Contact:
Michael Dobrin / Michael Dobrin Public Relations (Northern California)
Phone: (510) 865-8005 / Fax: (510) 865-2003
Email: mdobrin@mdpr.com
Michael Dobrin / Michael Dobrin Public Relations (Seattle)
Phone: (206) 264-1010 / Fax: (206) 264-1236
Email: mdobrin@mdpr.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ORIGINAL "MR. GASKET" '55
NOMAD UNDERGOING COMPLETE REDESIGN; CAR
TO BE A MAJOR SHOW ATTRACTION
PORTLAND, OR (August 23, 1999) -- The original Joe Hrudka "Mr. Gasket" 1955 Chevy Nomad custom of the early '70's has been purchased by its original owner, entrepreneur Marshall Chesrown of Wheatland, CO, and is undergoing major re-engineering and reconstruction at the Steve Frisbie works here for display in four major year 2000 West Coast hot rod and custom car expositions.
Show
Promoter Dan Cyr gets an advance look at work in progress on the famed "Mr.
Gasket" Nomad now undergoing rebuilding and re-engineering at the shops of
builder Steve Frisbie (right)
Amalgating stylized themes from both '55 and '57 Nomads, rod builder Frisbie and his 'round-the-clock' crews are completely rebuilding the sleek steelie to incorporate '98 Corvette front and rear suspension with power provided by a 420-horsepower ZR1 engine running through a 'Vette transaxle.
The Nomad, which has been designed by Chip Foose - and which will be displayed with a specially-fabricated trailer bearing a Ron Simms custom Harley-Davidson (Simms is Builder of the Year at the Grand National Roadster Show) – will be a feature attraction at four West Coast events produced by Dan Cyr Enterprises. The shows are the Grand National Roadster Show, January 6-9 at San Francisco's Cow Palace; the 50th Sacramento Autorama at Cal Expo February 2-6; the Portland Rod & Custom Show at the Portland Expo Center February 17-20; and the Seattle Roadster Show at the new Stadium Exhibition Center March 9-12.
Fabricated about a welded steel subframe matrix, the Nomad has an extended wheelbase, is about six inches wider than the original and will roll at a low, low 49-inch wheel to roof height.
"The only original parts of the Nomad," Frisbie explains at his bustling Steve's Auto Restoration complex in Portland, "are part of the hood, the tops of the front fenders and the taillights. We've integrated '57 Nomad wheel openings into '55 front fenders."
"Our cars are always drivers, so this vehicle will be capable of the performance potential we've built into it."
At press time, colors had not been determined - nor had the design team settled on such fine points as employing either the original hooded ellipse '55 headlights, or opting for the more radical reclining Plymouth Sniper lamps.
Traditional
ellipses or Sniper style? Dan Cyr is leaning toward the radical Plymouth
Sniper-style headlamps as he recently toured the Steve's Auto Restoration shop
with owner Steve Frisbie to review work in progress on the Nomad
"We're proud to have this historic vehicle headed for our West Coast shows," said promoter Dan Cyr. "The combination of Steve's first-class engineering and fabrication with Chip Foose's design should add another high point to our expanding lineup of show cars."
Link to Steve's Auto Restorations website