In 1979, Gary Russell flew from Calgary to Los Angeles to buy a 1957 Chevrolet Nomad only to be told when he got there it had been sold. “I was searching for a Nomad,” Russell says from his home near Didsbury, Alta. “And there was an ad in Hemmings for a ’57 for sale at Bob Wingate Classics. I called them up, they described it to me, and I said it sounds like what I’ve been looking for. This was on a Wednesday, and I said I’d fly down that Saturday to look at it and most likely buy it.”
Russell bought a one-way ticket, arrived in Los Angeles and rented a car. He got to the dealership, announced himself and quickly learned the 1957 Nomad he’d come to see had been sold the night before. “I’d not put a deposit on it or anything, and these things happen,” Russell explains. “So, I said, I’m here now, what else have you got?”
Purchased in 1979 in Los Angeles and then driven home to Didsbury, Alta., Gary Russell completely restored his 1956 Chevrolet Nomad over a period of several years — finally finishing the car in 1999 with the installation of a complete interior kit from C.A.R.S. Inc. CREDIT: Norm Flanders Photo by Norm Flanders
There were two dozen 1955, 1956 and 1957 (5-6-7) Chevrolets on display, but none of them were a Nomad. So, Russell asked, is there another? There was a 1956 Nomad, and it was being sold on consignment out of Scottsdale, Ariz. Russell looked under the car, and having lived its life in a dry desert environment, it was rust free.
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“I drove it into the shop and got it on the hoist and really looked it over,” Russell says. “It was an original car that had a front seat from a ’57, but it was clean and dry everywhere with no visible damage. I asked how much they needed for it, did up the paperwork, called my insurance company, and drove it away.”
Born and raised in Olds, Alta., Russell was always interested in anything with wheels and a motor. At 16, he was helping a friend build a ’32 Ford pickup and had bought his first car, a 1946 Ford convertible. Hot rods and other cars came and went, but by 1979 Russell was on the hunt for a Nomad. After buying the 1956 and leaving Wingate’s lot, Russell drove the car to his brother’s house in Los Angeles. On the way there, however, he had to make a panic stop and managed to blow out the brake master cylinder. He drove the remaining eight blocks using the emergency brake to stop.
Although Gary Russell flew to Los Angeles to buy a 1957 Chevrolet Nomad only to find it sold upon his arrival, he was much happier to purchase a ’56 model because of the front end styling. Photo by Norm Flanders
Powering Gary Russell’s 1956 Chevrolet Nomad is a 265 cubic inch V8 engine that he had rebuilt by Moore’s Machine Shop in Calgary. Photo by Norm Flanders
The beautifully restored interior of the classic Nomad. Photo by Norm Flanders
A gorgeous car from any angle, Gary Russell’s restored 1956 Nomad has covered just 6,101 kilometres since he finished the project in 1999 — 20 years after he bought the car in Los Angeles and drove it home to Alberta. Photo by Norm Flanders
“On the Sunday, we rebuilt the master cylinder, bled the brakes, and I drove it home to Alberta,” Russell says. “The gas gauge didn’t work, there was no spare tire, no jack and no heater motor, but I made it all the way home to Didsbury.”
Russell loaded his wife and two-year old daughter Kimberley in the Nomad, went for a short drive and then parked the car and dismantled it to begin its restoration. Intending to do a factory correct job, Russell tracked down as many new old stock OEM components as possible. He relied on a number of sources but also acquired correct parts from the local GM dealership, and his friend, John Kearney, who lived nearby.
“I stripped it down to the bare frame,” he says. “Sandblasted the chassis, painted it and all the undercarriage pieces and had the 265 cubic-inch engine rebuilt by Moore’s Machine Shop in Calgary. I had the body refinished by two 5-6-7 Chevy afficionados, Brian Kopp and Elwyn Cunningham.”
But after that, Russell says the project stalled for approximately 14 years while he worked on other vehicles and focused on his career as an engineer. In 1999, however, Russell’s daughter Kimberley was going to be married, and he asked if she’d like to use the Nomad as a wedding vehicle.
“She said yes, so I had about a year to get it finished and really all that was left was the interior, and that was a C.A.R.S. Inc. pre-sewn kit installed by Barry Mills,” Russell says.
On the day of Kimberley’s wedding, Russell borrowed a friend’s 1956 Bel-Air two door sedan and the two vehicles made for quite a sight. Since then, Russell’s driven the Nomad sparingly, covering 6,101 kilometres. It’s been driven as far as Sandpoint, Idaho but mostly to local car shows, including the 2022 Okotoks Show and Shine.
“They’re a low production number car,” Russell says of his appreciation for the Nomad. “It’s a sport wagon with hardtop doors and those long sliding windows in the back . They’re just a little different, and I’m actually glad the ’57 was sold because I much prefer the front end of the ’56.”
Greg Williams is a member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). Have a column tip? Contact him at 403-287-1067 or [email protected]
WHAT’S NEXT
Jan. 26 to 29, the 52nd annual Calgary RV Expo & Sale rolls into the BMO Centre on the Stampede Grounds. See what’s new in the RV world, adult tickets are $15 and senior (60-plus) are $11, children and youth under 17 are free, but must be accompanied by an adult. Show runs Jan. 26 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., Jan. 27 and 28 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Jan. 29 10 to 5 p.m. Visit www.rvda-alberta.org for more info.
Keyword: On the Road: 1957 Chevrolet Nomad