My 1968 Firebird (Automobile Requiring Modifications)
My name is Tommy Thompson and I live in Albemarle, NC. I was born with only a half of an arm with two fingers. Only one of my fingers has a knuckle on it. I am able to drive; however, I require modifications on my car. The state of North Carolina has placed three restrictions on my driver's license that must be met on my automobile in order for me to drive. I am required to have automatic transmission, I am required to have a special wheel knob that grips my hand on the steering wheel, and I am required to have knee control indicator on my signal light that allows me to change my signal light with my left knee. I have been driving my 1968 Firebird since I was 15 years old. I am currently 48 years old. My 1968 Firebird has all the modifications that I need to drive on the road day and night. My Firebird has the high beam low beam switch in the floorboard that allows me to switch from high beams to low beams with my left foot. Newer model cars have the dimmer switch on the signal indicator which makes it impossible to switch from high to low beams. In August of 2014 I got a local auto-repairman, Carl Pinkston, to give me an estimate and a time frame it would take to complete the job. He told me it would take about three months. I figured I could do without my car for 3 months, so I got him to do the job. It has been almost two years and he still hasn't completed my car.
In July of 2014 I contacted Carl Pinkston to give me an estimate on how much he would charge me to restore my Firebird. After he gave me an estimate I went to his shop and looked at a Jeep that he was working on. He also showed me photos of a red 1968 Camaro that he said he recently restored and it looked great. So I told him that I would like for him to restore my classic Firebird. At first, he worked on my car and told me that it would take little over three months to complete. Eventually, he started moving the completion timeline but he kept coming on a regular basis for money. Then he started giving me excuses why he wasn't working on my car. He started telling me that his mom was sick and that farmers in the county had to have their equipment worked on before they could get on the road. So he had to fix their equipment before mine. He even told me that he had to restore a motorcycle before he could get to my car. I didn't want to make him angry since he had my car into several pieces in his shop (and I still don't want to make him angry because he might destroy it). In Carl's last e-mail he said that he was too busy to work on my car because he took a job for a painting company in Charlotte and they make him work nine hour days six days a week. On December 30, 2015 I sent him an E-Mail checking on the progress of my car and he still has not responded.
Me and my 1968 Firebird (Photo was taken in April 2010).
Carl's business card (front):
Carl's business card (back):
On September 4, 2014 Carl sent me an E-Mail with a picture of my car in pieces.
In 2014 Carl would show up on a regular basis to receive money. I paid him a total of $7,560.00 and I only owed him $250.00 to complete the job.
Firebird Car Repair Payments
Check # Date Payment
1034 08/01/2014 $1,500.00
1039 08/19/2014 $1,500.00
1042 09/04/2014 $1,500.00
1045 09/19/2014 $750.00
1047 09/26/2014 $200.00
1050 11/01/2014 $500.00
1052 11/18/2014 $650.00
1055 12/05/2014 $500.00
1056 12/09/2014 $460.00
Total: $7,560.00
These were the payments made to Carl Pinkston to restore my 1968 Firebird. I paid him $7,560.00 just in labor. I bought all the parts myself. The parts for a 1968 Firebird are very expensive. Below is a list of parts that I purchased. I ordered from Classic Industries or National Depot in Charlotte: (Ordered online or via telephone and paid with a debate card).
Date Cost Company Name
08/03/2014 $761.82 Classic Industries
08/21/2014 $1,885.98 National Parts Depot
09/30/2014 $466.32 National Parts Depot
11/14/2014 $316.39 Classic Industries
Total: $3,430.51
06/13/2016 $70.00 East Albemarle Towing INC.
I also gave Carl gas money to pick up parts from National Parts Depot in Charlotte because I did not have a way to pick them up and get them to him. He never brought me any receipt, so I had to look at my online banking account and save my transactions with National Parts Depot. I ordered the parts via telephone, so I didn’t have access to an online receipt like I did with Classic Industries.
