Nick David wants his shop to feel like an auto dealership from the good old days.
“You should be able to walk in, talk to me about your truck, have a cup of coffee and come to the back where I’ll show you exactly what’s going on,” he says. “I want it to feel like an old dealership.”
David’s business, Square Body Motors in Stavely, AB specializes in restoring 1973-1987 GM trucks. He’ll showcase some of his work at the upcoming Show ‘N’ Shine his shop will host on Saturday, July 26, and other enthusiasts are welcome to bring their vintage, rebuilt or otherwise unique vehicles to display on his lot as well.
“It’s happening from 11 am to 3pm on the 26th, and it’s a real simple event,” he explains. “We’ll have four trucks that we completed over the winter, and as it’s summertime we want to show them off.”
As for other restorers and collectors in southern Alberta, he invites them to “show up, and show your truck.”
In addition to connecting with other enthusiasts and admiring their rides, the Show ‘N’ Shine will be a kind of celebration for Square Body Motors, which has grown, added staff and broadened services since David moved to a full-time role five years ago.
Employed in the corporate world for much of his career, David accepted a severance package when the pandemic hit in 2020. The shop – until then a family-run, hobby enterprise – had been open since 2016, but sensing the opportunity David dedicated himself to building up the business.
Now, with a team of four employees and a fully functioning garage, Square Body is restoring vehicles for customers in Grand Prairie, Lethbridge, Fernie and Vancouver Island.
“We’re a full-service restoration shop,” David explains. “We do complete body work. We can rebuild the engine. We can redo it all. The only thing we don’t rebuild is transmissions, which we take to a wonderful fellow in Lethbridge who does his magic.”
Square Body Motors also sources all new parts. David says the process can be a bit of a bottleneck, but ultimately the beneficiary is the customer, whom he always treats fairly.
“I’m going to be transparent,” he says. “I’ll give you an estimate that’s realistic. I’ll tell you what I know it will take to build this truck.”
When a customer brings in a truck, he says, they’re starting a lifetime relationship. Should something break, he’ll fix it; if something needs maintaining, he’ll look at it. Thinking about his past projects, he says he can remember every single vehicle he’s worked on in the past five years.
Most, though not all, have been that “square” generation of Chevys.
“‘Square body’ is a slang term that was given to this generation of trucks, from about ‘73 to ‘87,” he says. “So whenever you mention the term ‘square body’ to a truck person, they’ll know what you mean.”
Although he owns the business and manages a team of employees, David still likes to get his hands dirty in the shop.
“At the end of the day, I’m perfectly happy just being in the back, tearing a truck apart and then putting it back together,” he says. “I always like to say I’m helping make people’s dreams come true.”
Square Body Motors, located at 5509 52 St in Stavely, can be reached by calling (403) 549-0375. Additional information is available on their website.