From SOMO Speed Shop to Casada Speed Equipment
Casada Speed Equipment may be a new name, but the work behind it isn't. Years before Casada Speed Equipment, Rick Casada operated Somo Speed Shop, building traditional hot-rod and multi-carburetor induction systems. Somo's work received national exposure through Rod & Custom magazine, including the Retroformance feature by Rob Fortier, as well as a Parts With Appeal feature in Hot Rod Deluxe. Somo Speed Shop and its induction systems were also featured by Stromberg Carburetor and Mirror Polishing, putting our traditional multi-carb builds in front of hot-rodders well beyond our own shop.
SOMO Speed Shop - Where it Started
Somo Speed Shop grew out of a hands-on interest in traditional hot rods and performance fuel systems. The shop built complete multi-carburetor induction systems using Stromberg and Rochester carburetors, along with traditional intake manifolds and period-style components. We were also an authorized Weber carburetor dealer and performed carburetor conversions for E85, which at the time was still a relatively new racing fuel in the drag-racing world. We developed and ran E85 carburetor combinations in competition while many racers were still unfamiliar with using the fuel for performance applications. The emphasis wasn't simply on selling parts—it was on building complete fuel and induction systems that looked right, worked together, and performed as intended.
Featured in Hot Rod Press
The work coming out of Somo Speed Shop attracted attention beyond our own customers and race cars. Our induction systems and components appeared in national hot-rod publications and were featured by companies within the performance industry. These weren't paid advertisements—they were features highlighting the cars, parts, and fuel systems we were actually building.
Rod & Custom - Retroformance
Rod & Custom magazine featured Somo Speed Shop and our traditional induction work in its Retroformance coverage, written by Rob Fortier. The feature gave our multi-carburetor systems national exposure and documented the kind of traditional speed equipment and attention to detail that became the foundation for what we are building today at Casada Speed Equipment.
Rod & Custom 331 Cadillac Intake
In separate Rod & Custom magazine coverage, a Somo Speed Shop 331 Cadillac dual-carburetor intake system was selected for a new-products photo shoot. The polished intake and dual-carb setup was professionally photographed by the magazine with one of its models, giving the Somo-built system national exposure as a featured piece of traditional speed equipment.
Hot Rod Deluxe — Parts With Appeal
Somo Speed Shop was also featured in Hot Rod Deluxe magazine's Parts With Appeal section with a custom Ford flathead dual-carburetor intake system. Built for a show car, the complete induction system was fully polished and detailed to combine traditional hot-rod styling with a show-quality finish. Its selection for Parts With Appeal gave another Somo Speed Shop induction system national magazine exposure.
Featured in the Stromberg Bulletin
Somo Speed Shop’s traditional multi-carburetor work was also featured by Stromberg Carburetor in the Stromberg Bulletin. The feature highlighted the period-correct induction systems we were building around genuine Stromberg carburetors and traditional hot-rod components. That same focus on appearance, function, and detail continues today at Casada Speed Equipment.
