Geoffrey Hunt’s story of his Ford stretches back to 1942, when his grandfather drove it off the lot brand new during the middle of World War II.
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“They were general carriers out of Burragorang Valley, doing a lot of produce into the Sydney markets and onto the wharves for the war effort,” he says.
The trucks were part of the national effort, but the valley that once kept those trucks busy would eventually disappear. When the government flooded Burragorang Valley to create Warragamba Dam, the family sold their general carrying business. One truck, however, stayed behind.
“They kept this one particular truck for their farm out at Menangle,” Geoffrey says.
“It used to sit out there for years, and we used to just pick up hay out on the paddocks with it, and then they drove it to the shed one day and that’s where it remained for about 30 years.”
When the government eventually resumed the farm to build the freeway toward Mittagong, the old truck’s future suddenly came into question. As the family cleared the property, Michael spotted it again.
“When we were cleaning up, I asked dad, ‘well what about the old 42?’ and he thought it had just about had it, but I wanted to restore it.”
That decision would spark an eight-year journey. At first glance, the truck was far from promising.
A fire had burnt the back of the truck, ruining the timber framework and the body.
“I had to source another tray and was lucky enough to find a genuine Ford tray for that year model, so I put it on,” Geoffrey says.
From there, he tackled most of the rebuild himself, but he wasn’t as proactive about it as his wife would have liked, so she let him know it was time to knuckle down.
“My wife said to me in 2010 that I wasn’t fiddling around enough with the truck,” he says. “She told me I had five more years.”
So, Geoffrey got cracking, and acquired two old 1942 trucks to source parts, he did the full restoration himself apart from the motor rebuild.
“I got an auto electrician to rewire it. I worked on the chassis, swapped the cabs and did the brakes and gearbox,” he says.
“I got the new motor fitted, new radiators put in and fixed up the interior, then painted it up.”
We planned a trip and when it was done, we ended up driving it to Alice Springs for the big 20th anniversary truck reunion.”
But it hasn’t come without its challenges.
Three years ago, while travelling between truck shows, the old Ford reminded Geoffrey that it’s full of surprises, and the engine let go.
“We had just been to a truck show and were heading to another one the next week at Gundagai,” he says.
“I ended up breaking the crank in the motor, but I’ve changed the motor in it since.”
Trucks have been a part of Geoffrey’s life for as long as he can remember. Growing up around the family farm at Menangle, transport was always in the background. Alongside the farm work, the family also ran coal trucks hauling out of Burragorang Valley.
But Geoffrey’s path into the industry still came with conditions.
“Dad said that I couldn’t come on the trucks until I got a trade,” he says. “So, I became a panel beater, and then eventually I started driving for him.”
Later on, Geoffrey bought his own truck and ran it for a decade
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