(Words and photos by Greg Rourke) – Recently Bryan McTaggart showed us Paul Nichols’ 1955 Nomad. Paul generously shared the transformation from total rust bucket to totally cool partial rust bucket on the pages of BangShift. He didn’t have much to start with, but he did have the ability to butt weld razor blades together, so there’s that.
That Nomad reminded me of a car I spotted about ten years ago in Malta, Illinois. Sitting next to the railroad tracks was the unmistakable Nomad roofline, but not much else. I stopped for a closer look and to snap a few photos. But…is this really a Nomad?
First off, we clearly have 1955 Chevy taillights. They have obviously been booger welded on. But look at the quarter panels, they don’t have the full wheel openings of the 55 Nomad, just the ones common to the sedan or regular, non-Nomad wagon. Closer inspection doesn’t seem to show them having been welded on. After showing these photos to others, one noticed the slight dip just behind the B pillar, which would indicate a 1955 Pontiac Safari. The Safari had the smaller wheel openings. Mystery solved? Nope. The dash is clearly Chevy, note the passenger side hump where the radio speaker went on Chevys. The dash surely doesn’t look like something easily swapped out. Of course the VIN plate was gone, so we have no clue there.
What we do know is there was nothing left that could be unbolted from the body on this hulk, and the tin worms had been having a feast on what’s left. A photo on a train photography web site showed the car there two years before I saw it, and when I went back about a year later it was gone. Can anyone help solve this mystery?
it is a 1955 Pontiac quarter and roof. The dark green color is definatly Pontiac. The bulge above the wheel well opening is the start of the rear trim mount. I own 2 1956 Safari’s,and I know from dealing with local Nomad owners the diff. Looks like a 55 wagon with the Safari grafted in between the taillights and the wheel well.
I am thinking Pontiac also. Thats a shitting hack job.
King Midas in reverse – everything he touches turns into a hunk of Chevy shit!
I think I’ve OD’d on the old bitter and twisted pills…….
Canadian model Safari? Didn’t Canadian Pontiacs of that era have Chevy dashes?
Its guilty of impersonating a car.