbo engine. It started it was used by one owner for years and
a bit of an affair with the HCPU or ‘Hi-Cap’. came with a pile of MoT certificates and tax
Years later, I bought a very used Hi-Cap of a disc to bear this out.
similar vintage to the road test model albeit After this, it passed through a number of
slightly upgrade with a 300Tdi engine which owners in quick succession. It suffered an
proved to be an ace thing until it was stolen. electrical fire behind the dash then passed
I didn’t rush to replace it but one day, I heard to a blogger whose optimistic words about
of a Series III Hi-Cap in need of work that restoring it is still online. He failed and it
was for sale. It didn’t take much thought and changed hands again, it lost its overdrive
very quickly this rarity became mine. before turning up at mine like an old stray
What I’d bought is a September 1982 dog.
registered Series III, 2,286cc, diesel-engined Its galvanised cappings looked a bit dull and
HCPU with a revenue weight of 3020kg. It rusty here and there, its blue hue had faded

SERIES III
and there was evidence of rust in the steel REASONS FOR FAILURE universal joint (2.4.G.4b)
components. Inside the remains of a County- - Horn not working (1.6.2a) - Inner front brake pipe excessively
spec interior could be seen along with melted - Front windscreen wiper does not clear the corroded (3.6.B.2c)
plastic and burned seats after the fire. windscreen effectively (8.2.2) - Service brake: efficiency below
Its last MoT pass had been achieved in July - Windscreen washer provides insufficient requirements (3.7.C.1a)
2010 so by 2011 it was off the road. The Hi- washer liquid (8.2.3)
Cap became a Classic Land Rover project and - Offside headlamp not working on dipped All these issues needed attention and the
was entrusted to the team at Simon Services beam (1.7.5a) legacy of the electrical fire was dealt with
in Wakefield for repairs and reconditioning - Offside headlamp not working on main by way of a new Autosparks wiring loom
working from an MoT fail sheet after a beam (1.7.5a) and a secondhand speedo binnacle and
speculative test in October 2014. - Nearside direction indicators not working clocks assembly to replace the melted one.
(1.4.A.2c) A Mayflower mechanical PTO winch was
Y-suffix numberplate dates this as a 1982 Land - Offside direction indicators not working installed in place of the overdrive. A pair
Rover (1.4.A.2c) of new door-tops were fitted along with
- Hazard warning switch faulty (1.4.B.1d) a new, pattern driver’s door which - still
- Brake rod excessively worn and seriously unpainted - led to the Land Rover gaining
weakened (3.5.1e) its nickname of Miss Matchdoor. All the
- Offside rear position lamp(s) not working work was detailed in the Tech and Toolbox
(1.1.A.3b) section of previous issues of this magazine.
- Front registration plate missing (6.3.1a) An MoT pass was achieved in December
- Registration plate lamp not working 2016 and the Hi-Cap was fit for work again.
(1.1.C.1d) It now needs another MoT ready for 2018.
- Offside rear leaf spring deteriorated and The original, naturally-aspirated, 2,286cc
seriously weakened (2.4.B.1a) diesel engine is a reliable enough but it’ll
Naturally-aspirated 2,286cc five-bearing diesel - Nearside rear leaf spring deteriorated and not break any speed records. However that
engine seriously weakened (2.4.B.1a) doesn’t matter as PJ O’Rourke explains:
- Driver’s door pillar deteriorated so the “Driving a pick-up at high speed is a
door cannot be readily opened or closed difficult skill to master. The first step is to
(6.2.B.2) assume the proper driving position: use
- Offside rear vehicle structure has excessive one hand to firmly grasp the drip rail on
corrosion, seriously affecting its strength the roof.” I’ll try that this coming year.
within 30cm of the body mountings Fashionable or not though, I can’t help
(6.1.B.2) thinking that this old truck would benefit
- Front drive shaft UJ which forms part from a coat of paint and maybe, the removal
of the suspension has excessive play in a of the huge Ifor Williams canopy. a
Full width tailgate was designed to allow
pallets to be forklifted into the loadbed
‘It lost its overdrive before turning up
at mine like an old stray dog’
The Mayflower PTO winch was originally fitted
to a Yorkshire Electricity Board 109in and
acquired secondhand

P039_CLR_MAR18_ad.indd 1 22/01/2018 10:52

CLASSIC COILER
High and
Mighty
Martin Port met Michael
Hall, the owner of a cherry
picker he bought on a whim
WORDS MARTIN PORT PICTURES GARRY STUART

Michael Hall takes flight in the Acklift pod –
capable of operating at around 30ft
P
ossibly the last thing you expect Having spent pretty much all of its life
to hear from the owner of a cherry in service with the National Grid in the
picker with a reach of around 30ft, Midlands, that mileage was going to be
are the words: “Of course, I’m afraid of genuine and the condition seemed to back
heights,” but that is precisely the admission that up: a chassis that was certainly sound
from Michael Hall as we chat about his and MoT test documents that show the
1990 coil-sprung 127. 127 covered around 500 miles a year in
Michael says that he learned to love Land recent history.
Rovers as a child – sitting in the middle The 127in wheelbase was originally
seat of a Series One, looking at the bonnet introduced in 1983 to cater for the
rivets. But eventually that passion turned commercial application market and was
into a business and for the past 30 years or therefore popular with utility companies
so, he has earned a living from the marque, as it could accommodate heavier loads
initially specialising in selling ex-military than the 110-badged alternative – almost
Lightweights but eventually moving into half a tonne more in fact, thanks to the
more modern machinery. extended 110 chassis.
This particular example however, was
bought unseen when it came up for
auction at Brightwells in Herefordshire. ‘The 200Tdi would
That may sound like a gamble of course,
but with it showing just over 7,000 miles on
become synonymous
the odometer, it was one that he was happy
to take. “I’d had Land Rover cherry pickers in
with an era of
the past – buying and selling them through Solihull-produced
the business – and decided that now was the
time to own one myself,” says Michael. vehicles’
CLASSIC COILER
The Acklift can operate in winds of up to 28mph –

number six on the Beaufort scale
Meg clearly enjoys the safety of the 127’s

cabin – familiar to anyone with a Land Rover of
a similar era
The cherry picker is ideal for tree-trimming

duties around Michael’s 25 acres
‘An engineer was

sent to Hardy Spicer
to buy the longest
In fact, the 127’s origins began with The 127 badging in the space that would shortly propeller shaft
Land Rover’s involvement with Project
Perentie – build contracts for Jaguar Rover
bear the Defender name
available’
Australia’s supply to the Australian Army.
The popularity of the double-cab pickup the originally-offered 3.5-litre V8 petrol.
in Australia motivated military product Although this engine found favour with the
planning manager Mike Gould to mock up military and at one time there were 200 127
a profile illustration that could be turned Land Rover Rapier Tractor units in service –
into reality with existing supply parts: a all fitted with the V8.
110 front, station wagon body sides, a roof This was the first of Land Rover’s turbo
modified from truck cab and station wagon diesel engines and was a four-cylinder,
parts and the tray from a High Capacity overhead valve unit producing around
pickup at the rear. 85bhp. A year later and the 200Tdi would
According to reports, an engineer was sent With the pod lowered to this platform, the become synonymous with an era of
operator can use the step to gain access Solihull-produced vehicles, but this initial
to Hardy Spicer to buy the longest propeller
shaft available and this determined the pre-Tdi unit became a strong-seller after
127in wheelbase, which was smaller than improvements to the engine block and
the original concept and meant that the bearings addressed earlier failings.
Hi-Cap tray had to be shortened. The cherry picker itself is an Acklift 1000
As Michael’s 127 is from 1990, the last VM supplied by the Powered Access group
year of production, it is fitted with the of companies which included Acklift,
2,495cc turbo diesel engine – understandably Spencer, Armfield and Condor. It is capable
the preferred choice for commercial use of carrying two people plus their tools and
considering that the alternative option was has a safe working load (SWL) of 200kg.

This particular model is also designed to reach,” smiles Michael, “but it still needed The hydraulic system is run from the power
operate in a maximum wind speed of six a ladder in the bucket to get the necessary take-off with electrics supplied by standard
on the Beaufort scale, which is described height. The builder admitted afterwards that 12-volt system
as being a strong breeze of between 25- he needed to ‘grow some balls’ to do that!”
31mph, although I’m guessing that there So what is next for the 127? Fortunately it
is little chance of Michael getting in the is perfectly sound and in working order, so
bucket in those sorts of conditions. the only thing that Michael has planned is
So just what does the 127 get used for? to clean and repaint the chassis when he has
“Well, I have 25 acres,” says Michael, “So it time. He is keen though, to point out that he
does get used around the place and is very has no intentions to buy anything similar.
handy for lopping the tops out of the taller “It was a flash in the pan moment – a
trees we have here.” sudden ‘I’ll have that’ thought, and we have
The only commercial work since leaving plenty of other Land Rovers here already so
its National Grid service was when a builder I don’t need any more, particularly as my The 2,495cc turbo diesel was an addition to the
friend needed to put a chimney up in son Stuart has now started collecting Mk1 range – the 127 was initially offered only with
nearby Wroughton. “We thought it might VW Golf GTIs as well!” a the V8 petrol unit
The 127 has covered very little mileage and so

mechanically is still in excellent condition
There is little chance of missing the Land Rover

127 thanks to its striking colour combination
Unbelievably, owner Michael Hall isn’t too keen

on heights – not that you’d know

IIA
T
he working Land Rover isn’t a new reborn, although, one occasionally comes along with making new items when
idea, it was of course originally along and bucks the trend. commissioned to do so.
conceived as an all-purpose farming Barry Porter’s Series IIA is one such More uniquely, as the owner of a small
vehicle which later diversified into all sorts example, originally bought nearly 25 years woodland, he grows and cuts his own
of other areas. ago with the specific intent of it being a timber for use in his work, which –
It’s not an uncommon theme for a Land working vehicle. unsurprisingly - is the main part of the
Rover to have lived a hard working life At first glance it’s a somewhat weather- operation in which the Land Rover is
before being retired and replaced with a beaten but otherwise superficially involved, where it is an invaluable tool in
newer - potentially more capable - model. standard vehicle, with a variety of subtle the process of converting trees into usable
They are often abandoned to the ravages of modifications that further add to its role. materials for his craft.
time in the corner of a farm yard or parked A furniture maker by trade, Barry works At first glance it easily slips under the
in a hedge, awaiting the chance of being repairing and restoring old furniture, radar as nothing other than an old and

WORDS: DAVE MARSH
The
PICTURES: GARRY STUART AND JAMES PORTER
Wood Worker Barry Porter’s Series IIA works hard for a living,
helping him in his furniture restoration business
Still working hard after 25 years of ownership
rather weathered Land Rover that has been

serviced and repaired as required. ‘You begin to notice provides the main weapon in the Land
Rover’s armoury when working in the
The signage on the doors hints at it
being a working vehicle, while the dents
the numerous small woods, where it makes for a strong and
very well-planted winching platform. The
and flaking paintwork punctuating the
bodywork confirm suspicions that it’s more
alterations Barry winch is usually operated in conjunction
with a rather substantial ground anchor
than just a rolling billboard. has made over the which secures to specially-made brackets
Closer investigation makes its purpose at the front of the chassis. It’s a simple but
clearer as you begin to notice the numerous years to refine it for effective design which pushes more firmly
small alterations Barry has made over the
years to refine it for its purpose. its purpose’ into the ground the harder the winch pulls
against the vehicle, with the added bonus
Starting at the front, the capstan winch of coming free of the ground with relative

