The competitive energy at truck shows is reaching new heights, as classic vintage rigs are capturing the spotlight, often outshining the latest Mack and Kenworth models.
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Retro rigs are preserved history and often brought back to life when the right owner provides it with the right kind of restoration.
Stephen Corstorphan knows a thing or two about transforming a beaten down rig into a show truck, and in the early 90s, he did just that.
An old 1965 Ford F750 sat at co-worker, Brian Adams’ home. A little battered and bruised, but nothing too serious, the truck had a bit of character.
“When I first discovered the truck, it had only done about 200,000 miles, had no brakes, couple of dents on it and the paint was faded out,” Stephen says. “It really wasn’t too bad.”
The truck had been used for one thing only, it towed a two-deck stock crate of sheep mostly.
Stephen and his father who had experience working on Ford trucks while at Bramble Security decided its workhorse days were over.
It was time to gear up and hit the showgrounds… but not without a proper resto first.
“It was all sanded back down to bare metal, we repaired the dents and then painted it British Racing Green,” Stephen says.
“We redid the seats, put new carpet in, a new windscreen, a set of heads on the motor, water pump. We fixed all the brakes on it, all the wheel cylinders, the master cylinder, we did everything.
“Then we put a turntable back on it along with mud guards. It initially was white and green though; we just freshened it up.”
The truck that once hauled sheep across vast stretches of land was now ready for a new journey turning heads at truck shows.
Like most truck restorers, Stephen’s connection to the world of trucks runs deep.
“I was a mechanic, and my dad was always on the highway,” he says.
“Now I’m a truckie, but I did get into truck repairs and rebuilding, and that eventually turned into restoration.”
And the Ford isn’t the only truck he has owned, currently he has another two Diamond T’s, a testament for his love of vintage vehicles.
But as the years went on and the space for his trucks grew tighter, the decision was made to sell the 1965 Ford.
It was about six years ago now, that he knew it was time for the truck to move on to another chapter in its life.
So, Brian Adams’ son took over the truck for a couple of years before selling it to a collector in Mildura, where it rests today.
From the dusty stalls of Brian Adams’ yard to the polished finish of a show truck, Stephen’s Ford has had quite the ride.
Read more:
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- Dream come true for a 1988 Atkinson owner
- Putting Rutherglen on the map with the annual rumble
- Coasting the Coast with trucking classics
- Diesel and dust draws huge crowds in Denman
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