“A tree had grown in my grandfather’s truck”: Fabrice restored a Berliet abandoned in a marsh

The Foulon family can thank its youngest. Fabrice, soon to be forty, has revived the memory of the family sawmill through his historic truck, a 1957 Berliet GLC8. The vehicle was used until the 1980s to transport wood to customers. "It was the shop window of the establishment, painted in the colors of the Foulon Scierie company. The symbol of the Trente Glorieuses , a time when the company was doing well. But with the developments, the requirements of the technical inspection , it required a lot of money, and my family had decided to put it aside... without actually parting with it," says Fabrice.

In the area around Saint-Omer , between Calais and Dunkirk , the family sawmill vehicle slept for a long time in a corner of the pasture, forgotten by men, close to nature. The latter logically reclaimed its rights; the truck was completely covered in vegetation, becoming almost invisible, dressed all in green. "I took it out of its vines in 2016, surrounded by brambles, with a tree growing through the cabin. The state was catastrophic," testifies the grandson of the first owner.

Fabrice was determined to begin the restoration . The idea of ​​restoring the truck had long been a "sea serpent" in the family . "We always said to ourselves: one day, we'll do it again. But we never had the time or the opportunity to get started. I'm not a handyman, I have no experience, but I wanted to redo it to put it as a decoration in front of the company." It was after contacting a customer of the sawmill who was passionate about old trucks that Fabrice got started, armed with "YouTube tutorials" and "a lot of perseverance." We were then in 2016.

Finding original parts for a 1957 Berliet quickly proved to be a headache. "It was mission impossible," says Fabrice. Spare parts are impossible to find in traditional stores, and the few items available on the collector's market are often overpriced or in poor condition. Faced with these obstacles, Fabrice had no choice but to embark on what he calls "reverse engineering." He had to take apart each part, understand how it had been designed at the time, and then build it identically, sometimes from scratch.

To carry out this task, which is akin to an investigation, Fabrice called upon the region's elders, those who had once worked on this type of vehicle. Thanks to their memories, their advice, and sometimes even their tools, he was able to reconstruct missing parts, restore the bodywork, and re-weld rust-eaten elements. The upholstery was also completely redone, respecting the original materials and colors. Even the paintwork was restored to its original state, so that the truck regained its former appearance.

The most impressive challenge remained the engine. Having remained silent and immobile for over thirty years, it was covered in dust, rust, and even a few cobwebs. Everything had to be dismantled, piece by piece, cleaned, lubricated, and what could no longer be saved replaced. For months, Fabrice worked patiently, often in the evenings after work. Then, one evening in December 2018, the moment of reckoning came. After carefully reassembling and checking everything, Fabrice primed the engine. And to his amazement, it came back to life without hesitation: "It started instantly," he recalls.

Until 2024, the restoration project will progress according to the free time and motivation of the person concerned. "Sometimes, I could spend three hours unblocking a simple bolt, in this case it was a bit tiring, and then I would take 15 days without touching the truck." But in this Olympic year, everything is accelerating. The Audo'Mobiles exhibition in Saint-Omer is fast approaching. It is the unmissable event for vintage vehicle enthusiasts in the region. This edition has a very special flavor: it coincides exactly with his father's birthday, June 2, making the deadline even more symbolic.

"We are shaken in all directions"

Fabrice

There's no question of falling behind. Fabrice wants to present the restored truck on this occasion. He throws himself into the final work, spending many evenings and weekends in the family workshop.

On June 2nd, after years of work and sometimes doubts, the truck was finally ready. There's something wonderful about the rebirth of the living dead: some recognize the Foulon sawmill logo , others remember seeing this truck on the roads decades ago.

Now, Fabrice reserves the use of the truck for special occasions: vintage vehicle exhibitions, local gatherings or sometimes a short outing for a few hundred meters, just for the pleasure of seeing it driven. The Berliet, even refurbished, remains a truck from another era. "Technically, it is possible to drive it, but you have to be prepared!" smiles Fabrice. The machine has nothing to do with modern vehicles: no power steering, rudimentary suspension, vintage brakes... Every maneuver requires strength and concentration. The slightest bend becomes a physical exercise, and the slightest bump in the road is felt even in the cabin. "You are shaken in all directions."

This flashback gives Fabrice a deep admiration for the drivers of yesteryear: "I have immense respect for those who drove this back then." With its period registration document and its identical license plate since 1957, the Berliet Foulon has become a small rolling museum. It's a bit like a museum of the Trente Glorieuses in itself.