IIA
Barry and his team at work is an impressive

sight
aluminium added to the front to help retain

their contents.
A heater box from a classic Mini hangs
under the dashboard on the passenger side,
providing a pleasant increase in airflow and
warmth over the round Smiths-type heater
originally specified. The relocated heater
also allows space for the Series III-type
hand throttle - another essential tool when
Barry ponders which log is most suitable for
his needs
using the Land Rover for winching work
- to be mounted above the transmission
tunnel, with another oddments tray taking
up the rest of the free space next to it.
Sticking with the theme of more storage,
the rear tub has had a storage box added
Fairey capstan winch is a versatile tool for
on the driver’s side which provides a
forest work
separate -and slightly more weatherproof -
place to carry tools, especially useful when
the Land Rover finds itself being used for
transporting firewood.
Special brackets to mount the ground The custom-made log trailer is a point
anchor to the chassis of interest on its own, the turntable
steering arrangement on the front axle
is a little unusual, however the wheel at
each corner layout lends itself to its use,
providing a more stable load platform,
and better terrain following ability when Cant hooks are an essential tool for moving
used for off road work. large logs
Admittedly the steering arrangement
can make manoeuvring - especially when
reversing - difficult, this minor headache state and along with restoring it to an
has been solved by adding a towball to operational condition, he also altered the
Barry makes operating the saw look the front bumper of the Land Rover. This drive for the blade to be suitable for a
deceptively simple simplifies the job somewhat, but it still mechanical PTO and further modified its
takes some concentration to persuade it to base to make it a mobile unit.
ease once tension has been released. move as intended. It was originally planned to equip the
The inside of the cab wouldn’t strike The Land Rover is also used for towing Land Rover with a rear PTO unit to drive
the casual observer as particularly the vintage saw bench which Barry uses to the saw, but advice received during his
unusual, however it has again been process felled timber into shapes and sizes search for one suggested that the original
modified for purpose. more appropriate for use in his woodwork. 2,286cc petrol engine wouldn’t be man
Besides the top of the dashboard being The bench itself - dating from 1920 - was enough to drive the blade when cutting
full of chains, and adorned with a variety originally built as a fixed machine and larger pieces of wood, so the job of
of hooks, shackles and other essential tools, driven from a water wheel. powering the saw is instead performed
the lower shelves have both had a strip of Barry bought it in a somewhat dilapidated by a David Brown tractor.

Sometimes manyhands make light work ‘The new chassis
came as a result
of the original
beginning to show
its age’
Emergency engine stop button with bespoke
cover
As is evident in the photographs, running

the saw isn’t a job that can be easily
handled by one man.
However, along with his work making
and restoring furniture, Barry also teaches
his traditional woodworking skills to those
who want to learn, which – as well as being Tirfor winches have long been popular tools
a useful income stream - means he has a in forestry work. CREDIT: James Porter
willing supply of able assistants.
Most of his paying work takes place in the
small grove near Barry’s home that features
in our photographs, but as the saw bench
is a mobile unit it can be found working
elsewhere when the need arises.
This includes a number of country shows
during the summer where, accompanied
by a small team of assistants, Barry runs
demonstrations of traditional timber
handling skills, along with the rather Hand winch eases loading logs onto the
captivating spectacle of the wood then trailer. CREDIT: James Porter
The log trailer is a key tool in the Land

Rover’s work

IIA
Larger pieces of wood stored for seasoning
‘Accompanied by
a small team of
assistants, Barry
runs demonstrations
Any free space in the dashboard is filled with
of traditional timber
tools handling skills’
larger jobs - such as the chassis swop
which took place some years ago - to be
carried out. The new chassis came as a
result of the original beginning to show
its age, needing more and more work each
year to keep it up to scratch. Weighing up
the options available Barry decided the
Turntable steering can make the trailer new chassis was the only sensible way Pulling the chain tight onto the capstan drum
awkward to manoeuvre forward. allows the winch to grip. PHOTO: JAMES PORTER
While he admits briefly considered
replacing it with a newer model, the idea
was dismissed after further thought, with
the reasoning that the Series IIA fulfilled
its role so well that there was no good
reason to do anything other than a proper
repair to ensure its longevity.
The Land Rover returned to work the
following year and as a testament to the
original design, has continued reliably,
Hursqvana chainsaw is another long lived requiring very little attention outside of
tool servicing and periodic maintenance.
Watching Barry and his team working
being transformed into a variety of other together it becomes obvious how well the
forms, including planks, posts and even Land Rover fits in with his work.
roofing shingles. Time-honoured skills practiced at a
Unsurprisingly, as autumn comes, bringing steady pace with care and consideration
shorter days and the rain for which the to produce visually stunning woodwork
Lake District is somewhat famed, the Land which can be traced back to the trees from
Rover finds itself parked up while Barry which it was originally grown and, having
concentrates his efforts in the workshop. seen it all in action, one can’t help but be
This hibernation period also allows for impressed. a Extra shackles are always welcome when
winching

Defender.indd 1 22/01/2018 12:20
The 1972 model year Land Rover Series III
Station Wagons in 88 and 109in form with
seven and 12 seats respectively
SERIES ONE
The aim for this restoration was to create

a useable vehicle which looks ‘right’

Second
time
around
Clare met Joe and Tom Kench to hear
the story of how the family has twice owned and
restored this Series One
WORDS CLARE WESTBROOK
PICTURES RUDY CHADWICK-SMITH AND THE KENCH FAMILY
D
espite Tom Kench’s Land Rover two English boys; they watched all the
being called Zebedee, there isn’t comings and goings; and in a time of real
a coil spring in sight. Back in the hardship, it seemed the ‘Yanks’ were short
1980s, when this Series One was first of nothing. Joe remembers them tossing
owned by the Kench family, Tom’s mum chewing gum and sweets out of the Jeeps
had an F-registration Series IIA bearing the as they drove by. He was hooked!
tattered remnants of a Magic Roundabout In the 1960s he spent several years
sticker, so she called it Florence; Tom’s working as a civilian in an army vehicle
dad Joe, jokingly said he’d have to call his depot and tells some amazing stories,
Zebedee, and the name stuck. including one about the day they filled a
Joe’s love of Land Rovers is rooted in a DUKW full of water.
time before the marque was even conceived. He got to drive many of the 6,000
In the early 1940s he was a six-year- vehicles stored there, including ex-US
old schoolboy in Cornwall; his mate was army 6x6 trucks just like the ones he’d
just five. watched as a boy.
Beginning in December 1943, their home Leap forward another 20 years to 1986,
‘patch’ also became home to thousands of by which time Joe had already owned
American military vehicles in readiness for several Jeeps and Land Rovers and
the D-Day landings of June 1944. was quite a dare-devil when it came to
Housed in a woodland clearing created off-road exploits. He’d always regretted
especially for them were a variety of selling his Series One, so when he spotted
6x6 vehicles, scores of Jeeps and all their this sorry, but repairable replacement in a
drivers. It was simply fascinating for scrapyard, he couldn’t resist it.

SERIES ONE
Joe had no garage, no driveway,

a very small shed and an equally small
‘Tom gathered his could be dismantled and packed into boxes:
the only way it could get into the garden.
patch of lawn with no vehicular access:
but he had plans and was determined that
five siblings together Over the next 12 months or so the Series
One was rebuilt on the lawn. Danny
this time, they’d come to fruition. and they presented remembers the chassis being repaired and
So the first Kench restoration of Zebedee the wiring replaced; Joe made the new, and
began. Joe enlisted the help of his ex- a surprised Joe very distinctive, timber-panelled tailgate,
brother-in-law, a nephew, a work colleague but the new bulkhead was made by some
and Danny, one of Tom’s older brothers, with Zebedee on lads who lived on the estate. More often
who was a mechanic. Their first job was
to clean-off the rust and mud, so UAS 993
June 17, 2017’ than not, when any of the local youngsters
showed an interest they’d end up with a
spanner in their hands being encouraged by
The lights are an up-to-date spec,
Joe to ‘get stuck in’.
for more visibility Eventually, the Land Rover was all back
together again, but just ‘finger tight’, and
the engine was running. The next phase
of the plan – getting it out of the garden –
swung into action. This meant UAS 993 had
to be dismantled all over again! But they
couldn’t leave it in bits out on the street
and take their time with the rebuild: it had
to be done in one day. So invitations to
‘Joe’s First Land Rover Party’ were issued,
advising wellies should be worn as by now
the lawn was just a ‘muddy expanse’.
Joe had a timetable ready for his helpers,
starting at 9am with a briefing and coffee or
tea. The plan was to take the garden fence
down, manhandle the stripped-down Land
Rover out on its side and re-build it on the
car park. They drained all the oils, removed
the bodywork, battery and anything else
which wouldn’t squeeze through the gap,
Tom has made this removable guard to keep his

dog Milly safe

Homemade catches
The spare is stored under the false floor; the dog

guard turns the tilt flap into a handy awning The tidy interior
The doors are an original detail, but the tyres

don’t have the correct tread pattern for the era
but left the engine in and wheels on. One had been converted into a trialler, Due to lack of time and money, UAS 993
Once the vehicle was extracted and fence with a 90 front-end, a V8 engine and languished in boxes for many years, but as
back in place, and fuelled by more coffee automatic gearbox; the chassis was minus Joe grew older and faced losing his driving
and tea, the team was scheduled to be its crossmembers and had been modified licence, Tom decided to get Zebedee back
rebuilding the Series One by 11:30am. to take a roll cage. Despite all this, Tom on the road while his dad could still enjoy
Lunch was at 12:30pm, with more coffee bought it; he’d not been married long and driving it.
and tea, followed by fitting the bodywork had quite a bit of explaining to do! By November 2016, Tom had collected
onto the chassis; Joe wanted to be driving
UAS 993 around the car park by 2pm and
taking it for an MOT at 3pm. It seems an
ambitious timetable, and Joe did have a
contingency for delays, but stipulated they
wouldn’t work after darkness fell at 6pm.
Danny remembers they did get to drive the
Land Rover that day, but is fairly sure they
missed the planned MOT.
Tom has only hazy memories of this time,
but as soon as he could reach the pedals, Joe
had him driving. The family has great stories
and fond memories of Land Rover exploits,
including marshalling at Trentham Gardens,
but in 1991 poor health led to Joe selling
Zebedee. Luckily, Danny and Tom had both
inherited the Land Rover bug. In 2003,
Danny was searching for doors for his Series
IIA in a Land Rover reclamation yard when
he spotted Zebedee’s distinctive tailgate.
Little else was recognisable: the Series
www.classiclandrover.com MARCH
Tom and Joe with2018 55
Zebedee
SERIES ONE
LEFT: Tom and his sister Lucy bringing the

Series One home; ABOVE: The timetable for
Joe’s First Land Rover Party
ABOVE: Joe and Tom giving it the ‘once over’ in the

garden; RIGHT: It went through the gap, helped
by two engine hoist; BELOW: Back together and
driving around, with Florence bringing up the rear
‘Joe had a timetable

ready for his
helpers, starting at
9am with a briefing
and coffee or tea’
most of the parts he needed for the
restoration; he hoped it could be finished by
Joes’ birthday on February 12, 2017 but he
really didn’t have the time to do it himself.
Luckily, he knew someone who could help.
Tom had met Mark ‘Bert’ Hyde quite by
chance when his Series III broke down
and Mark stopped to offer help; they got
talking and Bert recognised Tom’s surname:
Thanks he’d been one of the young lads Joe had
Tom, Joe and the Kench family would encouraged all those years ago.
like to thank: That support had sparked a life-long
- Mark ‘Bert’ Hyde and Tosh Hyde, of passion for Land Rovers and led Bert into
Bedworth Berts 4x4, for everything! becoming a mechanic, so as a way of
- AMD Four Wheel Drive, Desford; for their thanking Joe, Bert and his son Tosh offered
help and knowledge and not selling Tom to help with the Kench family’s second
anything he didn’t need! restoration of UAS 993.
The brief was for a ‘30-foot car; not

