Many car enthusiasts have fascinating stories about how they first got into restoring vehicles and the motivation behind their passion. But perhaps none are as heartfelt as that of Rockhampton local Aaron Hawkins, whose three-year journey to restore the family's beloved 1995 Ford DF LTD for his late brother, who tragically passed away from cancer, has been a true labour of love. Driven by his final promise to return the vehicle to its former glory, Aaron is in the process of adding the final touches to the car's new engine in preparation for entry in the Show 'N' Shine and Street Parade at Rare Spares Rockynats on April 4-6.
Reflecting on the vehicle that has since became a treasured family heirloom and a symbol of their shared journey, Aaron explains the twist of fate that saw the family come to own the car for a second time, after life's circumstances led him to sell it several years prior.
"I owned the car when we first moved to Rockhampton back in 2019, but ended up selling it," he explains. "But my brother had always loved it and it took us two and half years to track it down again. My wife happened to find it locally on Facebook and then we noticed it in person one day on a drive to Emu Park. We approached the owners and, after explaining that it was our old car, asked if we could buy it back, which thankfully they agreed to."
"Unfortunately, it hadn't been as well looked after, with the bodywork and interior particularly needing a lot of work, but it became a big part of our family and my brother's dying wish was to see it fully restored back to its original condition," Aaron reflects. "I promised I'd do just that and never get rid of it."
Determined to honour this wish, Aaron, a spare parts interpreter at Allied Parts and self-taught mechanic, took on the mission of restoring the 1995 Ford piece by piece, alongside his work colleagues and 14-year-old son, Jacob.
"It's taken them three years, and a lot of love, money and dedication to get it to this point," admires his wife, Lisa.
"The whole team from Allied Parts have gotten involved, with his boss Dwayne helping with the motor and mates and colleagues popping in to help where they can. Our son is under the hood with Aaron when he can and loves doing tool runs for the guys…it's become a real example of mateship and we couldn't have done it without their help."
While Aaron still has some work on the bodywork and interior to go, he's looking forward to showcasing the car and its legacy at Rockynats 05, along with soaking up the unique atmosphere of the event with Jacob.
"My brother and I used to follow different car shows across Australia together so to have something like Rockynats right here in Rockhampton now is just incredible, and this year will be even more memorable" he says. "My son and I have been three years in a row, and bond over our joint love of watching the burnouts and the drags. The whole atmosphere and how everyone comes together to celebrate their love of cars and motorsport is fantastic."
As Queensland's biggest car and bike festival, Rockhampton Region Mayor Tony Williams praised the event's ability to bring the community together.
"Rockynats is more than just a festival of horsepower, it's about bringing people together. Whether it's uniting friends and families over an exciting weekend or fostering mateship between those working on a build like Aaron's, the event strengthens and unites our community in so many ways."
