Gone Mad ’55 Chevy Nomad

Remember the Gone Mad ’55 Chevy Nomad which headlined the NSRA Street Rod Nationals in 2016? It was the custom build that broke the mold on Tri-Five custom styling. Readers may have seen our coverage of the Nationals and the interview we did with Scott France of Classic Car Studio, the shop that built the custom show car. There has been nothing like it, neither back then, nor ever since. The ’55 Nomad has defined today’s Mod Rod styling and puts Classic Car Studio’s Speed Shop in the top echelon of classic custom builders. If it had debuted at the Detroit Autorama in 2016 it would have won the Ridler Award, no doubt about it. 

Just to jog your memory, here is the interview we did with Scott France at the NSRA Street Rod Nationals back in 2016.

So here is a rare opportunity. This week, Classic Car Studio has put the Gone Mad ’55 up for sale.  Cars On Line newsletter readers will recognize Classic Car Studio as one of our Dealer Network classic car dealers. But they also run a well-known shop in Brentwood, Missouri where they turn out restorations and custom builds like this. It is not at all the common for a high quality build and one-of-a-kind classic custom to be offered for sale to the public while it is still in its fresh show quality condition. (Follow this link to see hundreds of photos of the build and for contact information.)

Because of a reverence for the classic lines of the ’55 Nomad, France said they kept all of the original styling intact and blended it with the Mod Rod styling of today … flat paint and big wheels. The Basf Glasurit paint is called Krazy Kiwi with Truffle Butter Gold, a special mix just for this car. “We took our Billet Specialties wheels and had them shot peened to make them look like cast aluminum from back in the ’50s and ’60s, and had them painted to look like magnesium,” France told us. “We painted all the chrome with Kiwi Green and a Beach Bronze Brown on the top, flat and shiny, still goin’ with today’s style. Still keepin’ the classic lines.” To make that work is a tall order, but you can see they really pulled it off with this build. “I believe we hit it out of the park with this one,” France stated.

In the build photos you will notice a picture of the Roadster Shop Revo chassis with front mounted Flaming River power rack and pinion steering visible. They used a Wilwood Forged Pro spindle, Afco Pro Touring coilovers, ten gauge fully boxed, 4″X4″ frame rails, and Tri-Angulated 4-bar rear suspension. They also used Wilwood brakes and master cylinder.  You can see the 3-inch exhaust ports in the undercarriage photos. 

Signature Custom Build

What is most impressive, France told us all of this work was done at their Brentwood Speed Shop. Most builders have to job out a good portion of the work. The signature Relicate leatherite upholstery sets a leathery Western theme for the interior. The build includes a one piece woodgrain headliner and woodgrain interior trim. The custom fabricated sheet metal door panels, consoles, trunk panel, and mini tubs, plus custom fabricated belly pan were all done in the Classic Car Studio shop.

But the heart of this Gone Mad ’55 Chevy Nomad is in the performance. Power comes from the Shafirrof Racing 509 W Motor producing  625 horsepower. Check this out. 

• World/BMP 409 Aluminum Block w/Steel Billet Caps
• Scat 4340 4.250″ Stroke Steel Crank
• Scat 4340 6.385″ H-Beam Steel Rods
• Clevite 77 “H” Series Main & Rod Bearings
• Custom 10.75-1 Aluminum Pistons w/Coated Skirts
• Total Seal Plasma Moly Ring Set
• Custom 10.75-1 Aluminum Pistons w/Coated Skirts
• 2nd Design Comp “Round Lobe” Billet Hydraulic Roller Cam
• Hi-Rev Pro Series Hydraulic Roller Lifters
• Cloyes Billet True Roller Timing Set w/Torrington Bearing
• Edelbrock 409 Alum. Heads w/SSRE Proprietary CNC Porting
• Manley Custom Stainless 2.250/1.750 Valves
• Isky “Enduro Design” 1.530″ Premium Roller Springs
• ARP Custom Aluminum Block Design Head Stud Kit
• Comp Cams 1.7 Ultra Pro Magnum Roller Rockers
• Edelbrock Large Port Intake w/SSRE Port Matching
• 3” custom stainless exhaust
• 1 ⅞” custom stainless headers

The detail on the engine build is insane. Then couple that to a Bowler 4l80E with Bowler Compushift computer, bolstered by a Billet 9”x11” Triple Disc Lockup stall converter. It puts the power to the ground with a Ford 9″ rear end. 

The drivetrain combinations on this incredible Gone Mad ’55 Chevy Nomad are purely genius. 

It is not often that a custom show car of this quality comes on the market so soon after making the show circuit. This one is still in its prime. Top collectors take note. You could have this in your collection.