RIGHT: Itwas in a sorry state when they found
it again; BELOW: Zebedee from the Magic
Roundabout
ABOVE: Tom sourced most of the parts

while Bert and Tosh did the work; LEFT:
(Top) Joe with Zebedee in the garden;
(Bottom) Joe driving Zebedee at the
surprise ‘reveal’; RIGHT: Joe and his family,
including children Jinny, Ben, Danny, Tom gathered his five
Reuben, Lucy and Tom (the youngest)
siblings together and they presented a
surprised Joe with Zebedee on June 17,
perfect, but looking good at that distance’. 2017. He took it for a spin down the local
Donna a donor Series IIA, provided the green lane where he’d driven so many times
engine and gearbox; the fuel tank came before and enjoyed a few more months
from Facebook and the wiring loom from driving it before he had to give up.
Autosparks. Tom worked hard to find He says it was just so different to the
bargain parts and ‘sensible’ sellers: the tilt modern car he had at the time; everything
was £40 from Gumtree and a complete was basic, but fun. And fun is what shines
set of tyres just £100, as the owner had through when Joe talks about his Land
bought the wrong tread pattern. After many Rovers: from hair-raising exploits to family
hours of work and a fresh coat of paint, the expeditions, it’s obvious he’s enjoyed every
sign-writer added the finishing touches and minute. He says he’d love another: “To go
Zebedee was ready to be revealed to Joe. mad in!” a
Jake Wright
YORKSHIRE SPECIALISTS
Traditional Motor
Engineers specialising in -
Repairs and Service for all
models MOT’s & Welding.
Full or part restorations.
Chassis and bulkhead
replacements.
WE ALSO HAVE
SELECTED VEHICLES
FOR SALE -
SEE OUR WEB SITE Classic Tyres
www.jakewright.com
Hilltop, Burley-in-Wharfedale, ILKLEY, West Yorkshire LS29 7JW
Tel: 01943 863530 Fax: 01943 864840
E mail: info@jakewright.com
Opening times: Monday - Friday 8.30am - 5.30pm Saturday 9.30 - 12.30pm
P058_CLR_MAR18_ad.indd 1 22/01/2018 11:27

VINTAGE ESSENTIALS
TAKE THE HIGH ROAD

Collectable radiator grille badges from the Scottish Land Rover
Owners’ Club that mark two key moments in its sixty year history
A
t 1,345m (4,411ft) Beinn Nibheis, the dual objects of getting to the top and result, on January 21, 1967 the Scottish
or Ben Nevis, in Scotland, is the improving on the time an Austin Gipsy Section became the Scottish Land Rover
highest mountain in the British had taken to do it. Unfortunately the Owners’ Club (SLROC). The RAC confirmed
Isles. It is found at the western end of the expedition was both blown and washed registration of the SLROC in October 1967,
Grampian Mountains in Lochaber near off the mountain by the weather, but in the ROA’s annual general meeting was held
the town of Fort William. The mountain the following year good weather ensured in Falkirk on April 5, 1969.
is a popular destination for walkers success. Another reason for the dreaming At the request of the Royal Scottish
and climbers but has also provided a up of this event was that someone had Automobile Club (RSAC) one of the club’s
motoring challenge on occasion including, heard that the Ford Model T Owners’ Club badges, like the one shown here, was
unsurprisingly, for members of the Scottish were investigating the possibility of a presented for display in the organisation’s
section of the Land Rover Owners’ Club. repeat attempt.’ club rooms in Glasgow. The SLROC hosted
The first ascent was achieved in 1911 When the successful attempt was made the 1970 ROA National Rally at a site in
when a Ford dealer, Henry Alexander, with an 88in Series II in 1963, the club southern Scotland and the club thrives to
drove a Model T to the summit. Around boasted 98 members and, soon afterwards, this day as one of the constituent clubs
17 years later he followed this with an the first honorary life member - Dick of the Association of Land Rover Clubs,
ascent in a new Model A and soon after Sergeantson - was elected. He had been successor to the Association of Rover Clubs
this George Simpson, drove a secondhand active on the committee since the club’s in turn the successor of the ROA (http://
Austin 7 to the summit. In 1962 it was inception and had been a member of the slroc2.co.uk).
the year of the Austin 4x4 on the Ben, as Ben Nevis team.
separate successful attempts were achieved Late in 1966, a meeting in Birmingham
See a home movie of the Ben Nevis
in both a Gipsy and a Champ during of all the areas and the Rover Company
resulted in the formation of the Rover ascent at https://tinyurl.com/y6uthxg5
June. The Gipsy was crewed by a party of
students and the Champ by a TA unit. Owners’ Association. From then on
The factory-supported Land-Rover each LROC section would become a
Owners’ Club had been started in the separate club affiliated to the Rover
1950s and the Scottish Section formed Owners’ Association and the RAC. As a
in October 1958. It organised the usual
club events including trials but
the club’s website
records that, ‘the
sense of adventure
led members to
survey Ben Nevis
and in June [1962]
an attempt was
made to drive up
the mountain with
‘Unfortunately
the expedition
was both blown
and washed off the Souv
mountain by the e
the L nir radi
R a
Ben OC’s S tor grille
weather’ Nevi
s in
cott
is bad
1963 h Sectio ge to ma
rk
n asc
on
Sco ttish Secti wners’ ent o
f
C Rover O
the LRO
In 1967 e Scottish Land adge depicts
became
th lle b
iator gri
this rad
Club as
SERIES III
Taking the
Keith Smith discovers
the joys of driving a Land
Rover without a roof
WORDS AND PICTURES KEITH SMITH

top off
O
pen top motoring is brilliant - you Series trucks are, technically speaking, on honeymoon in Bulgaria a few years ago
just can’t beat that wind-in-your- convertibles. I’d already hankered after (in Steyr Puch G-Wagens) brought it all
hair, flies-in-your teeth driving one for years, ever since I had my first back and that’s when I decided I needed
experience. Trouble is, if like me you’re a experience at about eight years old in to buy a classic Land Rover. Luckily I was
40-something bloke with a mostly white my granddad’s Series IIA, which was an also able to convince my brand new wife it
beard and a belly it’s tricky to be seen invaluable tool on his farm. The memory of would be a better investment than an ISA,
driving a convertible without looking like the noise, the bouncy ride, the vent flaps, or anything much else for that matter! So in
you’re having some sort of crisis. Except of the weird and unfathomable (to a kid) red June 2015, after doing a fair bit of research,
course it isn’t really tricky at all, because and yellow levers and the combined smell I brought MTT 41W - christened ‘Mattilda’ -
the answer is a Series Land Rover. of EP90 and a border collie named Crystal home. Well, halfway home at least, the AA
I’ll be honest, I didn’t actually realise stayed with me for the next 30-odd years. did the rest...
when I bought my Land Rover that all And then an off-road experience while It’s a 1980 Series III 88in with the original

‘I decided on a canvas truck
cab as it would be easier to remove and
refit than a full tilt’
2,296cc petrol lump up front and a three films of Stephen Patchett and Team Faff, simply leaving the top off all summer,
bearing crankshaft so presumably built whose impressive adventures had been but also because it was a less common
early in the year - and, as bought, a totally chronicled in CLR. They inspired the kind choice. All Wheel Trim would also supply
standard van-sided utility truck. of look I wanted to go for, so I made my a matching tonneau cover, so an order was
There were of course a few things to do mind up then that I had to take the roof placed and I patiently waited the estimated
as it ran like a bag of nails, including but off and further research confirmed how three weeks for delivery.
not limited to, a new coil, distributor, plugs, straightforward a task this seemed to be. When it finally arrived seven weeks later
leads, valve stem oil seals and a de-coke I decided on a canvas truck cab as it I was itching to fit it so got busy unbolting
and valve seat re-lap. Magazines like CLR, would be easier to remove and refit than a the hard top and sides. I’d previously
as well as internet forums and videos on full tilt. This is important for me as I don’t acquired a tailgate and catflap from eBay
YouTube, proved extremely helpful. have a garage or workshop to park in, just for the princely sum of £80 for the pair, as
And then one day I stumbled across the a driveway, meaning I can’t get away with for some reason I’ve never really liked the

SERIES III
more typical rear door - I find them a bit

flat and featureless. Plus you can’t sit on
them or use them as a camping table. But
with the door, roof and sides all removed
(on my own - the roof was a bit unwieldy
but manageable) I was ready to complete
the transformation.
Everything went on surprisingly easily
for a rookie and so, as this was all done
in August 2016, Leafers At T’Pit became
the first outing for Mattilda as it rocked
its new look. Unfortunately the weather
was dreadful so the hood stayed on for
the entire weekend, but it still got plenty
of attention. One of the more pleasantly
surprising things I noticed on the drive
to and from Wakefield that weekend was
how much quieter, relatively speaking,
the vehicle was without a bare metal box
bolted on the back!
But it wasn’t really until earlier this year
that I actually got to experience the fun of
proper open-top Land Rovering. Having
over the winter replaced the knackered
door tops and fitted new all-terrain tyres
on each corner, it seemed appropriate to
take everything off above the waistline
and go for a spin, and with some degree of
Keeping a low profile trepidation about what hideous corrosion I
‘I am considering a full tilt for

occasional service so I can camp in the
back for future adventures’

Environmentally friendly air conditioning
SWB looks surprisingly dinky
might find I decided to fold the screen down as fantastic as I’d hoped it would be -
too - after all, how many other soft tops can every twisty country lane and dirt track
you do that in? somehow felt like an Alpine pass, but
Luckily, and to my great relief, the without the freezing temperatures and
bulkhead proved to be perfectly sound thousands of feet drops.
so I could properly enjoy the full roofless Why aren’t all cars made like this?
experience and 360° visibility without However, it must also be noted that there
worrying about the entire windscreen were some fairly important things I learned
assembly falling off. very quickly: firstly, the wipers get in the
I secured the screen to the spare wheel way when folding the screen down - I
with a bungee cord and set off for the almost destroyed mine twice as they got
wilds of Hertfordshire; we don’t have lots twisted alarmingly by the screen on the way
of highly technical lanes around this area down and crushed against the bulkhead on
but there are a number of very pleasant the way back up. Lesson learned.
and leafy ones which are far enough from And do try to remember to watch out
civilization to really feel like you’re in the for low-hanging branches when laning
Tonneau cover keeps everything middle of nowhere. lest you get smacked in the face (ask me
under control in the back As experiences go, it was every bit how I know…) Also, having no screen is

SERIES III
fantastic when greenlaning because you’re I haven’t yet managed to convince my refurbished and fitted what I believe is an
at low speeds, but on the tarmac bits in wife to come with me as she’s very much Aeroparts capstan winch I managed to pick
between lanes your eyes will be streaming one for creature comforts, but with the up for £65).
too much to see anything once you’re over addition of some soundproofing (admittedly While it’s true to say a more modern
about 35mph so definitely invest in some redundant with the roof off) and parabolic convertible can drop its roof much quicker
goggles. But that said it’s so quick to pop springs I remain ever hopeful of her and more easily than you can in an old Land
the screen up or down it’s really no great eventual enlightenment. Rover - often in a matter of seconds and
hassle to change it to suit the particular The old hardtop hasn’t been back on since without the need for spanners! - I reckon the
road you’re on. it first came off, and I can’t see it’s very 20 minutes or so it takes for me to remove
Throughout this summer I’ve tried various likely to be refitted anytime soon either. the entire cab (frame and all) is definitely
configurations with the roof, but no roof at I am considering a full tilt for occasional an acceptable compromise when it gives me
all is what I keep coming back to; there’s service though so I can camp in the back for the option to go roof-free all year round, on
simply no better way to enjoy the sights, future adventures such as the North Coast any road whether tarmac or dirt, while still
sounds and even smells of the countryside 500, Strata Florida and Gatescarth Pass, all looking incredibly cool and, as an added
than with no barriers at all.
It’s also the most incredible stress-buster
of which I’m keen to do (especially once I’ve a
bonus, entirely crisis-free.
after a day in the office, and I’ve tended Looking purposeful in the Chilterns
to seek out ever longer and slower routes
home to prolong the fun; thanks to all those
pretty greenlanes, country lanes and back
roads in my home area it’s very easy to just
go and get lost for a couple of hours.
Secondhand tailgate was added to replace the

