Rebirth of the American Genesis
In
1954, Chevrolet displayed a radical new vehicle known as the Nomad.
Styled after and built upon the C1 Corvette, the Nomad was a 3-door
family-hauler that invented the “Sport Wagon.” The public loved the
design and GM enthusiastically put the Nomad into production- without
any corvette styling. 55 years later, Superior Glass Works has decided
to produce a modern version of perhaps the greatest American Sport Wagon.
The
modern rendition is also based on the corvette. Starting with a C5
chassis and suspension, the Oregon-based company completely recreates
the 1954 body in fiberglass. Best of all, the 54 Sports Wagon can be had
with a 6-speed manual and an LS small block V8. Because the engine bay
can accommodate any GM LS-series, those with a deep pocket book can have
their own supercharged 638hp LS9 powered Corvette Sport Wagon. With
this custom engine option, the 54 Sports Wagon will certainly need
the optional 10.5 inch wide rear tires. Ready, set, time to start
saving…..now.
Source: Superior Glass Works
Specifications
Engine: Any Chevrolet LS Small Block V8
Common Applications: LS2 (400hp), LS3 (436hp), LS9 (638hp)
Transmission: Corvette 6-speed manual (or Corvette automatic transaxle)
Drivetrain: Front engined, rear wheel drive
Chassis: C5 Corvette (97-05)
Suspension: C5 Corvette
Roof Height: ~54 inches
Price: Starting at $125,000 USD
Production: Limited Run of 25 examples
Superior
Glass Works delivers a rolling chassis to the customer- ready to be
customized with an LS-series GM V8, custom paint, and a custom interior.
Here are photos of the rolling chassis before customization begins:
The Superior 54 Sport Wagon Project History
The
Superior 54 Sport Wagon project was started in the 1980s by an
individual trying to build his own piece of history. The years went by
and the project languished. In 2004, Superior Glass Works acquired the
unfinished dream. Five more years and many thousands of hours later, the
Superior 54 Sport Wagon is available…at last.
The journey was
one that combined old-school craftsmanship and leading-edge technology.
One of the most significant pieces of this project was to create the
‘plug’ – the body from which a mold could be made. Without an original
body to start with, the plug was build using wood, foam, fiberglass,
body filler, steel and anything else that would yield the desired form.
These materials were shaped entirely by hand using only simple tools to
create an extremely accurate model from which the molds were made.
The
next phase of the project blasted our team into the modern era of
product design and development. The now-perfect plug was imaged with a
3-D scanner, producing electronic files of the body from every angle.
These were handed off to a CAD drafter to digitally create all of the
body and window trim pieces. Rapid-prototyping technology was utilized
to produce each part in full scale that were then installed on the body.
After final hand-fitting of each trim piece, the master parts were
finished and ready for production and chrome.
Since we were
building a Corvette tribute car, it only seemed fitting to use the
high-performance 1997-2005 C5 Corvette suspension under the skin.
Leveraging decades of in-house street rod and racing chassis experience,
and working with our friends at Art Morrison Enterprises, we designed a
chassis from the ground up to meet our exact specifications. Art
Morrison then built it up in their leading edge chassis production
facility and we have a world-class platform on which this car will
drive.
Many challenges were encountered and all were overcome
through hard work, innovation, and creativity. Superior Glass Works
received a lot of help from many people along the and we would like to
thank and recognize them here:
Body - Legendary Styling. 21st Century Performance.
The
1954 Motorama show introduced a car that was revolutionary in its day: A
Corvette-based wagon that blended sleek sports car styling with wagon
practicality. Modern in its time, timeless in its appeal, the Chevrolet
Nomad concept became more than a car. It became a legend.
Manufactured
with the highest-quality, hand-laid composite and reinforced with a
stout steel sub-structure, the body is skillfully built with every
attention to detail, including a complete set of custom-crafted window
glass and chrome trim. The body’s stunning looks are enhanced by modern
conveniences such as power windows, power door locks and air
conditioning.
Your
Complete Rolling Package will be delivered with the body and chassis
fully assembled — ready for you to add paint, interior, engine, wiring
and other personal touches to create the Retro, Custom, or Pro-Touring
look you want.
