This Guy Makes Us All Look Small!

Yesterday I had a call from a guy who told me he had just bought a GT40 replica, unfinished project needing a fair amount of work, and asked for some advice. OK, so we begin talking about the purchase, he wants to build the car up for road use and to enjoy it with his other cars that he has fully restored, a Ferrari 308 and a Lotus twin cam Europa, and in passing he also mentioned he ownes and flies a Piper Cherokee that is kept not far from my home.
Nothing unusual here, he said he is a lawyer doing prosecution cases for local councils, and as such we found we had a lot in common and both know a lot of friends in the local government. He then sent me a set of photos by E mail of his GT40 purchase, and rang me later to discuss it further. The car is a Mark1 KVA, and he readily accepts that he has, as we agreed, bought a bit of a dog, but this is his passion, he's always wanted a GT40 and for a comparatively small sum has now got the two things he wanted, a GT40 and a project to get his teeth into . In starting to discuss various options for this project, including his proposed requirement to change the engine and gearbox among other things, he completley floored me by saying he should just stop and tell me one thing. HE EXPLAINED THAT HE IS COMPLETLEY AND TOTALLY BLIND, but that this did not really hinder is love and enjoyment in his cars and aeroplane, that he had driven the Ferrari at over 130 mph ( on a closed airfield runway ) and was currently rewiring his Europa instrument panel. HOW ? What was so impressive to me was his attitude that this is nothing special or extraordinary, it was just normal everyday living, enjoying the things we enjoy, having a life probably better and happier than most. This guy deserves and gets my utmost respect !
 

Rick Muck- Mark IV

GT40s Sponsor
Supporter
When I owned my restoration business, I went to a meeting that Hemmings had for advertisers. There I talked to a parts vendor I know. He told me about a customer that bought parts from him for a Model A Ford and would call and ask what seemed to be "stupid questions", i.e. what does part "X" look like, etc. It was only when he ordered a wire harness that he mentioned that he was blind and doing the entire car by touch!
 
Those guys are really incredible.
In italy we have a diving school only made BY and FOR blind people.
To be allowed to become diving teachers they have to prepare themself dressing alone...taking boat alone..go outside in the sea (alone) go under the sea,mark position and return base.
All alone.
They do this,and they do it perfectly.

Incredible people,really
 

Mike Trusty

GT40s Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Many years ago I recieved a call from a man that wanted to come and examine a Boss 302 motor that I had for sale. He indicated that he wanted to install it in a Falcon Sprint that he had. He lived in Colorado and planned to come to Arkansas to examine the motor.

When he arrived I greeted him but it turned out that I was greeting his friend. His friend said he just wanted to make sure it was the right place. He returned with a young man in a wheelchair that was both blind and a paraplegic.

I promise I'm not making this up.

It turns out that the car is set up for him to drive with hand controls. He bought the motor and installed it with the help of his friend. They visit the local empty shopping mall lot on Sunday mornings where he drives his car with his friend guiding him. He said he just loves the sounds and sensations.

Several years later I was skiiing in Colorado and saw this same man setting in a resturant with three very attractive ladies and they were having a great time. Later that day I saw him skiing down the slopes setting in a little sled with a single ski. One of the attractive ladies was behind him calling out directions.

I have forever been humbled. And what about the friends that support him.
 
I have a good friend down the street from me who has a very busy auto repair business. He recently expanded his business and bought out the business beside him. There is a large glass window front that he has placed a C5 corvette that he and the owner are slowly rebuilding(been 3 years now). The owner is a paraplegic and they work together every once in a while, one part at a time.

Hooo Haaaaa!!!! The Scent Of A Woman!!!!!

Bill
 
Try having experience working a 12 hour day, eating a 12 square meal without missing a bite, drinking a 12 pack in an hour and still being able to stand, walk, talk, and driving a car for umteen hours and taking a 20 minute rest and doing it all over again.

These are all the things (and there is more) that I remember I could do without blicking an eye.

Now, on a given day, I am lucky if I can:
* Eat a 2 square meal over a 30 minute setting
* Work on anything for over 15 minutes at a time
* I can not drink anthing alchoholic, period.
* Even without drinking, I have trouble standing after 2 hours period
* Any activitey over 1 hour wears me out.
* I have got use to the drill taking trips to the ER.
* Some drugs are a necesity
* I miss interacting with people in the work force
* Being medically retired on SSI sucks
* A good day includes smiles at simple stuff, even watching birds.

Do me a favor, and I am sounding like a broken record........Go get your heath check up you have put off. It is inportant that you keep your body in tune, just like that V8 Ford right behind your back.

Once you have lost something such as I have, you realize you should have made a better choice on a few things. Don't give up that choice, do it today!
 

Dimi Terleckyj

Lifetime Supporter
As a skydiving instructor I have seen some incredible things such as a 96 year old guy that wanted to do a jump but the most humbling thing I have seen was a young guy that wanted to skydive even though he was totally blind.
We put him through the course and when it came time to do the jump the only concession we had to make was to provide him with a two way radio in his helmet so we could radio him instructions at the appropriate times to control and direct his landing.

We also had an instructor flying his parachute beside the blind guy just in case his radio failed so the instructor could call out instructions.

He did a perfect jump and better than a lot of sighted people.

Dimi
 
I was medevaced to a VA medical center by Angel Flight in 1996. My pilot, who was flying his own twin Cessna for AF gratis, had been burned over 80% of his body. He had no hair, he had no nose or ears, and he had no thumbs or fingers. He had had a toe grafted onto his right hand, which he used to push the com/nav buttons and hook over the throtle to pull it back. He told jokes so well we both had tears in our eyes from laughing all the way to Florida, and I have found it very hard to feel sorry for myself ever since.
These people make John Wane look small!
 
Frank,

He must be the same guy I've met - amazing. He was at the Cranleigh Classic Car Show last month and I had my Tornado TS40 on display along with another Tornado and a GTD. He mentioned he had a Ferrari and a Lotus Europa ( as it happens I have a twin cam Europa also) and he was keen to know about the different manufacturers,availability etc. He spent a lot of time with me going over the car by touch! I invited him along to the Surrey Region monthly meeting of the GT40 Enthusiasts Club so lets hope he turns up next week.

Fantastic
 
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