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View Full Version : Seamless frame/chassis from 57 Nomad -No Rust For Sale..



BamaNomad
10-03-2017, 07:51 AM
In the next couple of weeks, I will be lifting my 57 Nomad body off it's original chassis and it's original rolling chassis will be for sale. This is a '57 Nomad chassis (same as sedans and wagons and with a simple mod or two will work for hardtops also). It is from a Los Angeles built Nomad which spent it's time in southern California, and then Texas prior to being sold to Nashville, Tn area about 10 yrs ago where it began a restoration before I purchased the car earlier this year. The chassis is complete with a 3.55:1 rear end (feels good), Power steering box with power Cylinder, pitman arm linkage, front and rear suspensions, original '57 Nomad wheels (old wide white tires), and spinner wheel covers. The frame is a "smooth" seamless California frame with NO rust! I'm in the north Alabama area not far from southern TN. If you have interest in this PM me or call or email me and we will work out a deal good for you. I would consider delivery within a reasonable distance..

Gary Wylie

NickP
10-03-2017, 11:27 AM
Price might help generate more interest.

BamaNomad
10-03-2017, 02:30 PM
I've priced it to our local chevy club members for $700 as it comes out from under... complete as described... but I have INCENTIVE to pass it along quickly as I have no indoor storage for it once removed...

NickP
10-03-2017, 02:48 PM
I've priced it to our local chevy club members for $700 as it comes out from under... complete as described... but I have INCENTIVE to pass it along quickly as I have no indoor storage for it once removed...
That's a close figure complete.

chevynut
10-03-2017, 02:54 PM
Too bad you're not closer. I am out of seamless frames right now.

BamaNomad
10-12-2017, 07:45 PM
We had a nice day today, no rain in sight, so this afternoon I moved the 56 Nomad, pushed the 57 Nomad onto the lift and began the 'unhooking' of the body from the original chassis... body mounts, removed the steering box/shaft, and prepared to lift the body off the original chassis. After moving out the old chassis (with some pushing help from my wife and neighbors), we pushed the new chassis out of the adjacent bay and back in under the Nomad body... I've got the body/chassis pretty well lined up to drop and body mounts in place, and hopefully will complete the drop tomorrow... I only had 3 hrs this afternoon since I h ad to quit and clean up to go out... (celebrating the neighbor lady's 71st birthday - she's the lady who I've been helping with her new garage and she also helped me push today!).. :)

I'm very anxious to see it 'all the way down' on the chassis' (tomorrow?), but something tells me I should install the engine/trans harnesses before I complete the drop...

Here's some photos if they come thru... PS. Frame is sold...

chevynut
10-13-2017, 07:34 AM
Looking great Bamanomad! Those wheels look great on it.

I'm wondering if you'll have any interference with the front of the upper dogbones and the floor. My chassis usually have slight interference there but I lower the rear of the car as much as I can, and keep the upper dogbone pretty much level.

chevynut
11-19-2017, 09:39 AM
Any updates on the Nomad? It's been over a month so you should be driving it by now, right? :D

BamaNomad
11-19-2017, 07:03 PM
Hi CN.. :) Probably a year or two before it's 'drivable'... and that's if I'm lucky! ;)

I've spent quite a lot of time assisting a neighbor with construction of a detached garage, and I built a fence for them... so time has been limited on my car.. (although I've also helped another friend with his '56 HT build - installing windows and steering mechanism.. etc ).

All I've been able to do the last few weeks on my car: I've removed the body from the original chassis; cleaned and SOLD the original chassis, installed a 2-post lift in my garage to assist with getting the body down on the custom chassis, and trial-fitting and cutting offending parts to allow them to come together. I've had to trim the lower part of the front inner fenders where they interfered with the frame, and also cut out the factory shock mounts from the body where they interfered with a crossmember on the frame, and cut away part of the chassis-supplied gas tank mounts because they interfered with the 'storage compartment' which was put into the body replacing the spare tire well. I also must remove or modify the storage compartment in order to make more room for a custom fuel tank... I also made some plates to cover the holes in the floor where the shock mounts were..

It's been a hassle getting the body sitting right on the frame; Of course the chassis is custom, but also the body had a complete new floor installed prior to my purchase of it, so I've had issues with getting the body down on all mounts without excessive shimming (what IS excessive shimming anyway?).. :) We even made 1/4" thick aluminum spacers for some of the locations, but after installing them I was concerned I was raising the body up too high, so I removed them and made 'half height' rubber isolation mounts for the higher mounts. I'm almost happy with what I have now, although I haven't yet bolted the body down to the chassis.

