Covered in layers of dust and grime, the forgotten tractor lay abandoned in a shed for two decades.
While most of his family overlooked the derelict vehicle at the far end of the storage unit, young Alex Black always had a particular interest in it.
At 14, Alex was already a budding mechanic with aspirations of restoring the 1958-built tractor to its former glory, reminiscent of the days it tilled the fields of the Borders where he resides.
After years of persistent requests, his father Gary, 46, and grandfather Alec, 79, finally relented last year, granting him permission to embark on the challenging restoration project.
Now, following months of dedicated effort—much of which was undertaken by Alex himself—the tractor roars back to life, ready to be showcased at the Truckfest vintage event at the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston, Edinburgh.
Alex expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “The David Brown had been sitting at the back of the shed my entire life, and I was eager to bring it back to life.”
‘After a lot of pestering to my dad and my papa we decided to see if we could get it going.’
During the restoration project, the trio had to disassemble the tractor to such an extent that Mr Black admitted he feared whether they’d be able to put it back together again.
Alex cleans the newly-restored tractor
Alex and his younger brother Cameron take the tractor for a spin
However, Alex and his younger brother Cameron, 10, were delighted when it roared back into life – albeit with a lot of putrid smoke from its many years out of use.
Alex said: ‘We tried to fire her up, starting to fire on one or two cylinders it was giving us some encouragement, eventually firing up on all four and filling the shed with reek.’
He added: ‘We had some short test drives up and down the track. I could finally drive the tractor I’d wanted to see running my whole life.’
The challenging task even saw Gary’s brother James, 38, who runs a bodyshop, being enlisted to help Alex repaint the entire vehicle.
Mr Black, who runs the family’s garage business Blacks of Stichill, has been filled with pride watching how his son tackled the task.
He said: ‘He worked alongside my dad doing everything, like stripping brakes, taking things apart, degreasing, cleaning and sanding down parts. It’s fantastic seeing him do these things.
‘These days kids are sitting in the house on tablets and computers – it’s a different world.
‘I enjoy seeing him have the kind of childhood I did. With something like this he’s learning all sorts of hands-on skills.’
He added: ‘I get a great sense of pride seeing Alex and Cameron interested in this stuff.’
The tractor was bought by farmers in the Borders village of New Smailholm in 1959 and later sold to another farm in Gordon in 1968.
The tractor before it was restored by Alex and his family
Alex’s grandad bought it in 1999 and took it to some shows in their local area.
However, in 2005 the tractor broke down and was retired to the back of the shed where it sat for the next two decades.
Alex’s father said he was baffled by the extent of the issue behind the breakdown and was wary of tearing it apart to locate the problem.
Now, with its new parts and a fresh coat of paint it looks as it would when it rolled off the factory floor more than 60 years ago.
And the family can’t wait to give it a run out at Truckfest’s Classic Trucks & Tractors show on 28th Feb and 1st March 2026 at the Royal Highland Centre, in Ingliston, Edinburgh.
The event will see hundreds of beautifully restored classic tractors and vintage trucks on display, as well as trade stalls, family entertainment and food.
Mr Gray said the family – especially his two boys – is looking forward to showing off the fruits of their labour.
He said: ‘A lot of the time the boys are the driving influence in going to shows. I take a great deal of pride seeing their interest in this stuff.’
