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HIGHLAND — Like maximum conventional vehicle restorations, what turned into as soon as a purpose full of enthusiasm shortly turned into placed on the lower back burner and became a story of “I’ll get to it later.”
Twenty years ago, Gil Moen III purchased a 1957 Chevy Bel Air with the wish of sooner or later restoring it to its former glory and later enjoying that vehicle together with his oldest son, Gil Moen IV. Last May but, Gil Moen III acquired the news that no one desires to receive. He has identified with stage four pancreatic most cancers and changed into eight to one year to stay.
His first mind after the diagnosis had been, “what about my vehicle, what approximately my dream?” It was soon after his prognosis that friends Ryan Wendel and Dennis Palombo, who had just opened the doors to Phoenix Customs, their custom restoration and fabrication save in Mapleton, decided to step in and make sure that his car was completed and drivable.
His principal worry was what would become of the car after he surpassed. He worried approximately leaving such a good-sized mission and his spouse, Melissa Moen, and their 4 children to cope with. That becomes the motivation to get the automobile completed so his family would have something to preserve.
“I spoke to Dennis about supporting end Gil’s automobile,” Wendel stated. “Dennis and I both have sons of our personal and a love of vintage vehicles as Gil and his son proportion. We knew it’d suggest the arena to no longer most effective Gil but “Little Gil” (Gil’s oldest son) to have this vehicle performed. Having just opened their new shop, they knew the construct’s time might need to take location after hours and on weekends. This caused many long nights and further time in the store to complete this special automobile for their right buddy.
Dennis Palombo, Gil Moen III, Jim Bowlby, and Ryan Riding are pictured with the finished 1957 Bel Air. (Photo: Melissa Moen)
Labor became supplied in most cases from Wendel and Palombo within the starting, but with his health permitting, the daddy and son periodically went right down to the store to help in which they may. When the car arrived, it becomes primer without paint, no indoors, and no longer run. One night time, Palombo and his son’s, Lane and Tyler Palombo, Wendel, and a friend Tyson Fiedler got the car sanded down and prepared for paint.
Moen III had initially planned on the car being painted satin black, as he wasn’t positive how the frame might appearance with gloss black applied. After they completed the bodywork, Wendel determined the Bel Air gloss black paint because of the fine paintings that Moen III had put into the body. They went the more mile to paint a deep shine with the aid of cutting and sharpening to make the paint seem as right as it may.
After the portray was entire, Gil’s buddies, Jim Bowlby and Brian Riding went all the way down to the store to assist get all the wiring in place in addition to the final assembly. The group also took on the challenge of restoring and completing the auto indoors and making sure it ran properly.
“It becomes an honor actually to have Gil in our shop,” Wendel stated. “Despite his occasions, he always added a superb mindset, laughter and always became too excited to peer his automobile and his dream come real.”
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What becomes honestly outstanding turned into maximum hard work, and substances used were donated by using human beings involved with the build. The group even spoke to their paint provider, who generously donated all the paint and substances for the automobile.
The Bel Air changed into finished the primary week of December 2018, wherein Moen III became able to in the end see his dream realized and take his prized vehicle out for power together with his son Moen IV.
Melissa Moen became in particular grateful for the kindness proven with the aid of friends and a circle of relatives who all worked to get the undertaking performed. “It is stunning, and those pals are angels,” she said. “Sadly, Gil is right down to his very last weeks. It is heartbreaking to witness. Moen IV is sixteen and has spent his entire lifestyle in our garage assisting his dad. However, the car is sincerely lovely and will be a valuable legacy.”
The circle of relatives plans to keep on to the auto after Gil Moen III passes, wherein it will be stored safely and in the pristine circumstance in an offsite storage facility. The automobile will function as a reminder of Gil Moen III’s lifestyles and could forever be known as “Gil’s Bel-Air.”
