Michael's 1937 Chevrolet Pickup

If ever there was a great advertisement for Chevy Pickups, this is it — and I might be a little biased, but I reckon I've got the best one going around on Auckland's North Shore.

When I pull up to an open home or a client appointment in "Jim," my beautifully restored 1937 Chevy Pickup, I can pretty much guarantee someone's going to want to have a yarn. It never gets old. The truck has become something of a local landmark up here on the Shore — turning heads, sparking conversations and drawing admiring glances wherever it goes. In a world full of indistinguishable modern vehicles, "Jim" stands apart, and I couldn't be prouder to have him representing my real estate business. What you see is what you get — and I like to think that's true of both the truck and me.

You might also notice something else — my personal logo, the Michael Swarbrick brand that I created more than ten years ago, is actually styled on the Chevrolet logo. It wasn't something I planned to make a big deal of at the time, but looking back, it feels like it was meant to be. The same values that Chevrolet built their reputation on — reliability, toughness, and honest craftsmanship — are the values I've tried to bring to my real estate business on the North Shore. It all ties together in a way that still makes me smile.

A Story Nearly 90 Years in the Making

But "Jim" isn't just a promotional vehicle — he's family. And to understand why, you need to go back to North Canterbury and a young bloke named Jim Swarbrick. That's my Dad.

The Pickup was first registered on May 22, 1937, and started life as a furniture delivery truck for AJ Whites in Christchurch, where it worked hard for 20 years before being sold. It changed hands three more times before Dad purchased it on 22 May 1964, when he was just 25 years old. It's been in our family for over 60 years since.

Dad always tells the story with a grin. "I was working with a guy who, out of the blue, asked if anyone wanted a Chev, to which I replied, yes. I didn't know what to expect, but the seller got it a new WoF so I paid him 65 quid and put it straight to work."

That's Dad in a nutshell — no fuss, just get on with it.

Initially the truck had a wooden high-roof cab, but eventually the wooden doors began to open while driving, so Dad bought another Pickup from Kaikoura with a steel cab and fitted it himself. It had a flat deck for most of its life until the latest restoration, when it was equipped with a well-side deck. The truck was fitted with a 216ci "Blue Flame" engine, which Dad replaced a few times with used versions because he couldn't afford a brand-new one. "I'd buy the engines from people who had Chevs parked up in their back yard," he says. Classic Kiwi ingenuity.

As a contractor, Dad used the Pickup extensively over the years on driveway jobs and as a support vehicle for silage work on farms around Loburn and North Canterbury. The old girl lived in Kaiapoi for many decades and was a proper workhorse.

One of my favourite stories is the family holiday. Dad recalls, "We towed the family caravan over the Southern Alps to Westport for our summer holiday. On the way back, it jumped out of gear, so it was getting worn out, so I fitted a 4-speed non-synchro manual gearbox, which worked well and remained there for most of its life." Only in New Zealand, right?

The registration plate 'DRIVES' was something Dad picked up when personalised plates were launched in New Zealand, a nod to Swarbrick Contractors, who predominantly laid driveways around Christchurch. It felt right to keep it — and I've taken that tradition a step further. My daily driver, a VW Touareg, carries the plate 'DR1VES', so wherever I go on the North Shore, one of my two vehicles is never far away. Regular clients know me by both plates, and I love that — it's become a bit of a trademark. Whether it's the classic Chevy turning up to an auction or the Touareg at a weekday appointment, people know a Swarbrick is on the way.

The Restoration

The restoration work began at Jonesy's in Hamilton, where the gearbox and various other repairs were carried out. From there, I decided to do this properly — a full restoration to original condition rather than a restomod. The majority of the work was completed by Dayne at Gas Pedal Fabrications in Hamilton, who did an exceptional job, and I can't thank him enough. All up, thousands of hours went into a complete, ground-up, nut-and-bolt restoration, which was finished around 2004/2005.

The drivetrain was updated with a later, fully reconditioned 235ci engine and a 3-speed synchro gearbox, and the diff was changed to a 3.5 ratio for better top-end speed.

The Pickup is entirely original steel — any rust was replaced with steel, not filler. Pam Hunt from Hamilton handled all the paint and panel finishing, and her attention to detail is second to none. The result speaks for itself.

Inside, I wanted it to be comfortable without losing that classic feel. The cab is insulated with Dynamat sound deadening for a quiet ride, the original gauges have been fully restored, and Kelly O'Donnell from Kelly's Upholstery did a brilliant job on the interior — fabric headlining, carpeting and newly made seats. I snuck in an Alpine stereo amp and subwoofer under the seat, with speakers integrated into the upholstery so you'd never know they were there. Creature comforts without compromising the look.

Jim

I named the truck "Jim" after my Dad, and I think that says everything about what this vehicle means to me. It's not just a restored classic — it's a piece of our family history, and a tribute to a hardworking man who built something worth passing down.

Once the restoration was complete, "Jim" found a natural new purpose — representing my real estate business on Auckland's North Shore. What started as a family workhorse in the Canterbury countryside has become my most recognised business asset, turning up at open homes, auctions and client appointments and doing what it has always done best — getting noticed and getting the job done.

"Jim" has been in Auckland for around twenty years now, and every time he shows up at an auction or an open home, he brings that whole story with him — from the streets of Christchurch to the farms of North Canterbury, and now to the suburbs of Auckland. I like to think he reflects who I am — solid, straightforward, no pretence. A true Kiwi bloke doing honest work.

Dad summed it up best when I asked him about it recently. "We had a lot of fun with it, and it was a good workhorse as well. My best memory of it was seeing it after Michael had finished rebuilding it."

That means more to me than any trophy.