Bryan’s parents had Valiants, a Ford flathead truck and a Bedford truck.
Bryan’s Ford flathead truck was bought from Brown Bros (NZ) Ltd in 2013.
A mechanic gave him the heads up that it would be for sale.
The owner knew Bryan would keep it standard and not rip it to pieces to make a hot rod.
“This particular 1939, 3-tonne Ford flathead V8 was imported from the United States and known as the barrel-nose model due to its distinctive front grille shape.
“They were made for two years, in 1938 and 1939.”
The petrol engine offers 95hp and has a four-speed crash gearbox, which requires double-clutching to change gears.
The front axle has two wheels, and the rear axle has dual wheels.
“Brown Bros used the truck right up until 1984,” he said.
“That was the last rego, which is still stuck on the windscreen.
“It had sat in a shed for nearly 30 years.”
The truck was used as a support vehicle for Brown Bros water well drilling activities, and it was part of the early coal exploration for the Huntly coalfields.
Bryan has no plans to carry out a full restoration.
He appreciates the truck’s history and loves the patina of the bodywork and original signwriting.
“I’ll just do the bare minimum to get it going again and compliant with modern requirements so we can start taking it to truck shows.
“I want to keep everything as authentic and original as possible.”
Bryan and Viv’s son Ken enjoys tinkering on old vehicles and has two cars of his own in the shed.
The Southalls hope Ken’s son continues the family passion for classic vehicles further down the track.
