Celebrities seem to have it all: fabulous houses, the biggest TVs and plenty of luxury cars. In the case of Tonight Show host Jay Leno, we should make that lots and lots of cars. With a verifiable fleet of classic rides, it's hardly surprising that Leno is good friends with the man he entrusts them to, master mechanic Dave Killackey. And Killackey gives such TLC to Leno's cars that Leno decided to return the favor with the help of Chip Foose and Overhaulin'.
Killackey's 1956 Chevy Nomad, which turned out to consist of equal parts rust and steel, went under the saw. While the Overhaulin' crew tackled the intensive bodywork and performance upgrades, Ed Golden and his crew from Golden Customs (Colm Derasmo, Gregorio Martinez, Ryan Ellis and Tom O'Donnell) started their A/V upgrade. Foose's mandate for the audio portion of the build was stealth, plain and simple. Killackey's son, Dave Killackey, Jr., also provided invaluable input about his father's audio tastes. "He talked us out of the six 15s in the back," Golden reveals.
For the head unit, Golden intended to hide a single-DIN in the glove compartment. The team thought they'd have plenty of room, but on the sixth day of the build, they discovered that the aftermarket air conditioning unit would be located in the same place. With not enough room for both essentials, Golden located the body of the HU deeper within the dash and wired the faceplate in the original intended location.
Kicker SS65.2 components served as both rear and front speakers. Behind black grilles, the front components discreetly lodge in the kickpanels. Golden and Co. then tucked the rear fill into the side rear panel directly behind the front seats. Then came the super-stealthy 0.35ft3 enclosures for the 8" Kicker L7 Solobarics (a long way from those 15s Golden had first schemed of). The waterproofed boxes actually hide in the inside quarter panel where the doors close. An MDF panel covered in grille cloth trims them in.
For the amps, the Golden Customs team envisioned a design that filled the rear cargo area. They even started building the framework that would incorporate a classic Chevy logo, but when Foose came back from a day under the weather, it got chucked in the dumpster. Specifically, Foose didn't want the amps to be so prominent because their styling would date the installation. Plus, he wanted to retain the rear seats' ability to fold down. So, Golden started fresh, this time building the amprack in the spare tire well. Also back here, the Optima YellowTop battery hides behind a rear quarter panel with the Tsunami fuse and distribution blocks nearby.
After the Nomad's unveiling to a very appreciative owner, the vehicle has gone on to park at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, CA. After its exhibition stint, it will return to Killackey's care, where he intends to save, preserve and enjoy it. Killackey thanks Leno, Foose, producer Bud Brutsman, the Killackey family, the Overhaulin' crew, and Golden and his team for "adding a special touch."