original rear door after the roof was removed
15in eight-spokes - understated in

black - add a little 80s retro feel
‘Throughout this summer

I’ve tried various configurations
with the roof’
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Published by Key Publishing Ltd. The entire contents of this title are © copyright 2018. All rights reserved. 072/18
SERIES IIA ONE-TON
One-Ton
Wrecker
One of only 170 Series IIA examples built for the home market, Tom
Waite’s ex-Kenning breakdown One-Ton is his daily transport
WORDS AND PICTURES LOUISE LIMB
T
hat any unmodified Land Rover of Land Rovers available and appealed
Tom’s One-Ton is still hard at work as his cluttered cab
could make an economical runabout mainly to commercial clients who needed
and working row of flashing beacon switches reveal
gives even a fertile imagination a vehicle that looked like a conventional
ample exercise, but that a lumbering Land Rover with its variety of available
One-Ton could make an ideal daily driver, body styles, could go cross-country with
cruising the nation’s motorways is unlikely. ease, provide a solid base for specialist
Engineer Tom Waite, is not however, an conversions while confidently carrying a
average commuter and when he is not payload of one ton. The standard 109in
working away, this characterful Series IIA wheelbase Land Rover could only manage
109in One-Ton is pressed into service on three quarters of a ton and was powered by
a daily basis assisting with tree felling, the standard four-cylinder 2,286cc engine.
log carrying and other jobs requiring the Contemporary evidence suggests that users
on-board crane. These are typical of the often tried to overload them, resulting in
sorts of tasks for which Land Rover’s 109in poor performance and handling, together
wheelbase heavyweight utility truck was with impaired reliability.
first intended and far from enjoying a In the early 1960s the Rover Company
quiet retirement, Tom’s One-Ton, once a experimented with a 129in competitor
breakdown vehicle for the Kenning Motor for the Dodge Power Wagon that enjoyed
Group and another garage continues to a near monopoly in the Middle Eastern
work hard, even fitting in regular long- Oilfields and while this model, the first to
distance trips. be known as a One-Ton Land Rover, never
When the One-Ton first appeared in made it to a production line, the Forward
1968 it attempted to fill a gap in the range Control did.
Kenning Motor Group converted and deployed

a large number of Land Rover One-Tons, both
Series IIA and III as breakdown vehicles

With grateful thanks to Dan
Warden and for a mine of useful
information visit his website
www.onetonlandrovers.co.uk
A sister tow truck to Tom’s One-Ton
while it was at Rally Motors which is
detailed on Dan’s web site here https://
preview.tinyurl.com/ycvyhfh
If you know where it is now please get
in touch with us at Classic Land Rover.
For further information and to meet
other owners go to http://900club.org/
index.php
‘The One-Ton was

also fitted with a
lower ratio steering
box and a hydraulic
steering damper’
In this pick-up the standard 109in rear load

bed is taken up with a substantial HF 30cwt
capacity pick-up crane

SERIES IIA ONE-TON
department and ideas from military than the usual one, meaning one chassis
Kennings Motor solutions like the amphibious FV18051, would satisfy home and export markets,
Group truck, airportable, general purpose (APGP) cutting production costs. The chassis, also
A famous business name by the 1960s and sometimes fed into civilian design and differed from the normal 109in one in that
‘70s, Kenning’s controlled a significant production. Its extended spring hangers the gearbox crossmember was bolted on and
and reinforced chassis frame were ideas a cut-out in the bell-housing accommodated
portion of the UK’s car showrooms, petrol
borrowed initially from the IIB Forward the front prop shaft. The result was an ideal
forecourt sales, car servicing and spares
Control. Likewise, 109ins developed for the platform for specialist conversions both at
sales. They even opened motorway service Australian Army in the early 1960s included home and abroad.
stations at Strensham on the M5 and drop-shackle suspension with extended spring The One-Ton was also fitted with a lower
Anderton on the M61. shackles to give greater clearance under wheel ratio steering box and a hydraulic steering
Derbyshire-based George Kenning arches and in the Shorland armoured car damper to ease manoeuvring on those big 900
was a pioneer of car ownership for the the chassis and drivetrain were strengthened x16 tyres. Anticipating the One-Ton payload,
masses, like his friend Lord Nuffield of to carry the extremely heavy armoured Rover fitted the front suspension with heavy
Morris Motors. From his father’s high body. Elements of all these appeared in the duty springs and the rear axle suspension,
street hardware business in Clay Cross, One-Ton, the Rover Company’s answer to the although still under-slung, is unique to the
George Kenning eventually developed the standard 109in payload problem and unveiled One-Ton. Tom finds carrying a load in the
nationwide Kenning Motor Group from at the Commercial Motor Show at Earl’s Court back compensates for the rather bouncy big
the 1950s onwards. Under George, the in 1968. tyres and more rigid springs.
company had grown from being the first Looking superficially the same as any Many were fitted with winches though
agents in the UK for Lucas electrical other 109in Land Rover, apart from the Tom’s, like another Kenning’s vehicle (with
components in the 1920s to become, chunkier wheels, the One-Ton featured the its original branding) shown on the One-Ton
by the time of his death in 1956, the 2,625cc six-cylinder petrol engine (apart Land Rover website does not have a winch.
country’s largest supplier of tyres. from a few four-cylinder models which Additionally, Land-Rover produced power
As well as the heraldic branding seen were delivered to the British military), drop take-offs to suit the One-Ton gearbox.
on the Mist White One-Ton Land shackle suspension, 900×16 tyres on 6.5in With a first example appearing in 1968
deep dish rims and ENV axles, with the gear and production beginning in April 1969, all
Rover breakdown vehicles, Kenning
and transfer boxes borrowed from the Series the 109in One-Tons featured lights in the
demonstrated the modernity and success
IIB Forward Control. In addition, brake pipes wings; a new model for the modern age.
of his business through the company were extended as well as fitting a brake Only 170 examples of the Series IIA were
buildings he erected in the 1930s, the servo together with wider 3in shoes while ever built for the home market and these
offices in Clay Cross and Chesterfield the rear brakes remained the same as the often varied individually in detail according
being notable Art Deco buildings. conventional three-quarter-ton rated 109in.
Tom’s One-Ton, 169K was one of the very
last Series IIAs and was given an ENV axle at
the front and a Salisbury axle at the rear, both
fitted at the factory. All but the last Series IIAs
were fitted with ENVs front and back, the last
receiving a Salisbury rear axle. Very early
Series IIIs were fitted with ENV front and
back, switching to Salisbury front and back
as production progressed. As is often the case
during Land Rover model changes it is likely
Heavy duty Salisbury axle was factory-fitted on
George Kenning’s Motor Group adopted the that the construction of the last One-Ton
some of the last Series IIA One-Ton examples
modern Art Deco style architecture for its Series IIAs and the first Series IIIs overlapped
Clay Cross offices to emphasise the success which is why one sees a mix of axles and
of the enterprise (photo Dave Bevis) other parts on them, Rover themselves fitting
the Salisbury in the Series III One-Ton.
The custom-built, strengthened chassis
The Series IIA Forward Control was a was constructed in such a way that it could
radical leap for the Land Rover, effectively be either right or left-hand drive, and had
a cross-country lorry inspired by the Willys twin recesses for the steering relay, rather
Jeep FC-170 on its 103.5in wheelbase. The
Forward Control featured a large rear load-
bed, almost three times the capacity of that The Harvey Frost Cat 21 Pick-Up crane is rated
on the normal 109in chassis. at 30cwt
At prototype stage, the vehicle was low-
loading but later in production much higher
as the Forward Control carried a substantial
girder frame on top of the standard 109in
chassis for added strength. This gave ample
clearance for 900 x16 tyres on wider wheels.
The Series IIA Forward Control lacked
stability and sold poorly. With, among other
improvements, its wider track, the Series IIB
Forward Control became relatively successful
and one of its main attractions was the
standard fitment of the 2,625cc six-cylinder
engine. The Forward Control may have
addressed the problem of payload but it was
not a conventionally shaped Land Rover and
fitting for example, a breakdown crane or a
cherry-picker to a Forward Control was far
from ideal. Another solution was required. Door tops are a weak spot and these are Series
Innovative and radical thinking was the III items fitted by the previous owner; note the
responsibility of the Land Rover Experimental extended commercial wing mirror

radio lives and where he discovered a very
useful original Series IIA owners’ manual.
Frugal the One-Ton is not and it is slow,
cruising around 45 mph at 3,000rpm and
returning fewer than ten miles per gallon.
Nevertheless, Tom has put the miles on the
clock and has enjoyed trekking the length of
Britain on its sturdy 900/16 tyres - a recent
journey from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Bath
taking a sedate three days while racking up a
wallet-draining fuel bill.
Nevertheless, as Tom concludes: “It didn’t
skip a beat all the way down and continues
to be as reliable as a daily driver. One-Ton
109ins are slower and heavier than three-
quarter ton 109ins but that doesn’t totally
preclude them from daily use. I find that
it adds ten minutes to every half hour a
journey would normally take.” a
One-Ton wheels have serial numbers; 569203 for
the slightly less offset wheel or, more frequently,
569204 (source www.onetonlandrovers.co.uk)
Sitting high on its 900 x16 tyres and deep-dished
wheels, the One-Ton exudes confidence in its
increased capability
Specifications
Make: Rover
With Tom’s careful maintenance Rover’s in-line Model: Land Rover Series IIA 109in
six-cylinder 2,625cc engine ‘never misses a beat’ One-Ton
Year: 1971
Production Run: 1969-1977
‘Only 170 examples
of the Series IIA were Engine: Rover
Type: In-line six-cylinder inlet over
ever built for the The One-Ton model had a custom-built chassis,
heavy-duty ENV and later a mix of Salisbury
exhaust (an early engine so fan is fixed)
Fuel: Petrol
home market axles and uprated springs
Displacement: 2,625 cc
Power: 67Kw@4500rpm
to the commercial purpose to which they 2015. When I bought it they told me Torque: 178Nm@1500rpm
were put. A further 52 RHD Series IIA that it had recently been used to recover
One-Tons were exported to Commonwealth an abandoned car from scrub land for Transmission: Rover
countries while 64 LHD models made their the police.” Type: Manual low-ratio gearbox and
way to European destinations and places When Tom first acquired the One-Ton transfer box with first low range having
further afield like Ethiopia, Nicaragua, he noticed that there were air bubbles the slow ratio of 55.3 : 1
Peru, the Middle Eastern states of Syria, in the coolant. He initially suspected a Gears: Four-speed
Lebanon, Egypt, and further east again to blown gasket but once the head had been Transfer Box: Two-speed
Afghanistan. removed it showed that it was still intact.
As a very late Series IIA RHD model Tom’s After careful inspection and some head-
One-Ton is a particularly scarce example Suspension: Heavy duty leaf springs
scratching, Tom worked out that while the
of a rare breed with a likely total of around cylinder head was flat it was out of square. front, heavy duty leaf springs rear from
five left on the road. The exact history of An engineering firm in Blyth machined it extended spring hangers
the vehicle has many gaps but it is known back to true. Brakes: Drums front rear
that it left Land Rover around September 1, Tom uses the One-Ton regularly to help Wheels: 6.5in deep dish rims
1971 and was one of nine One-Ton 109in manage a wood for a friend and with any Tyres: 900 x16 MT
Land Rovers to go to Cavendish Motors in odd jobs that crop up for the crane such as Front Axle: ENV heavy duty
Chesterfield for conversion into a recovery moving his other 109in which is currently Rear Axle: Salisbury heavy duty
truck for use by Kenning Motor Group off the road. He finds the low-ratio gear Steering box: Special low geared box
where it would have run on trade plates. box combined with the straight six engine unique to One-Ton 109s.
When Kennings sold the Land Rover that “a winning combination off road” and that Crane: Harvey Frost Cat 21 ‘Pick-Up’
now bears the registration CTV 169K its “there aren’t many places I can’t get to Crane
history became vague. Some 20 years ago, in it.”
along with a few other One-Tons about Full of the character a well-used tow truck Dimensions (overall):
which nothing is now known, 169K was can bring, Tom has kept the interior of Length: 176in
again used as a tow truck. As Tom relates: the cab as he found it, rather than restore Width: 64in
“It eventually ended up with a local garage historically accurate parts such as the Wheelbase: 109in
called Rally Motors in Derby; they used steering column. There is a shelf above the Weight: (unladen) 3,489lbs
169K as a recovery truck until summer windscreen where the stereo long-wave only

