You don’t have to be a Chevrolet fan to know about and appreciate the Tri-Five Nomad Wagon. It’s such an iconic design and a wonderfully weird mix of style and utility. You really can’t get much cooler than a two-door wagon! From day one, people have appreciated these cars and with just 8,530 having been built in ’55 it’s no surprise that they can fetch big money. This example looks to be in nice shape and has a surprise under the hood that should make it a bit of a sleeper. The seller has owned it for 30 years and states that they are motivated to get it sold. You can find it in Lyons, Kansas where it’s being offered as an auction here on eBay. With just a day left to go, it’s bid up to $40k and the reserve has yet to be met.

When it debuted in 1955, one of the Nomad’s major selling features was its 265 V8, which was the standard option. There were two versions of the 265, one with a two-barrel carburetor that was rated at 163 horsepower and the other with a four-barrel carburetor and 180 horsepower. The seller doesn’t state which one this was optioned with originally, but it currently has something other than the 265 sitting under the hood. It’s currently powered by a 490 horsepower 406 crate V8 paired to a Borgwarner T-10 manual transmission. This setup has to make this one quick wagon! The seller has the original drivetrain for it and they come with it, so you can put it back to stock if you decide the 406 is too much engine.

The car is said to have been restored about a thousand miles ago, but it wasn’t a professional restoration, so there are some issues that need to be fixed. Most of the issues sound like pretty minor problems, although replacing the driver’s side door glass might be tricky if you’ve never done the job. Honestly, the biggest issue for me is the color change. The trim tag shows the paint code as being 607, which should be two-tone Glacier Blue with Shoreline Beige. It’s a really nice combination and the seller even admits that it’s a pretty rare paint scheme. The current paint scheme is alright and the paint looks decent, so I’d just leave it as is and enjoy it.

Inside the car, we find a few custom parts. Personally, I’d reinstall an original steering wheel and gas pedal, but we all have our own tastes. The rest of the interior looks usable as-is. It looks like the tailgate has carpet installed (I believe that’s the wrong material) and needs its trim pieces installed. You can buy the correct material, all new trim and the required screws to install it, so fixing that shouldn’t be a big issue.

Few classic cars have the level of support as a Tri-Five Chevy. Making this car perfect won’t be cheap, but it’s doable. I’d just fix the things that bother me and drive this Nomad as much as possible. What about you? Would you leave the 406 or would you put it back to original?