Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT 1950s Craftsman Garage retro remodel

[Stuart in MN]

In case you don't see it, there's a Craftsman wall cabinet available: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1981562

 

[smschriefer]

In case you don't see it, there's a Craftsman wall cabinet available: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1981562

Hey now! I'm working that one!

Red Leader, it is a woodworking wall type tool cabinet model 6518.

 

[fredlangva]

Boy, Dave, you are a true artist restoring old tools. You'll have the Atlas looking 100% better than when it left the factory. I'll be sure to ask for your advice when I manage to score a deal on some old power tools.

What little you lack in technique is more than compensated by your creativity and design. Like all of us, you'll figure it out and the next time will be easier. It's always a pleasure reading our thread and seeing the latest project

Hope you and your family have a happy and healthy New Year.

 

[Kevin54]

Red, regarding the debate, I'd agree with you. I read that and had followed the whole debate on OWWM regarding what makes a cabinet saw. My position is this, you will never convince someone of something once they set their mind to it. This has been proven scientifically, so don't sweat it.

The same member slammed my C'man 150 DP purchase ($75 and it is a floor model, not a bench model) saying that they could be had for $20 and were not as accurate as a new DP that could be had on Craigslist for $100. Reading his posts to you was like deja vu all over again. I knew he was wrong and I really wanted to debate him, but I ended up just leaving him be. His belief is any modern tool is vastly superior to an older tool and yes, in some cases that is true, but not in all and even when they are more accurate it has to be tempered by reality. In your case he is comparing a $3,500 saw to a used saw that is 50 years of age or greater and his is still only one or two thousandth's of an inch more accurate. So seven times the price for what, less clean up after the cut? I can't speak for anyone else, but in my case, I much prefer spending the extra money on something else. Heck, my TWO saws cost me a total of $50 and he might be five thousandths of an inch more accurate and he even said a Skilsaw can get close to his cuts. So in my case, he spent 140 times more money per saw. As a hobbiest, I just can't justify throwing my money away like that, but more power to him if he wants to.

Is the fence as accurate as a new design, no. So what if I have a .001" difference in my cut vs his. I still have the cut and I still have to assemble prior to glue up just like him and we both still have to make minor corrections, since wood is not always perfect. So he spends more money to do the exact same thing and brags he has a more expensive tool than you. It kind of reminds me of another debate regarding Snap On v. the world... Don't worry, I'm not going there. Also, there are tricks to making our saws more accurate as well, and beyond the time spent - these upgrades are free, or just a few dollars. Before you get too far on the rebuild, read this guys rebuild at Lumberjocks. You will be glad you did. http://lumberjocks.com/KTMM/blog/19061

And I shall now end my rant. lol

In regards to the older tools or machinery, back in '79-'81, I worked at Rockwell in the Power Tool Division. We machined all of the castings for the planers, bandsaws, drill presses, and so on. I have to say that back then the quality and standard were better somewhat than they are today. By that I mean, that if we had castings that had multiple setup, bores, milling, the parts were almost always checked 100%. Todays parts are thinner, lighter, material may be different and when the same similar part is checked it may be checked 1 in every 5. The quality is determined by the machinery the parts are ran on, If it is ran on a $500,000 piece of CNC machinery, everyone expects it to run consistent parts 100% of the time so the need to check the parts drops off.

Some of the older machinery can't be beat, AND the older stuff at one time was used to make the newer stuff

 

[Red Leader]

Hey now! I'm working that one!

Red Leader, it is a woodworking wall type tool cabinet model 6518.

Haha! I guess I can't have them all, right?

This is one of those 'opportunist' Craftsman items that if I happen to come across I'll definitely pick up and use. Maybe I should pull a ticket behind you I definitely would be interested in knowing what the tool layout was in the carpenter version.

In the interest of keeping my posts content-worthy, I did happen to pick up this little gem the other day:

My first vintage Craftsman tool with the original paperwork!

There is no date on it, but I'm guessing early to mid 1950s. Yes, it still works For a 60 year old tool, I'd say that's pretty freakin' cool

 

[Red Leader]

Boy, Dave, you are a true artist restoring old tools. You'll have the Atlas looking 100% better than when it left the factory. I'll be sure to ask for your advice when I manage to score a deal on some old power tools.

What little you lack in technique is more than compensated by your creativity and design. Like all of us, you'll figure it out and the next time will be easier. It's always a pleasure reading our thread and seeing the latest project

Hope you and your family have a happy and healthy New Year.

