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Thread: 57 Nomad Full Quarter Panel

  1. #1
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    57 Nomad Full Quarter Panel

    I feel there needs to be a reproduction offered... a good quality one where the corners of the bends along the door jambs are bent at the exact same radius as the originals. Also, the panel needs to be one piece...not two pieces lapped together with spot welds (as the sedan panels have been done...sad, they should have been one piece). I really don't like how around the tail lights the bends don't match up in reproduction panels either... I have a donor 57 150 wagon full quarter panel...but...I just feel wrong using it....but I know if I do use it, I don't have to worry about the above concerns.


    So who is with me? Who feels the need for a manufacturer to repop 57 Nomad full quarter panels in a quality manner where an owner could drill out the original full quarter panels spot welds and simply plug weld the new panel in place? I feel I pay a lot for these panels and I'm expecting quality, not junk I have to massage to fit (I may as well purchase a stretcher amd shrinker because i'm tire of reworking an expensive panel just to get it to fit).

    Hopefully, if enough of us respond, one of these sponsors or manufacturers will see the opportunity to make some money from our demand (needs).


    I'm just not interested in why it can't be done and tired of people who have no interest in doing what needs to be done to make a quality 57 Nomad full quarter panel. I'd make it myself if I had the tools.

  2. #2
    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
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    It would be nice if the manufacturers at least made a WAGON quarter panel that you didn't have to cut the "dip" out of. That would help a lot and eliminate the need to weld in the flatter part of the panel. The only reason that make a 55 Nomad quarter is because the wheelwell opening is different than any other model.

    The question is how much would you pay for a quarter panel like you're describing? It would be great to have true OEM-style replacement panels that installed just like factory, with all the correct factory details in it, but it would require more expensive tooling. BTW, you may have noticed that the Nomad quarters wrap around the door jamb and stop, while on other models the quarter and jamb go all the way around to the interior.

    But I wouldn't hold my breath for one. Thousands like those offered have already been sold and they don't think there's a need for anything else. People just make what's on the market work with hammer and dolly and cutting out the bad places.

    When I replaced my 56 quarters I had to use HT/convertible quarters because that's all that was, and all that still is available. That required cutting down to the upper BelAir trim and back about 17" into the panel where it's pretty flat. On the passenger side, which I did first, I made the mistake of making a diagonal cut like lots of guys do. IMO that makes it a lot harder to weld without distortion. The way I did the driver's side, in the pics below, works a lot better.

    Since the door jamb was the wrong radius, I cut about 3/4" behind the door and left the original jamb in place. Same with the taillight area...I cut all the way around the original taillight and left that sheetmetal in place. The new quarters have horribly formed taillight openings and I wonder why they even bother with them. On the passenger side I tried to use the new taillight opening but the light wouldn't fit. I ended up cutting it out and getting another opening off of a donor 4-door from a friend.

    If I would have held my breath waiting for a wagon quarter to come out, I would have died long ago. LOL I doubt it will ever happen.

    20090312_1353.JPG

    20090317_1371.JPG
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


    Other vehicles:

    56 Chevy 2-door BelAir sedan
    56 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    57 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    1962 327/340HP Corvette
    1961 Willys CJ3B Jeep
    2001 Porsche Boxster S
    2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
    2019 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by chevynut View Post
    BTW, you may have noticed that the Nomad quarters wrap around the door jamb and stop, while on other models the quarter and jamb go all the way around to the interior.
    If I'm not mistaken that is the way the Nomads were made by the factory.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michaelmotorcycle View Post
    I have a donor 57 150 wagon full quarter panel...but...I just feel wrong using it....but I know if I do use it, I don't have to worry about the above concerns.
    I didn't feel wrong at all just think about it, its an original GM panel. If you reshape the top area, it doesn't even need any welding. And the only part you need from your nomad 1/4 panel is the top part along the side window area--which is nomad specific.

  5. #5
    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by LEE T View Post
    If I'm not mistaken that is the way the Nomads were made by the factory.
    Yes that's the way mine was made. Are other wagons that way too? I wonder why they used a different door jamb on Nomads than on the other cars.
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


    Other vehicles:

    56 Chevy 2-door BelAir sedan
    56 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    57 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    1962 327/340HP Corvette
    1961 Willys CJ3B Jeep
    2001 Porsche Boxster S
    2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
    2019 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax

  6. #6
    Registered Member WagonCrazy's Avatar
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    One main reason no one offers this as you describe, is due to the bad financial equation it represents due to tooling and setup costs.
    In 1955- 8500 Nomads sold
    In 1956- 8000 sold
    In 1957-6500 sold

    Each of these models has DIFFERENT tooling for the rear outer quarter panels.

    So if tooling and manufacturing cost was say $500K for each model, and you could sell every one of them you made for all 3 years, the average COST per unit would be ($1.5 million divided by 23,000) = $65 average manufacturer cost.

    Now before you get excited, that assumption isn't real. All nomads are not around still, and all don't need these parts today. So let's assume only 20% of all Nomad owners today would buy these parts.
    ($1.5 million divided by 4,600)= $326
    If only 10% of these would buy parts, that's ($1.5 million divided by 2,300) =$652 cost.

    Now let's put the 100% markup needed for assuming all the risks to make these, and now that need to sell for $1,304 each.

    All of this math is predicated on assuming a setup cost of $1.5 million dollars for all 3. Maybe in China, but it's probably double that to do it here in the USA...even for those guys who already stamp aftermarket panels.

    Not an easy decision on the business owners part to get into this. Seems risky...low return on effort.
    1957 Nomad- LS1/T56 on C4 chassis
    1959 Fleetside Apache 1/2 ton, shortbed, big window, 327ci.

  7. #7
    Registered Member chevynut's Avatar
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    But Paul, 56 and 57 Nomads share quarter panels with other 2-door wagons and deliveries, except for the side window area that Lee mentioned. Seems like they were able to justify it for the few 55 Nomads built.

    What we have now works with some effort. It's better than beating on a sheet of metal trying to make a quarter panel like they do in Cuba!
    56 Nomad, Ramjet 502, Viper 6-speed T56, C4 Corvette front and rear suspension


    Other vehicles:

    56 Chevy 2-door BelAir sedan
    56 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    57 Chevy 210 4-door sedan
    1962 327/340HP Corvette
    1961 Willys CJ3B Jeep
    2001 Porsche Boxster S
    2003 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Duramax
    2019 GMC Sierra Denali Duramax

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