I have currently spent a total of $11,060.51 ($7,560.00 labor + $3,430.51 parts + $70.00 Tow Home = $11,060.51) and in return all I have is a destroyed 1968 Firebird that looks like it came from a junk yard and hundreds of photos of my car torn apart and several e-mails from Carl that said he did other jobs before doing mine.
Carl knew how important my car was to me and he knew that I have driven my 1968 Firebird to every high school class reunion. I graduated high school in 1986, so my 30th year class reunion will be at the end of the school year. Unless something happens, I will not be able to attend my 30th year class reunion in my Firebird.
I worked for years as a school teacher and my students knew a lot about my Firebird. I took each of my classes outside in the parking lot to show them how I drive and the special equipment I use. Also, to help them understand that they can overcome obstacles if they apply themselves. Most teachers put photos of family members or pets on their school webpages; however, I was different because I put photos of my car on my school webpage because I was proud of it. Two years ago I was diagnosed with asthma and the combination of being slow with only having two fingers made it difficult to continue teaching. At the end of November of 2015 I stepped away from teaching to let my body heal and get some rest. My goal is to get back into good health so I can start back to work. At the moment I rely on a fixed income, so I no longer have the monthly school salary to help me like I did in the past. That's why I don't know what to do about Carl and my car.
Carl is either a thief or a scam artist and something needs to be done to prevent this from happening to others. I just don't know how to do it.
I've created a shared folder in my Google Drive that will allow you to look over the e-mails, checks that Carl cashed, receipts to the items I purchased for my Firebird, and pictures of my car. In several Pdf documents and images I covered over my bank account information to protect my account.
Here's a picture of my Firebird when I purchased me a new set of wheels and had the engine worked on. It was also just waxed.
You can see the special wheel knob on the steering wheel (near the bottom of the steering wheel) that allows me to drive.
Here's a photo of my engine after the repair and dress up kit. (My brother-in-law fixed up my engine for me.)
Another view of my engine. (I wanted to get my engine working good and looking nice before I got the car restored.)
My Firebird is my pride and joy. When I drive my Firebird I feel more than normal. People look and stare and they are not looking at my disability. That makes me feel good!
People that know me know how important my Firebird means to me. I just want it back and looking good like I paid for.
My Firebird was at Carl's Auto Body at 20991-B Bear Creek Church Rd., New London NC 28127 and telephone number 704-668-1539. Carl Pinkston is the owner/operator.
He can also be reached via e-mail: pinkstoncarlgto1966@gmail.com or Facebook: (Account #1) or (Account #02).
Thank you,
Tommy Thompson
Here's a copy of the checks paid to Carl.
E-mails throughout 2015.
On June 8, 2016 Carl Pinkston pleaded "Not Guilty" for Failure to Complete Work After Paid and the Stanly County Court System found him "Not Guilty."
The court refused to let me show any of my evidence because they said it was not "verified." I was only allowed to submit two photographs of my car.
On Wednesday, June 8, 2016 Carl sent me an e-mail telling me to pickup my car on Monday at 3:00 PM. I asked him if it was completed and he responded, "No it is not." All emails that Carl and I corresponded were BCC to Sheriff Burris and Sgt. Stewart of the Stanly County Sheriff's Department.
Does these pictures look like completed work?
This is the results of the Stanly County Justice System here in North Carolina.
North Carolina Motor Vehicle Repair Act. § 20-354. Is supposed to take care of customers in North Carolina. § 20-354.8. Prohibited acts and practices. (7) Make or authorize in any manner or by any means whatever any written or oral statement which is untrue, deceptive, or misleading, and which is known, or which by the exercise of reasonable care should be known, to be untrue, deceptive, or misleading, related to this Article.
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My brother Donny Thompson from Big Brother 16 on CBS describing me on the live feeds. Donny describes me to Zach Rance, Victoria Rafaeli, Caleb Reynolds, and Derrick Levasseur. He describes how I drive at 11:07 and he describes my 1968 Firebird a 24:10.
Donny won America's Favorite Player of the season. I was so PROUD of him!!!
He received over 5 million votes!!!