I should have removed the front fenders/etc before mounting on the frame but I didn't until today when my son in law was here to assist me removing the fenders (and also the tailgate so I can get to the storage compartment...) Today we also trial fitted the AutoRad Radiator/condenser/fans system...

I'm curious about your opinions: Should I clean and clear coat the aluminum assembly, polish it (Nah!), or paint it semi-gloss underhood black?

I've got so much to do to get this car going, I hardly know what to work on next...

chevynut
11-20-2017, 09:53 AM
Should I clean and clear coat the aluminum assembly, polish it (Nah!), or paint it semi-gloss underhood black?

I think that depends on what you intend to do with the rest of the car. Polishing is a lot of work but your radiator is visible and they're kind of "in your face" so imo they need to look good. Not sure I'd spray the radiator with regular paint although I don't know what's typically used. I think it's pretty thin stuff they use. And once it's done, there's no going back.:eek:


I've got so much to do to get this car going, I hardly know what to work on next...

I know exactly how you feel. I had to resort to making up a spreadsheet of projects and what needed to be done before I could do something else. I had a lot of mods that were 80-90% complete and had to focus on finishing everything.

It's looking good though. Are you sure you have EVERYTHING done on the chassis before you drop the body on? I thought I was done and ended up doing a bunch of wiring, more exhaust work, and lots of other details. I don't really want to work under the car any more than I have to.

BamaNomad
11-20-2017, 09:03 PM
I'm thinking of maintaining the 'aluminum' look of the radiator and support, but considering painting the 'flat metal parts' (Not the grills), with the same aluminum/silver paint I used on the engine/trans; that will be easier to clean and maintain the look...

I have MUCH to do to the chassis/underneath before the final body drop, but I wanted to make sure how it was going to 'sit' and how much clearance I had before finishing those up; those include: gas tank (has to be a custom tank), fuel line(s)-regulator/filter, and emergency brake from midpoint to the front of the car. I have the Lokar cables for the rear portion. I'll be VERY glad when I can sit the body down and bolt it; then maybe I can begin putting on some other parts, insulating the inner sheet metal, and beginning the wiring. I got the throttle pedal/cable today from JEGS; I'm anxious to fit it and hopefully ensure how it's going to fit and work and put that out of my mind for awhile... :)

BamaNomad
03-07-2018, 09:27 PM
I finally finished with helping out my neighbor on her new garage; the epoxy floor coating was the last step for me except for assisting her on some small stuff... :)

With Dick's assistance, I worked on the 57 Nomad today; we agreed on a *different* design for the fuel tank (which means I won't have to cut the storage box out as I was thinking); so I called Rick's and hopefully they are working on a quote/feedback on these new tank dimensions.

We also brainstormed and agreed on a design for the parking brake, and we began some fab work on that today. Basically, I'd wanted to use the factory handbrake, and recently had noticed that the original handbrake bracketry would bolt to the body and fit UNDER the driveshat and I began wondering if I could make the rear Lokar components work to the original lever (under the driveshaft). We brainstormed that and made some small brackets to bolt to the frame and hold the cables in position... Hopefully I can finish this in the next few days and i'll make a detailed post to show how it will mount/work. The handbrake should work like the original except for the disk brakes in the rear and the rear 'Lokar' cables... we'll see.. :)

WagonCrazy
03-08-2018, 05:59 AM
Good work Bama. Keep at it!

chevynut
03-08-2018, 06:51 AM
Newman used to sell a e-brake cable kit to adapt the stock e-brake linkage to the C4 brakes. The configuration was just like stock tri5 but the cable replaced the stock one. Personally I wonder if there's enough leverage with the stock handle and frame lever to lock the caliper-style e-brake on the late C4 rear. It might work ok on the drum-type e-brake of the early C4s. I'll be interested to see how it works for you.

BamaNomad
03-08-2018, 06:59 AM
Yes, I have some concern too, but there is a 6:1 leverage advantage in the stock lever. I think some people have made a shorter lever (with less advantage) for mounting on the frame rail, and I'm told they worked...? I didn't like the long routing of the passenger side Lokar cable to get it over to the driver frame rail for the 'normal' Lokar arrangement. If I have to, I can redrill the long lever to reduce/increase the leverage to adjust the leverage/throw of the Pbrake.

