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Inter resto emerges as true Green Diamond

NTI legends, Peeter and Don, have got plenty grease under their nails as they creep ever closer to finishing the beautiful 1946 International Model K5 restoration.

 

Of course, they were up against the odds with this restoration, committing to finish it in time to be raffled off to raise funds for Motor Neurone Disease through the MND & Me Foundation.

In episode four of the restoration, it all comes together as body panels and cab go back on, the engine and tranny get bolted up and a few little issues are troubleshooted.

“The hours that everyone has put into it, you just do them,” Don said.

“I have been working on this thing nonstop, seven days a week, ten or 11 hours a day.

“But, you also get to stand back and just admire what’s been done.

“It truly is going to be a beautiful vehicle…it’s an amazing project.”

The panels have come up straight as an arrow and that’s thanks to truck repairer Royans and their impeccable craftsmanship.

“Here we are nine weeks later and 400 hours…huge amount of preparation before we got to the paint stage,” Royans manager Barry said.

“It’s just the nature of the beast, there’s no way you can shortcut it and get a decent job.”

Fleet Parts managing director Mike Calcutt has sourced many of the parts for this build, known by truck owners as the go-to Inter man when restoring these trucks.

“I’ve been involved from the beginning in supplying whatever parts I can and I’ve been getting a lot of parts from around the country to try and get this truck to its finishing state,” Mike said.

Peeter talks through some of the bits and bobs needed to finish the old girl off, but insists it’ll be even better than it was in 1946.

“It’s going to be exactly the same as when it came off the production line,” Peeter said.

“It looks good, it’s going to work good, it’ll be better than new.”

To purchase raffle tickets and support MND and Me Foundation, click here.

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