Orange Crush

Roger Meyer’s ’56 Nomad took five decades to take shape

- Jason Reiss

One of the most curious things about the automotive enthusiast hobby is that there are so many different reasons someone falls in love with a particular car, engine, or vehicle nameplate. We thought we had heard all of them until we had the opportunity to chat with Roger Meyer about his stunning 1956 Nomad, designed and assembled by Mike McLin Sr. and his team at The Restomod Store in Independence, Missouri.

Taken by itself, the Nomad is definitely a unique vehicle, but what sticks out in Meyer’s mind—and one of the most unique reasons we’ve heard for undertaking a build—is an experience he had many years ago as a young lad working at his first job. “I worked in a gas station in my high school years, and when I first hired on they told me to go out and check the tires, check the oil, fill it up with gas, and wash the windows and all that,” says Meyer.

“They were watching me with this ’56 Chevy and I couldn’t find the filler, so I needed help. Dropping the left taillight was where the filler was, and everyone got a big kick out of my ignorance. The small things in life tend to affect you, and because of this I’ve always loved ’56 Nomads. I had to have one.”

Many years passed between that initial interaction with a ’56 Nomad and the day when Roger brought one home, and even longer to complete—11 years to be exact.

The car—if you could call it that— was purchased from a broker in Austin, Texas, back in 2007. It was purchased in completely disassembled form, with the body removed from the frame and the rest of the pieces scattered about in boxes. He also changed directions several times before finally enlisting The Restomod Store to create the stunning Nomad seen here.