Thanks for your kind words! Although probably 99% of the time I feel that I have no talent whatsoever. When I stop to see the work of some, like Nighttrain in their restoration of their DoAll band saw, or guys like Bob Holcombe on the OWWM forums and how they have the restoration down to a fine art...I am in awe.

I can only hope that by witnessing some of the incredible amount of talent and skill that some of it will rub off on me.

 

[smschriefer]

Don't sell yourself short, your restorations looks awesome. Every time you complete one the attention to detail increases and it shows.

Is that sander from your secret Craftsman guy? It looks like it is new in box! That sander I got also had the paperwork with it, including receipts for parts purchases. Now I want to see you with one of those 1950's circular saws. Specifically a 207.25530 as those have to be the most deco influenced ones you can find. Plus, if you polish the aluminum out it would light your garage all by itself. hehe

 

[Red Leader]

To my fellow GJ'ers, just a little note to say...

Happy New Year



I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday celebration with your friends, family and loved ones

 

[Red Leader]

Don't sell yourself short, your restorations looks awesome. Every time you complete one the attention to detail increases and it shows.

Is that sander from your secret Craftsman guy? It looks like it is new in box! That sander I got also had the paperwork with it, including receipts for parts purchases. Now I want to see you with one of those 1950's circular saws. Specifically a 207.25530 as those have to be the most deco influenced ones you can find. Plus, if you polish the aluminum out it would light your garage all by itself. hehe

Thanks for your kind words - it is getting better. Hopefully once I have a way to use a spray gun and have some other dedicated restoration tools, it will be a lot more fun and precise.

That sander came from an independent ad. The Craftsman guy pretty much has 1 tool left, a power bronze Craftsman '100' table saw. I don't need another table saw, but if I did, I'd be very tempted. All the tools...the drill press, radial arm saw, and this bench saw...look like they were bought in 1958, put in a garage, never used and are now for sale. Still kicking myself for not getting the drill press

Regarding the circular saws...I'd actually like to find an old Dunlap circular saw with the art deco trimmings...that one, even though not Craftsman, appeals to my tastes the most:

I'm currently trying to resist the purchase of the circular saw that was used on the cover of the 1957 Craftsman power tool catalog. It is very rare to see this saw, especially with the Craftsman tag on it before they switched to the crown logo, but funds are tight and it is a little hard to justify, especially since I already have a circular saw...but man...I want it!!!

 

[commonut]

Have just finished reading this entire thread, and I've got to say I wish we had the same amount of gear here in Oz as you guys seem to have available over there, some of that machinery is BEA-UT-I-FUL! Nice to see there are guys saving, restoring and using these pieces of art. And Red Leader, I love the shelves you have built, and eagerly await your workbench build, especially as I'm hoping to finally start on the build of mine very soon.
Noel

 

[shopnut]

Hey RL - Those portable power tools are pretty cool. Your shop won't be complete without a whole set of them out on display. You can hide the convenient cordless stuff away in a cabinet somewhere (or does the new stuff go against your ideals too much to even have them in your shop? )

Can you still get parts for them? Can a burned-up motor be repaired? Just curious as usual.

 

[Red Leader]

Have just finished reading this entire thread, and I've got to say I wish we had the same amount of gear here in Oz as you guys seem to have available over there, some of that machinery is BEA-UT-I-FUL! Nice to see there are guys saving, restoring and using these pieces of art. And Red Leader, I love the shelves you have built, and eagerly await your workbench build, especially as I'm hoping to finally start on the build of mine very soon.
Noel

Hi Noel! You might be my first Australian visitor!

Thanks for your kind thoughts. Yes, vintage machinery has become somewhat of a passion of mine as this thread has progressed. My hope is that it will be practical art - something fun and pleasing to look at AND useful as well. Not a lot of folks have restored, up-to-date tools (more on this forum than other places though) so my hope is to save the old stuff, then update appropriately where needed (state of the art blades, jigs, motors, etc) and show folks that you can get the same precision (or moreso) using the old, outdated, relics and do it with style

What kind of workbench were you planning on building?

 

[Red Leader]

Hey RL - Those portable power tools are pretty cool. Your shop won't be complete without a whole set of them out on display. You can hide the convenient cordless stuff away in a cabinet somewhere (or does the new stuff go against your ideals too much to even have them in your shop? )

Can you still get parts for them? Can a burned-up motor be repaired? Just curious as usual.

