This crazy '50s custom is one of the most unique hot rods ever built. And now it's back and better than ever.
1. The Shampoo Truck
Today, the idea of a car/truck hybrid is nothing new. We've had 'em in the form of the Ranchero in the past, and today our friends in Australia still drive them and call them 'utes. But in 1954, the idea of a car with a pickup bed was kind of, well, different. So when a customer by the name of Horace Davi approached famed builder Joe Bailon with the idea of creating a more utilitarian 1949 Ford, the world took notice.
>>Join the conversation about the 1949 Ford 'Shampoo Truck' right here in Ford-Trucks.com.
2. Show n' Go
The kicker was that Novi wanted something he could use for both show and work, complete with doors displaying advertising for his business. And that's where the nickname "Shampoo Truck" came from - the original Betty Elizabeth Shampoo hand-lettered logos. The result of Bailon's work was quite stunning in itself. To create a seamless ride that looked like Ford built it, he completed a five inch sectioning on the sedan roof, which was also chopped three inches. But like many other old hot rods, the Shampoo Truck eventually wound up in storage, forgotten and left to sit indefinitely.
>>Join the conversation about the 1949 Ford 'Shampoo Truck' right here in Ford-Trucks.com.
3. Resurfacing
The hybrid Ford sat until 2009, when it surfaced for sale at that year's Sacramento Autorama. Which, coincidentally, was the same venue where it debuted at the Oakland Roadster Show 63 years prior. A man by the name of Bob Dron stumbled across the historic ride in the Hemmings Classifieds and quickly became smitten with the downtrodden custom. Shortly thereafter, with the assistance of Nickell’s Customs, the hard work began. Starting with a custom box-tube chassis to replace the completely rotted original.
>>Join the conversation about the 1949 Ford 'Shampoo Truck' right here in Ford-Trucks.com.
4. Old and New
During the restoration process, a lot of effort centered on keeping the car's original character and lines while also making it driveable and reliable. So the original 1957 Cadillac motor was retained, though it's now backed up by a modern 700R4 transmission. Supports were created to strengthen up the bed area and inner structure. But the exterior, with the aforementioned fab work, was left as is. To which a few coats of PPG red and black were put down. And finally, the original two-tone interior was recreated by SoCal stitcher Ron Mangus.
>>Join the conversation about the 1949 Ford 'Shampoo Truck' right here in Ford-Trucks.com.
5. The Truck That Wasn't
A truck (car?) as amazing as this custom deserves to live out in the open, not stowed away in some barn or garage somewhere. So we're grateful that this historic ride was given another lease on life. And kudos to Hot Rod Magazine for bringing us its fascinating story!
>>Join the conversation about the 1949 Ford 'Shampoo Truck' right here in Ford-Trucks.com.
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