The Ultimate Tow Rig: Tingays’ custom Hino 500 FD
Rear Vision
Photographs from the original ACT archive; no individual photography credit is printed in the supplied feature.
Castlemaine in Victoria is the Australian heartland for the custom car culture and I am sure Chris Soldatos owner of Tingays Smash Repairs based in the town has somehow caught the hot rod bug with his Hino tiltray.
When I catch up with Chris at the Castlemaine Truck Show I question why he has a for sale sign on his 2012 Hino.
“It’s too nice to work,” he says.
It probably explains why most owners of Japanese trucks in Australia don’t go this extra step however for the ones that do, the rewards are obvious.
“The inspiration to customise this truck was to create a higher profile for the business, “ he explains.
The custom work was done in Adelaide by AHE equipment which Chris can’t praise enough.
“Our team at Tingays rate AHE Adelaide for creating such a stunning and workable truck,” he says.
In the recovery business reliability and functionality of the vehicle is extremely important so that you can get the job done.
Chris says choosing Hino was an easy choice for the business and the combination of the vehicle and working the AHE Equipment in Adelaide supplying the split deck tilt tray means the unit is definitely built for purpose.
“The Hino not only looks great but it is an efficient workhorse,” he says.
“The split deck enables us to recover vehicles with minimum ground clearance with ease, which is extremely good for picking up lowered cars.
“The black paintwork, stainless toolboxes and red signage is a standout.
“It is a head turner and promotes Tingays Smash Repairs,” he says.
However black and stainless may look extremely cool, however Chris says it does prove to be a bit of a challenge to keep it looking clean.
“The blokes that detail and keep the Hino in top nick confirm that it is money well spent when it rolls out the yard on a job,” he says.
It was nearly six months since Castlemaine but Chris just couldn’t let this beautiful truck go. On some weekends it transports one of his racing cars to different race meets and yes, the combination does look very impressive.
Driver Mark MacDonald says he is the only driver that gets a steer besides the boss.
“I was paying it a lot of attention and ensuring it was always clean and looking its best,” Mark tells ACT.
“After seeing it look so good he decided not to sell it and instead has decided to buy another one!”
Mark says he has a lot of pride driving a rig that looks this good and along with that he says he looks after it as if it was my own.
“I am very particular about this truck and I am very happy to drive it every day.”
Specifications and details
Hino Fd Specs
Custom work: AHE Equipment in Adelaide
GVM 11,000kg
Optional derate to 8,000kg
GCM 20,000kg
Power 191kW @ 2400 RPM
Torque 794Nm @ 1500 RPM
Transmission Six-speed OD synchromesh
Wheelbase 4850mm (Long), 5500mm (X Long)
From the ACT archive
Originally published in Australian Custom Trucks, Issue 3 — Autumn 2014.
This feature records the truck, people and business as they were at the time of the original reporting. This online edition preserves the original feature with light editing for clarity.
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