Hastings piston rings

[woody 73]

Someone posted in the general tool section today about the Sturtevant Co. (SR) and that it is not talked about much on the GJ.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=337811

Funny how things work but just this morning at a garage sale I picked up a vintage torque wrench with the name Hastings Piston Rings and rather not finding any makers name I did a little searching and found a 1957 Sturtevant catalog and low and behold I found their trade mark on my wrench.

Hastings is still in business and if you need any information on SR, you can read my old link in the above post.

A few pictures and a link to Hastings:

https://www.hastingspistonrings.com/

 

[Bdgjr215]

I was using hastings piston rings at an engine shop i worked at in the early and mid 90's.
I probably have empty boxes somewhere.the logo was a piston headed guy if i remember correctly.

 

[Plombob]

Sturtevant made the Plomb torque wrench too. The only difference I can see is the head has only one 1/2" drive attachment. Plomb has two. It is interesting that Hastings branded that tool. I've never seen any Hastings tools.

 

[Super Mech]

I worked at a auto parts store/machine shop in the mid 80s. We were distributors for Hastings rings. While I don't remember any tools with their name on them, we did have a cool clock we got from the company hanging in the shop.

 

[1963plates]

Here are just some of the tools sold by Hastings Manufacturing. I have been collecting Hastings items for over 25 years and have a 20'x24' room full of Hastings items.

 

[1963plates]

Here are a couple of pictures of my Hastings room.

 

[woody 73]

Very nice pictures good job super nice collection!

 

[3baygarage]

1963, that is impressive! A devoted collector.

Do you have a Hastings engine valve holder?

 

[chopper1]

Here are a couple of pictures of my Hastings room.

Very nice. I remember you from ebay of years past. You outbid me on a few auctions and if I remember right you bought some stuff from me.

 

[3baygarage]

While shuffling some things around recently I was thinking where did I put that neat valve holder. So strange that Woody brought up Hastings, thank you Woody.

1963, here it is in the very top of the picture. I was able to find it in the 2014 Garage sale thread at least.

I wonder if they were giving away lollipops in it .

 

[2oolhound]

1963plates - Amazing collection and looks like a great place to hang out while sipping coffee or slurping beers. Do you live on Hastings Street by chance

I'm curious what is the tool in the 2nd photo top left, it looks a bit like a ratchet and is on top of it's box.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

I have been collecting Hastings items for over 25 years and have a 20'x24' room full of Hastings items.

Wow. That is a shrine, 1963plates!

I have this vintage piston cleaner/re-groover with a HASTINGS brand on it. It was patented in 1938 and assigned to Zim. My hunch would be Zim made these for Hastings, but I could be wrong. Perhaps the High Priest of Hastings (that's you, 1963plates!) would know better!

 

[1963plates]

Most of the Hastings tools were made by other manufactures for Hastings. As for the valve holder previously mentioned Hastings yard sticks also doubled as valve holders.

I was born in Hastings, but have lived in the U.P. for the past 42 years. My uncle worked there for 38 years. It is his desk set that is in the picture.

Thank you for the compliment on the Hastings man cave. It is our family room.

 

[1963plates]

Hastings Manufacturing Company was founded by Aben Johnson in 1915 and produced automotive accessory items. In 1923 they started producing and selling piston rings as they do to this day. In 1939 the Casite line was added.
The Hastings Tough Guy was introduced in 1939 replacing Detective Hastings from 1934. Hastings has multiple automotive tools as well as promo give-a-ways as pictured. They still have the Casite line of engine additives. That is enough for now. I don't want to bore anyone with my addiction.

 

[woody 73]

Very nice collection ; if I ever brought any of my collection into the house my wife would send me packing to my very cold man cave...

Your collection not boring we love it.

Reading troll posts (not in the vintage tool section) boring as all get out!

 

[twertsy]

Hastings Manufacturing Company was founded by Aben Johnson in 1915 and produced automotive accessory items. In 1923 they started producing and selling piston rings as they do to this day. In 1939 the Casite line was added.
The Hastings Tough Guy was introduced in 1939 replacing Detective Hastings from 1934. Hastings has multiple automotive tools as well as promo give-a-ways as pictured. They still have the Casite line of engine additives. That is enough for now. I don't want to bore anyone with my addiction.

