Ever found tools in your car?

[Rigmaster]

I mean, tools that you didn't leave there, and not including trunklid toolkit tools either.

Over the years, I've found a few tools in cars- evidently left/dropped there by mechanics. I found a NICE Snap-on flarenut wrench on the top of the radiator of a former boss' car when he talked me into having a look under the hood to see why the car was running like **** (the mechanic left the coolant temp sensor unhooked- car ran like **** until warmed up). Found a really nice MAC screwdriver in a work van one time. My wife found a nice Snap-on screwdriver in her mom's Honduh one time- It's still one of my favorite tools!

Here's what I found recently in the right front frame rail of an E34 parts car:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/rigmaster/hiddensnapon.jpg

Can you tell what it is?? (scroll down for the answer)........













































How about a nice Snap-on swivel-head 1/4" drive ratchet handle with a super-slick Facom phillips head bit (Made in Germany no less!!)

Looks like a mechanic left it or dropped it under the hood after a previous repair- maybe removing one of those phillips head screws that holds the corner light in?? It was barely visible (I moved the wires in the top pic to get a little better shot of it)- though the bright chrome just did not look right amongst the multi-colored wires + black paint of the car.

Oh yeah, that flex handled Stanley screwdriver (top of pic) is one of my new favorite tools too!! It came from WalMart for about $6-7, including a bunch of screwdriver tip bits- but the real use for it is as a flex-shaft nut driver- you can use 1/4" sockets on it to loosen those impossible to reach BMW hose clamps under the hood and elsewhere on the car. I WAS contemplating springing $25 for the slick Facom 6mm nut driver for this purpose- but this thing is more useful- for less $$$.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v11/rigmaster/hiddensnapon1.jpg

[bahnstormer]

the local mercedes dealer left a nice pry bar on our back seat
and the local grease monkey always leaves a nice surpise under
the bonnet!

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

Of tools and parts stuck in some deep dark recess.

I usually find stuff under the heat sheilds, sound insulation and in the various cavities betwenn panels and accesories.

My best find was a fluke multi-meter lost in a door.

[Paul in NZ]

I once found a oill filter "socket" still on the oil filter on my nissan bluebird

[Garlic Breath]

I had an Eagle Premier once *gasp* and I found a miniature pry bar under the hood wedged under the foam on the edge of the fender.


In my wife's 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan I was installing new rear speakers and I found spare parts, consisting of three 1/2" nuts behind the plastic side panels. The robots must have dropped them. :)

[Gayle]

This is starting to sound like the toy in the cracker jacks box. I obviously need to have more repair work done so I can start building my tool collection.

[mikell]

Probably a half dozen miscellaneous tools - including a really nice, long snap-on screwdriver that's prefect for depresssing the release tab for the lower grille, pliers, several wrenches, and even a fender protector left in the trunk in my '78 730i.

[mzarifkar]

didnt find any tools, but did find some road flares in my old saab, had some fun with those :)

[tdgard]

No tools in the car yet. I did find a bag of pot in my current car a month after purchasing it--from a dealer. Then I found the rolling papers a week after that. That could have been a shock if I had gotten pulled over & searched.

I have found all kinds of stuff in the walls and ceiling of my house. The funny part is I can just imagine the guy who lost the tool bitching about how he suspects his workmates of stealing it.

[pyro]

i was wondering if was just me... i found a NICE stuby snapon 17mm wrench inbetween my engine and my trans. probly from the guys who repplaced the trans.

[granit_silber]

Found a 3/8" box end wrench in the driver-side rear tire, after the tire blew.

-ashley

[Alexlind123]

IN the tire itself??

[Beemr750]

How many have you found and they were your own?
Thankfully they're not lost after all.

This is a little story,maybe not new to some.

A Cadillac (?) owner complained from day one to his dealer,his car having a clunk noise off and on going down the rroad.After numerous trips to the garage, even two different tech reps were involved,helping locate the noise when driving only.Just to no avail.Well the owner gave his car back, out of frustration.The car was taken to a GM distributing center were the noise was located in the hollow frame bent behind a rear wheel.After cutting it open, a coke bottle hanging on a string with a note in it, was found.The note said:"Finally you found me,you rich sob!"

[uscharalph]

How many have you found and they were your own?
Thankfully they're not lost after all.

This is a little story,maybe not new to some.

A Cadillac (?) owner complained from day one to his dealer,his car having a clunk noise off and on going down the rroad.After numerous trips to the garage, even two different tech reps were involved,helping locate the noise when driving only.Just to no avail.Well the owner gave his car back, out of frustration.The car was taken to a GM distributing center were the noise was located in the hollow frame bent behind a rear wheel.After cutting it open, a coke bottle hanging on a string with a note in it, was found.The note said:"Finally you found me,you rich sob!"
I've heard some stories of bored auto workers, placing nuts and bolts in certain places.

[wengenstein]

I once found part of what I think was a clutch centering tool left in one of the splash guards under my car... :)

[Gayle]

A Cadillac (?) owner complained from day one to his dealer,his car having a clunk noise off and on going down the rroad.After numerous trips to the garage, even two different tech reps were involved,helping locate the noise when driving only.Just to no avail.Well the owner gave his car back, out of frustration.The car was taken to a GM distributing center were the noise was located in the hollow frame bent behind a rear wheel.After cutting it open, a coke bottle hanging on a string with a note in it, was found.The note said:"Finally you found me,you rich sob!"


That sounds like an urban legend to me.

[Elekta]

That sounds like an urban legend to me.

It would be true if it were an RC cola or a can of Hamms

d e t r o i t

[Rigmaster]

It would be true if it were an RC cola or a can of Hamms

d e t r o i t


Just to clarify (and I'm pretty sure this is what you meant.....), but they might put a can of RC cola in there, but the Hamm's can would DEFINITELY be just the can......the beer would be in the assembly line worker's stomach..



Bret

[Bill R.]

glass coke bottle inside the gas tank rattling around... and back then I used to tear down 3 or 4 500cubic inch caddy motors to rebuild and in about 1 in 5 i would find 4 or more freeze plugs that got knocked all the way through when installing and were just left inside the block water jackets... this was a common occurence on this motor which made me realize that there were either a lot of pissed off people on the assembly line or that they were just apathetic....







That sounds like an urban legend to me.