This Nomad was taken off the road in the early 70s for an engine upgrade and was never put back on the road. From discussion with a previous owner, I know the car was native to Covington, VA. The original engine is reportedly still in Danville, VA, partly apart from scavenging. The car is now a three-speed manual. It was initially Sierra Gold, but it was repainted (badly) in the late 60s to Canyon Coral.The seats were badly worn and the carpet in tatters. I repaired the cloth with original material from another Bel Air, repaired loose seams, and pieced together the front and rear carpet to make an all-original material carpet for the front.The car was gone through entirely by a qualified restoration mechanic in Martinsville, VA. He put in the replacement engine and transmission. The car runs and drives as it should, but some gauges don't work. The tires are new Cokers.The worst rust is the softball-size area in front of the right rear wheelwell. There is some rust beginning in the right front fender behind the wheelwell. The paint is chipped, faded, and scratched throughout. The chrome is okay but not great. The car probably looks better in the photos than in person, but it's still presentable. The spare tire cover board is missing, and there are a few rust holes in the spare well. The undercarriage is otherwise remarkably clean. The windshield is cracked, but all the curved glass is good.This car needs everything as much as a really poor shell would if one wanted to restore it. However, it is a rare, largely untouched Nomad that sat inside for almost 50 years. |