Russ Meeks sectioned 56 nomad tell me more

I saw some pictures of Russ Meeks 56 nomad in a recent thread. Can anyone tell me more about the car. I think I saw it in a garage in portland or. I got a 2wd blazer from a guy. Can it be the same car??

 

I heard its in Portland, being restored............OLDBEET

 

yeah its being restored.and it sucks the guy that has it does........mr.moneybags bought it out from under the guy holding for Russ Meeks............russ was to buy the car back froma 3rd party that held the car for some time(russ's biz burnt to the ground needed funds to get back up)anyway this guy came in and said whatever russ will give ya I will give ya more...........I understand the $$ thing but sometimes the car belongs in the right shop,that car was/is a legand in Portland/Milwaukie area........Russ is truly one of the greats of our time but was more into the shopl than the fame,remember he worked under Gene Winfield when Gene was in his prime in the early-mid 60s

 

ok so it sounds like the same car. It is sitting in his dads shop and he sold his pro street nova and going throught a divorice.

 

to all of you who cant seem to say anything nice when you dont have the whole story, ill set the record straight. i have russ meeks sectioned nomad. i purchased the car from chip starr 4 years ago and ever since then ive kept my mouth shut to all of you bashers out ther but now im tired of the childish crap that is going on !!! i didnt screw russ he screwed himself, i became friends with chip about 7 years ago and he always told me that russ would like to have the car back, i told him that if that ever fell through to let me have chance at the car, my family already had a chance to but the car from john slaughter when he took it from russ, thats right i said when he took the nomad from russ for money owed, so iknow the history of the car. chip came to me because he was buying a house and said he wanted to sell the nomad, no i didnt buy it fo 500.00 i paid 25,000.00 we both agreed that russ should have first chance so chip went to russ and russ said he would not pay that kind of money for the car it wasnt worth it!! chip even gave him a week to think about it!!!!! still the answer was no he said car was only worth less then half of whatchip was asking. so i sold all of my cars to buy it, no i didntgo to the bank and pull the money out or go to my money tree and get it, i sold my 62 409 bubbletop and my 70 chevelle ss to buy it. im a average guy who lives like most of us pay check to pay check, other wise car would be done. and let me state the car was a pile of crap when i got it, so im tired of all the b.s. espically from russ and his buds and people who dont know the whole story. i was just a guy who bought a car from someone who set the price, so if that a crime shoot me!!!! if anyone cares to call me and give me the real story feel free ill set you straight to 503-254-5980 thanks rod

 

WOW......all I hear now is the sound of crickets......It is just like the kid game where you whisper a sentance to the kid next to you...You can only be sure about a story when you actually know both sides of the story and the people involved.. Jason..

 

gasser 56 , check out all of madwagon 56's threads/posts, you will see alot of info on the car.
Also rikster had photos that he posted of the car, but I could not find them on his site....

 

just wanted to say thanks to the people who have helped me on the mad wagon, my wife jennifer, dad, brother dave, lonnie gilbertson, john corno, tom griffin, uncle larry palmer and tim from rod and custom for getting a article in R&C on the wagon. thanks every one, but the real reason i wrote this was to thank scott and the late von hunter. the last car von touched was mine he re-did the lead work on the front fenders of the madwagon, he was truly a artist and a super guy. his work included the paint and body work on the famous orange crate and many custom cars around here!!!! many best wishes to his family in this time of mourning. sincerly rod

 

Good luck on the car Rod, it is a piece of history and is obviously in the right hands. If Russ didn't buy it back when he had a chance that is not your fault. Ya snooze ya lose. I am sure you will do the car justice. Looking forward to seeing some progress pics. Pat.

 

anyone have pics? i don't think i've ever seen it.

 

to every one who has e-mailed me thanks it means a lot to me im very proud of this thing. if your interested in see it in its progress go to public.fotki.com/Rikster/ and go to pictures and scale down to 50-60's 1956 chev customs and you will find it thanks again rod

 

Here is a direct link to the photos of the 1956 Nomad on my site.


Thanks to Rod for providing the photos.

