Modern Rodding Feature
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High-performance LT5 engine under the hood of a 1955 Chevrolet Nomad Bel Air
nomad delight typography
The Kennons’ 1955 Chevy Nomad Checks all the Boxes
By Brian brennan Photography by NOTSTOCK PHOTOGRAPHY
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he 1955 Chevy Nomad is a beloved classic car that has become a favorite among hot rod enthusiasts. The Nomad stands out on the road with its unique two-door station wagon body style and iconic design (one-of-a-kind roof). Its sleek lines, chrome accents, and distinctive grille make it a real head-turner. To the credit of Gerry and Melinda Kennon of Georgia and Will Posey of Big Oak Garage (BOG) of Alabama for recognizing these worthwhile and distinctive features and not trying to change something just because you can! They joined forces and produced a winner.

The 1955 Chevy Nomad becomes even more impressive when transformed into a hot rod. Car guys often enhance the Nomad’s performance by adding a powerful engine, such as a Chevy LT5, to give it that extra kick on the road. The LT5 is a supercharged V-8 exclusively intended for the 2019 Corvette, a C7 with the optional ZR1 package. (Similar to the 6.2L LT4 but with a larger supercharger and throttle body, a stronger crankshaft, and a new dual fuel injection system to yield 755 hp and 715 lb-ft of torque.) A combination of Holley and Speartech was used for the engine, transmission management, and wiring solution to make this potent V-8 and 10-speed suitable to work within its new home under the hood of a 1955 Chevy Nomad. BOG jumped on the header and exhaust project based on a pair of Ultimate Headers, and from there the project was accomplished in-house. Borla stainless steel mufflers are also part of the spent gases system. A custom radiator from U.S. Radiator and a heat exchanger for the supercharger by Brice Thomas Radiator were additional selections.

We should also mention that this LT5 is a dry-sump oiling system requiring a pair of oil tanks; one was hidden behind each headlight. Talk about plumbing, as the pair of oil reservoirs are “co-plumbed” from container to container to the engine and then from the engine back to the rear reservoir. Another tank is the gas tank that comes from Rick’s Tanks and has a pair of submersible ZL1 pumps. Since we are touching on plumbing, we should note that the transmission attached to our LT5 is a 10L80E (yes, a 10-speed, like your bike used to have, well, sort of!), and it, too, has a pump located in the rear of the Nomad requiring more plumbing. Throw in the Vintage Air Gen 5 Climate Control System, which is entirely electronic, and the electric power steering pump to the rack-and-pinion and you can see plumbing became a full-time project. To make everything fit, the power steering pump on the Billet Specialties Tru-Trac serpentine system had to be eliminated. In its place, a separate EPAS Performance electric power steering pump is used, linking itself to the rack-and-pinion.
Cargo area of the 1955 Chevrolet Nomad Bel Air featuring black carpet and red leather accents
Rear bench seat of the 1955 Chevrolet Nomad Bel Air, upholstered in rich red leather
Passenger side of the 1955 Chevrolet Nomad Bel Air dashboard with the iconic Bel Air script and clock
The body of the 1955 Chevy Nomad is “almost” stock. According to Will of BOG, they did modify the bumpers a bit. All the sheetmetal bodywork was prepped in-house at BOG. At the same time, the two-tone color combo made up of BASF Diamont in Copper Glow Metallic for the roof and Diamont D403/Q Basecoat Black, a solid color for the body, was sprayed on, again, in-house by Jake Meadows. From here, the reworked bumpers and the trim were beautifully treated by Advanced Plating, who handled all the brightwork on the car.
1955 Chevrolet Nomad Bel Air interior with custom red leather upholstery, featuring a classic steering wheel and modern shifter
Custom red leather bucket seats in a 1955 Chevrolet Nomad Bel Air with matching center console
Side profile of a 1955 Chevrolet Nomad Bel Air, emphasizing its low-slung stance and custom wheels
Much effort was put into this 1955 Nomad, so why wouldn’t we expect the underside to be just as exemplary? The Chevy wagon rests on an Art Morrison Enterprises custom chassis with Slam Specialties airbags and Strange adjustable shocks in the front. The chassis was set up with a 116-inch wheelbase, a front ride height of 5-3/4 inches with airbags, and 10-1/2 inches with airbags in the rear. The ride height to the bottom of the frame was projected to be 4-1/2 inches.
Close-up of the 1955 Chevrolet Nomad Bel Air's rear taillights and chrome trim detail
Ridetech tapered sleeve air springs are used in the back, while Baer Extreme+ brakes are used at the corners. The Baer brakes come with a monoblock six-piston, 6S caliper mounted to a 14-inch, two-piece slotted, drilled, and zinc-plated rotors. A Baer master cylinder with Kugel Komponents pedal assembly makes the brakes work. More corner adornments include the Schott Magnitude wheels measuring 20×8.5 and 5-inch backspace and 20×11 and 5.5-inch backspace with Pirelli Redline by Diamond Back Classics paired with 255/35R20 and 325/35R20 tires.
Detailed view of the custom red leather-wrapped shifter and window switches in a 1955 Chevrolet Nomad Bel Air
Inside, the factory dash retains its black metal upper, the mid panel is leather-wrapped, and the lower portion is painted flat copper. Note that the mid panel has four Vintage Air A/C registers supporting the Vintage Air Gen 5 system: a pair in front of the driver and a pair in front of the passenger—cool climes. The radio slot was eliminated. To this, a full complement of Dakota Digital instruments is the RTX-55C-X, which is their direct fit for the 1955-1956 and part of their Retrotech grouping. From here, everything was wired to the main panel through an American Autowire system implemented while at BOG. Also accompanying the dash is a Flaming River tilt column with a factory-style wheel cut down from 16 to 18 inches in diameter to 15 by American Retro. The custom upholstered interior was done at Built By Ricky in blood-red leather accented by black carpeting. The center console is a custom piece that houses the shifter, Specialty Power Windows window rockers, and storage compartment. We would be remiss if we didn’t mention that Nu-Relics power vent windows were also used. The center console is upholstered in the same leather as the 1962-1963 Ford Thunderbird buckets and the custom rear bench.
1955 Chevrolet Nomad Bel Air wagon with a custom lowered stance and polished chrome accents
1955 chevy nomad lt5 kennon big oak garage
Custom leather interior of a 1955 Chevrolet Nomad Bel Air featuring a retro dashboard and center console
The 1955 Chevy Nomad hot rod embodies the spirit of American muscle cars from the 1950s. It symbolizes freedom, power, and nostalgia for a bygone era. With its classic styling and updated performance, the Nomad is a true masterpiece that will turn heads wherever it goes. We can only say that the Kennons have a mighty fine example of Americana, and Big Oak Garage truly pulled it off.
Modern Rodding

VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 49 • 2024

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