Best Tool You've Found in a Car?

[DavidtheDuke]

Yesterday I was doing a regular oil change and noticed something shiny stuck between some metal on the fenderwell edge.. So I pryed it out, and out popped a shiny Matco ratcheting wrench. It has a offset box about 15 degrees on one end and a ratchet straight 8mm box on the other end. It looks almost brand new, but I can't find it on the website. Made in USA and needless to say probably $20+.

Anyone found much better?

[Chris Adams]

Two Snap-On wrenches 12-14. Left in my Motorhome after some service work.
I took them back and they told me "Nobody here lost them".
I waited for the mechanic to come back he looked at them and told me they were not his.

OK, that makes them mine. I left my number, no one ever called. Still have them, two motorhomes later.


Weirdest was a new Chevy truck in 1974. He had a rattle in the front of his new truck, and was going to take it to the dealer.
We were talking about it and just from curiosity I took a look.

Inside the drivers fender someone at the factory had tossed about a dozen brand new emblems.
Heavy chrome '350' fender pieces.
They had never even had the clips put on them.
He thought they had been put in there for an employee to steal later but I suspect they were tossed in just to 'make a noise' as I've seen that before where line workers tossed stuff inside bodies to annoy the buyers.

He kept one of the emblems; I gave the others to a Chevy buddy. He sold them for a decent price years later.

[Mike83]

I found a toothbrush and about 54 cents under the passenger seat of my car after I bought it. No tools, though.

[Blacknwhitepit]

Weirdest was a new Chevy truck in 1974. He had a rattle in the front of his new truck, and was going to take it to the dealer.
We were talking about it and just from curiosity I took a look.

Inside the drivers fender someone at the factory had tossed about a dozen brand new emblems.
Heavy chrome '350' fender pieces.
They had never even had the clips put on them.
He thought they had been put in there for an employee to steal later but I suspect they were tossed in just to 'make a noise' as I've seen that before where line workers tossed stuff inside bodies to annoy the buyers.

He kept one of the emblems; I gave the others to a Chevy buddy. He sold them for a decent price years later.

I've heard that story before. I've been told of two similar stories like that by two different people.

I always thought it was one of those "URBAN LEGENDS" like
The factory screwing up and putting in a police interceptor motor (On a 60's era car) and The Spanish fly, the girl and gear shift.



Perhaps it was a little passive agressive behavior or clumsiness at the factory.....


OH, the best tools I've found: I was working on a Ford Focus and found a Snap on TH737 and a Mac 10mm deep well socket! :lol_hitti

-BWP

[Jay H 237]

I found a pop rivet gun between the seat and the door sill on the passenger side in my 81 Citation. The car had been in for service weeks before and one of the things they did was fix the passenger inside door handle.

There was a rattle when I closed the driver's door of my 68 Mustang. After taking the inside panel off I found a 3/8" Matco combination wrench laying in the door. Who knows how long it was in there although it does look new.

I still have the pop rivet gun and Matco wrench.

[journeyman_justin]

Me and a friend found a performance camshaft in the trunk of his mustang and I've found numerous snap on, mac, matco, cornwell, etc wrenches and sockets at the local pick and pull. It's like buried treasure just waiting to be found.

[NOMAD]

Nothing but a S.K 19mm socket, but it's on my rail and completes my C-man set!

[Joe B.]

Back in high school (80s) I found a Snap~on cotter pin hook under the hood of my mom's Sable. I used it almost daily for 5 years to reset fire alarm pull stations. It was not an expensive tool to find but it was a great value considering the amount of use I got out of it.

If I found something like that today and I knew where it came from, I would take it back to the mechanic. Just because it shows up under my hood does not make it mine.

[Elroy]

Elroy can't say he has found any tools in junk cars that amounted to much. Maybe a rusty screw driver, but back in '68 a friend of Elroy's Grand Father ran a towing service. One day a Cadillac got towed in that was burnt to crisp front to back. Inside the glove box was a bunch of ashes. Could just make out an owners manuals and some maps. In the middle of this mess was an envelope. Elroy remembers "trying" to picking up the envelope and it fell apart revealing several black and crispy "bills". Put it all back real careful like and went to the owner.