Shopnut,

To be honest, I don't have enough experience to give to the best response, but I can tell you what I have learned thus far. As far as parts go, sometimes you have to get a little creative. Sometimes you have to either find a donor tool, or sometimes the part can be repaired because it is either metal or aluminum. I would say that is the case most of the time. For those that have a little more talent and skill, a new part (depending on the tool) might be able to be machined and fitted.

With the older motors, at least in the smaller power tools, I've never experienced a burn-out. However, most of the issues that lead to a motor failure or that would keep it from working properly can be easily addressed - replacing the brushes, turning/cleaning the commutator, replacing bearings, etc. The only real deathblow to a lot of these old motors is direct damage to the windings. Even then, you can probably get the motor rewound, as many do for old tool repair where finding a replacement motor can be near impossible - this is mainly the case on bigger tools that have an integrated motor, like an old obscure radial arm saw.

That old belt sander I got (PowrKraft, 1969), had sluggish power, smoke coming from it, and lots of sparks around the brushes. Most folks would have thrown it away. I got it because someone donated it. I took it apart, totally cleaned the inside, and serviced the commutator with a little sandpaper and polish, then cleaned out the grooves. Runs as good as new now. Some 'problems' really aren't serious problems (or not yet), it is lack of service/maintenance. However, what we have traded in the last 50 years are tools that require periodic service (cleaning, bearings, etc) and last longer than our lifetimes to tools that need no service whatsoever, but only last 5-10 years, if that. It has been a slow shift in our philosophy as a society, and the power tool market was not immune.

To be fair, a lot of the old tool marketing advertised tools that had 'sealed for life' bearings that "never need replacement!", which, umm, kind of isn't true The worst is when you see the spindle incorporated as the inner race of a bearing! To be fair on the flipside though, I'm not sure they imagined someone using the tools every day 60 years late. In the Craftsman catalogs, many of the tools have an advertised '1 year warranty' which is either the same or worse than a lot of modern tools. I always get a kick out of that

The new stuff doesn't go against my ideals - as a matter of fact, the most useful tool in my entire garage to-date has been my Ryobi cordless drill. I'd be lost without it! So I do have to give credit where credit is due. I do think that technology has really pushed a lot of tools to the cutting edge and there have been some fabulous improvements since the old days. However, a lot of the convenience and efficiency of the new tools has been tempered by the fact that most originate from overseas and construction is less robust than old tools, at least in my opinion. If a modern tool could be built in the USA and be of good design and quality, I would absolutely not hesitate to use it. Since the old tools align a little bit more with my ideals as you could call them - made in USA, good design and construction (depends on actual tool), and most of the time, cheaply purchased used...it makes it a little harder to justify spending 5x as much on an tool made in China just to get the compactness or efficiency.

It is not without it's compromises. A lot of the old tools are not as flexible as the new tools. A perfect example is your average compound miter saw vs, lets say, a Hammond Glider:

vs

The miter saw is primarily a crosscut/cutoff type saw. It has the ability to also cut angles and bevels.

The Hammond is a lead typeset saw converted into a woodworking cutoff saw. It has the ability to cut the ends off boards. No bevels, no angles.

The miter saw weighs 50lbs. The Hammond weighs 500lbs. The miter saw takes up a shelf on your cabinets. The Hammond takes up a whole corner of your garage.

Price for both are actually comparable.

Which one do you buy and use?

The miter saw can do many things, and it does them all okay.

The Hammond can only do one thing. However, what it does it does with absolute surgical precision - gives you the finest 90 degree end cut you will ever see in your life, bar none.

Some folks would absolutely choose the miter saw for its compactness and flexibility. They would be living with some inconveniences .

Other folks would choose the Hammond for its accuracy and style. They, too, would live with other inconveniences.

With my garage I have to get a little creative because I prefer the older tools, with all their inconveniences, but have limited room to do so.

If space was no concern (well, any money for that matter), I would much rather have 5 old tools that only did 1 thing each but did them all extremely well than 1 compact tool that did 5 things but did them all with average to mediocre performance.

All that said, I have been researching miter saws made in USA recently AND I'm also keeping an eye out for an old Hammond Glider. I am a sick, sick man

 

[PeteMoore]

Not sure if I have posted in your thread before, but it's awesome.

Absolutely loving the restoration work, and it has pushed me to procrastinate on the work that brings me cash so I can restore everything in my wee garage back to as new condition, also want everything to look like it came from the same product line.

