I first saw this car when i was 14 (32 now) at a car show a couple counties over. I remember the car pulling up and i spotted it immediately, because i had just bought my first 67 Cutlass the year before. I was surprised when the door opened because the man driving had no legs, or waist really. He threw a skateboard out the door, scooted down, and was on his way. I took a picture of the car. I often wondered what happened to the car and since I now have a family of my own, i have mentioned to my wife i would love to have a 67 wagon. I noticed a ad in the bargain hunter section of our local car magazine last week for a 67 SW. I called 5 times & nothing. When it came out this week, the ad was in there again. This time a guy called me back. I was asking him about the car and he told me it was his brother's car but he got it when his brother died. He said his brother was handicapped and loved this car. I asked him if the car was purple. The phone went quiet. He then asked how i knew. I told him that i first saw that car about 16 years ago when i was a teenager. I left with my 2 yr old (Ransom Eli) later that day to go look at the car. It was definitely the car i had seen so many years earlier. Although it wasn't in the best shape, it held up fairly well for its age. I wasn't a big fan of the customizing but the car was almost like a living history for his brother. We talked back and forth and I think my obvious love of Olds persuaded him to meet me in the middle on a price. I went back today to pick the car up. To my surprise, he had fired the car up and pulled it out. I DROVE IT ON THE TRAILER! I didn't even think it ran, especially at the price we agreed on. To top it off, he had a spare tailgate and roof windows. He was telling my dad about his brother and was almost in tears. After I got the car home, i found a newspaper article on his brother. His name was Tinker Kornegay. He lost his legs at 10 months old after being run over by a tobacco truck. He never wanted a wheelchair. He built his own skateboard to ride around on. He was supposed to die as a child according to his doctors. He lived to 56 years old and succumbed to a heart attack. After reading the article and recalling meeting him so many years earlier, I feel like I knew him and he will live on through his car. However I choose to redo the car, it will always be "Tink's car"

 

Wow.....that is an awesome story! Congrats on the new edition! Not that it matters, but how does a 10 month old baby get run over by a tobacco truck?

 

Well, being eastern NC, most everywhere is pretty rural. 60 years ago, about the time the accident occurred, tobacco was king and everybody worked. I could easily see both parents working while the baby played. I guess it he must have gotten out of sight for just a second. Ironic thing, I think he wound up working in the tobacco warehouse as a teenager. I found that out after i was telling an old tobacco farmer's daughter about the car's owner earlier today.

 

What an amazing story, and what an amazing man! Bless him! And congratulations on that Vista Cruiser!

 

You really named your kid Ransom Eli?

 

Nice car, cool story.

 

That's the kind of customizing I like. It's the Dubstep look that I hate. The ones with the big rims and all the chrome painted.

 

If that's the wagon after sitting so long I think it held up just amazing. Very sad yet inspiring story about Tinker. I know the custom work done to the car can always be restored to original, but I hope you keep the parts around, with the pics as a commemorative to him. I can imagine how choked up his brother was making the sale. Thanks for sharing. You really must be an Olds fan to name your son Ransom Eli!

 

"GREAT STORY" Good luck with your new wagon.

 

Cool story and great looking Vista Cruiser

 

Yep, very understanding wife. She knows where my passion lies. She figures its better than whiskey and women.

 

Wow that is a great story....good luck with the car!