Old man who ran the place said we could have it. He didn't think there was much there.

Mom helped us box up the bits and pieces and mail if off. Later that summer Elroy got a nice check from Uncle Sam for $452.00:shocking:

[Uncle Buck]

I found my own socket in a junk yard! To explain I was in the same yard way out in the toolies 3-5 years prior pulling a trim part off of an old truck, some wasps come roaring out and in the process of me leggin it out of there I dropped a 1/4" socket into a deep recess of the fender that I did not want to retrieve after the wasp incident so I left and later replaced the lost socket, 3-5 years later in the fall of the year I wrecked the same truck and had to go back to the same junk yard to the very same truck and get the exact same fender where I left my socket years before so I ended up getting my own rusty socket back years later!

[nissan_crawler]

My Titan was in for new seatbelts. I carry a backpack with jumper cables, tow ropes, straps, etc. in it, along with a toolbag, and a big socket set on the floor in front of the back seat. It wasn't until a few weeks later when I was vacuuming that I found a few snap-on trim panel tools hiding under my stuff. I took them back to the dealer, they looked up the service order, and had the mechanic that worked on it come up, but he said the tools weren't his. I'm assuming he had already bought ones to replace it and didn't want to admit he left them in a customer's car. :confused:

Either way, I have some nice Snap-On trim tools now.:bounce:

[fourfeathers]

Had a 3-4' non-handled prybar slide out from under our straight truck on the way home from a shop.- returned it
Craftman LED battery op. light- returned
sweet pair of Mac auto strippers-several years ago, before I realized guys bought their own tools -kept
Cornwell 7/16 gearwrench-Kept it, since I was re-fixing yet another leak, that was supposedly fixed already by the shop.
Several others over the years, but I can't remember all. Returned most.

[DavidtheDuke]

Had a 3-4' non-handled prybar slide out from under our straight truck on the way home from a shop.- returned it
Craftman LED battery op. light- returned
sweet pair of Mac auto strippers-several years ago, before I realized guys bought their own tools -kept
Cornwell 7/16 gearwrench-Kept it, since I was re-fixing yet another leak, that was supposedly fixed already by the shop.
Several others over the years, but I can't remember all. Returned most.

Yeah, I thought about that it could be the owner's, but I don't think so considering it was a lady who doesn't even know where the hood switch is (first under the dash)

[swgray]

I've found a few tools in my cars over the years, but since Snap-on tools are perceived as the best tools, the 14mm Snap-On combination wrench is obviously the best I've found.

I found it in the right hand fender well of my MG Midget when I was redoing the body and interior 2 years ago. As I've never bought any shiny Snap-On tools, I know I didn't lose it. I've owned the car since the fall of '89.

Oh, I'm willing to sell the wrench, make offers.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/swgray/Snap-On/Snap-on5.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/swgray/Snap-On/Snap-on4.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/swgray/Snap-On/Snap-on3.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/swgray/Snap-On/Snap-on2.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/swgray/Snap-On/Snap-on.jpg

[dxdexter]

I haven't found anything other than a few cents, but my grandfather found a sporterized Krag rifle in a car back in the 1950's. I still have that rifle. Its a beauty even though its not in its original military form.

[Uncle Buck]

I found two old screwdrivers, one old Craftsman and an old SK and a cheap body dolly in a junk yars years ago.

[caper]

years ago we used to buy cars and scrap them so i've found quite a few tools over the years,never returned em cuz we paid for the cars so if the owners couldn't be bothered to clean them out we figured the tools were part of the deal.Vise grips and ball pein hammers seemed to be most common followed by screwdrivers and loose sockets rolling around the floor.