Keep up the awesome work

Pete

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

Dave, that Atlas saw is looking great! You know... I just happen to have a very clean Craftsman 150 table saw available.

 

[Red Leader]

Dave, that Atlas saw is looking great!

Thanks! I have been working on restoring the fence, motor mount, belt guard, etc...but for the past couple of days, I haven't been able to log in on Imageshack for some reason.

As soon as it is up and running I'll be able to post some new pictures.

You know... I just happen to have a very clean Craftsman 150 table saw available.

You know how many table saws I have in my garage right now, right?

 

[Red Leader]

Not sure if I have posted in your thread before, but it's awesome.

Absolutely loving the restoration work, and it has pushed me to procrastinate on the work that brings me cash so I can restore everything in my wee garage back to as new condition, also want everything to look like it came from the same product line.

Keep up the awesome work

Pete

Pete,

Thanks for your words of support! I'm glad it has had a positive effect on your end. What items are you working on over there?

Your Irish garage is fantastic. What part of the country are you in? The wife and I were there back a few years ago - we stayed in Skerries and drove around taking a tour of the lower half - I have good memories - like a little trip to the oldest known pub in the world

Would love to go back someday.

-Dave

 

[PeteMoore]

Currently working on my F J Edwards folder

Once it has all new hardware, repaired castings, and a fresh lick of paint I will start on the guillotine, then the pillar drill, and so on and so on. But unfortunately I just don't have the £££ to allow me to do the resto's in the time frame I would like.

Hopefully 2012 sees a change to that

I'm stuck up North, about 15 miles north of Newry/ the border

Kerry and I met in Kenmare Bay, and returned there a year or so later to tour the west coast. Just spectacular scenery and friendly people, didn't visit many pubs though, we were more interested in the old rally stages such as the Healey Pass, Molls Gap, Gap of Dunloe and the the Burren.

Basically IMO, anything above Cork, below Sligo and west of the centre is great, the rest is just meh and too much like home

 

[Red Leader]

Currently working on my F J Edwards folder

Once it has all new hardware, repaired castings, and a fresh lick of paint I will start on the guillotine, then the pillar drill, and so on and so on. But unfortunately I just don't have the £££ to allow me to do the resto's in the time frame I would like.

Hopefully 2012 sees a change to that

I'm stuck up North, about 15 miles north of Newry/ the border

Kerry and I met in Kenmare Bay, and returned there a year or so later to tour the west coast. Just spectacular scenery and friendly people, didn't visit many pubs though, we were more interested in the old rally stages such as the Healey Pass, Molls Gap, Gap of Dunloe and the the Burren.


Basically IMO, anything above Cork, below Sligo and west of the centre is great, the rest is just meh and too much like home

You've got a guillotine?? Whoa!







Cool!

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

I know, but it's like kids... after a couple, what's one more! Speaking as a father of five....

You sure??? I mean, she has the original blade guard and it has been POLISHED!

Thanks! I have been working on restoring the fence, motor mount, belt guard, etc...but for the past couple of days, I haven't been able to log in on Imageshack for some reason.

As soon as it is up and running I'll be able to post some new pictures.



You know how many table saws I have in my garage right now, right?

 

[bluebolt]

Regarding the circular saws...I'd actually like to find an old Dunlap circular saw with the art deco trimmings...that one, even though not Craftsman, appeals to my tastes the most:

And I suppose you want it to have the guide bar, an extra blade, the "Do's and Don'ts on sawing wood" pamphlet, the "Care and Maintenance of saw blade" pamphlet, the "Operating instructions and parts list for Dunlap 6 1/14" Electric Hand Saw Model Number 626.25720" pamphlet and the "Special Instructions Form No. 8102A" for the 3 conducter cable as well don't you. Where o where will you ever find that! Who on Garage Journal might have recently picked up one of those

 

[Red Leader]

Well, just found out that our car was stolen last night.

Yippee!!!

The good news/blessing/silver lining to all this is the police found it this morning in a field! Without the wheels, of course.

We are waiting for more news and for the report to come through so we can go take a look at it. I already know the stereo's gone, but I just hope there are no other surprises, like a broken window, engine damage, etc.

I'll bring the camera when we go take a look at it, so pics will follow.

Anyone had this happen to them? Advice? Do I need to check the inside for any weirdness?

I did find a used set of rims on C/L that can be immediate replacements if that is the only missing thing.

Life is always an adventure. I guess in the end, its just possessions that will burn one day. Still, never a fun thing

 

[Brad54]

Well, just found out that our car was stolen last night.

