Between like-minded fools here and seeing some members of our old Nomad club it is apparent I need to get my ass in gear and get this car moving again.
The Car:
Some back story. My Dad bought the car back in 1973. The car wasn't stock then either. Gone was the 283 with a three-speed on the column. In it's place was a 327 from a Corvette. Allegedly, as it seems like everybody says a 327 is from a Corvette. Neither of us has run the stamping numbers to find out and probably won't push too hard to do so. Nonetheless, the 327 has some juice to it. It's sporting fuelie heads with an assumed 9.5-10:1 CR, solid lifter cam, and a legit LT-1 aluminum 4bbl intake topped off with a big thirsty Holley carb. It's got a noticeable chop to the idle and pulls the wagon around pretty well. Though I think technology has come along to get a similar power without dealing with the solid cam and non-hardened exhaust valve seats. The 4-speed has a Hurst Competition Plus shifter and mates up to a stock '57 rear end with a 3.50 gear.
The car was originally Inca Silver with an Imperial Ivory top. A fairly odd and rarely seen color combo that would have had the silver/black interior trim. The top had been painted the same silver as the bottom half prior to Dad getting it. There was some killer hand-laid pinstriping added to the car that is quite awesome. The interior also got changed to a tuck-n-roll style in black vinyl. Dad put a CB in it since it was the 70's, complete with a 102" whip on a mount at the back bumper. I have many memories of hauling down the highway with other Nomads on the way to the national convention and listening to truckers talk about our cars and how cool they were. Dad replaced the carpet back in the 80's as that was all that was really needed to keep it nice. Dad did add a traffic light viewer to the dash for function as well as a conversation starter. Most don't know what the hell that half-moon shaped chunk of plastic is at the base of the windshield. But anybody that's been in a tri-five that's over a certain height will know you can't see the traffic light due to the low roofline. It's a little prism that allows you to see the light without having to look up at it. The car lacks a/c but does have the deluxe heater as most Nomads did. The lack of a/c combined with the black vinyl upholstery led to many a sweaty ride not to mention seared skin on mine and my sisters legs. Mom would usually cover the seat with a sheet if we were going out of town to a convention with it.
I've mentioned going to conventions and clubs a couple of times. Since Dad got the car we've been members of the local Nomad club. The Mile High Nomad Club was the first Nomad club in the country and it's founding members also organized the National Nomad Club also known as the NNC. Dad's member number in the NNC was 2550, mine was 4550. The local club was really active back then with lots of gatherings, cruises, local weekend runs, and shows. Most members had kids as the Nomad allowed one to have a cool hotrod and still bring the whole family along. So many memories tied the car with people within the club itself. It was like having a lot of cool uncles and aunts that knew us kids as if we were their own. It was a great way to grow up. The NNC held an annual convention somewhere in the country for all the members to drive to and have fun and check out each other's cars. As much as we would have liked to go every year, we didn't always go if the location was too far away that Dad couldn't get enough time off. We drove the car to most. Dad and Mom took it to the Vail CO convention and Caspar WY convention without us kids. We were too young so we got to stay with grandparents. My first was at the Indy convention, Colorado Springs then Omaha, Rapid City and the Reunion in Frisco Colorado when the NNC ended and the new national club known as the Chevrolet Nomad Association was formed. We attended a couple without the car during the NNC days and all the conventions we've attended with the CNA without the car.
This one is from a club run to a "dude ranch" near Chugwater WY. It was NOT what the brochure showed. More like the crappy campground from the movie Vacation. The pool was a stock tank covered in slime. Most of the club members got sauced while us kids played in a hay barn as there was nothing else to do up there. We found out I get wicked hay fever that trip. I wanted to scratch my skin off.
At the Indy Convention they let us have the car show on Pit lane, the families picnic on the golf course and everybody got a couple of laps around the oval. I was three and a half here. I remember a lot of the trip despite my age.
From the club archive photo album. Dad annoyed many in the club by snagging the plate before they could.
So that gives a backstory on the car. What's going on now? The car was last out of the garage in 1999. I was deep into my GM tour of duty and was not there with it. A combination of factors led to it getting locked away. The main one is me. Without me here, Dad didn't have a lot of drive or want to get the car out. My Mom and I had talked about it and according to her it just wasn't as much fun without me here. The way he parked it in the garage meant it would take a couple of hours to move stuff just to get it out and an equal amount to put it back. It was a chore. Next was the 60's era speed parts. His concern was it was too much to deal with the solid lifter cam and worried about sinking an exhaust valve running unleaded fuel. I gave him a pair of Vortec heads and he stepped up and bought a GM Vortec 4bbl intake, points conversion to electronic ignition, and carb that was less of a full race double pumper toilet than it currently has. Time sitting as allowed the new for the 70's radial white wall tires to zipper the sidewalls on all four. It's got a delicate balance of boxes parked on it now with a proportional amount of stuff under it. In other words, it's a rare shelving unit. Which irks me to no end.
