Thirty Shades Of Green
Meet the One Ten that started off as a competition winch truck but ended up as Ireland’s most capable greenlaner
From competition winch truck to capable greenlaner, this One Ten is one of Ireland’s best DIY projects
In a small shed in the west of Ireland two men began a project with a specific objective in mind, but it evolved into something very special following a change of heart halfway through.
What began with ambitious designs drawn on the back of a Weetabix box, soon developed into a finished product that would stand up with some of the best Land Rover rebuilds on the planet. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me tell you how it came about…
I first became interested in this vehicle after seeing some images of it posted on Facebook by its owners, Liam Flanagan and Peter Monahan. I couldn’t resist contacting them and asking if I could have a closer look at their stunning custom build.
These very proud Land Rover enthusiasts kindly invited me to see their pride and joy and within a couple of weeks I arranged to meet the lads on Liam’s farm just outside Balla, in County Mayo, in the west of Ireland. Balla is a quaint village set among rugged scenery. Not far from here is the spectacular Lough Mask and the picturesque Partry mountains that separate the trout-filled lake from Ireland’s only fjord, Killary Harbour.
The build of this truck started over four years ago when Peter and Liam decided to rebuild a 1989 One Ten into something a bit different. They have been friends since they were knee-high and from an early age they both had a passion for fishing and the great outdoors.
It was through their passion for fishing that they both got hooked on Land Rovers. One day they were fishing a remote lake when another angler drove past in his 4x4 and made his way effortlessly along the lake’s shoreline to the best fishing spot – a location they couldn’t reach in their car. The seed was sown and they soon purchased a secondhand 4x4 so they too could pack up all their fishing gear and head off- piste in search of new and remote fishing spots. But very soon they realised they were enjoying the off-roading even more than the fishing.
This new-found activity eventually led them into going on regular greenlaning trips. As the lads explored the numerous tracks along the rugged west coast they then decided to learn the art of winching and it was not long before Peter and Liam decided to build a vehicle for that specific purpose.
The lads are not qualified mechanics. Peter is a furniture maker by trade, while Liam is a maintenance manager, but over time they honed their mechanical skills. After some trial-and-error attempts they created their first project, using a Suzuki Jimny as the base vehicle.
With the Jimny ready for winching action, Liam and Peter soon found themselves touring the country, participating and even winning a few regional and national winching competitions.
Following the success they had with the small Suzuki the lads began toying with the idea of building a bigger winching truck for the more extreme competitions.
For their next challenge they decided to rebuild a standard 1989 One Ten hard-top. The original engine had seized up on the previous owners, so Liam bought it. They started by installing a 2001 200Tdi Discovery engine, then fitted ARB lockers and kitted it out with 35 inch Insa Turbo mud terrain tyres. They also gave it a five-inch lift and added some rock sliders.
With these additions, the vehicle could pretty much go anywhere, but the lads wanted to take it one step further and build the ultimate winching truck, so they then decided to chop the vehicle. They retained the One Ten chassis, but cut the body’s rear overhang.
It was not long after the vehicle was chopped that the lads
had a change of heart – and direction – with their rebuild. They were starting to miss the greenlaning weekends away and it was also around this time that Liam had to go in for some knee surgery that meant he had to retire from national winching competitions.
The operation on Liam’s knee, coupled with the fact that the lads were missing their first love, led them to rethink the outcome of this project. It was decided to focus on building a comfortable and capable Land Rover that would tackle the most challenging tracks in Ireland.
Over the next four years the lads got together in the shed a couple of nights every week with a pencil in hand as they meticulously drew designs on the back of cereal boxes. There was a lot of learning involved, but they got inspiration from reading technical articles in LRM and learned how to use new equipment such as a hydraulic steel benders and trying to figure out how they could turn their sketches into a reality.
They both had big ideas that were a must in the finished truck, and which included installing a space-framed body with a fully-integrated roll cage, a couple of winches, having a Defender truck cab look with quarter light windows in the rear, a unique interior… and much more.
As the build progressed, several more extras were born, including remote central locking, a Raptor dash, inboard compressor tank, heated windscreen, seats and mirrors – and the list went on.
The ambitious project didn’t come cheap, so they made a list of items they needed for family members to buy for them at Christmas and birthdays.
Fitting the ex-discovery 200Tdi required several modifications in the engine bay, which included moving the radiator back to make room for a 2.5 turbo Mitsubishi intercooler and also installing a powerful alternator delivering a whopping 100 Amps. The engine is easily accessed thanks to the attachment of strong gas struts that effortlessly lift the bonnet open.
The body of the vehicle now sits on Terrafirma extratravel shocks to give the truck a five-inch lift. The stylish flared wheel arches from Devon 4X4 are not quite wide enough to accommodate the big tyres in very muddy conditions, but plans are underway to replace these with even bigger flares.
The striking custom-made exhaust that extends up along the back of the cab was fabricated by Liam’s son Emmett, who is a skilled welder. The lads also had the Land Rover motto One Life Live It engraved into the steel of the exhaust, using a friend’s water jet machine, which also came in handy for creating the unique front grille.
In the back tray are two custom-made aluminium storage boxes that house the compressors, which power the ARB air lockers. Very cleverly the lads have connected a forklift connection lead to the batteries, allowing the vehicle to be instantly jump-started without any fuss. Liam’s son Emmet also built the custom-made snorkel that fits very neatly into the roll cage.
It is difficult to see how this vehicle could ever get stuck as it is equipped with a 9000 lb Superwinch Husky attached
“The lads got together and drew designs on the back of cereal boxes”
to the rear of the vehicle and a twin-motor Gigglepin competition winch attached to the front. With that 100 Amp alternator in the engine bay it is well capable of charging the two gel batteries that power both winches.
In the cockpit the dash looks like something out of a Star Trek movie with its illuminated clocks, buttons and dials – all of which have important functions. The lads matched the colours of the bulbs that illuminate the dials and switches by purchasing blue LED bulbs on ebay. The comfortable heated seats and stylish steering wheel came from Exmoor Trim.
I don’t think there is a greenlane or mountain track in Ireland that will challenge this off-road weapon, but putting all of its capabilities aside it’s really the workmanship, creativity and sheer passion that has gone into this machine over the last four years that makes it stand out from the rest.
Liam and Peter should be very proud of what they have achieved in their small shed with basic facilities. No hightech computer design software, hoists or professional mechanics were involved in the building this dream Land Rover. The problems solved here were done the oldfashioned way.
Their acts of creative wizardry and their excellent working partnership allowed these two men to overcome the complex challenges that were presented to them along their journey. Their sheer determination to reach their goals and build their dream truck were not only achieved, but surpassed. It really is that good.