Built for the Bush: Ian Windsor’s restored 1985 Kenworth SAR
Rear Vision
Grazier Ian Windsor’s 1985 SAR has been restored to perfection by PJ’s in Brisbane, although Ian carts his own stock, this truck is more of a collectible.
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Words and Pictures: Chris Smith
Words by Chris Smith. Photography by Chris Smith.
Based in Blackall in Central Queensland Ian Windsor has a combined 70,000 acres of pastoral and farming land. He has always loved trucks and transports his own stock to the market with a fleet of four.
His latest truck is a 1985 SAR, however is not intended to be a workhorse, it’s far too refined and restored for that. Besides, that’s what the T950 painted in the same colour scheme is for.
Ian admits to ACT “It’ll do a little bit of work but it won’t be full time.”
The reason for the 1985 SAR restoration is one of nostalgia.
“I had my first truck when I was 23, which was a W model,” he tells ACT.
He says his first truck was of a similar vintage. “I am a fan of the earlier trucks, they were the big trucks when I first started driving trucks.”
He found this truck in a used truck yard in Brisbane and says it needed a fair bit of work. Ian says the whole project took three years to complete.
“It involved stripping the truck right down, back to the chassis then sandblasting and repairing any rust,” he says.
He says the motor, was rebuilt and amped up to 500hp with a 3406B Caterpillar engine.
“We have our own workshop so we rebuilt the engine ourselves and painted it,” he says.
After the mechanical work was done it was brought back to Brisbane and PJs provided the customisation and the striking paint job.
The bullbar was supplied by King Bars and Ian says the design was inspired by the outback styled road train look. It isn’t a chrome look with a painted bullbar, rather a powder coated finish.
The reason for the powder coating well he says “I’m not a big fan of polishing!”
“That’s why I opted for a powder coated bullbar and painted tanks,” he laughs, “Because I don’t have time to polish.”
Rear Vision: where are they now?
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