The fore-father to the famous 1955-56-57 Chevy Bel
Air Nomad, the prototype 1954 Motorama show car introduced the world to
the 'form before function' sport wagon. The Superior 54 is true in
size, proportion, and function to the prototype.
Clean lines and an exquisite balance of window height to the lower body really set this car apart.
One
of the most dramatic and difficult to reproduce features of this car is
the radically sloped windshield that wraps down and around to the
A-pillars. Each windshield is custom made and included with each
Complete Rolling Package.
A
close up view of the windshield, shown in the green tint commonly used
in the 50's. The windows are also available in clear or a light gray
smoke tint. Also note the removable cowl vent panel. This can be fixed
in place, smoothed over, or made functional. NOTE: Shown with prototype
window trim. Production trim is at the chromer.
Those
teeth! Possibly the most famous grill in American automotive history
still looks great after all these years. Top quality reproduction grill
teeth, bumpers, and headlight rings are included and installed with each
Complete Rolling Package. The chrome fender and door spears are custom
made for this car. They differ from the trim used on the production
Corvettes in that the fin points down instead of up. This historically
correct detail adds to the authenticity of each Superior 54 Sport Wagon
and is also visually stunning.
Side
sliding windows are functional, included, and installed. We use
reproduction Nomad stainless trim and window gaskets to seal and finish
the joint where the two windows meet. Power door windows are also
standard with each Superior 54.NOTE: Shown with prototype window trim.
Production trim is at the chromer
This
is a sports car, not the family wagon, and it has the stance to match.
Low to the ground but still quite drivable as all the suspension,
driveline, and exhaust sit within the frame rails and do not hang down.
Roof height is elbow-high on this 6-foot tall man, or about 54". This
will vary depending on suspension settings and wheel/tire choice.
Ready
to accept original or reproduction 1953 Corvette dashboard parts
including the speedometer bezel, speaker bezel, and gauges. Corvette
experts will note that the dashboard has been widened several inches on
either side on the center gauge cluster as the Superior 54 is wider than
the original Corvette.
The
one-piece fiberglass floor lays directly on the frame rails and is
bolted down prior to installing the body. Additional balsa and Coremat
reinforcement will be added later in the production process.
The
Superior 54 Sport Wagon chassis is equipped with modern,
high-performance, C5 Corvette suspension that not even the renowned
auto-innovator Harley Earl could have imagined. Designed and built in
partnership with Art Morrison Enterprises, Inc., the chassis brings
today's sports car technology to this classic.
An Art Morrison
perimeter frame built to our specifications serves as the sturdy and
capable foundation for this sports car. We use low-mileage, original
equipment 1997 – 2004 Corvette suspension components as the basis for
the Superior 54 chassis. We add Art Morrison’s front cross member,
steering arm, sway bar, and power rack and pinion steering to the stock
Corvette control arms, spindles, and brakes. Hi-performance coil over
shocks replace the stock leaf spring. The independent rear-end and
transaxle are bolted to the frame using a narrowed stock cradle, with
the half-shafts and leaf spring narrowed accordingly.
Your
Complete Rolling Package will be delivered with the Body and Chassis
fully assembled—ready for you to add paint, interior, engine, wiring and
other personal touches to create the Retro, Custom, or Pro-Touring look
you want.
The Chevy LS-V8 motor mounts are provided and
installed. These custom motor mounts are insulated at the frame with
urethane bushings. We have this design in hundreds of high-performance
chassis over the years for everything from mild-small blocks up to blown
big-blocks.
Complete Rolling Chassis.
Includes
Corvette C5 front and rear suspension, transaxle (6-speed shown),
brakes lines, torque tube and driveshaft. Wheels, tires, and engine not
included.
Using the
torque-tube from the shorter-wheelbase C5 required we stretch it and the
driveshaft. The brake lines and exhaust will route through under the
center stiffening plate, but not hang below the frame rails.
Close up shot of the Corvette IRS. All of the original components and geometry are maintained.
Narrowed half-shaft in the C5 rear suspension
