Truck Of The Irish

It’s taken nine long years, but Aussie-based Irish expat Eamon Tierney has finished rebuilding his 107 pick-up. And it’s a belter

- John Dean

There was a time when those who entertained ideas of owning a Series I would have had their hearts set solely on an 80in. Failing that, they may have settled for an 86 or, if completely desperate, an 88. But 107s and 109s were often overlooked entirely – dismissed as ugly and lacking the appeal of the shorter-wheelbase models.

Not that any of this applies to Eamon Tierney, the affable Irishman whose home is now the Southern Highlands of New South Wales in Australia. Nine years ago, he bought, sight unseen, a 1955 107-inch pick-up finished in Daktari-style zebra stripe livery. It had been a promotional vehicle for Sydney Land Rover repairer Graeme Cooper Automotive during the 1980s before, ironically, collapsing into complete mechanical disarray (the Land Rover, that is; not the company).

‘It’s been a long road,’ admits Eamon, who’s originally from Belfast. ‘When I first collected the car, it did actually run, but the brakes and steering were absolutely shocking. If I’d kept driving it as it was, the gearbox would have definitely gone, and so too would the engine. Poking around the motor, I discovered broken piston rings along with badly scored bores.’

There was no ducking the issue – a complete overhaul was in order. Once the engine, transmission and bodywork had been removed, attention turned to the chassis, which required only minor welding.