[caper]

best tool ive found NOT in a car was today.Leaving a gas station in the city today I was waiting for traffic to go and noticed a pry bar laying in the street.Grabbed it and threw it in the car but didn't check to see who made it.Felt fairly substantial 24" blue handle with stripes i think.I forgot about it now i'm going to have to go out to the car and check it out!

[Mike83]

I was doing a bridge inspection on a bascule bridge and I was in the counterweight pit (the bascule pier is basically hollow and goes about 20' under water so that the bridge counterweight has somewhere to go when the span lifts). Anyway, I saw something shiny on the nasty ass wet, slimy floor and it was a Calvan spark plug gap tool.

[T56 Impala]

I've found a few tools in my cars over the years, but since Snap-on tools are perceived as the best tools, the 14mm Snap-On combination wrench is obviously the best I've found.

I found in the right hand fender well of my MG Midget when I redoing the body and interior 2 years ago. As I've never bought and shiny Snap-On tools, I know I didn't lose it. I've owned the car since the fall of '89.

Oh, I'm willing to sell the wrench, make offers.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/swgray/Snap-On/Snap-on5.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/swgray/Snap-On/Snap-on4.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/swgray/Snap-On/Snap-on3.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/swgray/Snap-On/Snap-on2.jpg
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b188/swgray/Snap-On/Snap-on.jpg

That looks like every Snap-on tool I own! Maybe it fell out of my car and somehow ened up in yours?

[eschoendorff]

My FIL is known for buying cars our of police auctions. He bought a Grand Am for my wife once and apparently the officers hadn't done a very thorough job going through the car because when she went to clean it up, she found various contraband (think rock-type objects in sandwich baggies)!

[Zeroek]

OH, the best tools I've found: I was working on a Ford Focus and found a Snap on TH737 and a Mac 10mm deep well socket! Blacknwhitepit lmao. I kept thinking damn did that Ford focus make it all the way to North Carolina!!! Needless to say I bought my 10mm back but never bought the ratchet. So far the only tool I've ever found was a Snap on 10mm wrench that was on a bleeder screw on a brake caliper. Talk about wow because it was like loosely on the bleeder. I don't see how it didn't fall off.

[blue302stang]

We had a horrible rattle in one of our works trucks after it had come back from some warranty work, lift the hood and their was a Proto 3/4 drive ratchet and 1 1/2" socket. That one went straight to my toolbox.

[optikal]

had a 68 chevelle in the shop for paint work and the owner wanted me to also replace the carpet so when i pulled up the old carpet i found a 1/4 drive snap on ratchet. i still have it but it is broken and i have yet to have it replaced

[bchee]

3-5 years later in the fall of the year I wrecked the same truck and had to go back to the same junk yard to the very same truck and get the exact same fender where I left my socket years before so I ended up getting my own rusty socket back years later!

freaking awesome

[DavidtheDuke]

I forgot to mention I found some long-nose SO pliers in a truck I lost months ago, about 2 weeks ago. There was so minor surface wear, but pretty much no rust (phew). I had already replaced them so, I'll be able to sell these on ebay.

[eschoendorff]

I forgot to mention I found some long-nose SO pliers in a truck I lost months ago, about 2 weeks ago. There was so minor surface wear, but pretty much no rust (phew). I had already replaced them so, I'll be able to sell these on ebay.

How much you want for them? :bounce:

[Theo]

I've never found tools, but I've found a few wallets and purses in cars when customers would bring their cars in for service. They'd be like, "Waah I left my wallet in the car and now my cash is gone. I'd be like, "Yeah dude, that's my service fee for finding your wallet. Ass."

When I worked at the tire shop I'd take the car out back to do a burn out the break the new tires in I'd notice there'd a lot of change and stuff in the ashtray making noise. I'd always take it so the car wouldn't rattle after I serviced it. I only worked there for 2 weeks though.

[Uncle Buck]

I only worked there for 2 weeks though.

Gee, I wonder why! :headscrat :wtf::shocking:

[DavidtheDuke]

When I worked at the tire shop I'd take the car out back to do a burn out the break the new tires in I'd notice there'd a lot of change and stuff in the ashtray making noise. I'd always take it so the car wouldn't rattle after I serviced it. I only worked there for 2 weeks though.

