'lost' tool funny one.

[dawzie]

My brother has a front end alignment/frame streightening garage. He has found many types of tools. He has also left a couple for others to find :laughing:

I am in the septic tank cleaning bussiness. Several times have been asked to be on the look out for missing rings. I have found a few. It is amazing what you will find in a septic system. At the local elem. school I found a mini football plugging the outlet pipe. How the heck did that get there??? At another elem. school I found a empty two quart size plastic bottle plugging the 6" sewer pipe. It was there for a long time too, years.

When I first started in the bussiness, I "lost" a few things out of my shirt pockets while bending over to lookie in. Verizon "had" a good insurance program when phones got wet and stopped working. lol Stupid credit cards jump out of my shirts to go for a swim.

 

[Bird]

My old boss used to be a service manager at a ford dealership in the 70's. He said a older woman brought her Lincoln in a few days after she bought it new with a rattle coming from the left rear tire. He said they were like "Great, a senile old lady hearing stuff." So one of the tech's take it for a ride and sure enough it has a rattle in the left rear tire area. The tear the rear brakes apart and think they find the problem and send her on her way. Next day she is back with same problem. This time they think its the hubcap. Week later the lady's husband brings it back and says it still isn't fixed and is getting upset. Now Larry(the service manager) determine to find the problem gets in the trunk and rides around while one of the guys drive it around. Sure enough rattle coming from the left rear tire area. They are stumped after many attempts to find the obnoxious rattle. Conversation takes place between Ford and the dealership for several months. Ford ends up saying its normal and its just too bad. Guy who bought the car. although upset, accepts it for what it is. About a year later the car is in getting serviced and while parked in the lot a stick shift truck left out of gear rolls down the ramp in front of the shop and caves in the quarter panel of the Lincoln. Obligated to fix it, the body man cuts the rear quarter panel of the car to install a new one. On the inside of a boxed in area of the rear quarter panel brace, hanging by a wire, is a oem lug wrench with a note taped to it. The note said "YOU FINALLY FOUND ME!"

Maybe that was the problem with my new 1966 Ford sedan.:laughing: It always sounded to me like a loose shock absorber, but that rattle was never found in spite of numerous attempts by the dealer, myself, and others.

 

[Zebrafive]

Plant where I worked was closed. Almost five years later, I and another repairman were recalled to a different plant. While unpacking our tools I had two 9/16 wrenches. One had his initials on it. I still have no idea how it got into my tool box. He still says I stole it from him.

Once at a U-Pull junkyard I spotted a wrench on the fender of a truck in the next row from where I was looking. I am thinking cheap junk wrench, no one takes good stuff to a junkyard. I finally get to that row and check. It's a Snap-On wrench. I gave it a new home.

Pulled a wall fixture down to repaint the room, inside I found a pair of wire strippers. Guessing they were there since the house was built in 1989. Found them in 2011.

 

[sixdogs]

In a hurry baling small square bales about 20 years ago, I seemed to have misplaced my lucky red hat. Thinking back I remembered and when one of the kids said he saw in in the row, I knew right where it was. I baled it. Since we sold hay to fussy horse people, I offerd a $20 "reward" to the finder. Yup, it came back with no cuts but a crumpled bill.

On the plus side, I left my favorite jacknife on the flat part of the rear bumber and took off on a trip. An hour later I suddenly remembered and there it was, still on the bumper. Beats me.

 

[dixstir]

bought and old 48 chevy from a guy in the early 60S ,got it home me and dad cleaned it up got it tuned up ,in the clean up in the trunk was a burr lapp sack and there was a winchester model 61 pump just like new still got it.

 

[The Haymaker]

Yeah, but then you have no one but yourself to blame, it's easier to blame the shmuck who borrowed them!!!

Fixed. Hangs in the hallway leading into the Garagemajal.

