Tommy ‘Tink’ Wallace

In a world where auto repairs often involve plugging a car into a computer and hoping for the best, Tommy ‘Tink’ Wallace still does things the old-fashioned way— with his hands, his tools, and a lifetime of experience.

A lifelong resident of Sequoyah County, Tink has been repairing and restoring cars and tractors for over 50 years, earning a reputation as the mechanic who can fix just about anything.

“I don’t trust all that computerized junk,” he says with a grin, wiping his hands on an oilstained rag. “These new cars talk too much. Give me an old Chevy or a tractor from the ’60s, and I can keep it running forever.”

Tink’s love for engines started early. As a kid, he spent most of his time taking apart lawn mowers and rebuilding them—much to the frustration of his father, who often found his tools mysteriously missing. By the time he was 16, he had already rebuilt his first engine and could diagnose a problem just by listening to the way a motor hummed—or coughed.

“I used to work on cars in my parents’ backyard,” he recalls. “Friends would bring over their junkers, and we’d spend the whole weekend under the hood, getting them back on the road. Half the time, we’d finish with extra parts left over and no clue where they were supposed to go—but somehow, the cars still ran.”

While modern mechanics rely on computers, Tink trusts his ears, hands, and decades of experience. He doesn’t need a diagnostic scanner to tell him what’s wrong with an engine—he can usually figure it out within minutes.

“Cars used to be built to last,” he says. “Now, they put so many sensors and computers in ‘em, half the time you’re just fixing what the computer tells you to. Back in my day, you actually had to know how an engine worked.”

His backyard garage is a shrine to classic mechanics— packed with oldschool tools, spare parts, and just enough organized chaos to make perfect sense to him. Rusty wrenches dangle from the walls, shelves overflow with carburetors and fan belts, and there’s always a project car waiting for its second chance at life.

One of his biggest passions is helping young people who are interested in mechanics but feel overwhelmed by modern technology. His grandson, Jake, has started learning the trade from him, spending weekends in the garage listening to stories and learning how to rebuild an engine.

“I tell him all the time: If you can fix an old car, you can fix anything,” Tink says. “These new mechanics don’t get it. They just swap parts out until the problem goes away. But when you actually know what you’re doing, you don’t need all that fancy stuff. Just a good wrench and some patience.”

Jake recently learned that lesson the hard way when they were working on an old Chevy truck and ran into a stubborn rusted bolt. After trying everything— wrenches, pliers, and brute force— Jake suggested using a blowtorch, an idea he picked up from a car show. “Wouldn’t you know it, the torch worked,” Tink laughs. “Kid nearly set his eyebrows on fire in the process, but hey, that’s just part of learning.”

For Tink, being a mechanic is about more than just fixing cars. It’s about keeping history alive, teaching the next generation, and making sure that no good machine goes to waste. In a world that’s constantly upgrading, Tink is happy sticking to what he knows best—real engines, real tools, and real hard work.

“Retirement? Ain’t no such thing when you love what you do,” Tink says with a chuckle. “I’ll stop fixing cars when my hands quit working. And even then, I’ll probably teach myself to tighten bolts with my teeth.”

Just Folks is Your TIMES way of honoring the regular people of Sequoyah County, recognizing their unique talents, personalities, jobs, abilities, etc. Your TIMES appreciates the cooperation of each Just Folks and the public’s nominations for this feature. If you know of someone you think might be a good story, contact Amie at 918-775-4433.