Jon Bon Jovi kicked off his career with a guitar, three chords, and a dream. Twenty years later he's still a man on the move. He's the lead singer for the super group that bears his name, a band that's preparing a CD box set commemorating 100,000,000 albums sold. He's starred in several hit movies like U-571, as well as on the popular Ally McBeal television show, and he's co-owner of the Philadelphia Soul arena football team. His mind is constantly filled with lyrics and recordings, just as you'd expect from a musician of his stature.
That's just the public Bon Jovi, though; there's plenty more that you probably don't know about him. Down deep he's just a Jersey kid who made it big, and his down-to-earth demeanor might surprise you. Bon Jovi is also a dedicated family man and friend. One of his closest friends is Obie O'Brien, the sound engineer for Bon Jovi and longtime partner in the biz. Bon Jovi and O'Brien have been blessed with talent and success beyond their wildest dreams, but as car folk, equally important is their love of early American iron.
It might not be surprising that these guys have some pretty cool cars-don't all rock legends? What might surprise you are the types of cars in their garages. Naturally, both have modern transportation for the daily commute, but their toys-their favorites-are the type of which ROD & CUSTOM dreams are made. Bon Jovi's top ride is a '57 Nomad, dressed in black with big-block power. It sits neatly next to his blue '70 Chevelle SS convertible that rarely sees the top up. O'Brien, on the other hand, prefers his highboy Deuce, a traditional-style rod motivated by a tri-carb nailhead Buick. It lives next to a white '59 Caddy that was coming apart for restoration when we saw it.
"My first car was a '63 Buick Special they towed to my house," Bon Jovi says. "It was all I could afford at the time, but eventually I got it to run and learned a lot. You just can't learn to work on today's cars; you need classic cars for that. After I made some money, I had musclecars like a '69 Camaro and a '67 Mustang. I also had a 308 Ferrari and a few others, but there's no affection for new cars, not like the passion people have for older cars."
Perhaps that's why he is so hot for the Nomad, which is used for local cruising and family jaunts to the Jersey Shore. We don't have to tell you that '55-57 Nomads have had a cult following through the years thanks to their limited production and sporty, high-class styling. Today you can find one in just about any condition from rusted to restored. Bon Jovi could afford the best of the best, but he opted for a "driver" that's hot rodded just enough to have some fun.
Under the dual-gunsight hood sits a '70-model 454, bored and stuffed with TRW 10:1 slugs and an Eagle crank and rods. The valvetrain consists of a Comp cam and lifters, Manley springs, and stock rockers. An Edelbrock Performer intake and Edelbrock Q-Jet handle induction chores. "It's got kick when you need it, but it's surprising how well it handles," Bon Jovi says. "It's actually really easy to drive."
Those road manners come courtesy of a rebuilt front suspension with Eibach springs and a new antiroll bar. Out back are new leaf springs and coilover shocks. The '57 has four-wheel disc brakes and rides on BFGoodrich tires wrapped around American Racing Torq-Thrust wheels. The rear is a 12-bolt with 3.73:1 gears.
O'Brien's '32 coupe is equally as impressive and is driven hard and often near his home in southeastern Pennsylvania. "I use the car all the time. You can see it's got chunks of paint missing because the tires kick up rocks and stuff," O'Brien says.