Passing the reviewing stand in 2016 at the Indianapolis 500 parade.
In 1939 our Chevrolet Feature Truck of the Month came new as a 1 ½ ton with flat face cowl. It had a 158” wheel base. The attached 1939 sketch below shows it with all its dimensions. The dual rear wheels at right were included with our truck in this article.
After leaving the factory, the chassis was taken to a now unknown school bus body factory and made ready for its service by an Indiana school district in Lebanon, and later to Indianapolis. It remained in service for 10 years including WWII, doing what school busses were built to do including transporting many students to after hour sporting events.
When the time came for retirement the tired bus was bought by Jack Baker. (The current owner is Darryll Baker, his grandson.) There was certainly a reason why Jack wanted a bus. He and his wife were getting closer to retirement. The U.S. highways had become better and the Baker’s wanted to see this country they had only read about.
The bus was just what they wanted except for one major problem! The body was not road worthy after the 10 years of hauling students over back roads that today would not be acceptable.
Jack, a mechanic by trade was not concerned with this issue. They found a very nice used Wayne school bus body and personally made the exchange! This would be just right for the Baker’s to fulfill their retirement needs for traveling. The Wayne body had the size to make what we call an R.V. Its inside dimensions was 8’ side to side and 23’ long. (Note: the height of 8’4” from the ground to the top. Inside you have to be careful not to hit your head if you’re over about 5’5”)
When completed it had the necessities; couch, double bed, stove, and icebox. It also had an overhead storage area. The total package weighed almost 3.5 tons.
Some very early saved photos.
This is the earliest photo of Jack in the early years beside his “R.V.”
Photo of family beside the bus. Note the window curtains!
Darryll’s grandfather “Jack Baker” is on the far right. Darryll’s father “Darryl Sr.” is next to Jack. Darryll’s grandmother “Modena Baker” is third from the left.
The finished product looked very acceptable on the highways. In the 1950’s a converted bus was not usual as people watching their budget began to travel with various types of vehicles.
So, travel our country is what the Baker’s did. The bus touched 39 states! No bad for the U.S. with 48 connected states. There was a Chevrolet dealer in all but the smallest towns. Thus, the bus had mechanical parts nearby. If you had to wait for a part to be ordered, the camper was their hotel.
Oh yes, the little 216 six cylinder engine finally showed its age, after years of carrying students. When the Baker’s tried to reach the top of Pike’s Peak in Colorado with a very slow crawl up the mountain and return, it could require a full day. Even provided was a water supply along the way for over-heated radiators, and stops to cool the brakes on the way down. The Baker’s turned around without success. (Less oxygen really added to a problem!)
When they got back to Indiana they replaced the 216 with the now available larger Chevrolet 235 low pressure engine. Much like the 216 but with some internal improvements. On the next trip to Colorado, they drove to the top of Pike’s Peak, not very fast, but they could do it in one day and be back to the lower elevation before the sun went down. In those early days most of the roads on this mountain were gravel!
Note: For at least the last 60 years, all vehicles have full pressure sealed cooling systems and do not over heat at higher elevations. Therefore, the water stops up Pike’s Peak have been removed!
Air Ventilation
The ½ to 1 ½ ton traditional GM trucks had a top cowl vent door in the body in front of the windshield and opened by a lever under the dash. No place on the “Flat Face Cowl” chassis. It was up to the body manufacturer to provide a way of getting outside air into the cab!
The Wayne Bus Company went an extra step to create air flow during hot days. The windshield frame and glass could swing open from a top hinge. There were two size openings that could be locked in place so the assembly did not slowly close on rough roads. Of course, air conditioning had not been placed on vehicles in the 1930’s. You made do with what you had!
Retire or NOT to Retire
After almost 27 years, Baker’s retired from vacation travel but not the bus. Jack would still use the bus, but the camping fixtures were removed. It became a “hauler” for moving heavy merchandise in his local area. It appears Jack had so much more energy than the average person of his age!
When Jack was through with using all the bus-hauling and really retired, he had the bus put away out of most bad weather with an unknown future.
What comes now is how this bus became an icon to the people of Indiana. It was all because the basketball team in a small town (Milan, Indiana) of 350 population was able to become the Indiana State Champions in 1954. They defeated teams in most all small and medium size cities, and then one of the largest most winning basketball teams, Muncie Central, in the big city of Indianapolis.
Some might say this type win was “out of the movies”. In this case it really did make the big screen! National news was created!