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Elle Rogers recounts the tale of
buying her first Series Land Rover, an
ex-military 109in
WORDS AND PICTURES ELLE ROGERS
The Series had started life after

service as a farm vehicle
Starting the preparation of the paintwork and

stripping down the panels
time to bring B840 XOW back to its

original colour rather than keeping the
flaking, black paintwork. I spent many
hours and days sanding the paint down,
being careful not to scratch or remove the
original green underneath. Unfortunately,
I decided to replace the original 32-year-
old paintwork with an olive matte green
BEGINNING A JOURNEY
compared to the lighter green it once
was. I hope to one day restore the radio
features that were once fitted, and to
travel around the UK, especially the
I
have always been fascinated by military I’m glad to say I was more than Lake District. I’m looking forward to the
vehicles, a passion which started with pleased with my first Series Land Rover. journeys and experiences B840 XOW and
RAF aircraft when I was nine years I went home to do some research on I will have, and to meet other Land Rover
old. I collected hundreds of models of little this particular one I had bought, it enthusiasts on the way.
spitfires and my all-time favourite, the was registered on August 1, 2001 near
Avro Vulcan. This little obsession is what Portsmouth to where I believe a few Original and untouched, the 2,286cc engine
led to my love for Land Rovers today. ex-MOD Land Rovers were sent after they still runs as it did 30 years ago
I had done a bit of gamekeeping work on a finished service.
farm in Sussex one year, in one of the sheds A few months later, I decided it was
sat a scruffy green ex-MOD Q-reg Series
Lightweight. I decided to have a look one The chassis is still coated in the original paint
evening when everyone had gone home. work with minimal surface rust
It was in an untouched, original condition
like it hadn’t moved since it finished
service. I sat in it, it was cold and rusty,
and had holes in the footwells about the
size of an orange. But there was something
about this Land Rover that made me want
one of my own, so the next day I started The results after eight months of hard work
my search for the perfect ex-military Land
Rover. I wanted something I could bring
back to life, something to restore.
It took a few weeks of searching the
internet and magazine advertisements,
but I finally came across B840 XOW, a
1985 Series III 109in fitted with a 2,286cc
petrol engine. It had been poorly painted
black over its original green paintwork.
This Series was a fitted for radio, but
unfortunately the radio and other
implements had been removed prior to
being auctioned off after its retirement from
the military. It certainly needed a touch
of love and care: I had planned to buy a
project so this was perfect. I was pleased
to find that the chassis and bulkhead were
in their original state, no patches or holes
which meant I had a solid base to start with.
Having a running engine was also a plus.

OUR LAND ROVERS
John Carroll reckons there’s little to

beat a late summer camping weekend
with good mates
‘I have been
turning up at
these gatherings
in Land Rovers for
decades’
went on to say that, “the event was marred
by extremely adverse weather conditions”
while Pennine old hands say that “it
rained solidly for three days and mud was
running down Kettlewell’s main street.”
Luckily, 46 years and a couple of weeks
Camping with old mates later, the weather was far more clement so
and an old Land Rover farmers were literally making hay while the
sun shone.
ABERSOCH-
The big tractors differentiated the
process from how it was done in these
sloping fields in medieval times. For us,
IN-WHARFEDALE
the weather didn’t interfere with walks,
barbecues or pints outside country pubs.
The only downside were a few evening
midges and the fact that Sunday came
round far too soon.
T
he name on the side of this 300Tdi- the mighty PLRC - a constituent club of the
powered Land Rover is a pretty big Rover Owners Association (ROA) - hosted The Abersoch Express is ideal classic
clue to the area of the country that I the organisation’s 16th National Rally. camping transport for two
head to at the drop of the proverbial hat. Immediately after the August, three-day
While, as I have said before, its mountain event, the local paper reported that: “Wet
and coastal scenery soothes my soul, the weather spoils ROA National Rally.” It
truth is, of course, that I don’t go to North
Wales every time I have a weekend away.
Last autumn, some mates, who live in
North Yorkshire, organised a camping
weekend in Kettlewell, a picturesque corner
of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. The
emails went around and, on the appointed
weekend, Ro and I followed the meandering
road in from Grassington. Ten of us
gathered on the campsite in the village in
Upper Wharfedale for a weekend of walks,
Haymaking in Wharfedale
barbecues, mickey-taking and the kind of
conversations that you can only have with
people you’ve known for more than 30 years.
I have been turning up at these
gatherings in Land Rovers for decades
and, parked next to BMWs and Mercs, my
agricultural choice of transport rarely went
‘unmentioned’. These days however, there’s
often a Defender and a Freelander 2 next to
our tents and, this particular weekend, the
1972 Series III that is the Abersoch Express.
There’s another Land Rover connection
with Kettlwell although I only know of it
by reputation from conversations with the
elder statesmen of Pennine Land Rover
Club. Around the time I was just putting
my Matchbox Land Rovers away for the Roads and drystone walls
last time, at a site overlooking the village, meander across the Dales scenery

Emrys Kirby heads north straight
after Christmas to put the Teuchter
Wagon to work
WORDS AND PICTURES EMRYS KIRBY
Magnus in full flow with his

Husqvarna saw
Slippery conditions proved challenging for old

Avon TMs
LOGGING ON Land Rovers and logs – the perfect combination
I
’m a creature of habit at Christmas
time. The 23rd is my last working
day, the 24th is a final shopping day,
Christmas and Boxing Day are Lancaster
family days. On the 27th, I head ‘home’
to the Highlands to spend a few days
catching up with my father and brothers
in the wilds outside Fort William. The
tradition is we spend time looking at old
photos, cutting firewood, doing essential
maintenance round the old family house
and, of course, playing with Land Rovers.
During this time, I regularly forget what
day it is and get absorbed in a nostalgic
‘crimbo-limbo’. I get no phone signal and
the only way of staying in touch with the
outside world is to periodically log into my
emails and Facebook via the occasionally
erratic satellite internet on my father’s
desktop computer. TW leads Magnus’ 110 across the bridge
Regular CLR readers will no doubt
remember the Teuchter Wagon, a 1972 109in to bring peat home from the banks half-an-inch of snow on the ground and
Series III that has been in the family since at the bottom of the field as well as timber a thin film of ice on top, the going was
the early 1990s. This was the first Land from tidying Forestry Commission land. relatively challenging and the old Avon
Rover I ever worked on back in 1992 and The TW hadn’t been started in a couple TMs struggled for grip on occasion.
I rebuilt it ‘from a distance’ in 2014-2016. of months but with fresh fuel and a Magnus is a former professional
This involved using my regular trips up charged battery, it soon burst into life and woodcutter. He takes great delight in
north to bring parts home to Lancaster for settled down to a smooth tick-over off the having top quality Scandinavian equipment
reconditioning and then returning them to choke, despite the freezing conditions. It and cutting logs precisely to size to
piece together the jigsaw. took a moment or two to free the brakes maximise space. His latest toy is a Fiskar’s
Since completing the build, the vehicle off with the rear wheels just spinning axe that is so sharp you can practically
has returned to being the family hack, out – at this point I remembered I’d not shave with it. The TW is hardly the sharpest
occasionally being used to transport heavy got round to fitting the front propshaft, an tool in the box – the brakes are still
and awkward loads and of course to get omission soon rectified. binding slightly but it’s now running very
fuel in for the Rayburn and wood-burning My bother Magnus and I spent the next well and proving to be very useful indeed.
stove. This tradition goes back the full couple of days pottering up and down the Next time I’m back north I’ll be using it to
40 years that my father has lived in the drive, collecting logs and bringing them to move materials for essential maintenance
house; he used his ex-military Series IIA the barn for sawing and chopping. With on the old Dutch barn.

CLASSIC COILERS
Testing Times
Emrys Kirby talks to durability and validation driver
Don Hall about his role in testing Discovery prototypes
WORDS EMRYS KIRBY PICTURES DON HALL
I
’m sitting on a plastic chair in a Don grins from ear to ear from below his
kitchenette in a large modern barn brimmed hat as he expands on the simple
in rural Warwickshire, just south of facts of his diary entry written in amazingly
Solihull, surrounded by photographs of neat block capitals. There is an obvious
Land Rovers and various piles of archive pride as he recalls his role as a professional
paperwork. Just behind me is a beautiful durability and validation driver at Land
early V8 90 and just beyond that is a Rover in the late 1980s. ‘Jay’ was the code
recently restored Series IIA. Surrounded by name given to the project that gave birth
dogs and endless cups of tea, my company to the Land Rover Discovery and the diary
for the day is Don Hall, a real gentleman entry is a typical vehicle report from a
and for many years, a professional driver northern route test drive.
Very early Camel Trophy
for Land Rover. His career started back in Don explained that much of his work in
Discoverys on Don’s truck in Eastnor
1975 and even today he still works part 1989 was driving huge mileages on pre-set
time for the company. I pick up his diary for test routes or driving rough off-road circuits
1989 and open the entry for May 18: to assess the long-term performance and hadn’t been chosen from the short list of
durability of the new vehicle. This testing possibilities – more on this later!
Jay 50. C527 HBW. Rev North. was vital before it could be was announced Don explained that the registration
Prod No. 9383. to the public at the Frankfurt Motor Show number C527 HBW was to hide the age
Engine Type: Gemini. in September that year. of the vehicle, the shape of which was
Start:14982 End:15350 Total: 368 The vehicle in question was the 50th carefully hidden below a GRP float, making
Oil max: 41 lb/in2 Min: 18 lb/in2 prototype so it was referred to by its project it look like a cross between a Range Rover
¼ Pedal 2800RPM 70mph 5th Gear fleet number Jay 50. It’s interesting to and a Marina van. The tape across the
Camouflage needs tape across windscreen note that at this point, the name Discovery windscreen refers to the duct tape required

Jay 51 (D589 OVP) and
Jay 50 (C527 HBW)
this pic: High-mileage testing a Range

Rover with VM engine; below: Two-door
Range Rover fitted with a Gemini engine,
trailer had ballast weights made out of
gallon bottles filled with concrete
to close the gap between the top of the

windscreen and the roof section of the
disguise – without it, it created a terrible
whistling noise at speed.
Had you had a chance to check the vehicle
details with the DVLA (no easy internet
searches available then!), it would simply
have said it was a white Rover registered in
April 1989 with a 2,495cc petrol engine. In
fact, it was actually a turbo-diesel engine
with the code name Gemini, the engine
that was launched as the 200Tdi and which
became synonymous with the Discovery.
The mileage covered that day was pretty
typical for a northern route and the
odometer reading showed that in a matter
of weeks, the vehicle had already clocked
up 15,000 miles under harsh testing. On
road mileage routes, the vehicles were fully
laden with driver, mannequins and a yellow
trailer filled with concrete ballast. Don told
me the mannequins were filled with water
to match the weight of a human body and
they created a lot of amusement in the
team. On occasion they would put hats on
them and on a long night shift, he’d even
end up talking to them – you knew if they
answered back you’d been driving too long!
It is hard to underestimate just how
much the company was depending on the
new vehicle. We all know that Land Rover
had been losing market share to Japanese
manufacturers since the 1970s but things
were looking very grim indeed in the mid
1980s; the financial report for 1983-4
revealed that the company had made a loss
Jay 16 wearing the camouflage meant
of £40 million.
fuel cap was difficult to access One of the problems was that it had no
answer to the ever popular Mitsubishi
Shogun and Isuzu Trooper, mid-range
‘family’ 4x4s. What the company needed
‘Don and his colleagues in durability and was a vehicle for the western world aimed
validation took enormous pride in being between the luxury of the Range Rover and
the utility of the Land Rover. The problem
professional drivers’ was that, because of the huge losses, there
was little money available to develop a
totally new product from scratch. The plan
was therefore hatched to use the chassis and
running gear of the Range Rover, design