Dude, are you joking?:wtf:

[DavidtheDuke]

How much you want for them? :bounce:

I think I'll put a Buy it Now for around $15 and $2 shipping (USPS)

[Scottz5]

i got a pannel remover from BMW forget the brand but very nice.

[Kevin54]

In parting out a '64 Impala I found a WWI German bayonet in almost perfect shape. Blueing is still there with only one or two small (very small) rust pits.

[Jononon]

Snap-on trim remover, between the seat squab and the floorpan. I'd hazard a guess that that's the most lost automotive tool.

I also had a Ford with a full set of lock barrels and keys in the spare wheel well. Never did find out what that was about :confused:

[kbs2244]

Back in high shool when going through the junk yard looking for seat belts I found an unopened pack of 10 rubbers.
I sold them to one of the guys on the football team.
They more then paid for the seat belts.

[engnerdan]

Back in high shool when going through the junk yard looking for seat belts I found an unopened pack of 10 rubbers.
I sold them to one of the guys on the football team.
They more then paid for the seat belts.

Damn I was just going to say I found a dried crust (unopened) rubber under the back seat of my mustang, and a 1/2" snap-on line wrench under the radiator of my suburban.

-Dan

[64merc]

Back in high shool when going through the junk yard looking for seat belts I found an unopened pack of 10 rubbers.
I sold them to one of the guys on the football team.
They more then paid for the seat belts.

I wonder how many kids were born as a result of using those? :wtf:

[Uncle Buck]

I wonder how many kids were born as a result of using those? :wtf:

You stole my thoughts exactly! :bounce:

[ImportTuner]

I've never found tools, but I've found a few wallets and purses in cars when customers would bring their cars in for service. They'd be like, "Waah I left my wallet in the car and now my cash is gone. I'd be like, "Yeah dude, that's my service fee for finding your wallet. Ass."

When I worked at the tire shop I'd take the car out back to do a burn out the break the new tires in I'd notice there'd a lot of change and stuff in the ashtray making noise. I'd always take it so the car wouldn't rattle after I serviced it. I only worked there for 2 weeks though.

Wow ... you lasted a whole 2 weeks .... :(

[Theo]

I was too busy to come up with anything on April Fools Day. Better late than never.

[KCarGuy]

I tripped over an old vintage Floor Jack while running between two cars while at a junk yard, after pulling it out the dirt, i tested it on a full size Blazer and have been using it ever since (that was 28 years ago). I found a 1" Craftman Ratchet that was frozen sold in a car at a junkyard...turned it into Sears for a replacement. I also found a Snap-on 1" ratchet head (no bar) that still works great today.
My niece drove 3 hours home from school after getting some service done on her car, and later found a Matco angle grinder on the engine manifold, so she gave it to me.
I also found lots of shotgun shells in the quarter panel of a 1967 Barracuda, after I was cutting the quarters off with a air chisel, freaked the S*#T out of me, because they were jammed way down in the bottom, where you couldnt get to them. Those I did not keep.

[Ray-CA]

I tore down a '93 5.0L Mustang to get parts to build my FFR. We found over $10.00 in change and an almost new Leatherman tool. I only paid $80.00 for the donor car so after subtracting the coin and the value of the tool, I think I ended up with a $20.00 car. There were also several "adult" Polaroid photos that went into the trash.

Ray

[Vulturej]

I found a Fluke MD88 under the hood of my wife’s van, I opened the hood to fill the windshield fluid tank. We had it in the shop about 3 months earlier for a check engine light. There was one happy mechanic at the dealer when I brought it back.

[petty4243]

Well, I have not found tools like some of you, But I did Find a Real nice phillipine combat knife Jest brand?... was behind the seat of an old S-10 I bought....

also got a $50.00 dollar bill in a owners manual....

recently had a trade in vehicle came in... ash tray full of change... apx$30.00 worth... more funy is it already had been detailed prior to me doing vehicle inspection

[isr2kba]

Snapon torx t-35 (?) 3/8 drive bit. Funny thing is that I did all my own servicing on that car and had owned it several years before I found the socket.

