57 Nomad

One of the ultimate cruisers of all time has to be the Chevrolet Nomad.  Heck--space for five, big storage and tons of style--how could you NOT cruise a car like that???  Say you need one with more power to match the looks…oh, and you’ll need every comfort known to man, too, but it has to look stock inside and out.  Well, step right up!  We’ve got a rust free, California-bred Nomad with supercharged LS1 power, a full C4 Corvette chassis, power everything and cold A/C all wrapped up in gorgeous two-tone teal paint over a fully restored interior!

Our own technical maestro, Rick Roush, did the engineering and build on this Nomad-and there really was as much engineering as construction.  Rick’s done a pile of these conversions before and since, and he’s got what it takes down to a science.  The first step was removing the body from the frame and carefully setting it aside.  All original suspension components front and rear were pitched, the frame was blasted clean, and the measuring began.  Rick set up the front end with a ’96 front subframe, which has all of the latest updates and is therefore the best choice.  Upper control arm mounts are fabbed in, the geometry is checked, and the stock, high strength Corvette spindles and aluminum control arms were bolted in place.  A Z51-spec front transverse leaf was called in, as was the power rack and pinion, front sway bar and end link set.  Billstein shocks, more Z51 parts, were used for their comfort and control.  Front braking is handled by stock PBR twin piston disc brakes squeezing GM rotors.  Moving back you’ll find an uprated Dana 44 axle hanging from the IRS rather than the stock Dana 36.  With the extra weight to haul around plus the additional power under the hood Rick won’t build it any other way.  TCI progressive rate coilovers augment the stock leaf to handle the extra weight and provide adjustability while the stock halfshafts, control arms, trailing links and toe links are joined by a fabricated torque arm and mount.  The aluminum pieces were then sent out and tumble polished for a little more shine without going over the top.  Again, everything was measured and checked-this car tracks straight and handles bumps brilliantly.

While the body was still aside, the power team came together.  A brand new GM crate LS1 engine assembly was ordered up, as well as a built 4L65E transmission.  The fuel injection swap experts at Street & Performance were tapped for the engine software, the OE quality wiring harness and the computer.  As if an LS1 isn’t enough to move a Nomad there’s a polished Magacharger on top, pushing the horsepower well over the 400 mark.  Of course, all of the proper supporting equipment is in place from the high flow mass air meter to the larger injectors to make sure the block stays in one piece.  Spent gasses flow through ceramic coated headers, through ceramic coated pipes, DynoMax Ultra Flo welded stainless mufflers and understated tips.  Cooling duties are under the watchful eye of a huge polished Be Cool radiator and twin SPAL fan/shroud kit.  Vintage Air pieces keep the occupants cool, and you’ll find their polished condenser kit hooked to a chromed Sanden compressor via S&P polished lines.  Furthest forward from the core support is the polished Magnacharger intercooler with its separate coolant reservoir and pump.  There’s a power steering cooler on the remote reservoir, power brakes on the firewall and everything (and we mean everything) is new.  This car was definitely built to drive.

We bought the cleanest Nomad we could find, and that’s not easy to do.  One look underneath shows clean undercoating over all original sheetmetal, which is nearly impossible to find in a tri-five.  The doors, hood and all other panels on the outside are the originals, as well.  The chrome trim, the stainless pieces and all other brightwork is in mint condition.  The bumpers are mint, the tailgate and chrome strips are mint as are the chromed 17” Corvette ZR1 wheels with 255/45 front and 285/40 rear Goodyear HP Ultra tires.  The glass is excellent, the paint is gorgeous and the combination of light and dark teals fits the 50’s body perfectly.

Inside you might expect a fully restyled interior in line with the motor, but this is a true sleeper.  Those are high quality replacement seat covers, carpeting, door panels and headliner, and they’re all restoration correct.  Of course, the creature comforts are all there, but they’re in disguise.  The window cranks operate power window switches and the stock heater controls now run the heating and A/C.  An Idiit column is in place underneath the stock wheel to better mate up to the steering rack and provide modern turn signals.  The audio system wasn’t forgotten, as a Sony CD player rests just above the driver’s left knee under the dash, Sony speakers reside hidden in the kick panels and in the back, powered by a JL Audio amp.  There’s even a CD changer tucked away, just in case your road trip gets out of hand.  The last neat trick is the insulation:  A full complement of Cascade Audio Engineering sound deadeners, in both spray on and foam types, went everywhere from the side panels to the insides of the doors to the floors to under the headliner.  Boss John likes to drive his cars, and this Nomad is one of his favorites!

This isn’t so much a resto mod as it is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.  Heck--call up a set of steelies and hubcaps and no one would ever know the level of gear this car’s packing!  This is a fantastic cruiser, with all the comforts of a modern car, in a completely vintage wrapper.  We like it as is, but if you want one a little different give us a call and we’ll get started on it for you!

