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What are the differences between a 55' 2 dr wagon and a Nomad?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by RacerRick, Jun 10, 2009.

  1. RacerRick
    Joined: May 16, 2005
    Posts: 2,756

    RacerRick
    Member

    What are the differences between a 55' 2 dr wagon and a Nomad?

    I have a 55' Handyman parts car with a good title and have been talking to a guy with a 55' Nomad that is rough, and has no front sheetmetal, and no tags or title. The handyman has no frame left and the nomad has a good frame.

    What parts are nomad specific and would need to be used to convert the 55' wagon to a nomad?
     
  2. 416Ford
    Joined: Mar 28, 2007
    Posts: 825

    416Ford
    Member

    For starters, the roof, back glass(sides) and tailgate. The door glass if different to I believe.
     
  3. The B-pillars and the doors (handyman doors are sedan and the nomad is a hard-top style
     
  4. buckeye_01
    Joined: Jun 20, 2005
    Posts: 1,441

    buckeye_01
    Member

    Converting a handyman to a nomad? Whew! Doors, roof, tailgate and quarters.
     

  5. 54BOMB
    Joined: Oct 23, 2004
    Posts: 2,109

    54BOMB
    Member

    Yep, the slant in the B pillars is the dead giveaway
     
  6. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 18,828

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    doesn't the Nomad have the shorter "hardtop" windshield?
     
  7. 2002p51
    Joined: Oct 27, 2004
    Posts: 1,362

    2002p51
    Member

    That's correct. The Nomad has a lower roofline than a standard wagon. Uses the same windshield as the hardtops and converts.
     
  8. Krash Vegas
    Joined: Jul 18, 2006
    Posts: 477

    Krash Vegas
    Member

    I think the front sheet metal is the only thing they have in comon.
     
  9. Stick004
    Joined: Oct 24, 2008
    Posts: 129

    Stick004
    Member
    from Missouri

    That's awesome. I had always wondered that myself. Thanks for the pics McKee!
     
  10. RacerRick
    Joined: May 16, 2005
    Posts: 2,756

    RacerRick
    Member

    I can get a nomad that has a complete body tub with all the doors, glass, and trim on a good frame but no tags or title. The car is rough but comes with new quarters, 1 piece floor, etc

    I have a badly rotted 55' handyman that is only good for parts but has a good title. I was going to use the remains of the nomad to convert the handyman. The VIN will still say 6cyl handyman obviously.
     
  11. jonzcustomshop
    Joined: Jun 25, 2007
    Posts: 1,927

    jonzcustomshop
    Member

    except for the floor, cowl and dash, nothing is the same the front sheet metal and frame will interchange.
    your best bet is to cut every part of the handyman off, basicly ,leave about a 1/2 inch of the handyman around the vin tag:D. then cut the exact opposite of the way you cut the handyman on the nomad, weld the 2 together, and you are done!
    the main issue this will give you, is that your vin will reflect a 210, or 150, as the handymans were not belairs, and the nomads were.

    All kidding aside, the handyman will be a good parts car for the nomad, do some research, and see if you can get a bill of sale from the guy for the nomad, and then go through all the bureaucratic channels in your state to get a vin assigned to it.

    **** hint,hint*****
    the original nomad vin # is stamped on the top of the left hand frame rail under the drivers seat area!
    just be careful, because that vin is probably somewhere in the us (or canada)on another nomad that has your missing vin plate and cowl tag.
     
  12. Geeto67
    Joined: May 12, 2009
    Posts: 16

    Geeto67
    Member

    the way I see it use the handyman as a body panel and vin tag donor for the nomad. If it needs quarters and floors cut and weld them in off the handyman - it sounds like more work than an entire roof/windshield transplant but really it is probably about the same. I am pretty sure you cannot tell anything about wether the car is originally a nomad or not and I don't think there were any trim tags for 1957 Chevys (not that it matters much - most states you don't need a title to register a vehcile that old so if you have a vin number you may still be able to get paperwork).

    edit: I take that back you can tell the model from the vin but I don't think nomad had a special letter in the vin number like 150, 210s, and Sedan Deliverys do. Also the Passenger cars had cowl tags, the corvettes didn't so I am double wrong.
     
    Last edited: Jun 10, 2009
  13. sound like this will end up as "el camino' type roadster pick up


    pleeze do it and get one more nomad cut up so they're value stays where it is !
     