[stricht8]

MAC 8mm combination wrench, Snap-on philips head screwdriver.

[sk farmer]

i found a 2d maglite and a nice 10 inch crescent adjustable in a car we destroyed in an extrication class. they live at my house now

[Garage_Mahal]

A nice deadblow hammer was left under my hood. I kept it in the car for a time intending to return it, but I never made it back to that garage as I moved soon after.

[Elroy]

Used for those delicate adjustments no doubt.

[spazzer]

Well, I have not found tools like some of you, But I did Find a Real nice phillipine combat knife Jest brand?... was behind the seat of an old S-10 I bought....

also got a $50.00 dollar bill in a owners manual....

recently had a trade in vehicle came in... ash tray full of change... apx$30.00 worth... more funy is it already had been detailed prior to me doing vehicle inspection

I've had trade-ins like that before as well, $40 in change in the spare tire well of a Civic, $30 in the floor heater ducts of a Silverado and $20 worth of change behind the ashtray, under and around the center console and under the carpet of an STS. I guess the previous owner of the Civic was lazy and I'm still trying to figure out how all the quarters got into the HVAC ducting on the Silverado!

[spazzer]

Found in used cars (mostly trade-ins we re-sold) over the years @ work:

Cheap 2' long 1/2" and Napa 12" long 3/8 breaker bars, misc. craftsman sockets mostly 1/4" drive stuff, tape measure, and a 5 D-cell maglite are the most memorable tool finds.

Found a good sized ballpeen hammer in the middle of the street last year too.

[kartracer55]

Found a 5/16 reversible gear wrench under the hood of a car a few weeks back. The black oxide had some surface rust and it was stuck, but after an overnight soak in some wd40, I loosened it up and it works like new.

Judging by the owner, it certainly didnt belong to them!

[GT89mustang]

Found a long flat head c-man screwdriver behind the backseat of my 89 mustang when i first bought it. Also found a small wrench inside one of the coil springs, spied it when i was underneath swapping in longtube headers, still not sure what it was doing there, was a random size that didnt seem to fit anything on the car.

Not me but one of my buddies found a mac 1/4 ratchet and socket laying in his engine bay when he was replacing his serpentine belt one time, not sure when it was left there.

[Danglerb]

1/2 x 5/8 offset after getting a new battery at Sears. Took it back and nobody would claim it.

Porsche 928 has a spider intake system, found a 10mm socket in the last one, and a 7mm (size used on some clamps).

Pulled the seat on one car and found $12 in change.

[-B-]

I'm still trying to figure out how all the quarters got into the HVAC ducting on the Silverado!



Kids !

In my Dart I found all the internal factory paper work for the day it was built , found a set of hog ring pliers and a screw driver.

In one of my brothers Larks we have found a treasure trove of rusted out cheap dime store tools stuffed in every crevice.

[cruiser808]

For me, I must be an unlucky guy because I've never found anything cool in a car. Absolutely nothing. But I did find a classic 3/8" Indestro ratchet in a second story air handler unit I was working on. :)

[fatfillup]

Well, I have not found tools like some of you, But I did Find a Real nice phillipine combat knife Jest brand?... was behind the seat of an old S-10 I bought....

also got a $50.00 dollar bill in a owners manual....

recently had a trade in vehicle came in... ash tray full of change... apx$30.00 worth... more funy is it already had been detailed prior to me doing vehicle inspection

Already been detailed?:headscrat How do them fellas in the detail department buy beer? When I detailed cars 30 years ago, I always looked for change in the used cars. Supplimented my party habits.

[fatfillup]

Snapon torx t-35 (?) 3/8 drive bit. Funny thing is that I did all my own servicing on that car and had owned it several years before I found the socket.

