Timing Tower

MIKE SIMPKINS’ 1940 CADILLAC LIMO IS THE TIMINGTOWER.COM NSRA 2026 PICK

admin — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 17:00:13 +0000

In 1940 a Cadillac was one of the most desirable cars in the U.S. and the Model 75 was the flagship of the line. With a high profile and a 140 inch wheelbase the car could be defined as stately and only 48 examples of this limousine were produced. Mike Simpkins found a neglected Model 75 in Fresno covered with a thick layer of dust. It took him 10 years to complete the car as he did the extensive bodywork, painting and machining himself, then sent the car out for upholstery and exhaust. Mike’s labor included a two-inch section and a five-inch top chop of a very long car. Grafting an Escalade chassis under the car kept it all Cadillac and brought the running gear into the modern era. To give his car even more power, Mike dropped in a supercharged Cadillac LSA 6.2 engine. Installation of air suspension at all four corners allows Mike to put the car within inches of the ground. The luxurious interior includes a unique floating console which features LEDs to give the interior a soft glow. Nestled below the original chrome-laden dash is a screen which controls several functions and displays video from the backup camera. Mike did an incredible job of spraying the car with a two-tone finish of PPG Bikini Blue over Cadillac Pearl White. Eighty-six years ago the car was stately, today Mike’s car is downright impressive.

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WESTERN STREET ROD NATIONALS APRIL 24-26, 2026, KERN COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, BAKERSFIELD.

admin — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 02:45:54 +0000

We have conquered the computer gremlins we were experiencing, and this post will continue with overall coverage of the 49th Annual Western Street Rod Nationals, held in Bakersfield, CA April 24-26, 2026. The rain on Saturday, per a damper on the attendance on Sunday, but there were still some very nice and interesting cars in the Fairgrounds. A number of kids were present and enjoying the show with their parents. Above is Zephyr with his Mom. He was looking for his namesake car, but instead chose this outstanding 1937 Plymouth as his favorite. This year NSRA had a feature car exhibit in Building 1. Below are some of the feature cars on exhibit, which included David Fleeman’s 1932 Ford coupe. What started as 1966 Ford Mustang (shown above) was converted into the HemiStang by Daniel Dhondt with a custom front end, a Daytona wing and a Hemi motor. As in past years, NSRA Safety Inspections were offered on Friday and Saturday. This inspection includes a 23-point inspection. This year 62 cars were inspected. This is a valuable service provided free of charge by NSRA and no doubt has helped a lot of rodders get home safely. Sunday the awards ceremonies were held and all the winners were on display. (A following post includes photos of all the winners.) Below is the timingtower.com pick for 2026. This unique 1940 Cadillac Limo belongs to Mike Simpkins from Middleton, Idaho. We’ll have a separate feature on this car soon. The panel truck shown below was the winner of the long distance award. It traveled 2,713 miles from Bath, Pennsylvania to Bakersfield. Once the awards were over the prize-giveaway got underway. Shane was the ticket puller this year and she did an admirable job. There were a lot of valuable and desirable prizes given away, but the big cash prizes were held until the end. This year there were two $2,000 prizes given away at the award ceremony and one $2,000 prize given to an individual selected at 10:00 a.m. Friday from those who pre-registered for the show. In the photo below are the two $2,000 prize winners: Noel Garza on the left and Curtis Tritch, on the right; and Mike Adams, event director is in the middle. This was a great event, even with the rain; and we’re looking forward to next year when the 50th Annual NSRA Western Nats will be held.

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Western National Street Rod Nationals, April 24-26, 2026 Kern County Fairgrounds, Bakersfield, CA

admin — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 23:36:15 +0000

AWARD WINNERS This posting will contain photos of the award winners from the 49th Annual Street Rod Nationals in Bakersfield, CA. We are having computer troubles, and will post info and photos about the rest of the show when we get things sorted out. We’ll also have a feature article with photos of the timingtower.com pick for this year – Mike Simpkins 1940 Cadillac Limo. Check back later for more about the 49th Annual Western National Street Rod Nationals.

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NSRA WESTERN STREET ROD NATIONALS, KERN COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, BAKERSFIELD APRIL 24-26, 2026

admin — Sat, 14 Mar 2026 18:22:56 +0000

SATURDAY – APRIL 25, 2026. Today the weather didn’t cooperate. It was cloudy and windy for most of the day with rain starting to drizzle around 4:00 p.m. Tomorrow promises to be warm and sunny again. There were plenty of cars in the Fairgrounds today and below are a few: The kids had a good time today. These future rodders obviously like this nice red Chevy. Tomorrow the award winners will gather in the winners’ circle prior to the awards ceremony. Following the awards ceremony will be the prize give away and then the 49th Annual Western Street Rod Nationals will be over. By Monday evening we’ll post more information and photos about the show, including the award winners. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ FRIDAY – APRIL 24, 2026 – The Western Street Rod Nationals opened today in the Kern County fairgrounds in Bakersfield. The weather was perfect – warm with sunny blue skies. Typically, Friday does not attract the number of cars or spectators as Saturday and Sunday, but there were still plenty of cars to look at today. Below are some of the cars in the Fairgrounds today: There were some uncommon vehicles like the Chevy Suburban shown below. The car’s owner says this vehicle was used as a school bus in a small rural area, thus the yellow paint. We also saw a couple of really nifty pedal cars with a couple of cute “kids” in them. The weather for tomorrow is not predicted to be as warm as today, but we’re expecting a lot of vehicles and spectators the Fairgrounds. Check back here tomorrow night when we’ll post again. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The National Street Rod Western Nationals will be held on April 24-26, 2026 at the Kern County Fairgrounds in Bakersfield, CA. In addition to the many outstanding vehicles that will be on display throughout the fairgrounds, this year will offer a West Coast Showcase which will feature some of the area’s latest custom builds. This Showcase will be open to commercial builders as well as to the home builder. Anyone wishing to to enter a vehicle in the Showcase should contact event director Mike Adams at 231-838-2077. One car that has applied for the Showcase is David Fleeman’s 1932 Ford coupe, shown below. This outstanding coupe was the timingtower.com award pick in 2024. This year promises to be another excellent show with not only 1,000+ vehicles, several vendors, a swap meet, Women’s World, kid’s games, Friday and Saturday night entertainment, the super prize program, and more. This year the Kern County Fairgrounds (NOT NSRA) has instituted some new policies such as a prohibition on glass bottles. All the new policies are explained in Street Scene. We’ll be on hand to cover the event and will post updates as the show goes on, and will have a complete story with photos and awards winners after the event closes. We’re looking forward to another great show.

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