Bel Camino! 1956 Chevrolet Nomad Pickup
Update 9/6/22 – This unique creation has been relisted here on eBay with a thousand-dollar price drop. Is that enough to find the Bel Camino a new home? We sure hope so because this could be the perfect way to stand out amongst a sea of tri-fives!
From 4/18/22 – The Chevy Nomad was a limited production “sport wagon” built by GM for three model years (1955-57). It was part of the now-famous Tri-Five Chevies and saw just 22,375 copies assembled. This 1956 edition was customized some years ago to make a pick-up out of it along the same vein as the later El Camino. It no longer has an engine or transmission, and the colors seem to have been changed. Located with a dealer in Gray Court, South Carolina, this “Belamino” is available here on eBay for $10,000 (Buy it Now) but offers will be accepted, too. Thank go to Barn Finds readers T.J. for the tip!
Conceived from a 1954 show car based on the Chevy Corvette, the Nomad debuted in 1955 in Bel Air trim. From the cowl forward, it was the same as the rest of the line-up. But from the windshield back, the sheet metal was all its own (except when the Pontiac Safari comes into play, its corporate clone). Perhaps Chevy was expecting more buyer interest since nearly five million cars in all were built in these three years, so the Nomad volume was something of a drop in the bucket. When the autos were redesigned for 1958, the Nomad as it was disappeared but returned as a trim level on a regular 4-door station wagon.
We don’t know much about this potentially one-off on a ’56 Nomad. From the looks of things, we don’t know if this was a professionally done custom job, or one performed by two guys in their garage. Where these projects tend to fall short is how the roofline is dealt and – while there are ample photos – we can’t tell how it was addressed here. The seller suggests dropping in another drivetrain and tool around like it is, patina and all.
Whatever engine/transmission set up this Nomad once had eventually gave way to a 440 Chrysler engine and Torqueflite automatic. But that arrangement is gone now too. There is evidence of a floor boot where a manual shift once presided. If this Nomad had been left alone and restored properly it could have had the potential of being a six-figure car in today’s market. But if redone the way it sits today, it may not be worth as much but it sure would stand out in the crowd!
Comments
Umm what a waste. I am familiar with the “dealer” has a lot of unique stuff. But most are pretty shabby and in my opinion all over priced
If you buy crap to sell again, you gotta make a buck somewhere.
In my opinion this is butchery of a fine Nomad. I ask why?
Because it was first done in 1968 when it was just another “ old car”
Not Why? But at what expense? But even with those questions being ask, I would feel very happy driving this or any well done modded car around!
I say simply beautiful!!!
And I bet had they made these back in 55-56-57 they would have sold like hot cakes!!!
Simply put, I don’t think they had the imagination back then.
Another butchered Nomad, and they were few to start with but I guess since it was the owner’s BBQ he could do as he pleased, just hope it wasn’t a hack job that will have to be done over. I take it that the original roof is long gone
This was a quite popular thing to do to Nomads in the 60’s. While loved by hot rodders and surfers, they were still just another old wagon back then.
Over the years my cousin has owned a dozen Nomad’s, including a 55 he built an El Camino out of around 62 or 63. Being a bodyman by trade, his turned out quite nice. He cut the curved rear edge of the roof off and added it to the shortened “pick up” roof, then fabricated a rear window that followed the line of the stock b-pillar. He also added a tilt nose, and a 2×4 409, 4 speed to it, and fender well headers.
There use to be someone’s unfinished 56 Nomad pick up conversion in a junk yard about 5 miles from me.
That is in decent shape and whoever cut the roof off a real Nomad screwed up big time.
I remember a 55 wagon that someone tried to do it to in a junkyard when I was a kid hunting for parts for my 57. Now someone would put the time in to do it right but that one went to the crusher as they all did since they were picked clean. If I knew then the prices stuff would go for, I would have grabbed a lot more.
I did this same thing to a 57 nomad,oh that’s right it was a AFX H.O.
Lol, I still have mine, uncut. Light green with dark green rally stripes
From what you can see of the rear roof line, it might suggest that it was fabricated using the back portion of a pickup cab. Cunning work with the front bumper too. Well worth someone doing it up far curiosity value. Cars are all a work of art and it’s good to see different ideas preserved.
yeah, I like this 1 better than the red at this point (bigger back window, make a drive train choice). Needs to get as far tho…
I’ve been to this dealer and saw this “Belamino” and a red one that was in slightly better condition. There’s a lot of rust in this one and pretty much everything there was over priced.
The single biggest mistake here (and there are many) was to mess with what in my opinion is the nicest dashboard in car history. 55 and 56 Chevy dashboards are what I compare all other cars to.
i agree on dash had a 1956 bel aire rag top in high school love the dash but the 1955 dash in my opinion was better very small difference on the chrome in the 56 it has black slots in it on the 55 they are chevy bow ties.