Sure it wasn't yours to start with?:bounce:

[autoace]

I was working on a Volvo 940 wagon, for a older female customer. During routine oil changes, I would usually make sure the spare tire was fully inflated and the mechanism to release it was working etc... You know to save my customer a hassle, in case they needed to use the spare:) Anyway when I pulled up the floor panel to service the spare, I found a large green "brick" of weed, in a tuperware container. There were also a few boxes of zip lock bags etc...:lol_hitti....this woman was in her 60's. When she picked up her car, I told her my findings "in case it wasn't hers" and she told me SS doesn't pay enough young man:lol_hitti

I had a early 90's Saab 900 in for a fuel pump, when I opened the trunk to access the fuel pump hatch, I was greeted with a site of dirty magazines, and a "pump" that looked kinda glazed:wtf:I closed the trunk and called the customer and spoke with his mother, I simply said I would not work on a car, with a trunk full of hazzardous bio waste.:confused:

[TheToolMan]

I was working on a Volvo 940 wagon, for a older female customer. During routine oil changes, I would usually make sure the spare tire was fully inflated and the mechanism to release it was working etc... You know to save my customer a hassle, in case they needed to use the spare:) Anyway when I pulled up the floor panel to service the spare, I found a large green "brick" of weed, in a tuperware container. There were also a few boxes of zip lock bags etc...:lol_hitti....this woman was in her 60's. When she picked up her car, I told her my findings "in case it wasn't hers" and she told me SS doesn't pay enough young man:lol_hitti

I had a early 90's Saab 900 in for a fuel pump, when I opened the trunk to access the fuel pump hatch, I was greeted with a site of dirty magazines, and a "pump" that looked kinda glazed:wtf:I closed the trunk and called the customer and spoke with his mother, I simply said I would not work on a car, with a trunk full of hazzardous bio waste.:confused:

HAAAAAAAAAAA Granny was selling pot to supplement her SS, That is great!!!

[TheToolMan]

i found a 1/2'' Snap-on wrench under the seat of my 1st f-150. Same truck i had the rear brakes fixed on it several times. the last time they found that the rear lind was clogged making the brakes drag. I was still annoyed to find a clinking noise in the rear, On my way back to the shop something flew off and went clinking down the road. When i went to the shop and explained what happened the mechainc said that was his $35 snap-on wrench left on the frame rail. He hopped in an old beater and took off to look for it

[Rolling_Thunder]

I found a Bag of Weed under the carpet of a Mustang I bought a long time ago! My mom snatched it out of my hands and flushed it!!

[voidifused]

I found a Bag of Weed under the carpet of a Mustang I bought a long time ago! My mom snatched it out of my hands and flushed it!!

I would have told her she owed you for it, since it cam with the car you bought.

[gatewaysysop]

i found a 1/2'' Snap-on wrench under the seat of my 1st f-150. Same truck i had the rear brakes fixed on it several times. the last time they found that the rear lind was clogged making the brakes drag. I was still annoyed to find a clinking noise in the rear, On my way back to the shop something flew off and went clinking down the road. When i went to the shop and explained what happened the mechainc said that was his $35 snap-on wrench left on the frame rail. He hopped in an old beater and took off to look for it

Well, on that note, I will add tonight's find. I was putting in a PMGR style starter on my 90' Bronco (Ford only put these on Bronco's 92+) as I was on my third(?) 4", 40lb hunk of crap OE style starter and still having heat soak and hot-start problems. :rocketwho

Was looking down in front of the battery and what do I find? Looks like a ratching wrench. I'm thinking "woo... wonder if it's Snap On?" picked it up and checked it out, GearWrench brand, 11mm. Trying to figure out the last time someplace would have been mucking with my battery, haven't figured yet. Would have been a while ago at any rate. Guess I'll make a couple calls tomorrow, just for giggles, only 2 places it could have been. Doubt anyone remembers or cares, but I guess that's the least I can do. :confused:

If anyone cares, the heat soak problem is gone. Those gear reduction starters are worth the $$$. :bowdown: