59imp
Well-known member
Today, Jun 27 2008 would have been my old man’s 80th birthday. Ofelio ‘Speed’ Moretto. He raised 4 kids, and had 4 grandkids. He was a good Husband, Father, Grandfather and Friend. He was strong as a bear, but quiet, and he had a wicked sense of humor. He loved to read, travel, had a huge record collection, containing all types of music. He was a big guy and liked to eat, mealtime was never quiet at our house, he would constantly be dragging someone home to feed, and there was never a shortage of food. He lived a simple life, didn’t smoke and rarely drank. He always cheered for the underdog. Mostly though, he loved cars, if you showed any interest at all, you made a friend in him.
Speed ran a successful automotive business, started out with an Esso gas station, had one of the first mobile shop trucks in town, with a gas powered compressor, it was a 58 Ford. Had a tow truck, a 55 Chev with a Holmes style deck he built himself. I learned how to drive in that truck when I was 12. He had the first wheel alignment rack in town, a fancy Bear unit. Sold Isuzu’s and was one of the first Toyota dealers in B.C. He built a bigger shop in ’69, sold only Toyotas, and became a Firestone dealer as well. At his peak, he had 13 employees, trained many apprentices, and was involved in starting the Malaspina College Automotive Training Center here. He was a Toyota dealer for 28 yrs, and became an independent Kal Tire dealer.
He was always dragging projects home, a 38 Chevy Sedan, a 32 Ford truck, a 17 T Touring car, a 66 Caddy, a 67 Camaro, a 59 Impala, somehow he was always too busy with family or work to finish one. When I was 13, he drove a bone stock 50 Ford 4 dr Sedan home, I thought it was the ugliest thing I’d ever seen. He said “wanna build a race car?” I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. By the time I was 14 it was ready to go, and my Bro-in-law raced it, at 15 I took over and raced it 3 more yrs. That car was built like a tank, and was slow, but we finished almost every race, getting points every weekend. We finished top ten in points three yrs running.
I taught him how to Ski when he was 54 yrs old, we skied all over BC and Alberta, and he had a seasons pass on the Island for several yrs.
He died 11 yrs ago after a brutal 9 yr struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease.
After he died, I couldn’t go out in the shop for a long time. I was just too ****ed off at the world and it made me sad. I just couldn’t figure out why a guy like that had to get sick. A couple yrs back I realized he never would have wanted that for me, so I started working on the Impala, just poking along. I never really liked that car, but I dinked around on it, and one day I got it running. That car had sat 28 yrs. Last July it hit the streets, I put about 30 miles on it and then took off south to Oregon, and I did a 2300 km road trip. I tell ya that fat pig ran like a champ, and it’s kinda been growin’ on me ever since.
So today, I’ll start with Speed’s favourite breakfast, Earl Grey tea, and oatmeal with cinnamon, I’ll head out to the ferry, on an 1100 km toadtrip to Billetproof, and I’ll crank up some of his favourite tunes, Fats Domino, Beatles, and some old time Rock ‘n Roll, he’ll be riding Shotgun, and I’ll drive this one in his Honor…..
Happy birthday Dad, I love you and I miss you
chris
Speed ran a successful automotive business, started out with an Esso gas station, had one of the first mobile shop trucks in town, with a gas powered compressor, it was a 58 Ford. Had a tow truck, a 55 Chev with a Holmes style deck he built himself. I learned how to drive in that truck when I was 12. He had the first wheel alignment rack in town, a fancy Bear unit. Sold Isuzu’s and was one of the first Toyota dealers in B.C. He built a bigger shop in ’69, sold only Toyotas, and became a Firestone dealer as well. At his peak, he had 13 employees, trained many apprentices, and was involved in starting the Malaspina College Automotive Training Center here. He was a Toyota dealer for 28 yrs, and became an independent Kal Tire dealer.
He was always dragging projects home, a 38 Chevy Sedan, a 32 Ford truck, a 17 T Touring car, a 66 Caddy, a 67 Camaro, a 59 Impala, somehow he was always too busy with family or work to finish one. When I was 13, he drove a bone stock 50 Ford 4 dr Sedan home, I thought it was the ugliest thing I’d ever seen. He said “wanna build a race car?” I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. By the time I was 14 it was ready to go, and my Bro-in-law raced it, at 15 I took over and raced it 3 more yrs. That car was built like a tank, and was slow, but we finished almost every race, getting points every weekend. We finished top ten in points three yrs running.
I taught him how to Ski when he was 54 yrs old, we skied all over BC and Alberta, and he had a seasons pass on the Island for several yrs.
He died 11 yrs ago after a brutal 9 yr struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease.
After he died, I couldn’t go out in the shop for a long time. I was just too ****ed off at the world and it made me sad. I just couldn’t figure out why a guy like that had to get sick. A couple yrs back I realized he never would have wanted that for me, so I started working on the Impala, just poking along. I never really liked that car, but I dinked around on it, and one day I got it running. That car had sat 28 yrs. Last July it hit the streets, I put about 30 miles on it and then took off south to Oregon, and I did a 2300 km road trip. I tell ya that fat pig ran like a champ, and it’s kinda been growin’ on me ever since.
So today, I’ll start with Speed’s favourite breakfast, Earl Grey tea, and oatmeal with cinnamon, I’ll head out to the ferry, on an 1100 km toadtrip to Billetproof, and I’ll crank up some of his favourite tunes, Fats Domino, Beatles, and some old time Rock ‘n Roll, he’ll be riding Shotgun, and I’ll drive this one in his Honor…..
Happy birthday Dad, I love you and I miss you
chris
