The impressive Kenworth T401 Giuseppe “Peppi” Inverno and his son Jeremy brought along to this year’s Alexandra Truck Show might be owned by Peppi, but it was 22-year-old Jeremy who steered the way when it came to restoring the 1998 model.
“I made most of the decisions during the restoration,” Jeremy tells Deals on Wheels. “Everything from the rims to the stacks to the mudflaps and guards.
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“I don’t mean to big myself up, but I did a lot of work on this truck!
“From seeing what the truck was to what it is now, and investing so much time in it, I’ve really grown to love it.”
The 1998 T401 is special to the Inverno family, having belonged to Peppi’s uncle, who has since passed away.
“My uncle bought it new and kept it for about ten years before he sold it,” Peppi says.
“I didn’t have too much of a personal attachment to it, but when my wife and my sons saw it, they said we had to get it back.
“It took me and my sons three years, on and off, to restore it.”
The truck needed an extensive makeover, though the engine was still going strong.
“There were hoses that were perished, and we tidied up the wiring,” he continues.
“The cabin still has its original paint from 1998 – we just polished it up – and we re-sprayed the chassis rails.”
A fun reference to another 90s relic – the Roadrunner cartoon – was added to the side of the truck.
“Back in the 90s, we started using Roadrunner as our logo.
“It was a very popular cartoon in the day.”
The Invernos tried to keep the restoration as authentic as possible, with Jeremy taking pride in the truck having its original badges on the dash.
“Everybody has these fancy shiny bits on their trucks, but I prefer to be period correct,” he says.
“The smaller exhaust pipes, the long heritage Kenworth mudflaps – the things that you don’t get nowadays.”
The Kenworth is a working truck, and Jeremy says it’s a dream to drive.
“You wouldn’t know that it rolled off the production line in 1998,” he says. “I’d prefer to drive this than a brand-new truck.
“Everything’s electronic now, trucks have heated seats…We’re losing that old school touch.
He laughs: “I think I was born in the wrong generation.”
Peppi founded G&D Inverno Transport back in 2000, starting out with one truck and expanding to a fleet of five over the years, and Jeremy always knew he wanted to work in the transport industry like his dad.
“When I was a little kid, mum and dad would get us little Easter chocolate trucks,” he remembers.
“I’d be driving them around and doing little truck shows in the sitting room.
“I have always had a passion for trucks, I’ve never been able to shake it.”
The Legend 900
Also in attendance at Alexandra was the Invernos’ Limited Edition Legend 900 – another truck that was a labour of love.
Peppi, Jeremy, Peppi’s wife Danielle and second son Chris all had a say when it came to putting the rig together – and with its stainless steel wrapped tanks, wrapped bumper, chrome dipped rims and extra grill bars, it turned out to be a pretty eye-catching unit.
When it rolled off the production line, Peppi himself – a qualified auto electrician – took charge of hooking up the roof lights and central locking, as well as wiring up the fridge and TV.
Kentweld Bullbars at Sunshine West supplied the bull bar and RC Metalcraft in Albury added stainless steel, while the Hallam Truck Centre – where Jeremy is currently an apprentice – did the painting and signwriting.
Jeremy is enjoying his apprenticeship so far and is excited to be following in his father’s footsteps.
“One day I would love to drive a truck, but I’m in no rush to jump out of mechanics at the moment – I’m enjoying it and work is looking after me,” he says.
“I think if you’re a truck driver, it’s very helpful to have knowledge of mechanics.
“That way if something happens on the road, you can fix it.”
One day, Jeremy would love to invest in his own rig.
“Dad’s done it, and his dad before him, and I’d love to do the exact same thing,.
“One day, I hope to have kids, and I hope they’ll follow me into the industry as well.”
Read more:
- Teen gets driven to formal in father’s Kenworth 610 SAR
- 1948 Federal undergoes decade-long restoration
- Insta-famous truckie encourages young people to get behind the wheel
- 11-year-old saves up own money to buy 1975 Oshkosh E-Series
- Fully restored 1924 Ford Model T is “reborn” after surviving fire
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