The Chevrolet “Tri-fives,” body-on-frame cars built in 1955, ‘56, and ‘57, encompassed two-door sedans, four-door sedans, convertibles, and this: the Nomad. Chevrolet’s entry into the family car space. The Nomad was considered its own model line by Chevrolet, but shared much of its styling and mechanicals with the Bel Air, and is subsequently lumped in with other Chevy models. You can find this 1957 Nomad here on eBay.

It needs work, but it looks relatively complete. Aside from the floor pans and rocker panels, it looks to be clear of rust. Importantly, the frame looks decent. Now that we’ve gotten the good out of the way, we can concentrate on what this car still needs. Focusing on the interior first…it needs an interior. All of it, just about. The dashboard and steering wheel look relatively undamaged, albeit under a thick coat of dust. The seats will need full reupholstering, and it will need carpet and basically everything else. The glass is mostly good, except for the passenger’s side vent window and the driver’s side rear sliding window.

Under the hood, there’s a big hole where an engine used to be. If you decide to go the OEM route, you have a choice of a 265 or 283 cubic inch V-8 and an automatic transmission. If you want to be more interesting about it, you can opt for whatever the heck you want. Personally, I’d go with something interesting and unexpected, but still in the GM family. Maybe the 260 horsepower 2.0L turbocharged Ecotec from a Solstice GXP. Or the 240 horsepower L67 supercharged 3800. I enjoy it when someone looks under the hood of a car and the only thing that they can think to say is an exasperated “huh.”

Whichever powerplant you choose, however you decide to upholster it, the Nomad now exists in a time where SUVs reign supreme. We, as a society, have been conditioned to believe that we need an SUV…when we really don’t. We think we do, but most of us could probably get by with a Geo Metro if we were honest with ourselves. When I was born, my dad drove me around in a Pontiac Fiero for crying out loud, so “I need an SUV because family” is a flimsy excuse at best. If you have more than one kid, though, some back seats are actually needed and if you have a dog, a cargo area would make life easier. Enter the Chevrolet Nomad: it’s got something for everyone, and is a sporting enthusiast car the whole family can enjoy.