’57 Chevy Nomad
- Sep 5, 2013
’57 Chevy Nomad
Owner: Fritz Pflock
Grants Pass, OR
Highlights
- Immaculately detailed show car
- Fuel injected 283
- Vacuum Ashtray
Customer quote: “I spent 3-1/2 months on the Internet, 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, locating and purchasing parts for this car…”
The ’57 Nomad is arguably the most beautiful and most collectible Nomad of all. Sure, production during the “Tri-5” years was quite limited to begin with - 8,530 units in 1955 and 8,103 in ’56 - but for 1957, production dropped to just 6,534 units. Add this low build number to the fact that the ’57 Chevy Bel Air (on which the Nomad was based) stands as perhaps the world’s most iconic vehicle, ever, and you have an instant automotive masterpiece.
1957 was a turning point year for the full-size Chevrolet, and of course, the Nomad. It was a culmination of mechanical and styling advances that Chevrolet had made over the ’55 and ’56 models, and it all came together in spectacular fashion. “Ultra-modern” tail fins and front end gave the ’57 a faster, sleeker look... really nothing more needs to be added here– the end result of this exercise speaks volumes. But alas, it marked the end of the comparatively “compact” full-size Chevrolet. That 6,534 unit production figure was the result of waning sales and changing customer demands. From 1958 onward, the Chevrolet would move towards gargantuan proportions, and the Nomad name would tag along for the ride. For one year though, and one year only, Nomad was graced with all the charisma and style of the ’57 Bel Air, and the world would never forget it.
Our stunning feature car here belongs to Fritz Pflock of Grants Pass, Oregon. Fritz is a good friend of mine, and a dyed-in-the-wool Chevy guy. He has a wonderful collection that includes a ’66 Chevelle SS, ’70 Nova SS, ’62 & ’63 Corvette Convertible fuelies, and a 2004 Corvette drag car that runs 8 second quarters. Not bad. For those days when performance isn’t top of mind (which isn’t very often), Fritz enjoys his ’66 Cadillac Convertible. The Nomad is the latest addition to his collection. I remember a few years ago seeing Fritz’s Nomad sitting in a driveway, completely stripped, sporting Swiss cheese floor pans and various other body maladies. It’s come along just a tad since then.
I’ll let Fritz tell his story here:
“I bought the car back in 2007 from a gentleman up in Spokane, Washington. The car was in pretty rough shape, but I always wanted a ’57 Nomad, and I saw potential in this one. The main thing I wanted to achieve with this car was authenticity, and that meant getting as many NOS parts as possible. While the initial bodywork was being tackled by Apland’s Auto Body in Grants Pass, I made a list of all the parts I was going to need. I spent 3-1/2 months on the Internet, 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, locating and purchasing parts for this car, mostly off eBay.”
While Fritz was accumulating the parts needed, Apland’s Auto Body forged ahead and did a full-scale body-off restoration. The floor pan area was completely replaced, lower patch panels were welded in, and the entire car was sanded, prepped and treated to seam sealer at every turn.
The original body tag indicated that the Nomad left the factory sporting a two-tone Sierra Gold/Adobe Beige paint scheme. Fritz tells us when he came across the car, someone had repainted it Matador Red. All that didn’t matter to Fritz, as he had his heart set on Onyx Black. Apland’s was instructed to finish the car in that hue, and they did - to perfection. During final assembly, a new reproduction body tag was affixed, this time proclaiming paint code 793: Onyx Black.
Fritz continues:
“I spent a full 2 years on this car, doing much of the work myself. My friend Harry Wiik (Honest Harry’s Garage of Grants Pass, OR) was also heavily involved, devoting many hours. Outlay in body, paint, NOS and reproduction parts was well over $80,000. Labor brings the total to about $125 grand. I’d also like to thank a few people for their efforts on this project. Ed’s Upholstery in Grants Pass, Red at McKenzie Plating in Springfield, OR, did all the chrome plating, Roy in White City, OR, restored the stainless steel trim, Cliff at Cliff’s Chevy in Portland sold me a lot of NOS and used parts, and John Groves of Grants Pass also lent a hand.”
All that money and elbow grease sure paid off. Fritz’s Nomad takes Best of Show wherever it goes (big surprise there). You’d think this baby would travel the shows in an enclosed trailer, but no. Fritz isn’t afraid to drive it wherever and whenever the mood strikes. He is a true car guy driving an incredible piece of history, in the color it was destined to be.
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