 

[The Haymaker]

Not sure anyone mentioned this. I spent a few years as a auto mechanic while drifting around trying to decide what direction I wanted to go. I have MANY spare tools ranging from "chrome vanadium" to Snap-On that I recovered from fender liners, valve covers, etc.

Now, after 16 years of truck driving, I have added to the spare collection even more. Latest find was a brand new Husky jackknife style utility knife, same as the one I have carried on my belt long enough to round off the aluminum handle. Bad part is the purple anodizing, but then, it's a spare, hanging in my work truck. I also found a 6" magnesium spanner, probably from a fuel truck or milk truck, laying on Perimeter Road behind Manchester Airport. I'll never use it, but it looks cool hanging on the wall.

 

[homeputter]

I always have to have a pocket knife on me. About 30 years ago, I was always buying these nice small Buck knives that were easy to carry in your pocket. I kept losing them. I complained to my wife, I don't know how I can lose so darn many pocket knives. I would eventually break down and buy another one.

When we finally had to move to a different city, I was removing the back of my favorite recliner to put in the truck, when I saw about 5 or 6 beautiful Buck pocket knives deep behind the seat. The knives would slip out of my pocket and fall into the recliner.
That made my week.

I Don't know where any of them are now, though. !

 

[Johnp33]

I worked at an engine dealership and we would change the oil pan and find all kinds of sockets and adapters, took a blower off and found a set of Mac small heal bars.
I am forever loosing my keys, the wife finds then right away.
I worked at a truck dealership and the first thing I would do when a new shipment came in was search the truck and frame. Ford had nice tools and shared them. Nuts, bolts washers, all at a good price, Free is good.
I did inspections for insurance companies, they would want plug swaps and the engine checked out to see if the accident was staged. I found a guys finger. I put it in a bag and took it to the office I figured someone would want it. The office did not, the RCMP came over a couple of days later and got it, I put it in my tool box for safe keeping

 

[TBX500]

The company I work for does a bit of service work for Burger King. They were tearing a store down and I was sent to take the front doors out that were installed 2 years before by me. The manager was on site and told me to take any thing that I wanted every thing was to be loaded in to rolloffs by the excavator. So the scrounge that i am found some nice stainless tables and what not and in the back room there was this little toolbox. Ilooked inside some junk tools all covered in bk grease in the bottom I found a flat pry bar, we use them alot in my profession, so I confiscate it. It was completely covered in grease a few days later i cleaned it up low and behold my initials were carved into it under all the grease!

 

[SPIKER]

couple things I have found, and lost a few as well.

one funniest was I was leaving McConnell AFB KS. cica 89 heading to Edwards AFB had my 74 Merc Cougar souped up and towing 2K of my stuff about 40 miles in (left at 930 am 90F) So I had AC condenser coil still in front of the radiator and she was getting pretty hot with the extra weight out back so I decided to pull the coil out of front of the radiator. few bolts and it was off, & chucked in the trailer out back. slammed the hood and off I went without issue. well a year later I was pulling the front end off for a engine cam intake heads swap. could not find my Craftsman 3/8" ratchet 6" extension and 7/16" had looked for months.

found it laying under the radiator handing ratchet on one side socket & extension on other side balanced! Yep all way from KS through to southern ca. and probably 10K miles in CA.


Bought a escort EXP which has a idle issue, looking through it found a vacuum line that didnt look right, I pulled it out and found a 6" 1/4" drive extension in the line...

Similar bought a Tempo had a rattle in the front end, got to looking found a box end wrench on a brake line.

My ford truck, found a nice snap on spark plug socket on the center crossover.


My Uncle had a Studebaker HAWK. Straight 6 in it, Bought NEW and after 120K they pulled it apart for a engine rebuild. yep was running as a 5 cyl. there was no rod ever installed on one of the pistons. it was seized half way up, on top of the piston when they cleaned it up said how well did this run and a big ? mark lol...

in military my room mate was working on his dodge 318, put it back together and after a few months it started loosing oil pressure. we tore it back down and found someone left a rag in the intake valley all tore up by lifters and had strings all wrapped up in the cam shaft. strings were everywhere it seemed. after we got it cleaned up and back together wipped up my hands and tossed the rag into the vally and said hey grab the intake, for some reason he didnt think that was funny?

