‘Burban Trail

Sometimes attaining one’s ideal dream truck takes years of hard work and determination. A builder will often find that fixer-upper, diamond-in-the-rough truck project that might not look like much at first glance, yet still be able to see the infinite potential lurking deep down within. Not all truck owners, however, are introduced to their destined dream ride in this particular fashion. Every now and again, the stars will align and bring two parties together whose paths may have not have otherwise crossed. If you don’t believe in all that astrological business, just chalk it up to guys getting lucky every once a while—that’s something we can all relate to.

Warren Walcher and his son were out at the Goodguys Southwest Nationals in Scottsdale, AZ back in 2018, and happened to spot a ’66 Suburban that called out to them like no other truck did in the entire field. Maybe it was the Chevy’s bright orange paint gleaming in the sunlight, or its super low aired-out stance—or a combination of the two, along with everything else it has going for it. Warren was entranced by the ‘Burban’s charm, and it wasn’t until they got closer to check out the interior that he noticed his favorite part about the truck—the “for sale” sign sitting on the front seat.

The feeling that Warren must’ve felt could’ve probably compared to finding a $100 bill on the floor in an empty aisle in the grocery store (don’t tell us you wouldn’t pocket it). He instantly had to inquire about the details of the truck and hope that someone else hadn’t beat him to making the buy. To Warren’s surprise, the truck was, indeed, his to purchase if he so desired, which he did. He spoke to the truck’s owner, Randy Marston, who must’ve fielded a ton of questions while out at the show. After getting some more information, Warren discovered that the builder of the ‘Burban was a fella by the name of Roger Burman of Lakeside Rods and Rides in Rockwell City, Iowa.

If you’ve never heard of Roger or his shop, you’ll soon become a fan after seeing his body of work. Roger runs a tight two-man operation that has created some really beautiful street machines over the years including an absolutely gorgeous Ridler Award winning ’35 Ford roadster that he debuted back in 2006. Since then, he has unleashed other builds that have gone on to attract major Goodguys awards. Roger doesn’t stick to a certain genre or era of vehicles, as he has gone on to craft many other street rods, muscle cars, and quite a bit of trucks lately. The market for classic pickups has kept Lakeside pretty busy these last few years, and with a nearly 2-year wait period to get in, Roger makes sure that the cars/trucks that he does accept, will most definitely turn out to be neck snappers.

While Roger does accept work from new customers, he does deal quite a bit with repeat customers, namely one in particular who might very well be his best customer throughout the years—Randy Marston. Roger has delivered a few completed projects to Randy, but knowing there will certainly be other rides to come in the not-so-far-off future, he usually has his fun with them then turns them loose for someone else to treasure these works of art—this is what brings this story full circle. Luckily, Warren met Randy when he did, because he not only ended up with this Suburban, he also purchased Randy’s other truck—the “Unruly” ’66 C10 (but that’s another story for another time).

Warren has an obvious love for custom classic American trucks, and what he saw in the Suburban was as close to perfection in his eyes. Not only was the bright paint enough to lure him close to the Blazer, but once he learned of the suspension system comprised of a full chassis from The Roadster Shop, and a long list of air ride components from Ride Tech, he just knew the truck would perform just as great as it looked. The staggered 20-/22-inch Forgeline wheel combo is stunning, yet mild enough to not draw too much attention from the Suburban’s other physical attributes.

The GM LT4 crate engine produces all the torque and horsepower Warren could ever want, and is reliable enough to start up and take him wherever he wanted to go on any given day if he had the time to drive it as often. The interior also beckons to be enjoyed as often as possible—it’s streamlined and as stylish of a cockpit as you’re likely to find out there. Roger Burman gave the Suburban everything one would want from an ultra clean stunner without going overboard. That has become his trademark touch, and with more examples of his work continuing to receive more attention than the next, we’d imagine the wait list for his attention will continue to grow as well.

Now that Warren has firsthand experience with Roger’s handiwork, it’ll be interesting to see if he puts his own name on the entry list to have his own Lakeside ride built to his specs. Only time will tell, but until then, he’ll be enjoying the two Burman-built trucks he owns already. Did we mention how lucky this guy is?