50 Ford The Capri Found

 

50 FORD THE CAPRI FOUND

 

Richard Gregg rebuild a 1950 Ford Coupe into a chopped and sectioned pick-up shop truck as a rolling advertising for his Ricks Body shop in Sacramento. Tony Gomez bought it, and plans a full restoration.



In 2013 Tony Gomes mentioned to me that his father had found a really cool photo album about the Capri, a 1950 Ford Custom Pick-Up. Three years later, it must have been fate, Tony is able to buy the actual car that was in this photo album.

Tony announced the GREAT news on his Facebook page on September 20, 2016.

 

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By Tony Gomes

“So, I just bought this car Its called “The Capri” built in 1957 it’s been in a barn for 40 plus years. A Big fat Thank you to my Buddy Boogie Breiz who called me and says my Bosses Father has a truck like The Shampoo Truck, which we had in the shop at the time. I said “REALLY” is it for sale? And he said ” Yes“.

The following week I met up with a fellow Portagee Rich, we walk down to the barn, he opens the door and there it is buried in mud, windows down flat tires, but complete. Later that weekend it was in my shop!  I just sat there for like 3 hrs, and geeked out on it and was asking myself what the **** happened just now. The plan is to restore it back to when it was first built by Mr Gregg, Candy Red and all. Not to mention my father 2 years ago bought the complete photo album build book of this car in Angels Camp randomly and the old registration from the 70’s says it was owned by a fellow who lived in Livermore on Xavier Dr in 1994 I lived you guessed it in Livermore on Xavier Dr. Crazy !!!

Thanks everybody who helped me get this and secure it you all know who you are and thanks Thanks to my father Dennis Gomes for the support ur the Best Pops. ”

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As found…
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Tony Gomes picking up Richard Gregg’s Pick-Up.
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Delivering the car home, at Tri Auto Glass in Pleasanton, California.
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This is how Richard Gregg’s The Capri 1950 Ford Shoebox Pick-Up was first finished in 1958. 
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Most of the car remains the same as we know it fro the late 1950’s photos, but the headlights were changed in 59 along with the Caddy grille insert. Tony held a ’57 Chevy headlight bezel in the opening, and it looks like the body work was not changed, other than the extra hole for the bottom light. The bumper guards are also an later addition.
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The original headliners… has seen better days.
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Tony’s father in the car, reliving his younger years. Its amazing how he first finds the personal photo album of this car, and several years later his son Tony ends up with the real thing.
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Taillight details. The car is now in gray primer, but several sections show all the lead work and everything is hammer welded and dollied Amazing workmanship thru-out!
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The dash is still all there with original paint and all the original stripping from 1958.
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The original candy apple red paint is still visible in the door jambs. Unlike what the old magazines say, the car was Candy Red with Gold outlines and white stripping.
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Parked next to the other famous Shoebox Pickup in the Tri Valley Auto Glass shop.
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The Album

In 2013 Tony Gomes send me a few photos of an Photo Album made from the building of the 1950 Ford The Capri. Owned and built by Richard Gregg who operated Rick’s Body Shop in Sacramento, California. Tony’s father happened to talk to a guy in his home town, and the discussion came to Custom Cars. The guy said “I have something really nice you might be interested in” And came out with this amazing photo album tittles 1957 Capri. It turned out to be the personal album / scrapbook from Richard Gregg about the 1950 Ford Pick Up shop Custom he created around 1957-58.

The album shows the whole progress from start to finish of the Capri.  It also contains every show entry form signed by the promoters, every program, letter between Mr. Gregg and the promoters , news paper articles about The Capri and countless magazine articles and original photos taken of car through out its history. It even included swatches of the vinyl used in the car.
And several years later after Mr Gomes finds this book, his son Tony ends up with the real car…. WOW!












A stock 1949 Ford Coupe in front of Richard Gregg’s Rick’s Body Shop in Sacramento California before the work begins. It would take Richard one and a half year spare time to complete his rolling advertising shop truck.
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The rear portion of the top has been removed, the remaining top section chopped and the main body cut and sectioned.
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After the sectioned and chopped main body have been welded back together.
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Front fender work with raised wheel openings, addition of 57 Chevy headlight surrounds, and new much smaller grille opening. The hood still needs to be pan-cacked.
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This in progress photo is really interesting, it show how Richard created the pick-up bed around the round tubing base he welded inside the body. And how he rolled the former fenders and quarter panels to match the bed shape.
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The Capri show sign, Richard in his shop truck and the beautifully done interior with home made seats.
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Richard’s The Carpi 1950 Ford Shoebox pick-up made it on the cover of the October 1959 issue of Custom Cars Magazine.
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Inside the October 1959 issue of Custom Cars magazine the car was featured with 5 photos on one spread. Great advertisings for Rick’s Body Shop. Roling advertising, just as Richard had intended when he planned the car.
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In 1964 the Capri 1950 Ford Shoebox Pick-Up was owned by Charles Bliss of Freemont, California. The headlights are now changed to quad units, new wheels with narrow white walls added and the horizontal grille bars are replaced with a cadillac grille. 
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We will share update photos of the car when the restoration project will start.
Stay tuned…













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