There once was a world where Black Sabbath and Molly Hatchet fluidly co-mingled with one another on AM radio. This, you see, was the ‘70s. And while self-professed southern rock fan Adolph “Oggie” Ogar wasn’t necessarily a Sabbath fan, he was a listener of the latter. And both styles of music had a place in the world.

But Ogar did have an issue with what he perceived to be an auditory invasive species: Disco.

Ogar, who owns A&A Autobody in Mexico, no doubt rolled his eyes more than once when witnessing the enthusiasm his fellow classmates expressed for the thunderous, yet fleeting, genre of sparkly, over-the-top danceability and downright forced euphoria.

Today Ogar maintains his anti-disco stance, and if you have any doubt, just check out his ‘70s-inspired van. Emblazoned with the era’s popular proclamation “Death Before Disco” on its rear doors, there is little doubt Ogar is still a southern rocker, pumping The Allman Brothers (his favorite band), Elvin Bishop, The Marshall Tucker Band, among others (including Sammy Johns’ “Chevy Van”), from the van’s stereo. And while the van is truly a throwback, Ogar wanted it to be functional as well, calling it a ‘daily driver’, and when asked, he says there is no 8-track player in it. And from his tone, there are apparently no plans for one any time in the future.

“I come from the van era,” he says. “You weren’t cool if you didn’t have a van.”

Having owned over 50 vans in his life, his current one was bought after his wife suggested it after the two had to navigate a truck and trailer at a Knucklehead reunion in downtown Milwaukee. With her blessing, he bought it from a motorcycle shop in Bolivar. After some repairs, it was entered into the Ogar fleet, and for nine years it has served well for the day-to-day and for hauling motorcycles around the country.

Kenny John, MK Johns Studio in Montgomery City was enlisted for his stand-out custom paint work, highlighted by awe-inspiring metal flaking, the disco dis, and the iconic “Keep on Truckin’” logo featuring R. Crumb creation, “Mr. Natural”, with brush marks, which stand as proof to John’s craftsmanship - and provides ample proof that the paint job is no mere decal.

The flaking is something today seen most often on bass boats, not vans, making it a real attention-grabber.

“When it’s out in the sun, it looks like Dorothy’s shoes,” Ogar said.

While vans like this were relatively commonplace in that decade, they are a rarity today, making it hard to miss when out and about.

“I get a lot of honks, waves, and thumbs-ups,” Ogar says.The van provides a backdrop for more than its share of selfies and there are a lot of stories of ‘I remember when...’ shared.

At its core, the van is not as vintage as some may think. It’s actually a 1992 that has been outfitted with vintage lights, mirrors and aesthetics to look its perceived age. That’s complemented by the fact the Chevy van had the same body style from 1973 until 1996, making it period appropriate, albeit with fuel-injection.

A&A opened for business at its original Washington Street location on Feb. 3, 1984. In 1990, the shop moved to its current home, 1403 North Jefferson Street. Ogar’s interest in all-things-automotive dates back to his youth when he got to help a friend paint the bumper brackets on a 1937 Ford.

“I was pretty much hooked,” he said.

In year two of vo-tech at Mexico High, Ogar worked three hours a day, earning money and honing his eventual trade. Now 62, Ogar enjoys tracing his roots back, noting he’s “always been interested in cars.”

There is plenty of evidence to support his claim. He joined the Mexico Antique Car Club at age 14 after buying a 1957 Chevy, only to be told by purists that ‘real antique cards have a hard wood body’. And things have just intensified since then. A 1977 Mexico High School graduate, Ogar had already owned 19 cars before graduating. For $50, he could oftentimes buy an older car, like a Ford Falcon, fix it up and flip it.

“You could buy cars cheap back in those days,” he says.

Today, he owns seven cars and 12 motorcycles. And he’s continuing to flip vehicles when the opportunity presents itself.

Ogar is equally proud of his family as well, which includes seven siblings.

“And we’re all good looking,” he says with a laugh. “Write that down.”

His father was among the first to serve his country in World War II, having joined the military before the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor. A 30-month overseas vet, Adolph Sr. concluded his service as a member of the Flying Tigers, stationed in China before returning stateside to work for the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad. His mother served as an RN and worked with premature babies. Her 38-year healthcare career concluded in Mexico and she continued to serve on the hospital board until she was in her 70s.

Today, the Keep On Trucking/Death Before Disco van has about 230,000 miles on it and there are no plans to remove it from service any time soon.

“I’m going to keep running it,” Ogar says.

In his youth, Ogar had a shirt with the “Death Before Disco” message on it. While those days are gone, he remains steadfast, loving cars and not loving a certain kind of music, saying, “I never regretted not liking disco.”