OK.. It's time to get out in the shop and see if I can find all the bolts to finish up that job.. :)

chevynut
03-08-2018, 10:02 AM
I think somehow you need to get leverage and I don't think a hand brake with cables that just went to the calipers would work well. I went with a Lokar foot pedal but I'm not sure what the leverage ratio is on that. I routed my Lokar cables both to the driver's frame rail, the passenger one along the back of the floor pan. I personally like that better than having cables under my frame and exhaust. Are you sure the stock lever ratio is 6:1?

567chevys
03-08-2018, 07:58 PM
looks Really good , Like the color and the workmanship Looks Fantastic !



Sid

BamaNomad
03-08-2018, 08:03 PM
I finished up the basic Park Brake installation today, although I will have to remove some parts to treat/paint later before final install.

Yes, the factory P-brake lever has a 6:1 leverage advantage; the hole for the rear brake cables is ~1.5" from the fulcrum point, while the pull handle cable is ~9" from the fulcrum point). I can redrill holes for the pull cable, or the rear brake cables if I need to but I think it will be OK... (will be awhile before I can test this). This is my first attempt to do a full modified/custom car, after doing restoration/preservation on Trifives, Corvettes, Camaros over the past 40 yrs or so. I'm much more comfortable and familiar with restoration of factory parts than selecting/modifying/installing custom parts!.. :) so I wanted to use the pull handle and front section of the factory Park brake mechanism, and modify the Lokar rear section to simulate how the factory rear brake cables functioned. I used only a short section of the Lokar sleeve (19.5"). Dick and I made a bracket for each side to serve as the pull point on the sleeve section. I used a clamp to the frame in the 19" sleeve section to ensure it cannot contact the tire or stabilizer rods for the suspension (cable is ~ 1" from each). I also had to shorten the springs included with the Lokar kit for use with the C4 (1996 rear brakes) pull levers. I had to lift the body up off the frame again to install the two front pullleys for the pull cable, then put it back and lift the full chassis/body to finish the install... See Photos...

chevynut
03-08-2018, 08:41 PM
Looks really good BN. I didn't realize there was that much leverage on that stock lever....thought it was more like 3:1. Let us know how it works as far as travel and how much force you can get on the calipers.

I didn't even use the Lokar spring because the calipers already have a return spring on them. Do you think they're necessary? It might make it easier to work the brake if you eliminate the springs.

What clevis did you use on the end of the cable to connect to the caliper lever?

BamaNomad
03-08-2018, 09:07 PM
The clevis was the recommended Lokar part for use with C4 Corvette brakes *but it may have been the same part as for 9" Ford*... It's been a few months since I purchased it, and not sure I'm remembering correctly... I can check tomorrow and followup .. with the Lokar PN..

PS. I first mounted the Lokar cables/clevis to the C4 brake levers without the spring (spring was too long), and yes, the brake itself has a 'pull back' spring, and Yes, it's probably overkill to use the Lokar springs as well, but I decided to shorten the spring and try them. I may end up removing them...?

chevynut
03-08-2018, 09:25 PM
The clevis was the recommended Lokar part for use with C4 Corvette brakes *but it may have been the same part as for 9" Ford*... It's been a few months since I purchased it, and not sure I'm remembering correctly... I can check tomorrow and followup .. with the Lokar PN..

The reason I ask is that I tried both of them recommended for C4 rearends and neither works very well. :( I ended up using the stainless ones.

BamaNomad
03-09-2018, 06:00 AM
I bought the kit recommended; the Lokar 'Wilwood Clevis Kit' EC-80WC, and I agree with you... I didn't think it was designed very well for the Corvette calipers... Something much more simple and easier to install would have worked better...

chevynut
03-09-2018, 06:11 AM
The issue I have is the stainless clevis hits the rubber cover for the bleeder screw. Not a major problem, but annoying. The stock C4 cable has a swaged end connector that would be a better design. The Wilwood clevis was even worse.

8447

BamaNomad
03-09-2018, 06:22 AM
I like the end you used; which is what I was thinking of when I said something 'more simple' and easier to install would work better! I didn't know what the alternatives were and I bought what 'Lokar recommended'.... and it does suck. So where does one find the clevis ends that you used? Or did you make it yourself? It appears that if the clevis were a little shorter (more compact), it would avoid the issue of hitting the rubber?