Owner/Driver #328
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forward to 2015 when Glen and Lynette decided<br />
they wanted to invest in a little restoration project.<br />
With his mechanical skills, Glen has always been<br />
a fan of big V8s, and Lynette had a real desire to<br />
restore an old panel van. So the family agreed to<br />
meet in the middle and find a truck to restore. I<br />
know, I’m not sure how it jumped to that either.<br />
The family had a sit down and decided they would<br />
find a Super-Liner to restore.<br />
Deciding on it and finding one were two very<br />
different things. The Pilbeams looked around<br />
for what seemed to them like ages before finally<br />
finding a broken down 1985 day cab Super-Liner in<br />
Queensland. Back in its day the truck carted rum<br />
from Bundaberg to Adelaide and reportedly used to<br />
run second only to the original ‘Silver Bullet’. Sadly,<br />
it was a little worse for wear when Glen bought it.<br />
The family had the truck floated back down to<br />
their Heyfield home where the hard work began.<br />
The truck was stripped right back to its bare bones.<br />
After setting land speed records loaded with<br />
rum, the truck had ended up out in the bush<br />
carting logs. Hence, the factory diffs were long<br />
gone, and a much more applicable setup was<br />
tagged in behind the trucks original 12-speed<br />
’box. Glen took care of the engine – the original<br />
E9 V8 was still very much in good working<br />
order. Cosmetically it wasn’t too bad, the cab and<br />
bonnet having just the expected levels of corrosion<br />
and rust.<br />
With everything ripped out of the inside, the<br />
skeletal remains were loaded onto a truck and sent<br />
to the team at Royan Truck and Trailer Repairs in<br />
Melbourne. The team there set to work repairing<br />
Above: The force behind the Pilbeam Mack: Glen may proclaim it’s<br />
him, but wife Linda (left) and number one driver Gemma would<br />
put up a good argument<br />
Opposite top: Simple but effective; the Mack’s interior was also<br />
spruced up<br />
Above: The Mack’s previous owner, John Horan, with his young<br />
son Ben in 1991, not long after its first full motor rebuild<br />
Above: The Pilbeam shed was littered with parts as the family<br />
pulled the old girl apart<br />
Above: The team at Royans were responsible for the outstanding<br />
paint job. Glen pitched in as well, taking every Friday off work<br />
to assist<br />
ownerdriver.com.au<br />
MAY 2020 37
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