Despite my move back to Colorado in 2003, living in Pueblo 2hrs away didn't help. My kid's sports, camping and later loss of full weekends moving to the dealership killed many options to work on the car. I've begged. I've pushed and get brushed off as he knows it's going to be a job to get it going. Now there is a hurdle he won't admit to that I know makes him not want to do anything with it. The loss of physical ability to do stuff is very frustrating to him. He's not used to taking help and lacks the ability to ask for it. I know he'd like to dig in and get his hands dirty, but he lacks the dexterity and stamina to go after it for any length of time. It pisses him off. I've got the ability but lack the intimate details on how a '57 much less a Nomad with many very unique features goes together. In other words, I need him in the game at least mentally to help guide me on what to do.
The list to get rolling at minimum is a set of tires, preferably some redlines but at this point anything that is round and holds air will work. I can source them from work. With the wheels off I can evaluate the brakes. If wheel cylinders aren't leaking and the rubber hoses ok, it will be semi-ok to drive. The engine will need the fluids changed out and carb cleaned up. Wouldn't hurt to put some fresh plugs in it.
Prior to getting it moved enough to get the wheels off, I'm going to have to go through the crap on it and under it. Get that stuff out of the way. That's challenge #1. Knowing my Dad's OCD tendencies, we'll have to go through each little thing to evaluate if it's in need of keeping or toss. I'd do it without him, but I need his input as I can't ID some of this stuff.
Once the car is free of crap I can move to challenge #2. The extraction. I've got a set of skates to put under the wheels to allow it to move, but that will require help to control the movement so the car doesn't go rolling down the driveway. I may end up using my winch with a snatch block attached to an anchor on the floor to control the car coming down the driveway. I'll need manpower at that stage. I know the local brotherhood and a couple of co-workers are ready willing and able to help when the time comes.
I've got some further plans once it's mobile, but I think for no more than the car may be driven the current setup will be fine. I'll get some octane boost/lead substitute for the engine.
Utimately I just want to take the big guy out and cruise in it. Maybe scare him with a few romps at WOT like he used to do to me. Point to note, I've NEVER driven this car. Sad to say that but life happens. Time to rectify that.
The Car:
Some back story. My Dad bought the car back in 1973. The car wasn't stock then either. Gone was the 283 with a three-speed on the column. In it's place was a 327 from a Corvette. Allegedly, as it seems like everybody says a 327 is from a Corvette. Neither of us has run the stamping numbers to find out and probably won't push too hard to do so. Nonetheless, the 327 has some juice to it. It's sporting fuelie heads with an assumed 9.5-10:1 CR, solid lifter cam, and a legit LT-1 aluminum 4bbl intake topped off with a big thirsty Holley carb. It's got a noticeable chop to the idle and pulls the wagon around pretty well. Though I think technology has come along to get a similar power without dealing with the solid cam and non-hardened exhaust valve seats. The 4-speed has a Hurst Competition Plus shifter and mates up to a stock '57 rear end with a 3.50 gear.
The car was originally Inca Silver with an Imperial Ivory top. A fairly odd and rarely seen color combo that would have had the silver/black interior trim. The top had been painted the same silver as the bottom half prior to Dad getting it. There was some killer hand-laid pinstriping added to the car that is quite awesome. The interior also got changed to a tuck-n-roll style in black vinyl. Dad put a CB in it since it was the 70's, complete with a 102" whip on a mount at the back bumper. I have many memories of hauling down the highway with other Nomads on the way to the national convention and listening to truckers talk about our cars and how cool they were. Dad replaced the carpet back in the 80's as that was all that was really needed to keep it nice. Dad did add a traffic light viewer to the dash for function as well as a conversation starter. Most don't know what the hell that half-moon shaped chunk of plastic is at the base of the windshield. But anybody that's been in a tri-five that's over a certain height will know you can't see the traffic light due to the low roofline. It's a little prism that allows you to see the light without having to look up at it. The car lacks a/c but does have the deluxe heater as most Nomads did. The lack of a/c combined with the black vinyl upholstery led to many a sweaty ride not to mention seared skin on mine and my sisters legs. Mom would usually cover the seat with a sheet if we were going out of town to a convention with it.
