A few weeks back, my grandparents were visiting from out of town and called me over to my parents home to give me a few "gifts". My grandfather handed me a box which contained a relatively unused dremel, numerous bits, a nice assortment of punches/chisels a snap-on pry-bar and a tubing cutter.

The day after Christmas, my folks and I traveled to my grandparents home on the Central Coast of California. Before departing yesterday afternoon, my grandfather took me to his shed where he proceeded to give me a number of additional tools. A snap-on ratchet, snap-on extensions, breaker bar, soldering iron, a set of 4-angle snap-on wrenches, tubing wrenches, tappet wrenches, miscellaneous snap-on swivel sockets, feeler gauges, a large crescent adjustable wrench, and a couple jars full of washers and automotive bolts collected over the years. Amazingly he has a relatively large fold-out tool box full of automotive nuts and bolts that he's gathered over the years... it's like a frigging hardware store... unbelievable!!!

My grandfather was a mechanic his entire life and has an ungodly amount of tools... I really didn't want to take much --- he tried to give me entire tool boxes but it just didn't feel right! He's still very active and very capable and I think he can use them from time-to-time. I told him we could re-evaluate whether or not he needed them in a couple years and if he still wanted to part with them, and hadn't used them I certainly would.

From the time he returned from the war he worked on farm equipment and then moved on to working on forklifts and other heavy machinery... he retired as a shop foreman from United Grocers (which was purchased by Flemming Foods shortly after his departure).

anyone else pickup a few goodies from their parents or grandparents? My grandfather thinks it's fabulous that some of his old tools will work to restore my Chevelle amongst many other things! :thumbsup:

My dad did the same thing this year, but I don't think in my dads case he will be using the tools much anymore. My parents turn 70 this year and my dad has COPD from smoking three packs a day of 35 years; He figured it was better to give them to me then let them rust, etc. My wife and I went over to help my mom clean out their garage and the next thing I knew they were giving me a lots of tools, etc. I ended up with a Lincoln welder, craftsman air compressor, tire stud gun and other air tools, and five boxes full of craftsman tools. Most importantly a one gallon bottle of Johnny Walker 12 year old black label with stand that my dad got as a bonus in the early 70's.

I keep telling myself that when I retire, I'm going to sell off all of my mechanics' tools and buy a nice woodworking shop to keep myself busy. Maybe your grandpa wants the room for something else. Whatever you do, keep the tools he gave you in good shape, and use them. A quality vintage tool will soon become a favorite, I've come to find. :thumbsup:

Man that's a great thing! Tools of the trade passed down from one mechanic to another.....it doesn't get any better than that!

My Dad wasn't mechanically inclined in the automotive arena anyway. He did have his mechanic buddies teach me from the age of 15 on how to do tune-ups and then he'd take me to a neighbor's body shop to 'work'. I learned more there than anywhere. Did your grandfather 'school' you at all?

The only old tool I have is a 1957 Snap-On torque wrench that was given to me on my birthday from a friend that worked at the GM Tech center for 35 years. He told me it was Zora Duntov's personal wrench. I'd like to believe it.........but I'm just happy I have a classic, still fully operable tool!

My dad was a great electrician, handy man, carpenter, plumber and jack of all trades.
He never worked on cars, except as a necessity. He did paint some and did what he had to do to have a running second car.


When I was 4-5 years old, he had a shop in the basement of our home. Picture the home in "A Christmas Story". I grew up in Indiana in the 50's. That was my life.

When he used his wood lathe, table saw or plane, I used his bench brush to clean up sawdust. 50 years later the brush hangs on my work bench. When I was 6-7, I started tearing apart my bicycle, much like most of you I suppose. I didn't bother with end wrenches, I used a 14 inch crescent wrench dad had. I still have the wrench and still use it.

The last 35 years, I have bought all the great tools you could ever want, but those two old tools are the most important to me!

My dad was a great electrician, handy man, carpenter, plumber and jack of all trades.
He never worked on cars, except as a necessity. He did paint some and did what he had to do to have a running second car.


When I was 4-5 years old, he had a shop in the basement of our home. Picture the home in "A Christmas Story". I grew up in Indiana in the 50's. That was my life.

When he used his wood lathe, table saw or plane, I used his bench brush to clean up sawdust. 50 years later the brush hangs on my work bench. When I was 6-7, I started tearing apart my bicycle, much like most of you I suppose. I didn't bother with end wrenches, I used a 14 inch crescent wrench dad had. I still have the wrench and still use it.

The last 35 years, I have bought all the great tools you could ever want, but those two old tools are the most important to me!

that;s cool.

When I was 8 or so, I got a tool box filled with real woodworking tools for Christmas. I still have the toolbox and about half the tools.

