Not exactly a whole car but a cool small part of one. Found these in a decommissioned auto training shop. The shop was pretty much ransacked by everyone on campus but it would be a dream shop for everyone on here. Our engineering shop was told we could go take whatever we wanted but it was slim pickings. However, what was left was a bunch of cool old stuff no one else wanted. I lost my mind when we walked in. The other guys thought I was nuts. I just want to stand in the middle of the shop and touch myself vigorously. I'll try to get back over there and take a bunch of pics. Right out of the 40's-50's. Are these military issue or is it just the way they came back then? Date code on the clamps is 4-48. Don't ask, it's state stuff so I can't take any of them. Don't even know what size the sealed can clamps are. This was left there too. There's a bigger one too. There's a loft with tons of old manuals and a shitload of cutaways including a Model a banger cutaway. I snuck out of there with some old manuals. Might be able to grab a few more next week. Again, don't ask.
Cool site, if you go back get some more pics. What kind of place was it, military, govt vehicle pool? If it's govt owned they typically auction off any contents when decommissioning a location. If they have the state tags riveted on, then it's tracked somewhere as a state owned asset and being written down in value. Granted these are fully off the books as far as tax write off goes. My Grandfather was an auditor for IL, had a staff of people who went around and counted assets, he would talk me thru the process beginning when I was a 7 year old, figured it was time I learn, some of it stuck. He was also able to assemble a really amazing woodworking shop as IL assets were auctioned off. He knew when and where, but followed the book, always.
That can looks military. Especially with the contract number on it. My 64 Kaiser has a contract number in the vin plate. Working on military vehicles is fun. Especially WWII vintage, because you can still get NOS parts wrapped in cosmoline. They wrapped that stuff to protect it from just about anything.
My puny little hoard, but no 3/8... God if those are 3/8, I could plumb my drag-star 3 times over... Thats the horniest thing I have seen on here in months! my avatar photo, full size. Full tilt Wittek overload...
I'm going to pop open the other can next week. Fingers crossed! I shook the can and it sounds like the same size. They're 1-1/2 or 1-3/4. Good radiator hose size Let's just says its at a state university. You smart guys will probably figger it out. Loose lips... I'm going to find out what they're going to do with the leftovers but I would bet auction.
What's something like that Sun tester worth, anyway? Like I said, there's the larger version of it to the left of my partner. It's the one with another set of gauges to the right of the screen and has the back lit (I believe) sign across the top. There's also a cylinder boring machine and a honing machine. There's 3 testers of some kind that I never could figure out. They're from the 30's and have a large Knockmeter gauge on the panel. They're a conglomeration of motors , pumps and piping.
Great stuff!! I was party to a similar college clearance last year only it was electronics classrooms and storage. The teacher was a hoarder and refused the schools demand to clean up his rooms. They "retired" him and set about clearing his work areas. There was stuff there from WWII, power amps from old radio stations, zillions of glass tubes, transformers, old test equipment. I'm no electronics guy but I love old stuff and there was a lot of old stuff. I scored an old Hallicrafters Multiband radio to set on a shelf in my shop, some old drafting stuff. Also some cool old stools; chrome tube with salmon colored fiberglass seats. It's hard to believe that there is still a lot of old stuff hiding in the shadowy old rooms in our schools.
Grab what you can and stash it for a rainy day..... It would be a crime (in our eyes at least) for this stuff to end up as landfill. And if you say "it's only old junk...."- get off the HAMB! I got the job of clearing out an old lab, and ended up with Bakelite meters, soldering irons, vaccuum tubes, all kinds of neat stuff.... It was all going to go to China to come back as microwaves.
Those Sun machines are cool looking but not real valuable, at least around here. I've seen them sell from $50 to $300, the high end being guys who want to display them somewhere. The bases make great toolboxes and there's a neat sign at the top but the unit as a whole does about half the work of a modern multi-meter. The hose clamps are cool. Although I can't say I'm as excited as George is about them, they really are a nice touch on a period car.
Yeah I looked up the testers last night. Definitely just eye candy for your shop. I have to work an all nighter tonight and half of tomorrow. Going to see what other treasures I can find. Found a Simpson 260 meter when I found the other stuff which was cool because I needed an analog meter for work and I cut my teeth on a 260.
Hmm, I should clarify. We could take what we wanted for OUR shop on campus but we couldn't take anything home. I feel like a crack addict. You can look at it. You can touch it but, no no, you can't have any.
Went back and snapped a few more pics. Had time to dig deeper but to no avail. No more clamps. Opened the sealed can this morning. Just more 1-1/2". Sorry to disappoint George. I did find a Stromberg book from '56 and a lube poster for '53 Fords in full color so I wandered away with those. Here's a few more pics of the shop. Would make a really bitchin' hot rod shop.
Here's that mystery machine that has something to do with knock detection. Beats the shit outta me what it does. Any guesses? There's 3 of these things there sitting side by side. It looks cool as hell whatever it is.
If I had to guess I'd say it was lab equipment that a refinery might have used to test the knock resistance of different fuel blends. The term "research" octane come to mind. Great looking equipment but not something you'd want to drag home for your garage. Unless you're going to try mixing up your own secret blend of racing gas.
I was a supervisor for ALLCO, INC. when they decommissioned Castle AFB, here in Atwater. My digs were the old Automobile Hobby Shop, we 'retro-fit' it for the fabrication/construction of interplant lightweight belly dump trailers. (semi/pull sets, 12 wheels) We (Supervisors) were permitted to go out to the storage buildings and 'requisition' parts, cabinets, tools, (Snap On!) etc. Anything for our stations, NOTHING goes home! I remember when they filed chapter 11, then went broke. 11 brand new Miller mig welders went home with disgruntled workers. A small 'recovery team' went to former workers' homes, and 'recovered' the machines. Boy, the stuff the Air Force bought and ignored...Sets of Snap On tools, just stacked in their new, unopened boxes, in building 11!
Katuna , yr quote Are these military issue or is it just the way they came back then? Date code on the clamps is 4-48. Don't ask, it's state stuff so I can't take any of them. Don't even know what size the sealed can clamps are. Near where I am located , Sevreal proving ground , I have Known off Truck,after Tuck of New unopen equipment , Tools & so on dumped into big pits coved over with Bulldozer around May so the could get more $$$$ for the next physical year ,,
Here's the banger cutaway. Couldn't make off with this. Sadly it'll probably go off to scrap. If I can rescue it I will. I did wander off with this cool poster. It's getting a bit brittle after 63 years, but who isn't!
The Jalopy Journal
