The 1955-57 Chevys are some of the most popular, iconic cars ever made. And Chevy made gajillions of them. That’s why there are still so many littered across the country rusting away. But that doesn’t make these images of abandoned, rusty tri-five Chevy hulks any easier to look at. But hey, that’s what Rusty Monday is for. Let’s take a swing through the 1950s and see some rusty relics we’d love to get our hands on.

1956 Nomad

We’ll start out with a shot sure to make you a little crazy. This is a 1956 Nomad. Chevy’s sporty wagon only lasted three years in this form before going on to become the top-of-the-line four-door wagon. Those later Nomads are great collector cars as well, but the tri-five Nomads are the best-looking and most desirable. While this one looks to have been rescued, sitting outside in this condition means it won’t be long before the effort to restore it won’t be worth it. Then, it will either get parted out, or if it’s too far gone it will probably sit until there is nothing left.

1955 Chevy two-door sedan

Tucked away and out of view, this 1955 two-door sedan looks like it would be a fun save. Anything it is missing, like the glass and front bumper, is readily available as reproductions. We see a grille and what looks to be some under the hood sheet metal inside. We also see a piece of trim leaning against the trunk lid. With no windows, we expect that the floors have rust, but overall this looks to be a worthwhile candidate for rejuvenation.

1955 Chevy drag car

Another 1955 two-door sedan, this one has seen some drag racing action. The radiused rear fenders, no bumper, and American Daisy mag wheels point to a life taken in quarter-miles. Or maybe it was just a street rat. Whatever, it deserves to be brought back to its former glory. 

1957 Bel Air

While we expect to see four-door sedans abandoned we are surprised to find this two-door Bel Air two-door hardtop. From the limited image provided it looks to be fairly complete. We even expect that missing trim piece to be laying in the back seat. With the greenery growing in the trunk means there are rusty floors this hulk needs to be back on the road.

1957 Chevy sedan

This 1957 sedan would be tough to justify what it might take to get back to drivable condition. Still, it looks to be dry with some nice body panels. It could, however, provide valuable parts for something like the earlier Bel Air two-door hardtop. But if one could snag this on the cheap there would be nothing wrong with cruising this heap in style. Four-doors are better than no-doors.

1956 eight-door Chevy bus

Our final tri-five candidate is a novelty for sure. These coach-built stretch jobs are quite unique and rare. They’re also an expensive proposition from a restoration standpoint. With six doors over the optimal two, there is exponentially more work. And the cost. But the reward of a unique 1956 Chevy passenger-bus that most have never seen should make this compelling alone.

This won’t be a garage-built project as it won’t fit in any home garage we know of. How many of these could be left? You might have the only one. Whatever is the case let’s hope this long, long roof found an owner restoring it as you read this.