Vintage (FREE) Proto Toolbox Score!

[SpeedwayRyan]

Saw this awhile back in the basement of the house a buddy of mine rents. I had him ask his landlord what he'd take for it, and the guy just said to load it up and get it out of there and it was mine. Finally made it over there in a vehicle with room for this thing today and brought it home.

Cleaned it up a bit and greased the slides...it could use some drawer liners and I think it will be good to go -- it's going to get used unless somebody offers me too much money to pass up. Oh, I guess I could replace that missing handle on the bottom drawer too.

Can anyone offer any info on approximate year, model number, anything like that? I didn't see any tags on it other than the logo on the front.

After a quick cleanup:

Oh, found a rusty old Craftsman and a greasy old Trimo pipe wrench in one of the drawers...bonus!

Any info on this box would be appreciated! Thanks guys.

 

[softailgarage]

Oh man... you totally ****. Yeah its part # USUCK, from the yousuck series.

 

[softailgarage]

BTW... Damn fine score

 

[Flatintoone]

Very cool box for the right price! Now please tell us about the Indycar engine cover in the background!

 

[SpeedwayRyan]

Haha nice eye...it's the engine cover from this crash:

When Ana Beatriz was subbing for Mike Conway after his Indy crash. I work in the racing industry (and live in Speedway, IN), but I bought this at a sale at the Dreyer & Reinbold shop awhile back right before they moved to their new shop. I think they had it marked $150, I told them I'd give them $50 for it.

 

[Outlawmws]

Sorry I can't help with an age for the box, but I can say that you **** big time...

 

[Gort the giant robot]

I have a Proto top box with the same style of logo plate and same kind of handles on the drawers. My late mother inlaw bought it for me in 1981. It was new / unused at a garage sale.Mine is still like new as I only keep my best old / collectable tools in it.
I bought a roll of cork gasket material for making liners.
Gort.

 

[Kurn]

That particular box was made by Waterloo,they made a similar one for Craftsman.Good sturdy box.Probably late 60s,early 70s.I really like the drawer arrangement,too.I think a YOU **** is in order.

 

[Flatintoone]

Haha nice eye...it's the engine cover from this crash:

When Ana Beatriz was subbing for Mike Conway after his Indy crash. I work in the racing industry (and live in Speedway, IN), but I bought this at a sale at the Dreyer & Reinbold shop awhile back right before they moved to their new shop. I think they had it marked $150, I told them I'd give them $50 for it.

Cool. I'm (pretty obviously) a fan. Coincidentally, I have a good friend who works in the racing industry and lives in Speedway...

Rick

 

[SpeedwayRyan]

Cool. I'm (pretty obviously) a fan. Coincidentally, I have a good friend who works in the racing industry and lives in Speedway...

If you're a big fan, you might know the guy whose basement this came out of too, haha. PM me if you want!

 

[Matt018]

Damn you ****

 

[jabberwoki]

Yes indeed you **** very nice old box.

 

[SpeedwayRyan]

That particular box was made by Waterloo,they made a similar one for Craftsman.Good sturdy box.Probably late 60s,early 70s.I really like the drawer arrangement,too.I think a YOU **** is in order.

Thanks for the info Kurn!

 

[slip knot]

Looks exactly like the box I bought in 86

 

[dumper]

I had a Waterloo that looked exactly like that. The date was stamped on the lower front-right face of the box, just below the bottom drawer...1971.

 

[SpeedwayRyan]

I had a Waterloo that looked exactly like that. The date was stamped on the lower front-right face of the box, just below the bottom drawer...1971.

I just ran out to the garage -- thanks for the tip! Don't know how I missed it.

MADE IN USA 06-78.

Guess they used this design for quite awhile!

 

[timbitca]

Heck of a nice box for the price! You ****!

 

[davesnothere]

You do ****.

 

[SpeedwayRyan]

Put in some drawer liners today and did a little mini-restoration on the PROTO badge -- just took a rag with a little acetone and wiped off the paint on the letters and border...I don't mind it still looking a little "ratty" but it's an improvement. Stated throwing some stuff in the drawers too -- this will certainly get put to use.

Before:

After:

 

[Outlawmws]

A much safer paint removal on badges is to soak some paper towel with Simple Green give is maybe an hour adn see where you are. it will often soften the paint so it just peels away.

With that now relatively clean, find a paint match and pull the drawer so you can get it flat and back fill the background with red.

 

[SpeedwayRyan]

With that now relatively clean, find a paint match and pull the drawer so you can get it flat and back fill the background with red.

The badge actually pops off pretty easily, but I don't know if I'll mess with it anymore -- it would need to be stripped entirely and repainted, and then I'd just end up with a really nice badge on a really rough box

 

[jeffmoss26]

I am quite jealous!

 

[VintageOkieDriver]

That is a great find!

 

[maxcarp709]

Great score!I think the badge looks great the way it is now.

 

[txlonghorn1989]

Very nice find! You totally ****!

 

[Musicinabottle]

That's a nice looking box. You guys that score stuff like that, what's your secret?

 

[uncwstudent]

I....feel...jealousy. Nice find!!!

 

[pharmerphil]

Congrats on your great score!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Zeke]

That is a great find!

Great score!I think the badge looks great the way it is now.

Very nice find! You totally ****!

That's a nice looking box. You guys that score stuff like that, what's your secret?

I....feel...jealousy. Nice find!!!

Congrats on your great score!!!!!!!!!!

Might be a tad late on the kudos as the box was found in...............


.............................wait for it...............................



2012.

 

[maxcarp709]