The absolute last thing your collection and historical knowledge are is boring, particularly to most of this crowd!!

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk

 

[joel63]

Hastings Manufacturing Company was founded by Aben Johnson in 1915 and produced automotive accessory items. In 1923 they started producing and selling piston rings as they do to this day. In 1939 the Casite line was added.
The Hastings Tough Guy was introduced in 1939 replacing Detective Hastings from 1934. Hastings has multiple automotive tools as well as promo give-a-ways as pictured. They still have the Casite line of engine additives. That is enough for now. I don't want to bore anyone with my addiction.

It's not an addiction, it's a passion.

And your addi ,eh passion revealed by your collection is definitely one to be proud of.
I used to use Hastings oil filters which were sold by the parts house that I bought from. I always appreciated the attached hex on the bottom of the filter.

Made filter changes a breeze.

Show us more anytime.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

63,
If you have a chance to take a few more photos, I'd like to see some close-ups of what I think is a valve adjusting tool (the thing with the knob on it, between the two yellow compression tester boxes, in the photos in your very first post). I have a New Britain version of the same tool.

 

[1963plates]

Here are a couple close ups of the valve adjusting tool.

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks!

 

[Dennis Leigh Henry]

Super cool thread... I remember the Hastings guy from the early 1970s stickers my buddy gave me....

 

[twertsy]

Someone posted in the general tool section today about the Sturtevant Co. (SR) and that it is not talked about much on the GJ.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=337811

Funny how things work but just this morning at a garage sale I picked up a vintage torque wrench with the name Hastings Piston Rings and rather not finding any makers name I did a little searching and found a 1957 Sturtevant catalog and low and behold I found their trade mark on my wrench.

Hastings is still in business and if you need any information on SR, you can read my old link in the above post.

A few pictures and a link to Hastings:

https://www.hastingspistonrings.com/

Back to your original post Woody, Sturtevant made torque wrenches for virtually everybody. I have more but these were easy to dig out. All bear the Sturtevant trademark on the reverse.

 

[1963plates]

Thought I would post a few more pictures of my Hastings items. They were great at promoting products. Pictured are a couple of thermometers and clocks that I have. The banner actually hung in the lobby for several years.

In 1940 Hastings acquired the assets of J.R. Case manf. of Jonesboro Ark. currently known as the Casite line. Casite was introduced as a penetrating oil, but was soon used as an additive to engine oil to remove sludge and carbon build up. In 1944 they started producing "Densite" oil filters. In 1956 they introduced Safety Belts for cars. Many of their items were introduced well before there time.

 

[d42jeep]

I found a Hastings stud puller while going through my toolbox yesterday.
-Don

 

[Packard V8]

Thanks so much for sharing. When one of these comes along, I can show it to my wife and say, "See, it could be worse." ;>)

jack vines

 

[driftpin]

I always enjoyed the Hastings Piston Ring character, he looked like a '**** Tracy' character, he could have been "Lantern Jaw." That's a great collection you have.

I lived in the SW Michigan area when Gordon Johncock was racing, he won the Indy 500 in 1973 and 1982. Another Hastings product. I went to school off M-43 about ten miles south of Hastings. We used to play other schools from the area in sports, but I think Hastings was a lower population classification than us for sports.

 

[buzzy56]

Great Thread from a fellow Hastings Collector . Have a few pieces in my collection and a few identical to yours . Cannot beat the graphics of this manufacture . Few pics of mine . Thanks for posting ! I might add I live just 6 miles outside of Hastings Michigan. My neighbor is the Grandson of the Johnson’s that’s started the Hastings Manufacturing company . His daughter in-law my next door neighbor at the lake , told me that the grandson her husband , and his father have an extensive collection from the factory . I have not seen it but surely would love too. They manufactured so many products over the years . Oh well history is a great thing .

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Love the clock in pic 1 & 4

 

[woody 73]

Buzzy 56 very nice collection thank you for sharing it...

 

[buzzy56]

Thanks , problem is I like most anything oil & gas and cannot only concentrate on one brand ! ��

 

[WagonHo!]

1963 good year and amazing collection!

 

[d42jeep]

Although it's not a Hastings Piston Ring clock, I found this Hastings Filter clock at an estate sale and it's been keeping perfect time in my garage.
-Don

 

[buzzy56]

Very nice and the best way to find them ! Thank’s for sharing .