Jump to content

Saw this car today - 55 Nomad

76 Caddy

By 76 Caddy
in General Discussion

 Share

Recommended Posts

76 Caddy 500+ Points

76 Caddy

Posted
  • Author
Posted
8 minutes ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

What's the location?

Do you have any narration to go along with the pictures?

Thanks for sharing them.

Spartanburg, South Carolina

Just saw it parked at a convenience store I pass on the way to work.  I wondered if it is staying or just passing through.

 

Tim

Link to comment
Share on other sites
rocketraider 25,000+ Points

rocketraider

Posted
Posted

It's something not seen every day for sure. One of the few TriFives I'll give a second look, especially restored properly.

 

From a time when carmakers understood what a halo or image car was supposed to do.

 

Y'all remember the AMT kit that could be built as a custom ElCamino style pickup? What could have been... even though the Cameo Carrier never sold in great enough numbers to justify itself, much less a Nomad-based trucklet.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
TAKerry 25,000+ Points

TAKerry

Posted
Posted

Nice project! Kinda hard to tell if its original or a 70's redo. Regardless, when I see something like this I think "theyre still out there".

 

We all see a treasure being carted off to the next guy. My wife would say 'what kind of junk are you bringing home now?'

  • Like 2
  • Haha 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Peter Gariepy changed the title to Saw this car today - 55 Nomad
lump 10,000+ Points

lump

Posted
Posted

Wow. Awesome. Wish I had it. I think I would try to rub out that paint, polish and/or replace trim, add correct hubcaps, and then focus on mechanical restoration. I realize that many others would consider that blasphemy...but that's the way I would enjoy it the most. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
rocketraider 25,000+ Points

rocketraider

Posted
Posted

Zooming the pics convinced me this Nomad has been languishing under someone's shed for many years and, going by snow tires and what appears to be a brush paint job over some of the chrome bits, was last used as a daily driver.

 

I like it. Hope it's treated well and not subjected to all the latest "tv car guy" cliches. I greatly respect their craftsmanship but they ought to be beat around the ears for what they do to some cars.

 

Speaking of which- Chatham VA cruise night is tonight. I'm sure I'll see plenty of cliches there!😼

Link to comment
Share on other sites
rocketraider 25,000+ Points

rocketraider

Posted
Posted
33 minutes ago, Paul Dobbin said:

That's one of those projects that costs more to do than buying a finished Nomad.   my 2 cents

Trick there is finding one unmodified and restored correctly. Like its ElCamino cousin, it's one of those vehicles that people will not leave alone.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
rocketraider 25,000+ Points

rocketraider

Posted
Posted

And having the low priced Ranch Wagon as a starting point, Ford was able to make a high-style fancy wagon that looked every bit as good as Nomad, but for less investment.

 

Ford was good at doing that.

 

Curious. Did Parklane not have sliding quarter glass for rear seat passenger ventilation? Pretty sure Ranch Wagons did.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
West Peterson 25,000+ Points

West Peterson

Posted
Posted
21 hours ago, Paul Dobbin said:

That's one of those projects that costs more to do than buying a finished Nomad.   my 2 cents

 

This could be said for just about any project out there, Paul. Kind of goes without saying. Fortunately, this is a hobby, and restoring cars isn't about making money. When the project is finished, it has value. Maybe not as much value as what is in it, but at least there's value, and the person who did it got the enjoyment out of doing it. Ask a golfer how much money he can sell his score card for... or his clubs for that matter. How much can he sell his club membership for? Now there's a hobby that's a real money loser. But, obviously, people don't play golf to make money.

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ed Luddy 10,000+ Points

Ed Luddy

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, rocketraider said:

And having the low priced Ranch Wagon as a starting point, Ford was able to make a high-style fancy wagon that looked every bit as good as Nomad, but for less investment.

 

Ford was good at doing that.

 

Curious. Did Parklane not have sliding quarter glass for rear seat passenger ventilation? Pretty sure Ranch Wagons did.

Yes, this car has the sliding windows. They are out of the car right now.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
rocketraider 25,000+ Points

rocketraider

Posted
Posted

Finally got the pic zoomed enough I could see the glass was out of the car!☺️

 

An old fellow here had a 55 Ranch Wagon, mint green. Drove it over 20 years until its Y-block didn't have enough compression to start it. Body was in good shape even in 1978. Often wish I had bought it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Larry Schramm 25,000+ Points

Larry Schramm

Posted
Posted
22 hours ago, West Peterson said:

 

This could be said for just about any project out there, Paul. Kind of goes without saying. Fortunately, this is a hobby, and restoring cars isn't about making money. When the project is finished, it has value. Maybe not as much value as what is in it, but at least there's value, and the person who did it got the enjoyment out of doing it. Ask a golfer how much money he can sell his score card for... or his clubs for that matter. How much can he sell his club membership for? Now there's a hobby that's a real money loser. But, obviously, people don't play golf to make money.

 

Standard joke is,  Do you know how to turn $50,000 into $15,000?   Restore a car/vehicle.

  • Like 1
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Paul Dobbin 25,000+ Points

Paul Dobbin

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 6/27/2021 at 10:04 AM, West Peterson said:

 

This could be said for just about any project out there, Paul. Kind of goes without saying. Fortunately, this is a hobby, and restoring cars isn't about making money. When the project is finished, it has value. Maybe not as much value as what is in it, but at least there's value, and the person who did it got the enjoyment out of doing it. Ask a golfer how much money he can sell his score card for... or his clubs for that matter. How much can he sell his club membership for? Now there's a hobby that's a real money loser. But, obviously, people don't play golf to make money.

     Agreed, however as a retired financial adviser and an antique car nut.   Impulse purchaes should be avoided.   

     That car is one.

     We use to call them "Facto=Bake & RAYCO Restprations.   A $29.95 paint job and a set of Rayco seat covers

     was what people           called restoration.   I think there are many more unfinished projects then there are     

     restored old cars.  I could take you to a bunch of old cars 30 years into the restoration and still looking like     

     the Nomad, except disassembled.  Packards, Cadillacs, Hudson, Buick a Carnation, Fords, etc., etc.   Many

     still in their garages long after the death of the first dreamer.   The poor widow saying my husband

     Father,Uncle/Brother said "it was easily worth $35,000 or more."

     The Arnold Palmer golf clubs also sat in the garage for the same reason.  Both the car and the clubs were

      rusting away,  Rust never sleeps.

      Talked to a widow yesterday who's brother-in-law sold his condo last December, that was in the in the

      building that collaped in Surfside last weekend.   He was glad he didn't hold out for more money.

      

Edited by Paul Dobbin
proof read (see edit history)
Link to comment
Share on other sites
JamesR 25,000+ Points

JamesR

Posted
Posted

Cool Nomad. I can never know the story on this car, so I'll invent one, based on what I see:

 

I'm guessing the car was well loved and probably even decently maintained for decades. Somebody owned it and refused to sell it despite all the offers for such a desirable tri-five Chevy. Then he died and his wife got it and it started to fall into disrepair - as it's leaky storage facility likely did - but she couldn't sell it because her dearly departed loved it so much. It's all original. After several more decades, she died, too, and now it's in the hands of someone who'll lovingly restore it. (Or turn it into a gasser. 😄)

 

Had it been nothing more than basic transportation to early owners, it probably would've deteriorated into nothing long ago. Or been sold to teenagers of the '60's or '70's who would've ruined it. So it was probably kept in storage...and maybe driven relatively sparingly. But a bit of rust crept in anyway, so that makes me think an older and neglectful owner.

 

I say it's original because it has bias ply tires on the front, but snow tires on the back. Had it been restored 40 years ago or later, they could've very well put original type bias ply tires back on, but they probably never would've driven it in the snow, so no snow tires. Unless it had been repainted in the first twenty years of it's life, I'm guessing it's original paint. Tri-five Chevy guys will know if that's an original color or not.

 

 

 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Frank DuVal 25,000+ Points

Frank DuVal

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, JamesR said:

Tri-five Chevy guys will know if that's an original color or not.

Or anyone with a computer...😁

 

https://www.autocolorlibrary.com/pages/1955-Chevrolet.html

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
1953mack 5,000+ Points

1953mack

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, JamesR said:

Thanks for the resource. So that's Cashmere Blue? The faded color makes it hard to be exact, but that's what I'd guess.

 

No, it's TURQUOISE. 

 

If you're interested in looking at 1955-1957 Nomads, station wagons and sedan deliveries, check out this one hour video on this year's Minnesota Street Rod Association's BACK TO THE FIFTIES WEEKEND car show. How high can you count?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRXp2wDCmKg   I spent a few hours walking the show and you will not find a larger show (10,630 announced registrations this year) for 1964 and older cars with one exception: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Mustangs allowed. :D 

 

Al Malachowski

BCA #8965

"500 Miles West of Flint"

 

 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...