This is what happened: In the late 1980’s two Indiana friends, Angelo Pizzo and David Anspaugh wrote and produced an award winning production which would attract most all movie goers. It did. This story of a once in a life-time occurrence was introduced in 1985 as the movie “Hoosiers”. (A name those in Indiana often call themselves)
The star of the production is Gene Hackman, a very popular actor of the 1980’s. He plays the new basketball coach in town to help their high school team to continue to win more games. (Actually, in real life, the town of Milan, despite being a school of only 160, had been to the state finals during their good season the year before.) After all, it is said the most popular sport in Indiana is Basketball!
During the movie, our feature bus is occasionally seen carrying the team to local towns for basketball games as well as to the state championship in Indianapolis. Important: The movie Hoosiers can be rented on your home television. You will really like it. It is said the Hoosier directors searched over the US many months for a 30 year old bus that could best copy the one used before 1954 on the trip carrying the basketball team to playoffs in Indianapolis. They were not successful.
Good News: By accident, a waitress serving some of the film crew near where this film would be created (in New Richmond, Indiana), mentioned a nearby stored bus of this vintage. It was just the bus design they were looking for! Then came the BIG SURPRISE! With investigation it was found to be the actual bus that was used from 1939 through 1949.
It can’t get any better than this. The bus was still owned by Jack Baker! He had found a large place to keep it for sentimental reasons. The film makers then rented it for $800.00 and were allowed to do some basic restoration such as painting and adding seats. Thus, it looked more as it was in the early years. (No yellow/orange school bus color is allowed when used for non-school use. Probably the reason for the red color.) Yes, it’s little six cylinder 235 engine was also made to run again.
In the following photos you will see the bus has its early look. It remains as it was restored for the movie, Hoosiers. Because of all the local notoriety, it has become a real attention getter to the citizens of Indiana.
Darryll Baker, the person that keeps the bus in the spotlight.
Restoration for the movie Hoosiers included similar seats as when it was a real school bus.
Windshield swings out to allow more air inside on hot days.
THIS STORY IS NOT OVER!
After the initial popularity of Hoosiers had slowed, the bus was returned to Jack Baker. He had retired from difficult heavy work projects so the bus would not return to hauling merchandise. It was stored nearby for an unknown future. Yet, two Indiana groups had a strong interest in owning this bus for historic reasons. It had become of great interest to Indiana with the popularity of the movie Hoosiers.
Now enter Darryll Baker, an Indiana resident and grandson of Jack. There had never been a time in his life that he did not have a close connection with this bus. It was part of the family even before Hoosiers.
After school graduation Darryll joined the Navy and spent 5 years (on 3 ships out of Pearl Harbor). Following that, he joined the Foreign Service and was based in several countries in South America. He worked out of the US Embassies and was not able to come home to Indiana on a regular basis.
When Darryll returned home after his Navy years, he discovered the bus was gone from its storage lean-to. Jack had sold it! In his elderly years he would no longer use it, so it found another owner. Now what?
It appears Jack did not know the family attachment it had. The “bus hunt” was on. Fortunately, after returning from South America in 1996, Darryll found it in the county at a widow’s home of the person that had bought it. It was not for sale despite its very poor condition sitting under the lean-to by a garage. This lady had told two different persons she would sell it to them in the near future. Darryll was too far back in line and could not change her mind even saying it was a family heirloom and Jack sold it in his later years by mistake!
Soon after, Darryll gathered up some family members and Jack to try one more time to buy it. When Jack was helped up to the driver’s seat, it brought back so many memories and, seeing that, the owner decided it should be back in the Baker Family. The lady allowed the family to own it again with the title in the name of Darryll Baker, the grandson!
Since that time, Darryll has spent almost $100,000 making the bus to be a good as can be and even having it transported to some out of state shows. About $10,000 was used to get all of the side windows to crank up and down again with all new seals and mechanisms. After all, it is an icon to the people of Indiana and it is known to all that have seen “Hoosiers.” Other than that short ownership by another, it has been in the Baker family for 74 years. Note: 1949-2023
When not safely stored, Darryll takes it to local parades, fairs, charities, and related sports events. It is always recognized and appreciated by the citizens of Indiana!
You can contact Darryll at: darryllbaker@aol.com
His website is: www.hickorybus.com
They are partnering with the Hoosier Gym, in Knightstown, Indiana to support Indiana basketball around the state. The Hoosier Gym is the home gym of the Hickory Huskers in the movie, and their website is: www.thehoosiergym.com