CLASSIC COILERS
this pic: RangeRover classic testing the new

BMW engine for the P38A (Project Pegasus);
below: Two 110s fitted with Gemini test
engines – note G-BKV and G-WAC numbers
a different, contemporary body style and

develop a new, powerful, economical diesel
engine for the European market.
Of course, the Discovery was not only
available with the new Gemini engine – the
well tried and tested Rover V8 was still going
to be an option and Don recalled Jay 16
registered A711 VHB in May 1988 and fitted Favourite meeting point for prototype
with the 3,528cc engine. He raked though a vehicles in case they played up
huge pile of archive material and produced a
photo of it parked up in a lay-by with the all
important GRP camouflage fitted. Solihull products than most people ever track at MIRA as well as harsh off-road
A year later and Don’s notes showed it will. As well as bring a member of the driving course at Gaydon – one of the
had racked up 102,000 miles and by now Institute of Advanced Motorists, Don was routes was christened ‘The Third World’.
the synchromesh between 4th and 5th was (and indeed still is) a Class 1 HGV driver On May 19 he recorded that he drove Jay
suffering from the rigorous testing. He and in his later years at the company, much 57 (C862 CEU) on the high speed track at a
also told me that it was designed to run on of his time was spent driving the Land constant 95mph (notes say Gemini engine
unleaded petrol and back in those days, few Rover Experience wagon taking vehicles and, importantly ‘no problems’). The HIDE
fuel stations stocked it and also that the to events. (High Impact) Test Cycle was particularly
camouflage made it difficult to fill up as it Don explained that the off-road testing brutal - it involved driving across 1in pave
got in the way of the filler flap. regime was really brutal – effectively it was sets at 25mph, 2in sets at 15mph and the
Don and his colleagues in durability and their job to test the vehicles to destruction HIST (High Input Structural Test) section
validation took enormous pride in being so they found any weaknesses before the was driven at 35mph – it was enough to
professional drivers and there’s no doubt customer did. He described some of the make your whole body shake!
they spent more time behind the wheel of testing facilities which included high speed In addition, road mileage vehicles were

subjected to corrosion testing which prejudice their assessment. Don noted that November 7, 1989, Don made his first diary
involved driving through a salt spray tunnel, Gemini engines were also tested in the entry with the public name for Project Jay
then a figure of eight on a dirt track and Range Rover (it was later to replace the – he noted that he drove ‘Discovery’ G249
into a humidity chamber for 24 hours. VM diesel) and 90/110s (later replacing the WAC and commented ‘no faults, a good
Of course it wasn’t all perfect at Land 19J Turbo Diesel) and of course when these vehicle to drive’.
Rover. Don reported that Jay 55 with a vehicles were launched to the public, the The Discovery media launch took place
Gemini engine had a bad vibration going iconic Defender name was coined. in Plymouth in Devon and was a ride-
through the vehicle on tick-over and one Speaking of names, on September 17, he and-drive event with a fleet of 86 G-WAC-
of his common complaints on the Jay noted that ‘new car code name is Pegasus, registered vehicles with both the new
vehicles was that he felt the seats could do new diesel engine will be a BMW. Engine Gemini (by now called 200Tdi) and the
with more adjustment and that they would test will start on Peak and North Routes carburetor-fed 3,528cc V8 petrol.
benefit from more soundproofing. Problems in Range Rovers’. This of course refers to History proved that the new vehicle was a
like this were noted and fed back to the earliest days of the P38A, the second real success and within the first six months
engineering for modification as necessary. generation Range Rover which was of 1990, sales were fast outstripping any
Testing was done ‘blind’ – they weren’t launched under BMW’s ownership of the other vehicle in its class. Arguably the
told what had been modified so it didn’t company. Even more noteworthy is that on Discovery saved the company and of course,
it ensured Don’s career as a professional
test driver. Don still works on a part-time
‘It is hard to underestimate just how basis, often driving the LRE wagon and he
even made a guest appearance in Veronica
much the company was depending on Lamond’s book ‘Landy at the Factory’. He
says he still loves driving for the company
the new vehicle’ and has had a great professional life. a
Jay 16 with GRP camouflage

and Jerrycan disguise
Jay 16 with unusual Defender- Stealth mode! Test Range Rover with
type grille disguise stock-trailer to avoid attention
LEFT: Don’s MIRA

identity card from
his Project Jay
testing days;
BELOW: Loose
camouflage would
have caused wind
noise on Jay 50;
RIGHT: Aproud Don
with his latest LRE
truck

SERIES ONE
Powering
the Future
Emrys Kirby drives Dunsfold’s 2,286cc
petrol powered Series One 86in
Station Wagon and considers the part
it played in Land Rover history
WORDS EMRYS KIRBY
PICTURES NICK DIMBLEBY/JLR
ADDITIONAL PICTURES EMRYS KIRBY
C
limbing into the driver’s seat of VAC road car and the practicality and all-terrain Wagon arrived in June 1956). In contrast to
265, I couldn’t help but feel that it ability of a Land Rover. the Tickford, the 86in Station Wagon was
was beautifully bolted together and Land Rover had previously produced based on the basic utility variant chassis and
certainly the best Series One Station Wagon the Tickford Station Wagon based on the bodywork. To create a passenger-carrying
I’d had the pleasure of driving. Sitting on original 80in chassis and a wooden-framed Station Wagon, it was fitted with side
supportive new blue seats and surrounded coach-built body. However, it was painfully windows, alpine lights in the hard top, a full
by crisp new door cards with soft elbow expensive to build and attracted UK car height rear door, a rear step, four individual
rests, the vehicle felt an age away from purchase tax meaning very few were sold in rear seats and interior door trim.
the utility-spec models that offer all the the home market; of the 650 built, most were I guess the fact that VAC 265 felt well
comfort of an empty biscuit tin. For the exported. When the new 86in and 107in put together was no surprise given that it
mid 1950s, this vehicle was certainly models were launched in September 1953, had just been totally restored by Dunsfold
a realistic halfway house between the an 86in Station Wagon variant was available Land Rovers and won the John Taylor Cup
comfort and passenger carrying ability of a from the beginning (the 107in Station for the best 86in at the 2017 Series One

Unlike the 80in Tickford, the 86in Station Wagon
was built using standard utility body panels
Club rally in Ireland. What was unusual

was the engine sound as soon as I started ‘As long as I can wrong and yet so right. As long as I can
remember, I have been a fan of the ‘two and
it. On pressing the button below the
dashboard, instead of the distinctive Series
remember, I have a quarter’, an engine that became a classic
in its own time and had a legacy that
One 1,997cc inlet over exhaust note, often
accompanied by worn camshaft chatter,
been a fan of the continued from the late 1950s until 1998.
It is simple to work on, cheap for parts,
I was immediately greeted with the silky ‘two and a quarter’, unstressed in normal use, responds well to
smooth purr of a perfectly set up 2,286cc mild tuning and will often continue to run
overhead valve petrol, very in keeping with an engine that even if significantly worn. It was also the
my relatively refined surroundings.
While I already knew that this vehicle was became a classic in engine conversion of choice for Series Ones
in the ‘70s and ‘80s as the original engines
factory-registered and used as a 2,286cc
engine test-bed, for some reason it felt both
its own time’ started to fail and trials drivers wanted
more power on the sections.

SERIES ONE
Blue trim contrasts with grey body and

matches the chassis and wheels
The original Land Rover 80in was the diesel variant had much larger pulley
launched with a 1,595cc Rover ‘F-head’ designed to dampen vibrations and under
petrol engine with inlet valves in the head full suspension compression, it could strike
and exhaust valves in the block (known as the axle casing. This therefore required
Inlet Over Exhaust - IOE). By late 1951, the the front springs to move forward 2in and
engine was bored out to 1,997cc creating required a longer front propshaft, different
the ‘Siamese’ bore engine. In 1955 the wings and a different bonnet. This change
block design was changed to ‘spread-bore’, of course created the classic 88in and 109in
spacing the bores more evenly in the block, length models; the extended wheelbase
creating a more robust engine. was introduced in autumn 1956 and
By the mid 1950s, the market was calling continued through until the end of Series III
for a diesel engine and Rover began production in 1984.
development of the overhead valve (OHV) Fitting the 2,286cc petrol to this 86in test-
2,052cc diesel. The new engine design bed model was relatively straightforward.
placed both inlet and exhaust valves in the The vehicle was built in January 1956 on a
cylinder head and the engine benefitted standard blue 86in chassis with a contrasting Standard Series One gearbox but
from camshaft rollers and followers, Dove Grey body though it wasn’t registered different bellhousing for 2,286cc
reducing the cam lobe wear associated until it was sold off in November 1956 (it
with the previous design. The new engine likely ran on trade plates during testing).
was launched as an option in 1,957 and as The shorter wheelbase wasn’t a problem stock-looking engine bay. The engine was
much as the two-litre diesel with its wet due to the fact the petrol engine had small designed with a mechanical fuel pump run
cylinder liners was not considered Rover’s crankshaft pulley and the ‘conversion’ looks off a camshaft lobe on production examples
finest engine, the design brief was forward correct with very little out of place. but this particular vehicle still has the usual
looking enough to produce a petrol version A different gearbox bellhousing was electric SU pump mounted on the bulkhead.
with a displacement of 2,286cc. required to accommodate the different The power output of the 2,286cc petrol was
The well-loved 2,286cc petrol-powered starter position but the engine mounts a significant improvement over the 1,997cc,
version was made available to the public at lined up in the same place as the 1,997cc taking the power from 52bhp at 4000rpm
the launch of the new Series II in 1958. It engine. The exhaust manifold was designed to 77bhp at 4250rpm. The torque output
is worth noting that the very earliest SWB with an upward swept ‘swan neck’ so the went from 101lb.ft at 1500rpm to 124lb.ft
Series IIs were still fitted with the 1,997cc exhaust could follow the original route. A at 2500rpm. By modern standards, this isn’t
IOE engine and the diesel option still stock 1,997cc radiator provided the cooling particularly powerful but the 2,286cc engine
retained the 2,052cc displacement until the capacity but the bottom hose connection can boast an incredible historical line that
launch of the IIA in 1962. had to be moved to the opposite side due to saw it evolve right up until the arrival of the
As the new OHV engines were developing the water pump design. TD5 powered Defender in 1999.
and ready to be fitted to test vehicles, it The cooling fan sits very close to the The 2,052cc diesel engine which had wet-
became apparent that design changes were radiator but with no issues. What did cause lined cylinders was replaced with a 2,286cc
required to the chassis. Because the new problems was the height of the carburettor variant in 1962, using the same block casting
engine was longer than the old IOE, it was which with a standard inlet elbow would as the petrol with the cylinders machined
found that the crankshaft pulley was very prevent the bonnet from closing. On VAC directly in the block. The basic design with
close to the front axle case. In the petrol 265, the air cleaner elbow has been scalped three main bearings remained pretty much
variant, the pulley was small and clearance and squashed and does look slightly out unchanged until the arrival of a five main
just sufficient in an 86in or 107in, however, of place in an otherwise immaculate and bearing version in 1980. This was such a

strong design that the same crank design
could be used for both petrol and diesel
‘The block evolved 1985 the petrol engine also received the
capacity upgrade, achieved by lengthening
versions. Visually the new block looked very slightly with the the engine stroke and visually, there is little
similar to the old one, just with the addition to distinguish late 2,286cc and the 2,495cc
of strengthening webs and a change of addition of an petrol versions. The same basic engine block
colour from green/blue to terracotta. design was used when the 19J Turbo Diesel
In 1984, the diesel engine capacity was aluminium ladder arrived in 1986, just with changes to the
increased to 2,495cc and a new injection
pump fitted with a new timing system. In strengthener’ oil-ways. When the 200Tdi Gemini engine
was launched in 1989 with the Discovery, the
block evolved slightly with the addition of an
Station Wagon had unique
aluminium ladder strengthener but the engine
additional badges mounts still bolted on in exactly the same
place. When the more refined 300Tdi arrived
in 1993, the block still remained pretty much
the same though with changes to the oil filter
system. It is incredible to know that the part
number for the diesel pushrod remained the
same from 1957 until 1998.
As well as being a superb example of
an 86in Station Wagon and a credit to
Dunsfold Land Rovers, VAC 265 played an
important early role in developing what
would prove to be a legendary family of
engines. The gloriously smooth engine is the
perfect subtle soundtrack to the practical
but comfortable interior. This vehicle can
be justifiably considered a direct ancestor
of the 300Tdi powered Defender 90 County
Station Wagon, arguably the last ‘classic’
Land Rover before electronic control
modules arrived. a
Slight pink tint in the Dove

