farmer1 Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 (edited) Started the 55 Nomad pickup conversion several years ago with the old AMT trophy series kit and finally finished it up, I was pretty happy with it other than pickup bed seems kinda unfinished. Now I wondered how a 56 might look done the same way but with much a more finished bed area. Halfway through the 56, a 57 seemed like the next member of the family so I started that one too. Here's where they are today. What do ya think ? used the top from a newer AMT Nomad kit, wish I hadn't it's some kind of strange rubbery brown plastic, very hard to work with almost went with more of a stock look ended up a little more custom and lowered Edited December 15, 2013 by farmer1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my name is nobody Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 very nice. I always like tri-five chevies. seeing them built as a El Camino is pretty cool. nice work on that '56. my favorite year of all the tri-fives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmer1 Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 Here's some of the work on the 57. Finding a suitable kit to start with was a lot tougher than I thought, all the Nomad kits I could find seemed poorly proportioned, the Monogram kit has a strange looking windshield opening and side trim is way too wide for the available photo etch pieces, the old Revell kit with the opening doors is a warped thin brittle and poorly engraved piece. Finally took the AMT pro shop 57 hardtop kit and the Monogram Nomad kit to make it. The AMT is 1/25, Monogram is 1/24 but the wheelbase is the same and the width at tailights is the same ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadianKronik Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Nice work on the conversions, i like the 57 the best. Cant wait to see it painted up, would like to see it in a deep deep candy apple red, that would set it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Clean cuts and body work This trio of Chevys are nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CorvairJim Posted March 5, 2012 Share Posted March 5, 2012 Your "prehistoric El Caminos" look GREAT! I have a '55 Elky in the works myself. Like you, I got rid of the flange AMT put on the pickup roof piece to cover the cut, preferring to blend the two pieces together for a more factory look. I'm going a different route with mine: Mine will be a work truck as I envision Chevy would have built it. Like the Sedan Delivery, it will be in base 150 Series trim - the Nomad fender and door trim has gone away. I recontoured the rear wheel openings to the shape used on the other wagons and sedans, not the radiused look they used on the Nomad. I'll even be substituting a straight-6 for the 265 V-8. Blackwalls and poverty caps will finish off the stripper look. I have a number of other builds in line in front of it at the moment (for CBP's with deadlines... ), but I hope to have it back on the bench by fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmer1 Posted March 12, 2012 Author Share Posted March 12, 2012 I agree John, I think the 57 will be red, and I'll keep an eye out for yours Jim, I like the sound of it and hope you post it when you get to it, meanwhile here's a little progress, did some interior work, looks like I need to thin down the horn ring, and made a rear window and a molding to go around it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Irwin Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Not a fan of phantoms but those look great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Kucaba Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Great job! Love the phantoms Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnag4004 Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 They look great, my favourite is the Yellow and Black one, love the colour combo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazyjim Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Looking good - and SHINY :) too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DustyMojave Posted March 13, 2012 Share Posted March 13, 2012 There used to be a guy who lived here in my neighborhood who had a 57 Nomad Extended Cab El Camino. He had a Nomad with the back part of the roof rusted through, and he found another which had been sitting with the back part under a shed and the front was rusted. So he combined them and had the roof longer by a small 1/4 window behind the door. Then he had the upper half of the tailgate on the back of the roof and the lower part in its stock location. It had a storage area behind the front seat. It actually looked factory. The same guy also built a 56 Chevy Extended Cab pickup on a longbed frame. Neither was nicely painted, though the pickup did get a candy green with flames paint job after several years of driving in purple primer. Still neither was ever "Show" quality. The bodywork was quite well done, but the overall finish on both was more rat rod daily driver than magazine stuff. Still VERY cool stuff. This build brought them immediately to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmer1 Posted January 31, 2013 Author Share Posted January 31, 2013 (edited) Finally finished up the 56, I had set it aside because the seam in the roof reared its ugly head and I figured it would need repainted. The other day I thought what have I got to lose so I wet sanded it and luckily didn't go through the clear, I was able to polish it back out and it looks okay now. Got the photo etch set mainly for the grill, used the hood emblem, some scripts and the wipers too, man are those things a pain ! I like the way it turned out, now Im' pumped up to work on the 57. Did some bodywork on the 57 and picked out some wheels, think I'll flip the spindles and lower it a little. Thinking a nice red for this one ? Edited December 15, 2013 by farmer1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gluhead Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Sharp...all three of 'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
farmer1 Posted December 15, 2013 Author Share Posted December 15, 2013 finally finished up the '57, lots of trim work on these things ! I'll post some pics of all 3 under glass soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrecker388 Posted December 15, 2013 Share Posted December 15, 2013 Awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davewilly Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Those are beautiful! Very nice work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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