Found out the winner is sending the Capri to my friend Paul Wilczynski's shop for a total restoration. Paul is the luthier who hand makes all the acoustic guitars for Rickenbacker. That Capri will be worth $10,000 or more when after the restoration to original condition like this one.
The new owner decided not to refinish it after all. Paul said:
"When the new owner told me it was coming into my shop, neither of us was aware of this instrument's history, which shows in every nick, dent, scratch, etc. My advice to him now is to keep this one as-is, and find another early Capri for a restoration."