Many of the truckies we interview here at Deals on Wheels have a “one day” project – a truck sitting in the corner of their shed, that they’re hoping to restore in the future.
But rebuilding a rig takes a lot of time, and truckies are busy people. These restorations often end up being put off for years – if they happen at all. That’s where Andy McKenzie comes in.
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Andy McKenzie’s story
Andy McKenzie is a farmer and mechanic from Molong, NSW who restores trucks for those who haven’t got around to it themselves, specialising in vintage Internationals, Dodges and Fords.
“I especially like Internationals,” he tells Deals on Wheels.
“Dad had them on the farm when I was growing up, which is probably the main reason.
“I like that classic look.”
He started out restoring his own vehicles, until a truckie called Phil Campbell (featured in the last issue of Deals on Wheels) asked if he’d fix up a C-Line International for him.
“I actually sold him that truck, and he asked me if I’d restore it,” he says.
“I hadn’t done any trucks up for anybody else at this point, and I wasn’t really interested – but he just kept hassling me until I agreed!”
McKenzie enjoyed the process so much he restored another International for Campbell – a D-Line this time.
He decided to hold on to Campbell’s trucks for a few months and bring them around to shows to demonstrate what he’s capable of.
Now, he has 10 restorations in total under his belt and is open to commissions.
“I’m currently doing up a 1978 Dodge D5N700 for a customer I’ve never met!” he says.
“He just saw my work on Facebook and said I was the man for the job.”
McKenzie says there is more trust involved when the customer is based far away and can’t just drop in to check on the work.
“This customer had the truck sent straight to me when he bought it, he’s never seen it apart from in pictures,” he says.
“There’s a lot of work to do on it, it’s going to be a very expensive rebuild.
“Phil was very hands-on, dropping in twice a week, but this customer has left a lot of decisions up to me.
“It’s a little bit harder this time, but I’m enjoying it.”
Top tips for a great restoration
McKenzie says going through multiple restorations has taught him some valuable lessons – from mistakes to avoid to where it’s worth spending a bit of extra money.
Start with the chrome
Chroming can take a very long time, so it’s best to get that sorted before you look at the rest of the truck.
“Before we do anything, we pull all the stuff that’s got to be chromed off and we send it away, because you might not see that again for eight months,” McKenzie says.
“Otherwise that holds everything up and you can’t do anything in that time, you’re just waiting.
“You need to be very organised.”
Don’t cheap out on paint
McKenzie says you should never skimp on paint, because it’s the main thing that everyone notices.
“Always use good quality paint and get it done right,” he adds.
“The same goes for the sign writing – I use Saunders Signs in Boort and they do a great job.”
Don’t cut corners
It might be tempting to leave the cab on and work around it, but according to McKenzie, most restorations will come out better if you take the cab off.
“The first restoration I did, I remember telling a bloke that I wasn’t sure whether I was going to pull the cab off or leave it the way it was,” he says.
“The bloke said ‘When you catch the train to Sydney, you get off at Central – you don’t get off at Strathfield. Take the cab off and do it properly.’
“That always stuck with me, because he was right!”
Find a good supplier
McKenzie regularly deals with Fleet Parts in Toowoomba, and says their knowledge and experience is invaluable.
“Mike from Fleet Parts goes to a huge amount of trouble, organising parts and getting bits made overseas,” he says.
“Say he was looking to do a window rubber or something – he might go through ten window rubber suppliers before he finds one that can make it right.
“We can’t do this job without people like him.”
Brakes are key
McKenzie says it might seem obvious, but get every part of your brakes checked/repaired by someone who really knows what they’re doing.
“Most of the time we send our brakes away to Power Brakes in Adelaide, and we box everything up and send it to them because if we don’t, that part will fall off.
“Your brakes have got to be right.”
Don’t take on too much at once
Doing more than one restoration at once can get a bit messy, McKenzie thinks.
“I’ve always said I wouldn’t do two at once because I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night!
“If you’ve got two trucks in a million pieces, you’d be wondering how you get them back together.”
Manage your budget expectations
According to McKenzie, a lot of people have unrealistic expectations around how much it costs to rebuild a truck.
“Some people think you can do it for $20k – that’s not even close,” he says.
“I’ve spent about 300 hours on each restoration I’ve done, and then there’s the painter, the sandblaster, the panel beater…
“You’ve spent at least $50k on labour before you’ve bought a single part.
“The total amount is probably going to be close to six figures, so you should know that going in.”
Put on a show
McKenzie likes a classic look, but says that if you want your rig to stand out at truck shows, you’ve got to add a little pizzazz.
“If you want everyone to stop and look at your truck, you need colour, you need chrome, you need big stacks,” he says.
“Just make sure you plan what you want before you start your restoration. There’s nothing worse than seeing a truck that’s been put together and it hasn’t been thought out.”
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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