Southern California’s Galpin Motors, home to Galpin Auto Sports (GAS), announced on Aug. 23 that it has found the famous, long lost Ed “Big Daddy” Roth custom 1956 Ford F-100 Pickup.
The pickup was used as advertising for Roth’s pin-striping business and featured a Packard V-8 engine, Roth’s signature red flame pinstripes, a mural on the tonneau cover and chrome-plated parts. It is the first noteworthy custom truck ever done by the famous Rat Fink designer. Before the prior owner contacted Galpin, the truck had sat in an Oklahoma barn for over 30 years.
The Southern California custom shop plans to completely restore the truck, but for a limited time it can be seen at Galpin in the condition it was found. GAS’ team of craftsmen, led by Dave Shuten, will eventually restore the truck using new old stock and period-accurate parts and equipment. Galpin intends to debut the '56 Ford at the 2017 Grand National Roadster Show.
It took a three day road trip for the Galpin team to retrieve the truck so it could be prepped for restoration.
“We pride ourselves on finding orphan rods, the ones that seem lost forever,” said Beau Boeckmann, President of Galpin Motors. “There’s something so incredibly special about bringing a major piece of automotive history back to life and we couldn’t be more thrilled to restore the Roth truck like we have done with so many others. For now, we invite enthusiasts to come down to Galpin Auto Sports and check it out as is – it’s truly a legendary sight to see!”
Roth sold the truck to a used car dealer in the San Fernando Valley in the '60s. Later, it was purchased and driven to Oklahoma, painted green, and used as a farm truck for a number of years. It was then stored in a barn for 30 years before the owner, who knew Galpin already had some of Roth's customs, reached out to the custom shop and asked if they’d like to purchase it. The owner felt they could do the best job restoring the truck and giving it a proper home.