Historic pickup trucks on display in Banning

Frank Burgess, president of Burgess North American Van Lines in Banning, has several classic pickup trucks. They symbolize the utility value of trucks in general and specifically for promoting his long-haul moving company.

Sitting in front of his Banning office are two 1940s pickups. One is a 1941 Chevrolet and the other is a 1947 Dodge. A 1946 Chevy pickup is on display at his Palm Springs business location. All three vehicles are historically accurate in their restorations.

Burgess is from Crocker, Missouri. He arrived in Banning in 1955 and opened the Flying A gas station at 4th and Ramsey streets. Just like Burgess, the trucks are from Missouri also. He left town for a few years to serve in the military - the 7th  Army in Germany.

“A Cold War vet," Burgess said. "No shots were fired.”

At one point during his military career he was in charge of planned sports for the 8th Division. Five Army divisions competed in various sports activities all over Germany during the Cold War.

Burgess, who is a former Banning city councilman and San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital board member, purchased the moving company on December 15, 1964. He has been learning and growing the business ever since.

Burgess enjoys his classic trucks. They provide him with a respite from his day to day business and also with a little bit of pride in ownership of an iconic American tradition.

“I found the Dodge sitting in a cornfield in Rolla, Missouri," he said. "I had my nephew make arrangements to purchase and ship it to Banning. It had no gas tank. Auto transports won’t ship a vehicle that doesn’t run. An empty one-gallon antifreeze can was filled with gas and hooked to the fuel pump so the truck could run in order to ship it."

The '41 Chevy came from Lake of the Ozarks. 

 "It was used to deliver parts in Rolla at one time," Burgess said.

All three trucks run with the original motors installed. Both Chevy's have straight-six motors. The Dodge has a flathead V6.

The Chevrolet’s have 6-volt batteries with a generator and voltage regulator. Today’s vehicles usually have a 12-volt battery and alternator.

“The Dodge has an odd 8-volt battery that needs a special charger to keep the battery charged when not in use," Burgess said. "The ‘47 has a positive ground instead of the usual negative ground."

Burgess has files on all three vehicles from the time of purchase. He paid $500 for the Dodge, $1,500 for the ’46 Chevy and $1,800 for the ’41 Chevy. He even has parts catalogs for each vehicle for whenever he needs vintage parts.

“I had the Dodge motor overhauled and the ’41 Chevy repainted in its original colors," he said. "All the heaters still work. For air conditioning you have to roll down the windows.”

He said he periodically receives offers from people interested in buying one or more of the nostalgic trucks. In the past, the trucks were used to adorn golf courses for golf tournaments in Palm Springs. They appeared in the Stagecoach Days Parade one time. One of the trucks even won a trophy at one of the old Banning Fire Department’s car shows.

You can’t go wrong with classic American iron and steel. Pickup trucks, whether for pleasure or industry, are always in style.

Burgess North American Van Lines is located at 300 W. Lincoln St., Banning.