Grey is noticeable in this shot
86in has chassis number

on the rear spring hanger
VAC won the John Taylor Cup for the

best 86in at the 2017 Series One Club Rally
VAC 265 is a direct ancestor to the

last 300Tdi 90 County Station Wagon
Note intake elbow has

been scalped to clear bonnet

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DIFFICULTY RATING:
TECH AND
TOOLBOX TIME ALLOWED: 2 DAYS
COST: £350
MARRAKECH RE-EXPRESS: BULKHEAD PART 2

After many
blar hours
blar blar
of labour, the Series
III’s bulkhead is finally back in one piece,
The Marrakech Express solid and with everything working
The Marrakech Express was rescued from a field and repaired to
create a shoe-string overlander for a CLR trip to Morocco in 2015.
Having proved doubters wrong when it succeeded in reaching
the place it was named after and getting back home under its own
steam, it was rather worn out. It is now being rebuilt by James
Pemberton at May Hill Land Rovers (07870 866387), ready for its
next adventure
WORDS JIM WILLETT

PICTURES JIM WILLETT, JAMES PEMBERTON
WIRED UP After the Marrakech Express’ bulkhead

had been repaired and painted it still
required a lot of work and parts re-fitting
to complete its refurbishment
I
f you have not been put off attempting
major bulkhead repairs by previous
instalments on the Marrakech Express’
rebuild, then beware that there is a lot more which to tackle the refitting and re-assembly possible.
work to do once the paint has dried. of the bulkhead. On a concours rebuild, the Most components can be re-fitted with
In addition to the difficulties associated bulkhead should be fully assembled with only the bulkhead in place, however, the
with repairing a corroded bulkhead, most all body panels before final painting so that rear body, front wings and front panel have
of the vehicle’s wiring, brake pipes, heater, any fettling and adjustments can be carried wiring running through them, so must be
steering and several of the body panels are out without paint damage. Everything fitted before all electrical components can be
connected to it. In itself, this precipitates should then be stripped again and the finally tested.
a significant amount of stripping and re- bulkhead removed to prepare and paint it As the existing wiring had been severely
fitting work, but on a vehicle approaching thoroughly before final reassembly. butchered over the years, a new loom is
40 years old, few of these components will This is, of course very labour-intensive, a wise investment to make the electrical
be in a satisfactory condition to simply bolt and repair time can be drastically reduced if system reliable again. However, the
back into place. a few compromises are made. In this case, Autosparks loom was very time consuming
Conversely, on a budget rebuild such as the bulkhead was painted off the vehicle to fit, in part due to a 2,286cc diesel loom
this, it is not viable to fully overhaul each before any parts had been refitted to ensure having to be adapted to fit the 2,495cc
component prior to re-fitting. Some parts thorough corrosion protection. diesel-powered, originally petrol, Land
will have to be renewed while others can The bulkhead was then secured to the Rover.
be tested and re-fitted to get everything chassis to re-assemble. Body panels can On pages 86-88, with the bulkhead re-
working again. hinder access once fitted, so the re-fitting assembled and wiring in place, bodywork is
The workshop manual has no set order in and alignment of these was left as late as re-fitted as the re-build nears completion.

www.stainlesssteelexhausts.co.uk
1. With only the bulkhead sitting on the chassis, 2. Wiper motor, cable and wheel-box assembly 3. Fitting back-nuts to the wiper spindles
access for re-assembly is excellent. Pedals and fitted in place next: a simple task without the highlighted their close proximity to the windscreen
steering already fitted to bleed brakes dashboard in the way frame: windscreen mounts would require further
adjustment
4. New seals on the bulkhead vents can make an 5. Re-painted bulkhead vents are hung in place 6. New door seals are another way to improve
enormous improvement to cabin warmth and noise and seem to be a good fit in the apertures of the cabin comfort: this will be welcome when the
levels welded-in repair sections 109in heads for colder climates than Morocco
7. Series door seals are held on with pop- 8. Lower door seals are fitted to the sill panel. The 9. To re-fit the heater, thread inserts must be fitted
rivets. Later push-on seals will not fit without sill has been cleaned and primed before fitting to the new metal above. M8 ‘Nut-serts’ are used
modification to the bulkhead, windscreen and door
pillars
10. After drilling two holes so that the inserts are 11. Foam seals the mating face of the heater; 12. With heater and blower secured to the
a snug fit, James uses a fitting tool to expand them efficiency will be greatly reduced if air is allowed footwell, pipework and wiring loom can be
to secure to escape before entering the cabin connected

TECH AND
TOOLBOX
13. Two more nutserts are fitted before bolting the 14. With the majority of components secured in 15. Starting from the engine bay side, the dash
fuel filter into place and connecting the fuel lines place, fitting of the new wiring loom can begin wiring is fed through the aperture above the
driver’s footwell
16. Once the loom has been passed through the 17. Wiring is clear to see inside the passenger 18. Take care not to pinch cables when fitting the
aperture, a new harness plate is screwed on ready compartment, but the dashboard must be fitted dash. Separate out cables to instrument panel and
to fit grommets before anything can be connected centre switches
19. It is worth noting wire colours before 20. The first area which required modification was 21. So a TDi glow plug timer relay was used to
s
disconnecting the original loom, but a wiring the wiring to the ignition switch. Petrol switches control them without using a 2,495cc diesel’s
diagram will also be required to re-connect don’t have a glow plug position extra position on the ignition switch
22. Heater blower connections are made for high 23. These are not the original fitments but are 24. The top of the dash is fitted, heater ducting
speed, low speed and earth. Pre-insulated crimp cheap and quick to fit, so are very popular for connected and wiring held clear while the dash
connectors are used to connect components budget re-builds tray is carefully installed

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CLRMarClassi.indd 1 24/01/2018 09:21

DIFFICULTY RATING:
TECH AND
TOOLBOX TIME ALLOWED: TWO DAYS
COST: £300
MARRAKECH RE-EXPRESS: BODY

blar blar blar
WORDS JIM WILLETT

PICTURES JIM WILLETT, JAMES PEMBERTON
THE BODY BEAUTIFUL

The Marrakech Express begins to look like a Land Rover again,
as May Hill Land Rovers re-assemble the bodywork
D
epending on the amount of and roll it back under and re-connect assembled rolling chassis, the quick and
preparation carried out, and to some everything. Although this is the quickest rewarding part of the body re-build was
extent, how lucky you are, refitting and cheapest method, it does not allow complete. The remaining re-assembly work
Land Rover bodywork can be an incredibly for major bulkhead repairs, so was not is a lot slower and requires a great deal more
satisfying task where progress seems very suitable for the Marrakech Express. patience, especially on a 109in station wagon
rapid. Conversely, it can be a long and The lifting gear and workshop space where there is an extra pair of doors to align.
frustrating process if panels refuse to required to remove and re-fit a Land Rover The Marrakech Express was not destined
align correctly and need a great deal of body should not be under-estimated: the for days of panel adjustment to get gap
adjustment, removal and re-fitting. only option for many home Land Rover tolerances within a thousandth of an inch
As with other tasks on the Marrakech restorers is a full strip-down. Fully stripped, or doors to shut like a Rolls Royce, but its
Express, to keep costs down, a quick all bodywork can be removed and re-fitted previous dependency on bungee cords to
turnaround was the order of the day. by hand with a few willing helpers, even prevent the doors flying open on corners
One of the main time savings to be made on a long wheelbase. May Hill Land Rovers would have to be addressed!
when replacing a Land Rover chassis has not only some willing helpers, but a Stripy matt paint breaks up the lines
is to remove and re-fit as much of the pillar crane and several fork lift trucks, so of a vehicle (this is why Solihull’s new
bodywork as possible in one lump. a considerable amount of time could be prototypes use this type of finish),
Some commercial operations lift the saved by leaving the roof, ‘B’-pillars, rear but poorly-fitting panels will still be
entire body up in one piece, roll the doors and roof rack intact. noticeable, so a great deal of adjustment
chassis out, swap parts to the new chassis With the body sitting on the freshly was still required during re-assembly.

www.stainlesssteelexhausts.co.uk
1. Rear body had been stored outside on a suitable 2. The rolling chassis breaks cover for the first 3. The body can then be pushed into the workshop
trolley while the rest of the Land Rover was repaired time since the 109in entered the workshop on its to be lifted for the rolling chassis to be positioned
original underpinnings, several months previously underneath
4. The pillar crane in the May Hill Land Rovers 5. After some careful hoisting and chassis 6. Mounting points are moved close enough so that
workshop is the ideal tool for suspending Land positioning, the rear body is reunited with the chassis bolts can be loose-fitted
Rover bodies
7. Ensure that all fittings are loosely in place to 8. Although all of the body bolts are now in 9. Passenger side door and wing bolted in place;
allow adjustment before final tightening position, it is wise to trial-fit doors, wings and an assistant tests the wing for security
bonnet before adjusting and tightening
10. Seat belt mounts re-fitted with high-tensile bolts 11. Old floor panels were not serviceable, these can 12. The front panel loose fitted into position. New
be made, but buying new items saves more time wiring loom is fitted before adding the offside wing

TECH AND
TOOLBOX
13. Inserts for door hinge bolts and clips for 14. James manufactured some heavy duty captive 15. Standard plates MRC5519 and MRC5520 can
ACME screws which secure the rear of the wing bolt plates to secure the wing to the front panel be used, but are very thin and prone to failure if
are fitted to the door pillars nuts need to be undone again
16. With the wing in place, alignment is checked 17. ACME screws between wing and door pillar 18. Be aware that the ACME screws and clips for
before tightening fittings don’t tend to seize, but clips break and thread can the wing are larger than the similar fittings used
slip, so are best renewed to secure the transmission tunnel
19. Driver’s door top was past it: Severe corrosion, 20. This had seized in the door bottom and had to 21. New door bottom painted ready for hinges and
rattling, sticking window and old repair of be cut off: quite a common complaint on Series latch assembly to be added
damaged securing stud doors
22. Ready-glazed door top is a quick fix and only 23. New door fitted and aligned: stripes will be 24. The base of the under-seat tool box is cut for
required painting prior to bolting in place added later on the battery to be re-positioned from the engine bay

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P091_CLR_MAR18_ad.indd 1 22/01/2018 11:45

