Behind the love of restoration with this 1952 pick-up

It was a day of gleaming chrome, roaring engines, and the sweet nostalgia of a bygone era at the second annual Kelowna Show N Shine on Bernard. Car enthusiasts from all walks of life, driven by their shared love for all things on wheels, descended upon the city's iconic avenue to revel in the beauty and history of automobiles.

Bernard Avenue was transformed into a mesmerizing tableau where vintage classics, modern marvels, exotic imports, and creatively modified vehicles.

Among the cars on display, was Kurt Szalla’s 1952 GMC half-ton pickup truck that was built in Oshawa, Ontario.

Yet, the journey to get this automotive masterpiece back on the road was a story in itself.

“We had to cut a tree down to get it out of the field and get it home. It grew between the bumper and the grill,” he told Kelowna10. “The floor was almost half gone. And of course, it didn't run. It was in terrible shape. I don't know. It's more of a resurrection than a restoration.”

Szalla, whose an aircraft maintenance engineer and auto mechanic by trade, said it was the appearance of his pickup that gave him the motivation to try and restore it.

“I just like to look at the truck and it just appealed to me,” he said. “I thought, ‘wouldn’t’ that be cool? I like the look, the style, and the body lines of the truck. That’s what attracted me to it.”

With his background, he was able to do the mechanical part of the restoration, but there were some, he wasn’t sure of.

“The biggest challenge for me was the paint. Because I don't do paint. So that was one of the most expensive and biggest problems,” Szalla explained. “Getting parts for the transmission and other internal parts was tough. The body was fairly easy to get parts for.”

As he proudly showcased it for all to admire, he expressed that participating in the event provided an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow restorers and car enthusiasts.

“You can learn so much from the people who are here. And I enjoy that so much,” Szalla said. “People's impressions of the truck brings back memories to so many people. I enjoy that.”

The most rewarding thing that he took away from the journey, was having the ability to bring something back to its former glory.

“To relive that part of our history and see it back on the road again to me very rewarding,” he said. “But you have to love it. If you don't love the vehicle, you're not going to make it. It's a labour of love.”

When queried about the possibility of undertaking further restoration projects in the future, Szalla was unequivocal in his response. "No, I’m done," he declared, "One’s enough.”