Hi folks. Thought I'd send some pictures of the progress of our interior job on this car. It's coming along awesome. Have a great day all.
Yeah...we're doing things in kind of a weird order. My wife and I have been setting resources aside to do this for a while and I couldn't ask her to put her Sat night date clothes on and cruise in the tatters anymore. Paint & bodywork last, if we ever even do it.
Wow, look at the stitching and the smooth fit on the wheelhouse cover in pic #4. I can't imagine making just the compound curved patterns, never mind trying to get it to fit without tons of wrinkles. Nice workmanship.
Which trim level of wagon do you have? Is it the one that was at Pleasanton last summer for sale that went to L.A.?
Talk about a day late, I had a friend at that show last year who knew I needed a nine passenger. I debated back and forth talking with the owner over the phone, I called back sunday am and you had just done the deal with him. My buddy said that is the most rust free he had seen. I bought another one in august from LA and had it shipped up. The production numbers on the belair beauvilles is less than the nomads. You got a real good car at presumably a real fair price. I wish I had pulled the trigger on Saturday, LOL. GREAT WAGON!, Joe
Yes Joe, you have the right car. Sorry you missed it but so glad to have it in our family. My wife and I live in the Los Angeles area and we have had several 3-seat wagons, but none of them were serious keepers. We were on a one-day road trip to the Bay area to visit our oldest Son and when he went to work that Sunday my wife pulled up the local Craiglist. I"m going to find us a 'barn find" 3 seat wagon, she announced. She called the number and got the gentleman's wife who told us he was on the way home from the Pleasanton show with the car. We drove over the Bay Bridge and met him at their home in San Leandro. We spent a long time with the owner who was very proud of the car which was incredibly straight and un-messed with. I gave him a deposit and we came home and listed our 71 Suburban for sale to scrape the $ together. We did some upgrades right away to get it safe and L.A. roadworthy and have been driving the heck out of the car ever since. Sometimes I wish we could rip apart the whole thing and do it all, but we are on the upgrade as we go plan, and it seems to suit the car. This interior is a huge and luxurious improvment and is almost done. By the way, the seating configuration of this car is by far the coolest and most flexible of any wagon I have ever seen. You can run limo style, only front and third seats, or either combination of the 25/75 split center seat with or without the 3<SUP>rd</SUP>. etc. Very cool and super fun for our brood of 5 kids. Our two seven year olds upgraded to larger bicycles this winter and I had a bolt on trailer hitch put on for a bike rack as their bikes wouldnt fit inside anymore. (Using this as a wagon) <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o> Sport utility drivers dont look twice but car people almost wreck trying to get next to us in traffic and give a thumbs up.<o></o> What car did you end up with?<o></o> <o></o>
Thanks for the thumbs up F&J...Yeah this guy is quite a craftsman, Dale at Thomas Tops and Upholstery in Hollywood. His Dad used to own the shop, and his Grandfather before him. I found out after I picked him to do ours that my Wife's Dad, who had collectible cars in the 60's and 70's here in LA used him for his upholstery also. It's awesome to have the opportunity to patronize a locally-owned shop in the US with a pedigree like this. Here are some pics of the family and the car, including one from the day we first saw it up North at the seller's house. Thanks and have a great day.
The first two pics is of the car we bought. The last pic is the first nine passenger we had seen up on the North Oregon coast. That car was not for sale but it set the hook for a 56. That is the first year chevy had that as an option. When I seen yours I kind of had sticker shock and I had hesitated as I knew it was a good car it just needed everything. The one I bought was about 9 grand over what yours was and while it is nice it needs alot. I would have been better off with yours and putting nine into it. But if we hadn't got this one I don't know when another would have came up. As with you we are a large family, four boys and a new baby girl. We needed this. Our model A just don't cut it. By the way yours gave us the inspiration for skirts. I ordered them and next month the whole car is going in for paint. Gonna go with a green like the 58 pontiac magazine car from a few years ago.
Good morning Joe.....One day I hope I will see something like this outside in the drive http://hotrod.automotive.com/80455/hrdp-0204-1956-chevy-bel-air-wagon/index.html Of course once my car is this bitchin I may just park it inside 'Dan Tanna' style.
Sorry to anyone that my post corrupted into getting a wagon. They are the coolest though, and I speak as a guy who had one convertible after another here in Southern California.Here's a picture of the completed front interior....guess I'll have to remove the window surrounds and have them painted as well to complete the spruce-up Have a great day all.
Hi all. Got our car back home & cleaned it up a bit. The cargo mats on the back of the middle seat are original from 1956 & too nice to replace. Thanks and have a great day.
Looks freaking awesome. My Carter Carpac rack showed up last thursday, woo hoo. I am excited for your super cool choice of style. Joe
Car pack....That's crazy. I was aggressively looking for a rack for a while and that one is the KoOLeSt! I have occasional longings for a period-correct pair of crossbars on the roof, kind of like for a longboard or something, but can wait. After my wife and I bought this engine 4 weeks ago or so I went into a mode of slowly amassing parts for the swap...trans, etc. My aging 265 blew a head-gasket yesterday so I am moving this into the fast track. I will be picking up a 700r4 trans and the other bits to get this happening, hopefully next week. Steamed out 4 radiators worth of water driving the 24 miles home from work but the old girl made it. Have a great day
Actually, 13,279 9-passenger Beauvilles built in '56, 7,886 Nomads (source: Encyclopedia of American Cars, page 80; Chevy Classics Annual 2010, page 86, and countless other sources) I love the '56 Beauvilles. There was a red and white one on my paper route when I was a kid throwing papers 43 years ago.
This was the source I had used, but I hadn't thoroughly verified it, I seen in the bel air line it was 7886, and the nomad at 8386. Not the first or the last that a website was wrong. But, nonetheless, finding one in the bel air trim took me two years to find two, one was bought by the thread starter and the other I bought. These are the coolest family cruisers I think. Your nomad is a great looking car. http://www.56classicchevy.com/body-styles.html
Not trying to hijack the thread but considering the common interest here is a couple pics with the carpac. I got it of here from fellow HAMBER Damon, I love it.
Please Hi-jack away. Your car is KRAZY! Love it with the rack. In my humble opinion the paint is awesome for the car and matches that rack perfectly. Any ideas to keep the rack from getting jacked?
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