JOURNEYS
In search of a p Toby Savage recreates his childhood holiday
I route to Cornwall in his 1948 Land Rover

t had been a while since I took my
1948 Land Rover for a decent spin and
for various reasons I had an excuse to
visit Cornwall. My daughter and family live WORDS AND PICTURES TOBY SAVAGE
just outside Newquay and I was overdue a ILLUSTRATION LOUISE LIMB
visit, plus I rather fancied building in some
nostalgia by visiting a few childhood haunts
and enjoying a genuine Cornish pasty.
Back in the 1960s we used to make an
annual pilgrimage to Boscastle for our
summer holidays. Mum, Dad, the dog
Frisk, my brother Justin and I would take
the family Morris 1000 down there to
a bed and breakfast at Home Farm. It
still exists, but has been considerably
updated from the days when we visited.
Dad took great pride in packing
everything for a two-week holiday
into the boot, with Mum glued to the
Bartholomew’s Road Atlas plotting a
course down the Fosse Way and then
along the A39 hugging the Atlantic
coastline. I have vivid memories of
setting off from our home in Warwick
at about 4am in the hope of beating
the traffic to the notorious bottleneck
at Pulteney Bridge in Bath. A goal
we never achieved, having to sit in
a traffic jam before climbing out of
Just south of Simonsbath is a cairn
Bath on the Well’s Road and back built in
recognition of the military historian,
to a reasonable cruising speed. Dad John William
Fortesque 1853-1933
was always slightly apprehensive
about tackling Porlock Hill and then
the equally steep descent into Lynmouth.
These two 1 in 4 hills have claimed many a
motorist, and still do, but I don’t recall any
great drama affecting us.
My aim in the 80in was to recreate my
parents’ route and use only roads that existed
back in the 1960s. The majestic Fosse Way
links my home in Leicester with Bath and
passes through several delightful Cotswold
towns and over some glorious English
countryside so I made an early start in the
hope of completing the journey in daylight.
The 80in is quite happy cruising at about
45-50 mph. It has a two-litre Rover
A brief sto
60 engine, now boasting electronic p in Stow-o
of coffee n
ignition and a rebuilt SU carburettor. and to top -the-Wold for a cup
was being up
The engine uses and loses a bit of oil, emptied at the petrol tank whic
an alarmin h
but runs well and I always reason that g rate
oil is cheaper than an engine rebuild. I
have a Fairey Overdrive fitted and the
diffs are 4.3:1 ratio liberated from a
pair of scrap P4 Rover cars years ago,
so the gearing is relaxed and roughly
20% higher than standard.
I directed my trusty steed south,
heading first for Stratford-upon-
Avon, The Fosse taking me through
Halford where the new bridge passes
unceremoniously over the River Stour,
but hidden to the right, down a narrow rious 1
lane is the original single lane bridge Tension in the cab mounts as the noto
r
in 4 Porlock Hill becomes ever close
a pasty
Destination achieved. Toby parks his 1948 Land

Rover on Crackington Haven beach where he
played as a child on summer holidays

JOURNEYS
Porlock Hill, opened in 1843 and traversed in

that year by a Stagecoach from neighbouring
Lynton. It must have been torture for the
horses as it remains the steepest A road in
the UK with gradients of 1 in 4 at its steepest
points. I stopped at the warning sign at the
bottom and thought about gear ratios and
whether I would be better using third/fourth/
overdrive in low box, or remain in high with
an option to stop and change should the
need arise. I could now understand why my
dad had always worried about the climb.
A full Morris 1000 with no syncro on first
gear would have required some deft double
de-clutching manoeuvres if the engine was
found wanting. I on the other hand, had an
empty Land Rover and a reasonable amount
of power, so elected to stay in high ratio. My
worries were unfounded and the climb was
easily achieved in second gear with more than
the usual blue haze from the breather pipe!
Sam
Father and son washing their cars. Soon I was up on the top of Exmoor with
ge and a very young Toby Sava ge c.1960 stunning views across to South Wales.
Sava
Luckily for me the A39 is fairly quiet
these days with the A30 providing much
that formed a vital link between this part this historic city a motorists’ headache. I faster access to Cornwall having benefited
of Warwickshire and the south and was had planned to have lunch with a pal in for various upgrades to dual carriageway
fought over in the English Civil War - both Bath, but as time was now against me I throughout the past five decades: the final
the Royalists and the Parliamentarians negotiated my way through the traffic and stretch only being finished this year. A
demolished it in the 13th Century. climbed the hill to the south of Bath to great route if you are in a hurry, but for the
I continued south somewhat in awe of Wells and Glastonbury. The sun was shining Land Rover and I the old route was far more
Roman engineering as the Fosse cut a and the views were excellent as I bowled suitable and interesting.
straight path across Gloucestershire - no along an empty road occasionally noticing Due to stopping far too often to absorb
planning applications, or compulsory the queue of traffic behind me. Being a the view or a piece of history, it was dark
purchase schemes needed by the Romans. polite driver, I did pull over and let them by the time I reached my daughter’s home
I stopped briefly at Stow-on-the-Wold past every few miles. and I relied on the feeble Butler headlights,
for a coffee and to fill up with petrol. A Soon I was in Bridgwater and joining supported by a pair of period Lucas spot
rough calculation showed that I was only the A39 Atlantic Highway with the Bristol lights to guide me in for the last 20 miles. It
getting about 18mpg which was proving an Channel to my right and the Quantock Hills had taken 11 hours with generous stops and
expensive way to travel at 45mph, but by to my left. Running along the coastline the I was less exhausted than I thought I would
now I was committed. going was flat until I made a stop at Dunster be, all things considered.
Onwards to Bath and sure enough, I for a sandwich and to admire the old Yarn The following morning we did various
too was reduced to a crawl over Pulteney Market - a feature that has appeared on family things, but I was very aware of
Bridge. The M5 has reduced through postcards throughout the last century. the long haul back and left at about
traffic, but local and tourist cars still make Fuelled up I continued toward the legendary midday with the intention of calling in at
High up on Exmoor in a low afternoon

sun and all set for the return north
‘I relied on the feeble Butler

headlights, supported by a pair
of period Lucas spot lights’
A small track off the Fosse Way proved irresist-
ible. Easy going just south of Leamington Spa
Toby had a look at the Dunster Yarn
Market
building dating back to 1601
Halford’s old bridge on a site where the Roman

Fosse Way crosses the River Stour and an im-
ual archways portant link between Warwickshire and the south
The Long Bridge at Bideford has uneq
masonry
caused by building the 14th Century
en bridge
version over the 13th Century wood MARCH 2018 95
JOURNEYS
Crackington Haven, a beach I spent many timber one so people could still use it and petrol tank in the back - a legacy of my
happy hours on as a child. The beach and this may explain the irregular sizes of the trialing days - and this only holds about 16
hamlet had not changed at all, but the pub 24 arches. Thanks to a minor navigational litres giving a range of roughly 85 miles. I
where we used to eat the finest pasties ever error I came back over Exmoor on Kinsford have a gallon can under the seat kept full
made had been refurbished and changed Hill and into Simonsbath with a brief stop for the inevitable dry tank situations, but
into a ‘gastro’ pub. at a monument built in memory of Sir John being unsure of open petrol stations all
I asked if I could have pasty and chips William Fortescue, the notable British Army the way up, The Fosse was a gamble. The
for lunch and was politely told they did historian of the 1920s. solution was to top the tank up at every
not serve pasties, so I went to the cafe next I had so enjoyed my time in the West opportunity, which I did and finally arrived
door which thankfully did, though smaller Country that I was well behind schedule and home just after midnight. It had been quite
than I remember. it was actually dark by the time I reached an adventure and although I cannot truly
Back on the A39 another site I wanted Bath for the return run up The Fosse Way. recommend covering 640 miles in two days
to visit was the Long Bridge at Bideford. Luckily I know the road well so with the in a 1948 Land Rover, we all know it can
Another marvel of ancient engineering feeble old lights I was able to keep up a be done and that to do it 50 years ago in a
missed if you cross the River Torridge reasonable pace home. My main worry was Morris 1000 would have been reasonably
on the new bridge. The original was a fuel availability. The 80in has an old Fiat 500 fast and comfortable.
wooden construction dating back to the
13th Century and replaced by a masonry
version in the 14th Century.
The new bridge was built around the old
Pasty heaven! But not at the pub who ‘don’t

serve pasties’. This example from the beach
cafe satisfied the need
Stunning views across the Bristol Channel to

South Wales and a 200-mile drive home ahead
Parked in Crackington Haven with a view

of the beach Toby played on as a child
‘The engine uses and loses a bit of

oil, but runs well ‘
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gmv 460v 88000 miles rebuilt, starter motor, (86"/88/107?)
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New20181FREE ADS.indd 86 12/01/2018 14:57

LOOKING BACK
Staying On Track
The Pennine Land Rover Club and the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
Preservation Society in West Yorkshire have their origins in the 1960s, what is
perhaps surprising is that they both used Land Rovers
WORDS JOHN CARROLL PICTURES W H FOSTER
Additional notes
I
t is generally accepted that Lionel were underway to return to service the line
Thomas Caswall Rolt - aka Tom Rolt that was a victim of Beeching’s infamous The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway
- started the UK’s fascination with axe. is a branch line which opened in 1867
preserved steam railways when his letter It reported that nearly 300 people had and served the mills and villages of the
to the Birmingham Post in 1950 led to attended the meeting to form the KWVRPS Worth Valley running from Keighley to
the formation of the Talyllyn Railway and that, at the time of the article, the Oxenhope. Operated by Midland and
Preservation Society to run and maintain society had almost 700 members. The then London, Midland and Scottish
the narrow gauge steam railway. society was restoring locos and rolling (LMS), it passed to British Rail upon
It was the first such society in the stock and carrying out track maintenance nationalisation in 1948. It is now a
world but the movement soon blossomed and, behind the scenes was dealing with heritage railway line in West Yorkshire
and spread to standard gauge railways. the bureaucracy of taking over the running and connects to the national rail
In Yorkshire, a preservation society was of a hitherto nationally owned branch line. network at Keighley railway station.
formed in 1962 to save the Keighley and This involved dealing with the Ministry of Oakworth station, on the KWVR
Worth Valley Railway (KWVR), a five- Transport, British Rail and gaining a Light line, is famous as the location for the
mile branch line that had seen its last Railway Order to obviate the necessity of film The Railway Children (1970),
passenger train operated by British Rail getting an act of parliament passed.
Yanks (1979) was partially filmed on
(BR) in December 1961. The Keighley and Trackside, the society was able to use a
the railway and a scene from Pink
Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society Series IIA 109in Land Rover pick-up to
(KWVRPS) bought the line from BR and assist with the work required on the line Floyd - The Wall (1981) was filmed at
would reopen it in June 1968, almost a and a picture of this vehicle appeared in the entrance to the Mytholmes Tunnel.
century after its original opening. Country Life’s article. The photograph More recently, in 2013, the railway
Back in 1966, while work to reopen shows it to be one of the Heenan and was used for scenes in The Great Train
the line was ongoing, preserved steam Froude road/rail conversions. This system Robbery: A Coppers Tale and in the
railways were enough of a novelty for comprised front and rear-mounted rail filming of the BBC’s Peaky Blinders.
magazines such as Country Life to be wheels that could be raised and lowered This popular tourist attraction runs
interested. In its May 26, 1966 issue a hydraulically depending on whether the through Bronte country, operates a
three-page article detailed the efforts that Land Rover was on road or rails. These mixed timetable of steam and diesel
guided the vehicle along the hauled trains throughout the year and
lines but traction came from will be marking its 50th anniversary as
the use of wide tyres on a preserved railway this year.
One-Ton rims which rotated http://kwvr.co.uk
on the railway lines.
Heenan and Froude
became a shadow factory amalgamating significant parts of the UK's
during World War Two that locomotive building industry.
made precision aircraft It is suggested that only three of these
parts and, post-war the conversions were assembled and one was
company was chaired by exported. Therefore it may be that this one
AP Good, who, through is registered 6064 UE and seen in press
acquisition, created a pictures of the time but, as the number plate
railway engineering isn’t visible, it is hard to say with certainty.
business division by Nonetheless it is an interesting photograph
showing the Heenan and Froude
system in operation on a Land
Rover in a Yorkshire valley where
the steam preservation bug bit 50
years ago.a
TOP: THE 1966 COUNTRY LIFE CAPTION FOR
THIS PICTURE IS VAGUE AND READS: “ALand
Rover converted by the society to
help in restoring the line.” The picture
was taken in September 1965 at
Damens Station; LEFT: The Land Rover
moving a coach at Haworth Station in
September 1965; FAR LEFT: The KWVR
was featured in this 1966 issue of
Country Life magazine

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