Having owned a 55 Nomad in the mid 60s when I was in High School, I made a few changes to mine along the way. When I bought it (for $200) , it had a straight body and a 348 V8 with a 3spd. Let me tell you, that car went through third members like they were going out of style. I upgraded to a 57 Pontiac rear axle, then I started wasting u-joints. I upgraded the drive shaft and blew the bottom half of of the transmission case and Cluster gear. I upgraded to Muncie 4 speed and my driveline issues were solved. I removed the 348 and swapped it with a 327. In all of the/my various engine changes; one thing I never did was cut the radiator support. To do so is the height of butchery, though that ship sailed long ago with the way they “converted” this car. Sad.
Somebody thought this was a good idea. At least it wasn’t another Lincoln Zephyr.
It comes with a copy of the instruction book “How To Screw Up A Perfectly Good Nomad”.
I think it’s an interesting idea. It needs very deep pockets but could turn out to be stunning. The price is too high. I am on the Left Coast and I’ve seen some
converted Nomads that GM should have built. I have nothing against the stock
version but as a Hobbyist something like this always attracts.
A steaming pile “attracts” too.
A travesty! Who would Frankensteinize this classic?
I am a huge UTE fan. (I have a 1981 Ford Durango to prove it) In my humble opinion what makes or breaks a Ute conversion is how the B pillar and roof treatment are handled.(besides the tail gate) the “appearance” (not necessarily the actual quality of construction) looks correct to me. It would be fun to restore/repair/correct this car to a much higher standard. Although there are some nice/interesting features of this car (as in some forethought) hacking the core support makes no sense what so ever.
Wayne, Hacking the core support was the quick & dirty way to pull a drive train out of a junkyard car, especially when the underside was too difficult to reach. That’s just what we did to cars that were simply too far gone to worry about it.
Plus as this car was said to have a MoPaR 440 big block, I suspect the radiator may have been repositioned to the area in front of the core support, and the upper bar may have been cut just to get the motor into the chassis without pulling the entire front clip.
bastardized beyond comprehension!!!😡😡
As for the question of the original paint color, The body tag has paint code 702, that’s Sherwood Green / Pinecrest Green. The interior code is 590, for green cloth and vinyl interior.
This guy has a wide variety of junk, and most of it is junk and way overpriced.
Sad,why didn’t this person buy a truck and switch the front end….Would have been easier
Bruce Joslen that front bumper is factory Deluxe ,had to check the right box when ordering the car. Had one of those on one of my 56 chevys.Also had the rear bumper to match.
In the 1960s, our family always made an annual trek to an uncle’s family home in western South Dakota usually timed to catch the June rodeo. Small town, the only paved street was the state highway (also served as Main Street). My cousins and I would terrorize the town driving a Cub Cadet pulling a trailer up and down every street and alley. I was car crazy and the small (and poor) back yards were full of 30s – 50s cast-off cars. One that really stuck in my mind was an early 60s Ford pickup that had a home made topper – built out up the upper quarters, roof and glass from a 56 Nomad. Pretty well done. I searched the town looking for the rest of the car but it probably just ended up with the dozens of old cars in the town dump. I was afraid to dig around in the dump as my uncle said it was infested with rattlesnakes. My older cousins killed 54 rattlers one night, hunting them with a flashlight, rake and a hoe. I always wore high top boots and watched where I walked when visiting!
This one qualifies for a make an offer, to get 9K it should really have an engine and tranny.
Think this guy got his idea from AMT – the model maker.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/115459256024?hash=item1ae1e86ed8:g:wGoAAOSwV3Fiv0Z6&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoLIv5c8BJCj0k2LqrH64QbAfXHW8tmqzqSAF081AHcx%2BzbvAHQbP%2FeTyrdKdtyywu%2B%2F%2BddC5E8Ei6%2BkCCgl2PngysuBMfEWyGaxN8rdiVXoj4HSx5f%2B%2FDXWICGc5Y8nhta%2BamnGk3YVQppo9gyILRPIWXEt%2FLfKSHvoCOrR3gTckZba81HScHRC0ICgIgS0YrmROsEVHM8yyYFHZA%2Fgi6Uw%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_7wlZDjYA
Bruce Joslen: I agree the red ’57 looks like the back of a Chevy pickup cab, I think the ’56 uses the back cab section from a ’57 Ford Ranchero.
https://www.guyswithrides.com/2020/05/19/1957-ford-ranchero/
Even Jay Leno couldn’t save this one. But what the hell, he’d turn you down anyway no matter how(—) much you begged him.
Who knows why this was built, but it’s likely this was done a long, long time ago before Nomads were collectible. It could have been a victim of a tree branch falling on it in the late 50’s, who knows. Heck, the El Camino debuted in 1959, maybe it was the inspiration for this heap. Throw in some alcohol, a Sawzall and a damaged vehicle, you could end up with this. I do see a set of 65 GTO bucket seats, a 1960 Impala steering wheel, a 1963-1964 Chevy Impala/BelAir/Biscayne factory tach and a cool set of American 200S wheels!
when they where new nomads where not the popular of well liked no one wanted them
Clearly stated…
lol