Russ Meeks Sectioned 1956 Chevy Nomad

 

I hope you put the 427 Ford F E back into it, that was the best part!........OLDBEET

 

the sad thing about the 427 was it was in the car before he sectioned it. with the 4 inches out of it the motor wouldnt fit. when i got the car it had a bbc sitting in it and the hood barely closed. ill post some pictures of the car when it had the 427 in before he sectioned it, i just need to find them, miss placed them when i moved.

 

If I remember rite, it had the 427 Ford tags on the front of the fenders?..OLDBEET

 

as far as the story goes the car was a black and white stock nomad that russ got from the house of hard tops a big car lot here in town back in the day, then russ won the 427 some show and stuffed it in the nomad. the pictures i have are black and white and it does have 427 flags on the bottoms of the fenders. everyone who knew the car said it was really cool. i have not ask dee wescott but russ worked out there when it had the 427 in it before he went to work for gene, by then it had the sbc back in it, but someone told me that dee may have some pictures of it.

 

Are you going to try to recreate the cadillac saber wheels ,like in the 69 issue of r&c?

 

i know how he made them, roger adams here in town said we could make a set and i may at some point make a set, when the car won the portland roasdster show in 1970 it was candy red and it had buick wires on it, thats what color im painting the car thats when it had the most custom stuff done to it. ill probaly run the 200s for now and then put the wires back on it

 

That is definitely one very cool car,no matter what the rest of the story is.

 

Just so you all dont think I was talkin out my ass.I called Russ & lona Meeks and asked them what happened to the car BEFORE I made the above post,its kinda good to hear both sides.Ive been friends with the meeks and russ has worked on a number of my cars over the years........so madwagon56 good luck on a true piece of N/W history,it deserves to be saved

 

Gotta say that is a RAD car!! Like the twin turbo setup......





J/K those twin blowers are gonna RULE!!

 

Any more pics?

 

ill be adding some of the old pictures ones with the 427 and some new ones, body is coming back off the frame to finish it and body is ready for it candy red color, boy what along haul but i can almost see it driving down the road. thanks rod

 

that thing is bad ass. witch induction are you going with? the cross ram or the twin blower set up?

 

i was going to use the cross ram but the carbs set up to high to clear the hood, now it has the twin blower and the hood fits like a glove. the last time i saw the car before we owned it john slaughter had it and we were to buy it and the deal fell through, but russ had put a potvin front blower on it and a muncie 4spd. it never ran and the hood would not shut because it came out to far, but it sure looked cool!!! see ya rod

 

I feel bad that you keep working and sacificing for this car which was a childhood dream of yours and every time you turn around some one is bad mouthing you for buying your childhood dream car. You are a stronger man than me, I would have put it on ebay after the first roadster show when people were turning there noses up at you. Its hard enough balancing a family and work and needy friends (Me) and restoring a car with out people giving you the cold shoulder. And by sacrificing I mean selling your Shadow gray 1970 LS6 Chevelle matching numbers M22 bench seat factory tach AM/FM 8 track. (Did I mention I should have bought that from you.) Or maybe by sacrificing I mean selling your 1962 409 4 speed bubble top factory black with red interior. (I wanted that one also), Sure they weren't done yet but the were a lot further along than that Nomad was when you bought it. Now the Nomad is starting to look really cool, The frame is awesome, The body looks good. The twin blower is the dream. Keep on fighting the good fight. P.S. Why dont I see any mention of your good pal Steve thanking him for his moral support in this roller coaster ride?

 

Hey, didn't I buy a chopped and sectioned shoebox off of you this last summer too? I can't imagine that there are too may sectioned nomad wagons. It's gotta be you. If it is, I give ya the nice guy mad props too.

 

did you buy the car out of portland for like 2200.00, chopped and sectioned ? got to be the same car do you still have it? thanks rod

 

Red or not, I'll forever think of that car like it was the first time I saw it at the '65 Portland Roadster show- already sectioned in solid black with the LeSabre wheels and bar grille.

 

oh by the way i forgot to thank steve for his help and support, also robbie "melvin" davis you two guys have definitly helped me out when every one else said i was stupid for paying chip what he was asking for the car. hey remember what my wife said when we brought it home that day " boy thats a bigger pile of crap then the bubble top was" is this a dream or nightmare? some one pinch me!!!!!