Yippee!!!

The good news/blessing/silver lining to all this is the police found it this morning in a field! Without the wheels, of course.

We are waiting for more news and for the report to come through so we can go take a look at it. I already know the stereo's gone, but I just hope there are no other surprises, like a broken window, engine damage, etc.

I'll bring the camera when we go take a look at it, so pics will follow.

Anyone had this happen to them? Advice? Do I need to check the inside for any weirdness?

I did find a used set of rims on C/L that can be immediate replacements if that is the only missing thing.

Life is always an adventure. I guess in the end, its just possessions that will burn one day. Still, never a fun thing

That *****.
I had a truck stolen a few years back... they abused the hell out of it, cut all the wires to take out the radio and instrument cluster, stripped out the seats, the wheels and all the custom body panels.
I REALLY wanted the truck to be "totalled" by the insurance company, rather than chase all the problems that would come up down the road.
Fortunately, the insurance company saw it my way.

-Brad

 

[tinbender 66]

That ***** big time Dave. I've never had it happen to me so I can't give any advice. Hopefully they only wanted the rims and stereo and everything else is intact. Stinkin' tweakers probably.

 

[shopnut]

Sorry to hear that RL. Watch CL for parts that match what's missing from your car - might lead you to the actual thieves. (Although I'm not sure how you could prove anything). Good luck with the insurance.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

Dave, that ***** I'd be pretty mad if I were in your shoes. Its a peeve of mine to have other take (mine) what isn't theirs!

Hope there isn't extensive damage.

 

[slickgt1]

Damn that sux. Let us know how it goes.

What type of car anyway?

 

[Wingnut65]

Sorry to hear about the car, Dave. Wish there was something that we could do to help, but right now it is up to the pro's to work it out. I do have rims from a '99 olds sitting out back...

 

[commonut]

Bad news about your car, scum that can't keep their hands to themselves repulse me. The feeling of not knowing who has been in your car and what they did in it seem to be the things I remember most from when it happened to me. A good vacuum, and a wipe over of the steering wheel, door handles, indicator switches etc with some disinfectant would be the first thing I do, along with a thorough search of the car (under the front seats, behind the back seat etc) for any surprises would be a good thing too. Last thing you'd want is to be pulled over sometime down the road, and the police find a bong or worse under the seat. Though I've not experienced THAT, I've heard of it happening, and even if you could prove its not yours, its quite a hassle to go through.

Hi Noel! You might be my first Australian visitor!

What kind of workbench were you planning on building?

I'm a motor trimmer by trade, so my bench has a few different requirements from the average (the dimensions of mine will be a little over 5 ft by almost 8 ft!), but I am going to have an end vise built in, square holes in line with the vise for bench dogs, and a few other built in "stops" etc for convenience. For the top I'm joining 8in by 2in hardwood planks, the 4 on the front side of the bench on their side for a thickness of 8 inches where the bench dogs will be. Just to make it all the more fun, I need to try to make the bench somewhat modular, as I'm in a rental property for now, but I need the bench in order to get the money together for my own place!

BTW, I thinks its fantastic that Steven Biars will be the recipient of your saw giveaway, his project will pay forward your kindness many times over.

 

[smschriefer]

Red Leader, sorry to hear about the vehicle theft. The good news is it was recovered and nobody in your family was hurt. Vehicles can be replaced and/or repaired. Just a thought, but does your garage have windows? I'd be concerned that they might have cased your house, in addition to stealing your car.

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

Yea that stinks! So, what year Honda Accord was it? (Just guessing here, but it would be funny if I am right!)

This is kinda my field, so I can help you out a bit. First, was it stolen with the keys? Be honest here, they might just have you show an investigator the keys. Don't worry, this is very common, "self-theft" claims are VERY common and almost always prompt an investigation.

If the keys were stolen with it, make sure they either pay to replace them, or to have the car re-coded. (this includes any keyless entry fobs) It is common to have parts stolen, just so the car can easily be stolen again for the new parts. The can be the reason the old ones were stolen in the first place. For example, your old battery is stolen, just so you go and buy a new one... for them to steal a brand new one!

I would ask that they allow to have the car checked at a garage, and to have a 4 wheel alignment done. It was found in a field, and could of been driven hard to get there.

For the interior, I would be VERY careful checking and cleaning, you never know if a needle is stuck into a seat crack. I suggest you voice this as a concern for your safety, and request that the inside be cleaned for any potential hazards or possible bio-hazard that can not be seen by the naked eye. Explain to them that they can not prove to you that the car was only driven, and any manner of things could of been done in the car. I mean, hey... it was found in a field, right!

