Trucks Galore at Frank Pace's Museum: Classic Restos - Series 55

Today's episode is dedicated to the special club gathering of the Greater Western Sydney Historical Truck Club at Frank Pace's purpose-built museum.

In a previous episode of Classic Restos, Fletch interviewed Frank, who expressed that from an early age, all he wanted to do was drive a truck. Frank eventually fulfilled this dream, and one of his fondest memories was driving the '53 International A3-160 as a young boy. He has since restored the truck to its original condition. It was this truck that his love for International trucks started, and he now has a collection of them. International trucks were built in Dandenong, Victoria and were rigorously tested to meet Australian conditions. Fletch found historical footage of international truck testing, revealing why these trucks were so reliable.

Club Organiser Dave Chapman, also known as Chappo, helped to arrange today's gathering and has bought one of his Kenworths, a T900. He shared that these trucks were well known for their work on the eastern seaboard runs between Melbourne and Brisbane. While a firm Kenworth man, he also expressed his admiration for other trucks, such as the Internationals in Frank's collection.

Another GWSHTC member, Bruce, showcases his '65 Toyota 6000 Series, which features a 6.5-litre Diesel, 5-speed, and 2-speed vacuum-operated rear end. Bruce mentions that these were very reliable trucks in their time, and his truck has a unique feature: matching engine and chassis number. When he purchased the truck, he was looking for a Dodge, but upon seeing the Toyota, he decided to buy it, thinking, "You don't see many of these anymore."

Other Club members at the gathering include Ross with his '66 Ford 600 and Garry with a '74 KMR Bedford, the result of an 8-year restoration project. Gary explains the truck is No4 of the model and was a GMH-operated vehicle from the Dandenong factory in Victoria.

There was a great turnout at Frank Pace's private museum for a group of fellow truck enthusiasts, for which Frank was very thankful.