BRIAN Sipple spent his last day of a 36-year stint at Nymans Smash Repairs doing what he loves - painting cars.
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Hired in 1984, Mr Sipple said he has seen "a million" people come and go, but through it all, he stayed put, until finishing up on Tuesday.
"I just came here looking for a job, more or less ... I must've enjoyed it I suppose," he said.
From vintage cars to caravans, from boats to trucks, he has seen and sprayed them all.
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He said he enjoys painting the stripes and lines on trucks, though cars are his favourite.
"It's not something I want to stop doing," he said. "I'm not completely giving up."
Retirement might not keep him away from the workshop for long, but he does plan on doing some travel with his partner.
"I like going out into the centre of Australia," Mr Sipple said.
Over the decades, he has adjusted to changes in technique and paint types, as well as Tamworth's growth.
"It changes all the time ... but you learn as go," he said.
"There'll be plenty more changes in the future too."
Mr Sipple said he has enjoyed working with a good bunch of people over the years. It hasn't always been a smooth road though, with the trade taking its toll.
"Your back, your legs on the cement and on the ladders ... it's freezing cold in winter and boiling hot in summer," he said.
As the longest-serving employee of Nymans, he has managed to accrue almost a year's worth of sick leave.
"His work ethic and morals are unprecedented in the era that we live in," Nymans co-director Gary Fitzgibbon said.