“This is our 1965 Ford XP Falcon ute, a poverty-pack, matching-numbers 144ci car in Arctic White with a two-tone blue interior.

“It was our grandfather’s first work ute when he was a backhoe operator, purchased when it was just six months old in 1966 from an ex-government auction, and it’s been registered ever since!

“Over the past couple of years, my father, uncle, brother and I have been restoring it to factory specifications, doing the majority of the work ourselves in our shed.

“From rust repairs and panelwork to the engine rebuild and painting, we have learnt from hands-on experience and no qualifications.

“The near-finished build was revealed to our grandfather on his 87th birthday, and is currently about 97 per cent complete, with only minor things still needing to be done.

“We have an Instagram page set up to show the build process @99restos.”

Words & photos: Rocco Nardi