Bringing the spirit of a 1955 legend to the 1980s … The genesis of the 1980 Chevrolet El Camino-based NomadX is to bring the excitement of the iconic 1955 Nomad to the 1980s. NomadX has many special features, from its hand made roof, tailgate and grill, to its narrowed bumpers, showcar-inspired interior and ‘smallblock’ 430HP LS3 motor. Does NomadX accomplish its goal of honoring a classic while bringing the concept to the 21st Century? We think it does.
How was the idea for NomadX born? Realizing that the 1980 Chevrolet Malibu is within inches of the size of a 1955 Chevrolet, while also being a front-engined, rear-drive car like its predecessor, the Malibu is essentially a “modern” 1955 Chevrolet. Beyond that, the 1955s used the 265 cubic inch V8, mated with manual or automatic transmissions. This drivetrain was the grandfather of all the OHV ’smallblock’ V8s reaching right up to the “LS” engines of today. The 1955 full size Nomad was heavily influenced by the Corvette Nomad showcar, well-received by Motorama visitors. The production Nomad also had interior and styling elements separate from all other 1955 Chevrolets. Surprisingly, the Nomad was also the most expensive 1955 Chevrolet except for the Corvette, well beyond the “utility” pricing of its other wagon siblings. All of this history played into the notion of creating a “what if” updated NomadX … answering the question of how a Nomad would look if built for the 1980s and beyond.
Once the decision was made to create NomadX, some major styling questions had to be answered. The 1955 Chevrolet had extended doors, being a two-door, so the donor could not be a Malibu wagon. The answer was to use a 1980 El Camino “truck”. With a utility “bed” and a car-like interior, was the perfect candidate. A clean, western El Camino was found and immediately chopped into bits, cutting out part of the roof, the “B” pillars and the rear window area of the car. A pleasant discovery was that when the rear floor behind the seat, which served as spare tire storage for the El Camino was removed, it made an easy transition for a folding rear seat from a G-body station wagon. Next, a roof with the required eight “grooves” was produced on a huge backyard roller press by a metalworker who took a special interest in the project. The tailgate was reused after the seven Nomad “peaks” were created, and the rear fenders were extended to resemble the 1955 Nomad, but with “sharp edges” in the 1980s style. Finishing the rear area, 1970 Lincoln Continental Mark III taillights are used and, to more closely match the El Camino front bumper, a filled, shortened and narrowed 1987 Oldsmobile 98 rear unit was adopted. The custom elements continued with the creation of a stainless steel grill reminiscent of a 1955 Chevrolet, and 19-inch one-off wheels with 1955 “dog dish” center caps to blend new and old style together.
The NomadX interior is a special part of the project. With 1955 Nomads being regularly restored, the unique carpet, vinyl and trim elements are available, so they were used to carry the theme into the custom project. The same pleating, special rear vinyl “decking” and padding echo the 1955. Paint color in the 1950s was dramatic often with two tone shades used. For NomadX one-off turquoise and beige paint was used, color-keyed to the interior, but in pearl and metallic formulas. NomadX is not a resto rod or a traditional custom. It honors one of the true classics of Chevrolet and shows how the style of the Nomad can be made into a 1980s concept.
NomadX is the ninth Penfound Design custom concept. It joins a group of cars which began in 2002 with LoSabre, a 1959 Buick. The visual rule that ties all the cars together is “clean and smooth”. The cars have been featured in media including Hot Rod, Custom Rodder, High Performance Pontiac, Street Rodder, Super Chevy, Rod & Custom, Jeg’s catalogs, television interviews, and social media. They have won awards at shows including the Detroit Autorama, National Street Rod Association (NSRA), SEMA, Goodguys, Dub, DroptNDestroyed and Super Chevy. Other Penfound Design projects include: Cambiar (1964 Cadillac); Sportsroof (1963 Chevrolet); Inpala (1959 Chevrolet); Sabertooth (1964 Pontiac GTO); Scramjet (1970 Camaro); Tealbird (1961 Thunderbird) and Turnpike Thunderbird (1955 Thunderbird).
The crew that assembled, modified, painted, created the interior and takes NomadX to shows includes: Modern Vintage Systems (chassis); Snakepit Customs (bodywork); Lynch Concepts (paint and bodywork); Portage Trim (interior); John Glemza (fabrication and mechanical); Curved Glass Creations (windows); Team Plastics, Inc. (windows); Custom Chrome Plating (Chrome); Grafton Metalfinishing (metal polishing); Creative Colors (interior vinyl details); J.D. Spayre, Jeff Miller and Tim Foisy (transport and show setup); Stuart Conceptz (artwork); John Leonard (design input); Penfound Design (concept and direction).
Penfound Design thanks the following partner/sponsors who continue to make Pd customs possible:
PPG Industries, Inc.; Gandrud Performance Parts; Hot Rods By Boyd; Baer brake systems; Ride Tech; Bridgestone Tire; Jeg’s Performance; Original Parts Group; Classic Industries; Year One; Steele Rubber Products; ACC Auto Custom Carpets; Ciadella Interiors; Griffin Thermal Products; GUNIwheel; Sanderson Headers; DEI Engineering; Totally Stainless; American Autowire; Oracle Lighting; AutoPro-USA; Lokar Performance; Holley Performance brands; EVOD Industries.