now, as well as liking interestingly modified old cars, I'm also a vintage garage equipment and tooling geek. i just love old tools, the feel of em, the way there a billionty times better made and packaged than new stuff, and the bizarre things they actually made tools to do when we didnt live in a cinsumerist throwaway culture like today.
so, this is the scenario.
i see an advert for a job lot of old crossply tyres on ebay- a list of sizes and brands. i realise its less than 5 miles away, and message the guy to ask to go have a rummage. it proves fruitful, and i net a good pair of 17" crossplies for my trailer build. all good ;D
we get talking, i tell him what i do and it turns the guys a scooter buff, and he knows choppy my silversmith mate who does all my brass/alloy work and mods rads for me, etc. hes going on about clearing these garages so he can move to a smaller yard nearby, but one of them is full of a load of old classic car stuff that was his old mans, which is where the tyres came from. he asks if i want to have a look/rummage, i give the obvious answer, and so he says come back in a couple of hours once hes moved all his scooter bits, and we'll have a look!!
well, the car parts were pretty disappointing. some of it was probably useful, once, its all 60s service parts and stuff, but its mostly water damaged. lots and lots of buggered gasket sets and wheel cyls, boxes and boxes of sus parts, engine bits etc. all rusted solid together. but whats that lot on the shelves behind all the car parts?
'oh, my old man cleared out a load of the equipment and tolls from a local garage when they shut down, mid '60s sometime'
trying to contain my excitement at scoring a load of 60s garage equipment we dragged it all out, i sorted out what was worth having and would fit in a lupo (best not tell the missus about that
), we agreed a price, and this is what i got-
theres really some good stuff in there. notice the dunlop tracking gauge. ive been after one of those for a while
theres at least three micrometers, including a pretty rare 6" one, a a nice boxed tap and die set.
this is pretty cool. its a sykes service set for minis and austin 1100s. lets you remove and replace the clutch, flywheel, and flywheel oil seal, all with the engine in situ. also has the optional extra steering bushing tool barnd new in the bag.
the box its in is pretty cool too-
compression tester-
e93a/103e/100e hub puller. these sell for strong money-
a couple of very nice honing tools-
it took us a while to figure out what this was for. its a bore diameter gauge.
more taps and dies and stuff-
this thing is utter madness. its castrol air powered grease gun. the finned round thing are refillable grease cartridges, and its all in its own caddy. looks more like a weapon from doctor who!-
some of the packaging was worth saving too-
the only classic car bits i took. mostly stainless wiper arms, some brake shoes, and some lenses and stuff.
so, this is the scenario.
i see an advert for a job lot of old crossply tyres on ebay- a list of sizes and brands. i realise its less than 5 miles away, and message the guy to ask to go have a rummage. it proves fruitful, and i net a good pair of 17" crossplies for my trailer build. all good ;D
we get talking, i tell him what i do and it turns the guys a scooter buff, and he knows choppy my silversmith mate who does all my brass/alloy work and mods rads for me, etc. hes going on about clearing these garages so he can move to a smaller yard nearby, but one of them is full of a load of old classic car stuff that was his old mans, which is where the tyres came from. he asks if i want to have a look/rummage, i give the obvious answer, and so he says come back in a couple of hours once hes moved all his scooter bits, and we'll have a look!!
well, the car parts were pretty disappointing. some of it was probably useful, once, its all 60s service parts and stuff, but its mostly water damaged. lots and lots of buggered gasket sets and wheel cyls, boxes and boxes of sus parts, engine bits etc. all rusted solid together. but whats that lot on the shelves behind all the car parts?
'oh, my old man cleared out a load of the equipment and tolls from a local garage when they shut down, mid '60s sometime'
trying to contain my excitement at scoring a load of 60s garage equipment we dragged it all out, i sorted out what was worth having and would fit in a lupo (best not tell the missus about that
), we agreed a price, and this is what i got-theres really some good stuff in there. notice the dunlop tracking gauge. ive been after one of those for a while
theres at least three micrometers, including a pretty rare 6" one, a a nice boxed tap and die set.
this is pretty cool. its a sykes service set for minis and austin 1100s. lets you remove and replace the clutch, flywheel, and flywheel oil seal, all with the engine in situ. also has the optional extra steering bushing tool barnd new in the bag.
the box its in is pretty cool too-
compression tester-
e93a/103e/100e hub puller. these sell for strong money-
a couple of very nice honing tools-
it took us a while to figure out what this was for. its a bore diameter gauge.
more taps and dies and stuff-
this thing is utter madness. its castrol air powered grease gun. the finned round thing are refillable grease cartridges, and its all in its own caddy. looks more like a weapon from doctor who!-
some of the packaging was worth saving too-
the only classic car bits i took. mostly stainless wiper arms, some brake shoes, and some lenses and stuff.
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