If the tires were stolen, I highly suggest buying a set of wheel locks (again, it would stink to have the new ones stolen the next night)

As for buying wheels and tires, hold up and wait to see what they do. However, remember, there could be some damage from a tow truck on the ball joints, dust shields, and bumpers if pulled up onto a flat bed without wheels. Make sure that is checked for.

If you have a receipt for anything like tires, radio, etc... get them ready.

Feel free to run anything by me, my day job is an insurance appraiser for auto.

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

Sorry to hear that RL. Watch CL for parts that match what's missing from your car - might lead you to the actual thieves. (Although I'm not sure how you could prove anything). Good luck with the insurance.

Always good advice, but in reality... even if they had all the missing parts in one big "for sale" post, It's unlikely the police will even get involved. It's so hard to prove, they don't even bother with it. (At least around here) I have known people who have found their parts in the exact same manner, only to be told by the PD that they have no proof and will not even look into it. Sad, but that is the way it is at times.

 

[machine_punk]

Sorry to hear about the theft. Pleased to hear that you and your family are safe.

 

[Red Leader]

Thanks guys for your thoughts. If anything, it has really given me a lot to think about regarding home/vehicle security. I want to start really beefing up on this stuff.

Edit: I removed the images due to identification/liability issues.

Wheels gone, and ignition punched out/demolished but amazingly just about everything else is still there. Including the stereo - they tried but didn't get it.

Had some fun unloading the car. It is now at an undisclosed location. It will need wheels, new console and steering column trim, and new ignition assembly. I do feel very blessed that we got it back, although nobody likes this kind of thing to happen.

Regarding insurace, the car is under liability only. We couldn't get comprehensive on it even if we wanted to because the car was technically 'totalled' due to a hail storm a few years ago and once a vehicle is totalled, comprehensive is out of the question. So now it will come down to fixin' her up myself.

With vehicle registration fees coming up, plus the cost of repairs, some machinery is going to have to move on to greener pastures. I be unloading the Atlas table saw and most likely the Delta jointer w/ art deco stand. I have already found potential buyers for the wood lathe and the Craftsman jointer.

The hidden blessing in that is that I will be able to reclaim my shop and it will actually become useful again. Right now I can barely move stuff in it and it is, to some degree, quite hazardous as there are many items (some sharp) on the floor, just waiting to be tripped over. I've definitely been practicing my ballerina skills out there

 

[Firefyter-Emt]

That stinks that it's not covered... I was pretty close though, Honda Accord, Honda Civic, they are are so dang easy to steal it's not funny! I see a LOT of them stolen and stripped for parts, sometimes, I have seen the damaged parts from the other car bolted back on as well!

Look on the bright side... it looks like they left you the lug nuts!

 

[GirlnAgarage]

Well Dave, I hope at least these next moves go smooth. What a hassle

 

[ChristopherLutz]

Red Leader -

You seem to have a good attitude about the whole thing...for what it's worth, I would avoid any independent investigation (i.e. "craigslist hunting"). In the end, you'll be squaring off against people that have much less to lose than you do.

To answer your original question: Yes, it's happened to me and, I chose to get rid of the car. Personal preference....I just didn't like the idea of not knowing what potential issues were lurking that were waiting to bite me when I was in a hurry for something important.

I read this after the pics were down...but, if it is a honda....it's tops of the list of most stolen.

Wishing you the best.

 

[american3.14guy]

Red Leader, sorry for what has happened to you. In our house we believe, and I was just discussing this with a friend a couple of days ago, that we leave our most insured vehicle (I know this was not the case with you, and that *****) more "accessible." If someone is not in their right mind enough to steal from me, than they are not in their right mind enough to not harm my family. The influences that people are on when they decide to steal are not conducive to rational thought. I DO believe in my rights as a citizen, but the guy on the other end does not. If they can get what they want and leave without entering my house, that's OK with me. With that, I'm glad you, Mrs. RL, and RL Jr. are OK.

 

[flybefree]

RL,

Sorry your ride got jacked...may the repairs come cheap and easy!

Shaun

 

[smschriefer]

Now back to better thoughts. RL, I was at the Habitat Re-Store today and a vintage power tool followed me home. He is sitting in my garage right now wondering what will become of him. His tag says 113.29003 and I have decided I need to keep him and rebuild his self confidence.