Super cool resto-mod with big power and great road manners. Built 383 cubic inch small block V8, automatic, power steering, power disc brakes. Lowered stance, yet rides great. Stock interior. New radials. A classic Nomad with a whole lot of attitude!

This nasty red and white Nomad is just spectacular in person. The paint and bodywork are every bit as good as you need them to be when you give a car such a wicked stance. There’s simply no escaping it and you’re afraid to touch it as if it might be hot. Nomads were only available in the upscale Bel Air trim, so it wears all the right chrome details, including the stainless eyebrows that extend back into the doors and the ribs on the tailgate that are just too cool. You may not have noticed before, but the Nomads also have unique rear fender arches, radiused to match the front fender, giving them a very aggressive look that works especially well when you stuff them full of fat tires. Finish quality on this Nomad is extremely good, with excellent gaps, super straight sheetmetal, and a depth to the shine that doesn’t come cheaply. Better still, it feels right, with doors that close precisely without a lot of slamming, a hood that opens and closes with light pressure, and even the tailgate works like it should. That all takes time and experience, so someone clearly invested in this car. All the chrome and stainless trim is likewise new or restored, and aside from the wheels and stance, you’d never know this was a modified car… until you started the engine. But we’ll get to that in a moment.

There’s more red and white inside where you get a beautifully finished interior with handsome original-style seat covers that look very appropriate for 1955. They’re freshly padded, so it remains a great long-distance cruiser, and with matching door panels, it’s correct but appears to be just a little customized. Of course, the small-diameter wheel and auxiliary gauges aren’t original equipment, but it sure is easy to get comfortable at the helm. The rest of the controls should be familiar if you’ve driven a Tri-Five Chevy, with the wedge-shaped instrument panel that features a speedometer, fuel gauge, and temperature gauge. You also get a pair of aftermarket dials under the dash, giving you a complete view of the engine’s condition as you drive. The original AM radio is still in the dash, but we’d argue if you get into a car like this and the first thing you do is reach for the radio, you bought the wrong car. The floor wears correct carpets with neatly trimmed edges, and the headliner with its chrome support ribs is simply a work of art. The cargo bay is correctly finished in red rubber, and it includes space for a full-sized spare under the floor.

Don’t worry, there’s still a small block Chevy V8 under the hood, but it’s unlikely that anyone was making this kind of power back in 1955. Bored and stroked to 383 cubic inches, it makes big block torque with ease yet never feels high-strung. With a big 4-barrel carburetor, Edelbrock intake manifold, and a set of ram’s horn exhaust manifolds, this one is built for speed as much as reliability. Inside, there’s a rather substantial cam that gives this wagon a wicked idle and it pulls like a freight train at any speed. This is NOT your mother’s station wagon. Turn the key and the well-tuned small block barks to life and settles into a lumpy idle that suggests a lot of power is on tap, and it certainly works well with the bright red paint. It’s also nicely finished with simple black paint on the block, a factory-style chrome dual-snorkel air cleaner assembly, Chevrolet script valve covers, and a giant aluminum radiator up front. The firewall and inner fenders are nicely finished in satin black and this one starts, idles, runs and drives like it should. It isn’t often that collector cars are tuned this well. The front suspension is stock, and even with the lowered stance it rides and handles like it should. Power front disc brakes have been added for confidence on the open road, and it tracks straight so it’s been properly dialed-in. A dual exhaust system with Flowmaster-style mufflers are part of the reason this car sounds so wicked. The frame is in excellent condition with no signs of rust, rot, or previous accident damage and the floors and rockers are original and in fantastic shape. This isn’t a rust bucket that was patched back together, but a clean, solid car that got a very comprehensive makeover. There’s a factory rear end with what we believe are 3.23 gears inside, which make this wagon feel light on its feet but mellow on the highway. Classic black steel wheels and “dog dish” hubcaps give this Nomad a slightly retro look that works, and the stance is just right thanks to brand new retro-looking 6.70R15 front and 10.00R15 rear Auburn radials.

We’ve sold a few Nomads, but this one really talks to us. Easy to drive, easy to live with, and offering a high-visibility look that befits the most desirable of the ’55 Chevys. Thanks to expert build quality by a guy who really does superior work, this is a car that’s ready to enjoy immediately and we’ll guarantee that if you like red, you’re going to love this car. Call today!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.