Customs BEST Ever '57 Nomad being recreated!

I know I'm not alone feeling the Sam Hollingsworth '57 Nomad is one of the best ever mild customs to roam the streets and grace the cover of a magazine- so I'm pretty excited to share this news. It helps that this Nomad despite their continued popularity was one of the only truly notable custom Nomads beside the more radical '55 "Bunny Coach" and Russ Meeks sectioned '56. The Hollingsworth car had m*** appeal because it mostly relied on trick paint, dumped stance and Buick wires. Later a group of young '70s kids would be exposed to the car when it graced the box art and instruction sheet of the Monogram model kit.
Hollingsworth's '57 originally influenced and excited a ton of people including a young Richard Graves who himself owned a custom lowered '55 Nomad on Buick wires with seaweed flames before Sam's car debuted. But Richard could never put Sam's car out of his mind. Same goes for Richard's longtime friend and fellow Early Times veteran Wally Arnold (former owner of Cal Custom and Eagle One products). Wally bought not just one, but two '57 Nomads and kept all the best pieces to build his own Hollingsworth car. Deep with his own batch of projects he recently sold the Nomad to Graves who will dedicate himself fully to the project with hopes of quickly finishing the car and getting it out on the street in 2009.
The basis of the project was a rust-free original paint '57 that from the outside will retain all the details, including the exact paint job recreated by original painter Dennis Ricklefs as well as the Buick wires and '62 Impala interior features. The original Hollingsworth Nomad has been likely lost forever after it was fully restored back to stock condition in the early seventies with all its unique features removed.

 

Wow, I can't wait to see it. It's great that Dennis Ricklefs will be recreating the paint! Here is a picture of the Revell model that I have in my collection.

 

The full custom 56 Nomad (4" body section) built by Russ Meeks, is and was an Oregon car, and is currently being restored by a Hamber who has posted about it's history and given us progress updates here in the past. It is time to remind him to give us another one.

 

That Nomad kit was the first model I ever built....still have parts of it. I LOVE that car and can hardly wait to see it finished.

 

Jim, you know it's my favorite Nomad ever also. I had the R&C magazine as well as the model when it was first introduced. I remember it had a '66 Caprice steering wheel, as my first car was a '66 Caprice (I wanted a Nomad, but they were even then, 36 years ago, too pricey for a teenager's wallet)

 

wow! awesome to hear that!! *****IN!!! i have always loved that '57 Nomad!


a big influence to me too!

 

Great to hear that Jim!Without a doubt the best looking Nomad EVER!

 

nice flames

 

I think that it's great that this 'Mad will be reproduced. I too, fell in love with that car and bought three or four of the models over the years.

The car looks boss with the wires but, I can't help wanting to see it with the chrome reverse wheels as on the model kit boxart...

Can't wait!

Joel

 

It won't ever get the Chrome wheels. That was done only to match the kit that did not include wires. It's not been determined if the car actually ever had those wheels or if it was an early photo chop.

 

I bet the box art wheels were a touch up, the centers look really wierd

 

JimA,

I never realized that! Thanks for that info. I can't wait to see it, 1:1.

Please keep us informed of the car's progress...

Joel

 

A few years ago there was a guy on one of the model sites that designed the box art for that kit. I belive he said he had to touch up the photo because of the wheels.

 

Jim
Hollingsworth's 57 was the best Nomad ever. It inspired me more than a few times. Was the Graves 55 the black one with Watson?? flames and the flake top? I love seeing this stuff coming back.
RodP

 

I did a little bit of searching and came up with this:

http://cs.scaleautomag.com/scacs/forums/t/26299.aspx

 

Yeah, that was Richard's car he bought in 1961 (told me the story today of how he made a deal when he was 16 with a used car dealer who wanted $1,200 for the car- he offered $500. He said, "Kid, you don't have $500!" He returned, "If I do will you sell me the car?" The dealer said yes and then tried to back out when he found out he was underage (not 18). Richard got his dad to sign the papers and then built the car. It was ON THE DECK!

That's VERY cool that you are inspired by these cars. Your stuff is OFF THE CHART! Ryan's story brings it all around to how influential you are to all of us. Thanks! Jim

 

That's RAD!!!!!!!! Thanks for finding that!!!

 

Love that car... Such a mild custom, but it works so well. Should be fairly easy to reproduce!

 

fairly easy?? the car is in 100,000 pieces!!!! we'll see what happens with this thing. it might get stuffed in a corner, ya never know. i know first hand how interests change so fast over there, especially when the car is in so many boxes. lets hope we can get it done soon, before interest is lost.

 

i have to say that car had the look and the stance. truly one of the best!!!!! great to see someone bringing back a true work of art.

 

This is a good thing. Just saw a thread about Revell models quitting the NASCAR thing.
Good! now maybe they can concentrate on reproducing all these revival cars and
survivors from the past.

 

so stoked . that car is amazing . and has influenced me big time . and yes it HAS to have the buick wires . i will be waiting for this one to come out .

 

Get after it. It'd be great to see in the flesh!

 

Sam's nomad was the car that set the hook for me at a young age....

 

i know jim aust started this post, i hope he doesnt mind if i take some of his pictures in order to share this beauty. We just got it back to the shop from paint. Richard and all of us are really happy with how it turned out. Hope you like it. Will be in the Rod and Custom booth at GNRS. Thanks again Jim.


This is the car after Richard put the wheels on. No pinstripe yet.


Dennis laying down the stripes


Ill post pics once the pinstripe is on. It really makes a differenceHere it is again without it.

 

That is the ****!!

I have always loved that Nomad, the image of it on the Hot Rod cover has forever been etched in my mind what a wagon should look like. My own '57 Plymouth 2dr wagon is low and on wires. Thanks for sharing with us.

 

That is just too cool. Can't wait to see it in person at the GNRS!

 

That car and the fact it was a model car is the main reason i've owned two '57 nomads. I've still got the model car box some where in all my junk..

 

have to admit, its coming out better than i expected and have to say im happy to play a small role in building and finishing it. I sure know Richard is enjoying it. Its the happiest ive seen him.

 

woW! id seen the car on the cover of the mag and a few pics over the years. had no idea it was being recreated. very nice.