I used to deal with the owner (George) when he had his original store on Kingsway in Burnaby.
Damn! That was over 35 years ago now! He knew his stuff & was always great to deal with.
Then he expanded to 2, then 3 stores. Kept ownership, but backed away from a lot of the daily doings. Liked to tinker in the back on his own projects while the other employees kept things going.
IIRC the story right, there were investment partners drawn in. Big time expansion began.
It lost that old time Speed Shop feel. You know the type. Cramped, smokey, every corner utilized. Rows of fresh rebuilt short-blocks in bags. New & rebuilt heads on the shelves. Cheater Slicks(!) new & used. Mag wheels in the windows. Stack of old magazines on a rack. Local racer's pix on the walls. Worn counters with ashtrays & stools to sit on. Couple of smart but crusty old guys that always seemed to be there that were always good for a story or two. A REAL Speed Shop!
More like a glossy conglomerate corporation, now.
Things at some of the branches are not quite up to the standard that George had set more than 30 years ago.
Closest one to me is Langley. I only go there if it's absolutely positively required.
Young guys behind the counters that know parts numbers, but have no actual experience when it comes to steering customers in the right direction. And a little on the expensive side.
Maybe it's just me, but I do miss that old store. Even just to go hang out for an hour or two. Drink some uber-strong coffee! Always walked out with some free tid-bit of info or some trick to help us youngsters go just a little bit faster!