{"id":545420,"date":"2017-03-03T01:59:49","date_gmt":"2017-03-03T09:59:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bangshift.com\/?p=545420"},"modified":"2017-03-01T08:05:49","modified_gmt":"2017-03-01T16:05:49","slug":"cruise-coverage-the-simpson-automotive-cruise-brought-out-some-neat-stuff","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bangshift.com\/bangshift-galleries\/gallery\/cruise-coverage-the-simpson-automotive-cruise-brought-out-some-neat-stuff\/","title":{"rendered":"Cruise Coverage: The Simpson Automotive Cruise Brought Out Some Neat Stuff!"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Words and photos by Doug Gregory) –\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Third time trying to write up this event.\u00a0 This event popped up on my facebook feed and seemed interesting.\u00a0 It was at a place I hadn\u2019t been before and as an added plus was near a cousin I hadn\u2019t seen in 30 years.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0I also figured the fall colors would be in full force up through new countryside I had yet to see.\u00a0 This cruise hadn\u2019t been a long time in the making.\u00a0 Family and friends of Paul Simpson put it together to raise his spirits and try raising a little money to help with a pile of medical bills.<\/p>\n

Lets back up a bit and see how motorheads pull together and help each other.\u00a0 Paul Simpson is the patriarch of a gearhead family.\u00a0 As a young man he\u2019d done everything from kart racing to drag racing.\u00a0 At age 56 he fulfilled a life-long ambition to go dirt track racing.\u00a0 The kids all have memories of riding in the family \u201955 Nomad to races and shows.\u00a0 Parenting done right.\u00a0 Along his path he made a lot of friends, helped plenty of folks, and built up a treasure chest of memories.\u00a0 That same \u201955 Nomad has been in the family for decades and you can see that car pictured below now painted blue nearing completion in its first rebuild in over 25 years.<\/p>\n

Paul decided at age 74 to finally undergo a long put-off knee-replacement surgery.\u00a0 The surgery went fine, but a few weeks after complications from therapy set in and soon and infection took hold.\u00a0 After another 14 months of surgeries, hospital stays, and doctors\u2019 visits he is on the road to recovery.\u00a0 His health setback not only kept him from tooling around in the garage, but also kept him from getting out to be part of gearhead gatherings.<\/p>\n

So, as stated above, family and friends began sending out invitations, cleaning up and making some progress on the Nomad, and generally organizing the event to bring the community that he has missed out to see him.\u00a0 The whole deal was kept a secret from Paul and on a quiet Sunday morning after he\u2019d left for church everything was put in place.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t make it in time to see his expression as they pulled into the drive to see his \u201955 outside surrounded by a decent-size collection of many other gleaming pieces of machinery.\u00a0 Folks, this is gearhead activism I can definitely support.<\/p>\n

In this album I will highlight some of the family vehicles and showcase their pitiful attempts to gain traction.\u00a0 First off is son P.J.\u2019s satin-black \u201957 Chevy truck.\u00a0 We\u2019ve had in pictured in our coverage of the Cynthiana Rod Run a few times sitting out in front of the fire station where he works..\u00a0 Next is Paul\u2019s \u201955 Nomad that is now nearing completion and should be out and about in 2017.\u00a0 Following that is son Nick\u2019s late 2nd<\/sup>-gen Camaro.\u00a0 Lastly is son Mike\u2019s \u201955 Delivery.\u00a0 Tunnel rams and dual carbs seem popular around these parts.<\/p>\n

Enjoy.<\/p>\n

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