Greg Evans ’50 Ford
Greg Evans is no stranger to owning some very cool cars over the years, and his latest kustom is no exception. After cruising around in a mid-‘60s Cadillac, Greg had the urge to build a shoebox Ford with a nice chop and traditional body modifications. Through mutual friends, Greg teamed up with King Kustoms in Temecula to search for a ’49-’51 Ford Tudor Sedan to build into a kustom. Mark Nimmo of Costa Mesa, California happened to be selling his daily driver ’50 Ford that already had a 302, C4, and 8” Ford rear end. The timing was perfect and the car was delivered to Rob Radcliffe to start the metal work.
The body on the Ford was in pretty good condition but still needed the usual shoebox Ford rust repair in the rockers, passenger rear quarter panel, and some small floor patches. At this time, the rear floor was tunneled to clear the driveshaft and a new trunk floor was built to cover the step notch in the frame. Once the structural metal work was completed, the fun part began on the outside with a pair of ’52 Merc head light bezels that were frenched and pulled in ½”. The stock grill was retained with shaved parking lights and the front valance was molded to the fenders. Out back, a pair of ’50 Buick tail lights were frenched into handmade openings that were blended into the stock shoebox Ford wind-splits.
To capture the era of a real ‘50s kustom, Greg had Rob Radcliffe at King Kustoms in Temecula, California chop the top 5 ½” with slanted B pillars and an extended catwalk. The front windshield was opened up into the roof crown for better visibility and the driprails were shaved for a completely smooth look. The rear window was brought down to the beltline to resemble a coupe. All of the original stainless window trim was chopped down and replaced along with the vent windows. To top it all off, the inside window frames were metal-finished and chrome-plated. Buena Park Chrome did all of the chrome and stainless work on Greg’s Ford.
Once the metalwork was completed and parts were sent off to the chrome shop, Chris Radcliffe jumped in on disassembly before the body went to Zbest Paint and Body in Lake Elsinore, California. A custom-mixed metallic blue was sprayed over every square inch of the Ford, creating a striking look that Greg really desired. After the paint was dry, the car was rolled over to Junior’s Upholstery just down the road from the painter. A blue and white diamond tuck interior was created to compliment the exterior color.
Greg’s shoebox Ford was now well on its way to being the kustom that he always wanted as it headed back to King Kustoms in Temecula. Chris Radcliffe completely rewired the car and added an Old Car Air heater and AC unit so Greg can keep cruising year-round. Chris also painted the engine block, transmission, and engine bay before he reassembled all of the running gear. Rob Radcliffe handled the glass install, chrome, and stainless before having the car tuned by Eddie at Temecula Transmission.
Working in the oil fields for weeks at a time gives Greg Evans the urge to come home and hop in a killer kustom in the California sun. Patience and dedication have paid off for him now that his ’50 Ford is roaming the streets of Southern California.