I've mentioned going to conventions and clubs a couple of times. Since Dad got the car we've been members of the local Nomad club. The Mile High Nomad Club was the first Nomad club in the country and it's founding members also organized the National Nomad Club also known as the NNC. Dad's member number in the NNC was 2550, mine was 4550. The local club was really active back then with lots of gatherings, cruises, local weekend runs, and shows. Most members had kids as the Nomad allowed one to have a cool hotrod and still bring the whole family along. So many memories tied the car with people within the club itself. It was like having a lot of cool uncles and aunts that knew us kids as if we were their own. It was a great way to grow up. The NNC held an annual convention somewhere in the country for all the members to drive to and have fun and check out each other's cars. As much as we would have liked to go every year, we didn't always go if the location was too far away that Dad couldn't get enough time off. We drove the car to most. Dad and Mom took it to the Vail CO convention and Caspar WY convention without us kids. We were too young so we got to stay with grandparents. My first was at the Indy convention, Colorado Springs then Omaha, Rapid City and the Reunion in Frisco Colorado when the NNC ended and the new national club known as the Chevrolet Nomad Association was formed. We attended a couple without the car during the NNC days and all the conventions we've attended with the CNA without the car.
This one is from a club run to a "dude ranch" near Chugwater WY. It was NOT what the brochure showed. More like the crappy campground from the movie Vacation. The pool was a stock tank covered in slime. Most of the club members got sauced while us kids played in a hay barn as there was nothing else to do up there. We found out I get wicked hay fever that trip. I wanted to scratch my skin off.
At the Indy Convention they let us have the car show on Pit lane, the families picnic on the golf course and everybody got a couple of laps around the oval. I was three and a half here. I remember a lot of the trip despite my age.
From the club archive photo album. Dad annoyed many in the club by snagging the plate before they could.
So that gives a backstory on the car. What's going on now? The car was last out of the garage in 1999. I was deep into my GM tour of duty and was not there with it. A combination of factors led to it getting locked away. The main one is me. Without me here, Dad didn't have a lot of drive or want to get the car out. My Mom and I had talked about it and according to her it just wasn't as much fun without me here. The way he parked it in the garage meant it would take a couple of hours to move stuff just to get it out and an equal amount to put it back. It was a chore. Next was the 60's era speed parts. His concern was it was too much to deal with the solid lifter cam and worried about sinking an exhaust valve running unleaded fuel. I gave him a pair of Vortec heads and he stepped up and bought a GM Vortec 4bbl intake, points conversion to electronic ignition, and carb that was less of a full race double pumper toilet than it currently has. Time sitting as allowed the new for the 70's radial white wall tires to zipper the sidewalls on all four. It's got a delicate balance of boxes parked on it now with a proportional amount of stuff under it. In other words, it's a rare shelving unit. Which irks me to no end.
Despite my move back to Colorado in 2003, living in Pueblo 2hrs away didn't help. My kid's sports, camping and later loss of full weekends moving to the dealership killed many options to work on the car. I've begged. I've pushed and get brushed off as he knows it's going to be a job to get it going. Now there is a hurdle he won't admit to that I know makes him not want to do anything with it. The loss of physical ability to do stuff is very frustrating to him. He's not used to taking help and lacks the ability to ask for it. I know he'd like to dig in and get his hands dirty, but he lacks the dexterity and stamina to go after it for any length of time. It pisses him off. I've got the ability but lack the intimate details on how a '57 much less a Nomad with many very unique features goes together. In other words, I need him in the game at least mentally to help guide me on what to do.
The list to get rolling at minimum is a set of tires, preferably some redlines but at this point anything that is round and holds air will work. I can source them from work. With the wheels off I can evaluate the brakes. If wheel cylinders aren't leaking and the rubber hoses ok, it will be semi-ok to drive. The engine will need the fluids changed out and carb cleaned up. Wouldn't hurt to put some fresh plugs in it.
Prior to getting it moved enough to get the wheels off, I'm going to have to go through the crap on it and under it. Get that stuff out of the way. That's challenge #1. Knowing my Dad's OCD tendencies, we'll have to go through each little thing to evaluate if it's in need of keeping or toss. I'd do it without him, but I need his input as I can't ID some of this stuff.
Once the car is free of crap I can move to challenge #2. The extraction. I've got a set of skates to put under the wheels to allow it to move, but that will require help to control the movement so the car doesn't go rolling down the driveway. I may end up using my winch with a snatch block attached to an anchor on the floor to control the car coming down the driveway. I'll need manpower at that stage. I know the local brotherhood and a couple of co-workers are ready willing and able to help when the time comes.
I've got some further plans once it's mobile, but I think for no more than the car may be driven the current setup will be fine. I'll get some octane boost/lead substitute for the engine.
Utimately I just want to take the big guy out and cruise in it. Maybe scare him with a few romps at WOT like he used to do to me. Point to note, I've NEVER driven this car. Sad to say that but life happens. Time to rectify that.
