Everyone loves a Chevelle. It’s an iconic nameplate that spent years on the market as the Chevrolet’s top-of-the-range vehicle. But what’s good about a 1968 Chevrolet Chevelle Nomad station wagon that’s been rotting in a field for 25 years? Well, for classic car prospectors – they are worth more than a treasure trove.
Thomas Mortske of Mortske Repair has a knack for finding classic cars and getting them running. Last week, he was working on an abandoned 1963 Buick Riviera that had been left for 27 years in a barn. He was lucky to get it fired and running in a couple of days.
“Today, we are going to see if we can get a 1968 Chevrolet Nomad Station Wagon back on the road that hasn’t been running for nearly 30 years,” Mortske said.
This week’s find wasn’t as straightforward as last week. For starters, the 1968 Chevrolet Nomad Station Wagon find had been lying in a field deteriorating for 25 years. It had a reasonably repairable body, but a few whisky dents, a worrisome interior, and some missing windows.
The property also had a bunch of other classic cars rotting in the field, including some classic minivans and camper vans, a 1971 Chevrolet Dually flatbed, a 1955 Chevy hot rod, a 1935 Dodge truck, and a 1970 Chevrolet truck.
This 1968 Chevrolet Nomad station wagon belonged to the property owner’s grandfather, who used it for grocery shopping. It’s been off the road since 1997 (25 years). Mortske speculates it could have around 134,000 miles (215, 652 kilometers) on the odometer.
Under the hood, the 1968 Chevrolet Nomad station wagon had a small block, two-barrel engine. The engine block looked good, but there were a few red flags. The carburetor was very stiff, and the oil on the deep stick smelt gassy. Mortske had a bad feeling the engine could be locked-up.
After checking the plugs, and the lines, he cranked it for the first time. It turned a little but did not fire. But after fiddling over the engine and adding some “hot sauce,” it fired back to life.
There was some noise, but Mortske was sure it was the water pump. “These small blocks, so easy even a caveman can do it,” he said.
He’s selling it for $2,250 “as is,” but the new owner should be prepared to deal with a mice infestation, rusty floor, fuel, faulty accelerator and water pump, among other repairs.
Humphrey is a car enthusiast whose love and passion for automobiles extended into collecting, writing, driving, and working on cars. He got his passion for cars from his Dad, who spent thousands of hours working on his old junky 1970 E20 Toyota Corolla. Years later, he would end up doing the same with a series of lemons he’s owned throughout his adult life. Full profile
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