I have a bunch of old tools in my shop my papa and dad gave me...and then I use my dads usually cause I work on my cars at my parents place...but my shop is so full of tools and equipment I can't even get a car in there...which really makes me think I need to clean it out considering it has a grease pit in it. my grandfather did give me a 70 Chevelle he bought new though.

There is nothing like passin on tools from family to family, its the greatest feeling. My dad did alot of wood work, so I naturally have lots of wood tools, and I do mechanic hobby work 99%, so most if it sits, but the sm. amount of carpenter work I did, I had the tools, and alot of knowledge from him teaching me, as his dad did. I wll pass on all my mechanic tools to my 2 brothers boys, ( I have no kids.) They love cars, and each time their "matchbox" cars get damaged, my brother says "Uncle Dougie will have to put it in the garge to fix" So each time they come over I have a bucket of need to be fixed cars. Funny.

I was lucky, while growing up my dad owned five service stations. He basically shut them down one at a time when computers became big in cars and the vast majority of cars needed more special tools or a dealer to fix them. He sold off everything except his personal tools which is what I have now. My Mac tool box is about 7 ft long, 2 1/2 ft deep, and 6 ft high and the tools dad left me don't all fit in it. I have welders and alignment tools and body working tools and air tools and you name it.

The tools are much more special to me since my dads passing.

My grandfather (dads dad) was a master woodworker,, and he spent a lot of time passing his skills on to me. He passed away in 1994, and my dad and i spent a bunch of time in his shop even after grandpa died. Well since my dad passed, my grandma decided to sell off Grandpas tools. I got a majority of them, but not as many as I would have liked. Unfortunately i have an uncle that is as useless with his hands as tits on a bull and doesn't understand why I would want those tools, so he went behind my back and sold a bunch of them and gave the money to my grandma.

Combined with my being an electrician and formerly a carpenter, their isn't much I don't have the tools to fix.

Jeff

Yeah, I've been slowly "accumulating" some of my Dad's tools... He was a professional wrench from around '49 to '62. Now the "slow" part is over... his '50 Snap-On roller cabinet & top box are in my garage.

(He's 78, and a survivor of two strokes. He doesn't have much left-side strength or coordination left to wrench anymore, so he handed all his stuff to me).

My grandmothers third husband gave me some tools. Now if I need to do a valve job on an "F" head, I'm all set. Or pretty much any AMC. :D

I believe some folks like to hand down there stuff while they can enjoy seeing you make use of it. I too believe why wait until after I'm gone for someone to have this tool or jewelery. Plus, I think Grandpa is smarter than you think. If you have the tools then he needs to come to your house so YOU can do it while he helps you!!!!! LOL

Enjoy this time with him and graciously accept his gifts.

My Dad gave most of his Snap-On tools to my brother, who uses them for work. He gave me this instead:

http://home.comcast.net/~dcabral99/Images/mvc-055s.jpg

Dave

My Dad gave most of his Snap-On tools to my brother, who uses them for work. He gave me this instead:

http://home.comcast.net/~dcabral99/Images/mvc-055s.jpg

Dave

Looks like you got the best from that deal!!!!

Looks like you got the best from that deal!!!!

I thought so as well. Dad gets a real kick out of every little thing I've done to the car since he gave it to me. My brother would probably have turned it into a monster 4x4 by now -- he's talented, but lacks the sense of preservation. My Dad knows that I'll keep the car in the family.

Dave

Pretty cool Brandon, hang on to the tools you did get.

My dad was part owner of a service station back in the days when they had them. He also worked for General Dynamics for awhile, jet engine testing and maintenance. He had a lot of tools but he passed away when I was 7. My uncle convinced my mom that the tools would be better off with him. Always wish I could have had some, any, of my dad's tools. Worst thing was going to my cousins house and seeing all the tools with my dad's name stamped in them.:(

I think your grandpa saw what you are interested in, and thinks that the tools would be well respected and used by someone who has or is learning the skills. Think of it as a rite of passage he is presenting you with. Accept them and let him know that they will stay with you and be used as they were intended.

We all should be so lucky.

My next door neighbor lived to be 103. He retired in 1965 owning a body/mechanical shop. He was sharp right until the end. We were very very close.
Silvio offered me what ever I wanted each time I touched something or helped him with something. I just could not do it.. feeling like it was taking from him or his 'self' as that was his livelyhood.
Looking back at it.. he knew we had a bond, he knew I would use and appreciate every tool. * As I always brought back what I borrowed promptly.
His wife is still alive and I help her out quite a bit. I may start taking her up on the offer.
** I just don't want people to think I am using her.. or taking things. We all know how relatives get .....and speculate.

Just my 2 cents.