57 Nomad

One of the ultimate cruisers of all time has to be the Chevrolet Nomad.  Heck--space for five, big storage and tons of style--how could you NOT cruise a car like that???  Say you need one with more power to match the looks…oh, and you’ll need every comfort known to man, too, but it has to look stock inside and out.  Well, step right up!  We’ve got a rust free, California-bred Nomad with supercharged LS1 power, a full C4 Corvette chassis, power everything and cold A/C all wrapped up in gorgeous two-tone teal paint over a fully restored interior!

Our own technical maestro, Rick Roush, did the engineering and build on this Nomad-and there really was as much engineering as construction.  Rick’s done a pile of these conversions before and since, and he’s got what it takes down to a science.  The first step was removing the body from the frame and carefully setting it aside.  All original suspension components front and rear were pitched, the frame was blasted clean, and the measuring began.  Rick set up the front end with a ’96 front subframe, which has all of the latest updates and is therefore the best choice.  Upper control arm mounts are fabbed in, the geometry is checked, and the stock, high strength Corvette spindles and aluminum control arms were bolted in place.  A Z51-spec front transverse leaf was called in, as was the power rack and pinion, front sway bar and end link set.  Billstein shocks, more Z51 parts, were used for their comfort and control.  Front braking is handled by stock PBR twin piston disc brakes squeezing GM rotors.  Moving back you’ll find an uprated Dana 44 axle hanging from the IRS rather than the stock Dana 36.  With the extra weight to haul around plus the additional power under the hood Rick won’t build it any other way.  TCI progressive rate coilovers augment the stock leaf to handle the extra weight and provide adjustability while the stock halfshafts, control arms, trailing links and toe links are joined by a fabricated torque arm and mount.  The aluminum pieces were then sent out and tumble polished for a little more shine without going over the top.  Again, everything was measured and checked-this car tracks straight and handles bumps brilliantly.

While the body was still aside, the power team came together.  A brand new GM crate LS1 engine assembly was ordered up, as well as a built 4L65E transmission.  The fuel injection swap experts at Street & Performance were tapped for the engine software, the OE quality wiring harness and the computer.  As if an LS1 isn’t enough to move a Nomad there’s a polished Magacharger on top, pushing the horsepower well over the 400 mark.  Of course, all of the proper supporting equipment is in place from the high flow mass air meter to the larger injectors to make sure the block stays in one piece.  Spent gasses flow through ceramic coated headers, through ceramic coated pipes, DynoMax Ultra Flo welded stainless mufflers and understated tips.  Cooling duties are under the watchful eye of a huge polished Be Cool radiator and twin SPAL fan/shroud kit.  Vintage Air pieces keep the occupants cool, and you’ll find their polished condenser kit hooked to a chromed Sanden compressor via S&P polished lines.  Furthest forward from the core support is the polished Magnacharger intercooler with its separate coolant reservoir and pump.  There’s a power steering cooler on the remote reservoir, power brakes on the firewall and everything (and we mean everything) is new.  This car was definitely built to drive.

We bought the cleanest Nomad we could find, and that’s not easy to do.  One look underneath shows clean undercoating over all original sheetmetal, which is nearly impossible to find in a tri-five.  The doors, hood and all other panels on the outside are the originals, as well.  The chrome trim, the stainless pieces and all other brightwork is in mint condition.  The bumpers are mint, the tailgate and chrome strips are mint as are the chromed 17” Corvette ZR1 wheels with 255/45 front and 285/40 rear Goodyear HP Ultra tires.  The glass is excellent, the paint is gorgeous and the combination of light and dark teals fits the 50’s body perfectly.

Inside you might expect a fully restyled interior in line with the motor, but this is a true sleeper.  Those are high quality replacement seat covers, carpeting, door panels and headliner, and they’re all restoration correct.  Of course, the creature comforts are all there, but they’re in disguise.  The window cranks operate power window switches and the stock heater controls now run the heating and A/C.  An Idiit column is in place underneath the stock wheel to better mate up to the steering rack and provide modern turn signals.  The audio system wasn’t forgotten, as a Sony CD player rests just above the driver’s left knee under the dash, Sony speakers reside hidden in the kick panels and in the back, powered by a JL Audio amp.  There’s even a CD changer tucked away, just in case your road trip gets out of hand.  The last neat trick is the insulation:  A full complement of Cascade Audio Engineering sound deadeners, in both spray on and foam types, went everywhere from the side panels to the insides of the doors to the floors to under the headliner.  Boss John likes to drive his cars, and this Nomad is one of his favorites!

This isn’t so much a resto mod as it is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.  Heck--call up a set of steelies and hubcaps and no one would ever know the level of gear this car’s packing!  This is a fantastic cruiser, with all the comforts of a modern car, in a completely vintage wrapper.  We like it as is, but if you want one a little different give us a call and we’ll get started on it for you!