  14. Django
    Joined: Nov 15, 2002
    Posts: 10,198

    Django
    Member
    from Chicago

    The wheel wells and probably the whole quarter panel is different.

    You could try doing a VIN search to see if that number comes up as someone else's car. If it does, then go for it. You could always find a Nomad title too.
     
  15. Nomad
    Joined: Aug 10, 2006
    Posts: 40

    Nomad
    Member
    from Gretna, NE

    There was also Nomad-specific front fender trim and chrome headlight eyebrows on the '55s. I don't think the actual fenders are different, but the trim is. I believe the trim is repoped, but not cheap. Of course, you could always leave the trim off as a "custom" touch...
     
  16. 56sedandelivery
    Joined: Nov 21, 2006
    Posts: 6,695

    56sedandelivery
    Member Emeritus

    Well now, here's what I'd do. It sounds like the "Nomad" is in better condition, and as such, easier to redo using the "Handyman" wagon for parts. Even use the VIN tag and title from the "Handyman". Most people, who don't really know their classic Chevrolets, call a 2 door wagon a Nomad; here's a case where you can call your "Nomad" a "Handyman" or 2 door wagon. Or go through a title service to make the "Nomad" legal. Personally, I really don't care too much for "Nomads", I like things Plain Jane. But, in your case, go with the "Nomad". Butch/56sedandelivery.
     
  17. panic
    Joined: Jan 3, 2004
    Posts: 1,450

    panic

    I would guess that the same differences apply to Safari vs. sedan-based 2-door wagons (although it appears that the Safari name was used on more than 1 body style)?

    [​IMG]
     
  18. loburban
    Joined: Mar 24, 2008
    Posts: 154

    loburban
    Member

    Call Rods n Resto's in Centre, Al. they just collected abunch to build a nomad out of a handyman.
     
  19. rixrex
    Joined: Jun 25, 2006
    Posts: 1,433

    rixrex
    Member

    What they said, it would be alot of work..notice that on the Handyman wagon the tailgate/ass end section of the car is more vertical..the Nomad section is laid forward a bit more..Go for it! almost nothing cooler than a Nomad...
     
  20. HRK-hotrods
    Joined: Sep 26, 2007
    Posts: 922

    HRK-hotrods
    Member

    You would be better off later on $$$ wise to build the Nomad and use your Handyman as a donor. As long as the roof & cowl is solid that is... There is a HUGE price difference in a finished Nomad vs. a 2dr Handyman... ;)
     
  21. jonzcustomshop
    Joined: Jun 25, 2007
    Posts: 1,927

    jonzcustomshop
    Member

    A nomad will have a "c" as the first or second letter in the vin.
    "c" stands for belair and all nomads were belairs.
    an example would be VC55J10001 for a v8, or C55J10001 for a 6 cylinder.

    all you can tell from the vin on a 567 is engine (V or no V)
    model (belair,210,150)
    year (55,56,57)
     
  22. RacerRick
    Joined: May 16, 2005
    Posts: 2,756

    RacerRick
    Member

    Well, the Nomad has had its body tag and VIN tag removed, and getting a new VIN is a real PITA here in ontario. Its also very illegal to swap Vins between vehicles technically...

    How much of the vehicle can you change over before its a moot point anyways? Its my grandfathers axe - sure we replaced the head twice and the handle 4 times, but its still my grandfathers axe.
     
  23. jonzcustomshop
    Joined: Jun 25, 2007
    Posts: 1,927

    jonzcustomshop
    Member

    is your handyman canadian or american?
    another interesting fact I just found out is that all nomads were built in the US, and then exported to canada... so if your handyman has all the canadian tags,which are completely different than us tags, it will stick out like a sore thumb.

    find some one in the US that can help you get it title up with broadway title, or one of those other outfits, and then "import" it back to canada.

    like I said earlier , the cowl is the same, so if you cut the roof posts high up above the vin. and then replace all that with the nomad parts you will have the nomad.

    In my case this would be no problem, since if I got a 55 nomad , I would never sell it, so I wouldn't really care about the documentation.

    If you are looking at this as a resell, or a way to make money, don't because you will just get problems.
    If you are doing it beacause you want a nomad then go for it!
     
  24. RacerRick
    Joined: May 16, 2005
    Posts: 2,756

    RacerRick
    Member

    I am just thinking of doing it because I have always wanted a nomad!

    The nomad has no tags or VIN. If I ever sold it, it would be sold as a 150 handyman that has been converted into a nomad.
     

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