Spoiler alert: There’s no big block, no nitrous, no super trick sleeper magic here. What there is though is the neatest base car we have ever seen restored to immaculate conditions. What we have here is the automotive equivalent of a farmer’s draft horse stuffed and preserved by the finest taxidermy guy in the land. Sure it is a little weird but we love looking at it. 1972 was the last year for the Nomad nameplate to show up as a Chevrolet model and in terms of Chevelles it meant that you were buying the most base wagon model that you could. These were used by people for deliveries and other yeoman like chores where a van was too much and a truck was out of the question. In the case of this car the original buyer spec’d it with the 250ci inline six, a three on the tree transmission, and the lone option that we can see is power steering. Unless that was standard and this car literally had no optional equipment.
We’re in love with this car and hope whoever buys it doesn’t take it and mess with it. We have no idea who would spend close to 10k on a paint job and who knows how much else to have this car professionally restored to what can only be called councours condition but they did it and the car survives as one of the most honest Chevelle Nomad wagons left on Earth. No it isn’t fast and no it isn’t going to attract the guys who only like the “shiny things” at car shows but real car guys and gearheads will lust over this thing just as it sits. It offers a really genuine old car experience as well, changing gears on the column and working the little 250 as hard as it’ll go to hustle down the road.
Maybe this car had some sentimental meaning to the person that decided to have it restored like this. Maybe it was their dad’s favorite car or one that was used in the family business. We don’t know their motivations but we do know that along the way people probably tried to talk them into slapping a big block into it, swapping to a floor shift, and painting it any other color than yellow but they did not budge and we applaud them for that. This 1972 Chevelle Nomad is an awesome car and one that we hope someone gets and cruises the wheels off of.
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE PHOTOS AND THEN THE EBAY LINK FOR THIS 1972 CHEVELLE NOMAD WAGON –
Pretty cool. It would be tough not to turn it into a sleeper though.
Yup, I would buy it and ruin it, screw the purist
Ah Brian . . .
A “Nomad” Wagon signifies that there be TWO pasasenger doors . . . not four as this wagon has. The last “Nomad” 2 door wagon Chevy sold was the 1964 Chevelle 300. They sold less than 2500 which showed Chevy, people were no longer interested in them.
So you are surmising that there were no Nomad wagons sold past 1964? If that is your argument, you are 100% wrong.
No Brian, you’re calling this 4 door wagon a Nomad makes YOU wrong. .
Again, the definition of a “Nomad Station Wagon” is a wagon with 2 passenger doors.
Just admit you were wrong and move on.
Looks like Lee has some foot-in-mouth disease. Stop while you’re still losing.
Jerry, you are an asshat!
It’s a nomad. Get over it
Whether or not you consider it to be “wrong” is irrelevant, Chevrolet sold the base model of the Chevelle wagon and called it the Nomad. Therefore, it is a Nomad whether or not you consider it to be a “real” one.
64 was not the last 2dr Chevelle wagon, 65 was.
A Nomad wagon was whatever GM said it was, whether it was a 2 door upscale wagon from 55-57, a low trim Chevelle wagon or even a Chevy Van in the 70’s.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Nomad
I’ll just leave this here.
They may not be the Nomad’s we all know and love, but the fact is they were still built and sold as Nomad’s. Kinda like when people say new Charger’s aren’t Charger’s because they have four doors.
Thanks! From your Wiki link:
“The Nomad is best remembered in its two-door 1955–57 form, and was considered a halo model during its three-year production as a two-door station wagon.”
TWICE in the same sentence it says 2 DOOR.
Ask anyone (except Brian) how many doors a Chevy Nomad Wagon has and I will bet you that 99% say 2 DOORS
Lee, you are an idiot. …Wake up. As turbo-regal stated, a nomad is a nomad whatever Chevrolet calls it. As Tim said, a new Charger is not a Charger because of the 4doors? How about the 4 cylinder Chargers of the 80’s? Not Chargers? 58 and up Thunderbirds are not Thunderbirds because they have 4 seats, unlike “The T-birds, are best remember in two seat form and was considered a luxury sports car model during its three-year production as a two-seater.” Wiki is not Webster’s official dictionary.
Memories and reality are often not one and the same. While the most famous Thunderbirds in cultural history are the original ones, the Thunderbird was the most popular and by far sold the most as a personal specialty coupe, with the intermediate sized 77-79 models being the most popular of all.
I actually had one of these for a short time many years ago and it was called a Concourse. I believe mine was based on a Malibu though, not sure if there was a distinction between the Chevelle wagon and the Malibu wagon.
The Malibu was a high end Chevelle that later supplanted the line. Concours generally represented a high-line model, as it did later with the Nova.
Lee , There were NO Chevy Nomads built EVER! The name on the car was Chevrolet, not Chevy! And I had a 4 door 69 Thunderbird that could not have been a Thunderbird because it had 4 doors! Hmm. Better do some reasearch before commenting if you don’t want your nits picked!
Paint it faded orange, riddle it with rust holes and red primer spots, swap the 3 speed for a ‘Glide – that would be my first car. Even the dog dish caps. Yes, I still have the Nomad emblems today. Just to prove it was a Nomad.
Correction guys…this was not the last appearance of the Nomad nameplate on a Chevrolet.They also made a Nomad version of the Chevy Van from the early 70’s thru the early 80’s.I’m not sure of the exact years they were produced.I owned a 79 myself.
Cars like this remind us of reality. When many of us who didn’t live in the time hear and see cars from prior eras, people make it sound like everyone bought the top end models and brawny sport versions with the huge engines because that is what primarily survives or people modify others to make them more like these editions. However, the reality is most people bought the more pedestrian models with much smaller engines and lower horsepower figures… much like most Fox-bodies were sold with the 4-cylinder engine.
Oh Lee Lee Lee,
You’re one of those keyboard warriors of today’s society. Obviously have no friends and have to leave stupid comments and even more replies about anything you see on the interweb.
Just keep your verbal diarrhea to yourself.
And Brian, I love that plain Jane flatop wagon. If I just had the money…Sigh
So, how about them Raisers eh?
Oops Raiders. .. wrecked my own joke
Wow learned something new.. there was Nomad life in later Chevelles!
Check out the link ..a page from what looks like a 69 Chevelle assembly manual..
http://chevellestuff.net/1969/misc/moldings/136wagon.jpg