The RP Flyer to help Fight Blindness

Hi all! My name is Vinnie, Hotrod enthusiast, racing fan, and I have a degenerative eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP for short) This is my story...

So right off the rip, I'm going blind. I was diagnosed with this rare eye disease at 10 years old. End result "best case" is legally blind, "worst case" total blindness. It's inherited so my family was ready for it, and honestly it's not a big deal to me.

It's a degenerative disease, and through my teens, twenties, and early thirties it progressed so slow it seemed to have stalled out. Now it's making up for lost time, and being over 40, I'm losing more peripheral vision, thankfully my central vision will be the last to go (if at all).

With all that said, I'm building a Vintage Speedster, The RP Flyer, a mix of 1930 Ford Model A engine, chassis, suspension, and axles, with a 1927 Ford Model T Roadster Pickup body. I'll be using parts donated from friends, parts found at swap meets, and rebuilding what I find or what is given to me. I am following the strict rules for vintage racing up here in New England, and plan on entering Vintage Races around the US.

So why is all this important? Once the car is done and I've taken it to a few events, I plan on selling the car and donating all the money to the Foundation Fighting Blindness.

I've spoken with the FFB and they love the idea, they love the originality of the fundraising, they love the community engagement this will and has already created!

I've created this fundraiser to not only help fund the car build, BUT any money not spent on the car will be pumped in with the money from the sale of the car. I will not be keeping any of this! This page will also be updated with photos and videos of parts bought and progress of the car. Also, there will be a page on the FFB website to validate this build and hopefully settle any doubts. So please, donate if you can, or if you can't, thank you for taking the time to read my story.

~Vinnie

Foundation Fighting Blindness

The Race Of Gentlemen