Isuzu completes historic SBR resto

Isuzu Australia Limited has gone back to its roots, unveiling an immaculate and painstakingly restored 1979 SBR 422

Just as Isuzu begins its 25th consecutive year as Australia’s top-selling truck marque, the local arm of the global heavyweight has unveiled a stunning example of Isuzu history: an expertly restored 1979 SBR 422.

Isuzu Australia Limited’s Product Development Department in Melbourne has been working on the project – with the help of a number of industry partners – for two years, the team recently pulling the covers off the stunning end result.

A young upstart going against established competitors from the USA and the UK in its day, Isuzu says the SBR 422 was Spartan in terms of creature comforts but big on performance.

The resto truck was sourced from a seller on Melbourne’s outskirts, the truck’s odometer reading 300,000km – probably indicating it’s actually put 1,300,000km under its wheels.

Isuzu did all the mechanical work in-house, also turning to companies including Austruck Truck Bodies, B and K Panels, FleetMark, Michelin, Narva, and Renix Auto Trimmers to see the job through to completion.

Both the chassis and the original 6BB1 engine needed relatively little in the way of attention, while the fuel system was reconditioned and the mechanical injection pump received a freshen-up.

The cabin, however, needed extensive work to restore it to the condition in which it first rolled out of the old production facility in Dandenong, Victoria. Any dents and marks were removed before repainting and new trim and flooring was installed. The electrics were also refurbished and a custom-built body with Tasmanian oak flooring was fitted.

A side-by-side specs comparison of the SBR 422 and Isuzu’s current NQR 450 reveals a snapshot of three-and-a-half decades of progress. The SBR’s 5.8-litre six-cylinder diesel produces a claimed 97.5kW at 3200rpm and 343Nm at 2000rpm, while the NQR’s 5.2-litre four-cylinder diesel puts out 139kW at 2600rpm and 510Nm at 1600-2600rpm.

The SBR came with a hazard light warning flasher, seat belts, a windscreen demister, padded dashboard and vacuum-assisted brakes, while the NQR boasts driver and passenger airbags, an ECE-R29-compliant cab, ABS, traction control, hill-start assist (manual models), front and rear stabilising bars, and cornering lamps, with the added niceties of a driver’s suspension seat, keyless entry, electric windows and mirrors, and air-conditioning, among others, plus a range of optional extras.

The finished restoration now looks as good as the day it first fired up some 35 years ago. It will be displayed by Isuzu at major truck shows and events to help draw attention to Isuzu’s heritage in the Australian market.

Isuzu completes historic SBR resto

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