Will Matay has a Passion for Life ... and Classic Cars

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It was a 19-minute “easy money” dive for Navy veteran and California commercial diver Will Matay, a brief reconnaissance dive to assess the task at hand. But when he surfaced at Stone Canyon Reservoir on May 9, 2002, Will felt his legs go numb. A nitrogen bubble had entered his spinal column. Immediate treatment in a decompression chamber was to no avail. The bubble had caused debilitating lesions on Will’s spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

Today, after six years of therapy, Will manages to walk short distances with crutches, but spends much of his time in a wheelchair. Or you may find him in his lovingly restored 1968 Camaro. The diving accident didn’t damage Will’s passion for life ... or his love for classic cars. In spite of his injury, Will managed to figure out how to do everything from converting disc brakes to removing and replacing the transmission on the Camaro, which was his first project car.

“Diving gave me a great sense of accomplishment,” says Will. “You learn to get things done. You’re down there all alone, so you figure it out.”  Learning to restore cars in spite of his disability gave him the same sense of accomplishment. And it gave him the idea to start a website (called California Collector Cars) with his wife Delfina. They created the business because they wanted to help other classic car lovers find their dream cars, or as Will was looking to do—find someone who might want to buy his classic car.

“As soon as I finished the Camaro, I wanted to sell it, so I could find my next project car,” Will said. He’s currently looking for that car, another Camaro, but this time a 1969 model. In the meantime, he’s helping customers find, sell, or determine a value for their cars. “We let people know if they’ve priced their car too high, and we don’t charge people for the research we do on their behalf,” he said. They also keep the website simple, with no pop-ups or gimmicks to get in the way. 

Their goal is to provide a simple, no-nonsense, service-oriented resource for buyers and sellers of classic cars. But that’s not all. They’re also giving back to the community.

Hours and hours of rehabilitation at Casa Colina Center for Rehabilitation in Pomona, Calif., made Will and Delfina realize the importance of the tremendous non-profit services provided by the Center. So they have pledged to donate 10 percent of the net profits of their California Collector Car website to the rehabilitation center. As Will said, “Before my accident, I just wasn’t aware how many people there are who have a disability like mine. But now I know how many there are.” In typical Will Matay style, he’s doing something about it.

To find out more about Will and Delfina’s passion for cars (and life), visit http://www.californiacollectorcars.com/.

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