Chevrolet Bel Air/150/210 Handyman (Nomad) (1955)
for sale
Price: US $62,300.00
Price: US $62,300.00
1955
Chevrolet two door station wagon called the “Handyman”, which is a cousin of
the “Nomad.” Enthusiast and purist can list out all the differences between the
two models so I will spare myself the embarrassment of trying to name them. Just
know that it is a rare car and like all tri-5 Chevy’s, it is a piece of art and
a testament to American Muscle.
Original
California car, body off the frame rotisserie restoration completed in August
of 2013, to include complete frame and body coatings, restoration of the
interior and the person that did the restoration re-motored the car with a
383CI SBC and a 700R4 transmission.
I re-motored
the car again with a 2014 LS3 and 6L80E six speed automatic transmission. This
was completed in October of 2014. More details below.
This is a
beautiful example of a classic tri-5 Chevy resto-mod, pro-street/pro-touring
vehicle. I have combined classic American styling with state of the art
technology and reliability. This is a 60 year old car that has been taken down
and rebuilt completely, with a drive train that is brand new (less than 700
miles on drive train. Break in oil changed 7/7/15) Car has a total of 4, 200
miles since restoration.
I purchased
the car in November of 2013 at a classic car auction here in Houston. The
previous owner had purchased the car from California. He then performed a
complete body off of the frame restoration of the car taking several years to
complete. He media blasted and coated the frame, stripped and painted the body
inside and out in 2009 Chevrolet “Victory Red”. The brakes were upgraded to
four wheel disc, and the entire suspension was lowered two inches.
Next 17”
Boyd Coddington aluminum mag wheels were added along with BF Goodrich tires.
The interior was reworked with a light tan color, from the headliner to the new
front bucket seats. The original rear seat was reused and recovered with
leather to match the front buckets. A new center console and B&M shifter
were also added to complete the interior.
The previous
owner then installed a new “IDIDIT” chrome steering column with tilt wheel, a
DAKOTA digital dash, VINTAGE AIR HVAC system, power steering and power brakes.
My interest
in purchasing a classic car was a child hood dream of course, but I also wanted
to purchase something that was not “run of the mill” to take to car shows and
to take my kids to eat on Sunday afternoons. Safety and reliability being the
top priorities in the car that I chose, I chose this one for its rarity and
safety options (Power steering, power brakes, four wheel disc brakes, etc.) Add
to it the new interior (Power driver’s seat, and all digital dash) with an A/C
system makes for a safe, and comfortable cruiser and the KIDS LOVE IT!
When I
purchased the car I already had planned to do an LS3 conversion, in January of
2014, I purchased a new 2014 6.2L LS3, 6L80E transmission, computers, harnesses (had
to have the harness custom built) and complete conversion kit from CPP.com. The
conversion kit included new Hooker long tube 1 5/8”headers, motor mounts for
the LS motor, transmission cross-member, new oil pan and tube. In addition to
this I also purchased a complete new fuel system to include fuel pump, fuel
regulator, new braided fuel lines and fuel level indicator.
During the
conversion, I had new brackets made for the A/C compressor and alternator that
were milled from high grade aluminum, had the exhaust custom made (Magnaflow
mufflers), had a new drive shaft made, fitted and balanced, as well as a new
custom air intake. I had to add a new transmission cooler, oil cooler and the
associated plumbing for each.
I elected to
keep the motor and transmission unmodified in any way for reliability purposes.
The only additions to the motor are the custom exhaust, and air intake. I had
the motor and transmission professionally tuned (of course) and we are now
putting out well over 450 HP at the flywheel. This type of power with the six-speed
automatic is downright addicting! The acceleration characteristics are without
hesitation and difficult to describe. (Note: this is not for your teen aged
kids or grandkids to borrow on Saturday night!) This car stays garage kept and
under a cover at all times. I drive it occasionally to dinner or to a car show, and on Sundays when the weather is nice. With this application, I retained the
reliability and peace of mind that it can be driven several hundred miles at a
time with the A/C running and not have any issues what so ever. For me
performance needs to be balanced with style and reliability!
One feature this motor has that I elected to keep is the DOD system (displacement on demand). This is a computer controlled option that when the car is at highway speeds and cruising the computer only uses 4 of the eight cylinders until more demand is placed on the motor. This increases your highway fuel mileage to about 26-28 MPG. While I am not concerned with the cost of fuel, it is always nice to save money anywhere that you can. Add to that less stops for filling up when taking a longer range trip. If the new owner would rather the car not have this option it is easily switched off by my mechanic with his tuning software.
In full
disclosure, there are two spots in the paint that I have found that are
imperfections. I will be glad to show you them in person or send pics if
interested. Also the previous owner had a “replacement VIN number” assigned to
the car by the Louisiana State Police. This is pretty common amongst 50+ year
old vehicles, if you have any concerns please contact your local DMV. I have a clear title in my hand, it is NOT salvage or reconstructed.
I will be
more than happy to meet with anyone who is interested in the car, take pictures
or answer questions, however I do ask that you be SERIOUS and do not waste your
time or mine. I will assist in shipping the vehicle; however I cannot ship it
myself. If you intend to pay for this vehicle in any form other than CASH then
that form of payment will have to clear my credit union before the car leaves
my possession, no if’s and’s or but’s about it. By the way, cash is a perfectly
acceptable form of payment so feel free to show up with a briefcase full.
Please make an offer of exactly how much you would pay for it, before doing so I will ask that you do your research and see how much money I have invested in this machine. I am buying a new house and intend to use the money for the down payment. I would never sell it if it werent for this reason. If you have any questions or if you want to make an offer please contact me directly via email mjeansonne@eprod.com
I do not
care to trade the car, I cannot take installments or payments, and I cannot
hold the car for you. I do not need help selling the car, and I know a scam
artist when I see one so please move on.
update: 2015-08-24
Condition: | Used | Year: | 1955 |
Interior Color: | Tan | Make: | Chevrolet |
Number of Cylinders: | 6 | Model: | Bel Air/150/210 |
Transmission: | Automatic | Trim: | Base Wagon 2-Door |
Body Type: | Wagon | Engine: | 2014-6.2 Liter LS3 |
Vehicle Title: | Clear | Drive Type: | U/K |
Fuel Type: | Gasoline | Sub Model: | Handyman (Nomad) |
For Sale By: | Private Seller | Exterior Color: | Red |