We bought our 1956 Chevrolet Nomad in 1991 from a private party at the Pomona Swap Meet. Bill had fond memories of riding around with a high school friend who had a '55 Nomad and it had become his dream car. Debbie was very nervous about the purchase because $10,000 was a lot of money when we had two children and another on the way.

About a week after buying the Nomad, Bill was seeking improvements where he met a man who was a member of the California Nomads Car Club. That gentleman never returned to the club but we have been members ever since with Bill having been president for a couple of terms that each lasted around five years.

The tires were in good shape and we love the look of the white walls with the half moon hubs. It wasn't until we had to replace the bias tires that we came to appreciate the benefits of radials; that and adding disk brakes made a world of improvement. Everything has been re-chromed, inside and out. That process took years. It was during this process that Debbie affectionately called the Nomad, "Bill's Mistress."

One of our car club friends had won a 350 engine in a car show raffle. Together, that friend, Bill and our son thoroughly enjoyed replacing the 1957 265 engine with that newly rebuilt 350. It was at this time that we also replaced the power glide transmission with a 200R4.

We put in new upholstery in 2021 and won the Best Tri-Five trophy at the Silverado Days Car Show. Over the years, the Nomad has won various trophies, maybe the new upholstery will bring new trophy opportunities.

We also have a 1965 Chevrolet BelAir but it's not quite at bragging status but it does have a nice, smooth ride. We bought that as a first car/daily driver for the child that Debbie was expecting when we actually bought the Nomad (Kortney who is almost 30 years old).

Our kids virtually grew up in the Nomad, attending many cruises, shows and going with us for drives. Our son, Kody, was one year old when we bought the Nomad and he helped replace the engine. The Nomad was used as the "limo" for Kody's wedding so when the fateful day comes, he will be the next likely owner, keeping it in the family.

Our lives would have been very different if not for having the Nomad. It's mostly the treasured friendships. We have a lot of great friends between the club, various shows and neighbors that we may never have met if not for owning and driving our beloved Nomad. It was used for various charitable events like to chauffeur kids for LHHS Grad Nite and the grads loved it. It's a lot more fun to share the love.

Photos on the page provided by Bill & Debbie and Jason Ruhland.