thanks for all the posts, just wanted anyone out there to look at the january of 1968 rod and custom. my nomad is in there and im looking for some one to tell me what the medalllion on the pillar is. i know russ made the center plastic r&m engineering piece, but the outer portion is off of something, looks like a buick or what , grill or hood emblem. it has 3 point that would attach it to body. i can have lonnie gilbertson make them, but would really like to know what they are. its the only thing i dont have. and as most people know russ wont tell what they are. thanks again rod
All I remember it had a 427 Ford engine in it. And the tags on the front fenders. Ya, I was there!!!....OLDBEET
well as far as just stopping by russ's and getting any info, thats a lost cause he told me to pack sand. i have nothing against russ im so proud of the car it took me a lot of blood sweat and beers to get it. im going to put the car back at its top time which was when it won the 1970 portland roadster sweepstakes. thats when it was candy red, russ had done many body mods by this time, reradiused the front wheel wells , took the front fender body lines out and put a full length body peak in it, not counting putting rivera split bench seats front and rear, at the very end before john slaughter took the car for money owed, it had a potvin front blower that never ran. car was in sad shape. hope to post some pictures soon, my brothers computers down and he has all of my pictures. thanks rod
Russ told me he won the Ford motor at a car show and caught much criticism for daring to put a Ford motor in a Chevrolet.
Only time I ever saw the car running, Russ was driving it out of the '65 Portland Roadster show. I always went on Sunday evening just to be able to watch the cars startup and drive out, and the few people looking at the cars when awards were given out made it easy see them and take pictures too. That jet black sectioned Nomad with Russ and company driving out of the show made an impression on me that lasts to this day, the car had a simplicity and purity to it then I don't think it had in later years. I last saw the car parked in a driveway on a deadend residential street down by the river in Jennings Lodge in the late 80s. It appeared to be non op and was painted dark red or marroon with black or marroon accents, I didn't think the paint job did it justice, but it might have been my above stated bias. I think it had a big block Chev by then,also. Car definitely needs a 427 Ford again. I think Russ wanted it and may have even tried to get it back around that time. Might explain the "pack sand" comment.
yea it was cool mike thieland said he drove the car out a wescotts when it had the 427 in it. you should have seen the frame where he notched it out. boy what a mess. when i got the car previous owner had set a big block in it it was so tall you couldnt close hood down with any type of air cleaner. if the car could only talk. thanks rod
the last paint job was a black cherry with silver stripes on top. the car sat at the old 76 staion where the fred meyers is now on mcgloughlin. that guy put the big block in it and never got it running, he went to jail and the car went to a farm to be put in a barn. i know russ stopped as we did and tried to get car back. the one thing that makes me so upset about russ is, we gave him the chance before i got the car to buy it. me and chip made a deal and he went to russ and told him the price and russ said he would never pay that kind of money for a car he built. i paid $25,000.00 for it and i didnt set the price chip did.
I'll ask Robbie to give you a shout the next time I'm out that way. It would be kind of neat to see it again.
the car is still out at von and scott hunters house they re-did the lead work on the front end and finished up the body work should have it back in a couple of weeks. what robbie are you talking about.
Racer's Garage Robbie, he said the car was being restored by a friend of his that lived fairly close to him, so I just assumed you knew him, sorry. Now, I wonder if that Hoffman clone 54 Chev Russ did in the late 80s is still around.
robbie davis from racers is one of my best buds, in fact he is the only one who said i wasnt crazy for paying that kinda money for a chopped up old wagon. he also went and helped me get the car when i bought it. any time you want to see it just ask robbie and you can re-live history, ive thought about black so maybe you can help sway me thanks rod
In either the May or June '71 Rod & Custom magazine, I think the one with Tom Senter's Ardun on the cover, there was a one page article on the National Nomad Convention. Russ's car was shown flamed with Buick wires. Somewhere I have the mag, but, I can't scan for shit. I've been reading these post's and it seems Jim A has Russ's Nomad confused with Mike Haas's '55, which had cowl lamps and stripes. Correct me if I am wrong, because I don't have any old "Street Rodder" mags in my collection. All the best on your Resto, good to see another "Forgotten" rod rebuilt.
mine never had flames it was many colors, started out black when he sectioned it at gene winfeilds place, then it was i believe gold, siver, candy red and then finally black cherry. when it was the last two colors it had silver stripes in the ribs of the top and down the lower gate. in 70 it had buick wires on it. its been in rod and custom a few times under cool cars that were fondly remebered. its about to re-live its glory days, it will look the same but drive alot better, and it will finally run with a four speed in it, people always tell me it had stick but funny the tar paper and original carpets from the 70 show were never cut. dont figure. well gotta run thanks for all of your support. rod
My Mistake! I was thinking of the flames on Sam Hollingsworth's '57 Nomad! Too many mags! I certainly hope Mike Haas's Nomad didn't become the Playboy Bunny Coach.
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