Mark

 

[Soundguy]

My old boss used to be a service manager at a ford dealership in the 70's. He said a older woman brought her Lincoln in a few days after she bought it new with a rattle coming from the left rear tire. He said they were like "Great, a senile old lady hearing stuff." So one of the tech's take it for a ride and sure enough it has a rattle in the left rear tire area. The tear the rear brakes apart and think they find the problem and send her on her way. Next day she is back with same problem. This time they think its the hubcap. Week later the lady's husband brings it back and says it still isn't fixed and is getting upset. Now Larry(the service manager) determine to find the problem gets in the trunk and rides around while one of the guys drive it around. Sure enough rattle coming from the left rear tire area. They are stumped after many attempts to find the obnoxious rattle. Conversation takes place between Ford and the dealership for several months. Ford ends up saying its normal and its just too bad. Guy who bought the car. although upset, accepts it for what it is. About a year later the car is in getting serviced and while parked in the lot a stick shift truck left out of gear rolls down the ramp in front of the shop and caves in the quarter panel of the Lincoln. Obligated to fix it, the body man cuts the rear quarter panel of the car to install a new one. On the inside of a boxed in area of the rear quarter panel brace, hanging by a wire, is a oem lug wrench with a note taped to it. The note said "YOU FINALLY FOUND ME!"

i've heard of other easter eggs like that. a pack of nuts taped to something and swinging. etc..

mean people....

 

[sixdogs]

i've heard of other easter eggs like that. a pack of nuts taped to something and swinging. etc..

mean people....

I saw some photos of such mischief on a hot rod site once. Factory guys would leave a wrench, and sometimes a note to the eventual locator. I saw photos of wenches welded to the frame rails. Who does this type of stuff?

 

[Soundguy]

mean people...

 

[s78wingrider]

A couple tools I lost, later on turned up in used cars my Daughter's had bought, exact same tool, probably not mine, but who knows :confused2: :thumbsup:

 

[oliver28472]

I have vice grips with "Ramirez" engraved on them. Found in my new '81 F-150 Custom when I took the driver door panel off to install speakers. Still have the truck too.

 

[Short Game]

Who does this type of stuff?

Short-timers.

Funny you'd mention that. A broken head bolt required the replacement of the headgasket the the Cummins unit I drive at work. The found half of a wrench laying in the head. No one seems to know where it came from. Riiiiiight......

Obviously, it was in the fuel.

 

[Short Game]

I know a talented shipwright. Once he spent his whole morning obsessively looking for his pencil. He'd just used it, and so, looked everywhere he had, or maybe even hadn't, been in his big shop. After checking every pocket and behind both ears about a hundred times, as well as everywhere else, and having blown the whole morning searching, getting nothing done, he gave up.

His shop is across the street from the house. Every day when he comes in for lunch, he enters through the basement door, changes out of his work clothes and goes up the stairs to eat lunch with his elderly mother. This day, when he went into the basement bathroom to wash up, he looked in the mirror, and there, stuck transversely through his beard, was the missing pencil.

Years later, he blew ten more minutes telling me the story.

 

[catdozer]

Few weeks ago helping a buddy on his new summer lake home we were working on the wiring down stairs and was talking about his new Droid (expensive) phone and took it out to show off the level app and placed it by the wall (cinder block wall) well it showed very level but lost his grip and it fell down the wall, all 9 ft. We chipped and pulled out close to 8 blocks looking for the phone, never found it but we can hear it when you call it.

 

[k0ua]

Few weeks ago helping a buddy on his new summer lake home we were working on the wiring down stairs and was talking about his new Droid (expensive) phone and took it out to show off the level app and placed it by the wall (cinder block wall) well it showed very level but lost his grip and it fell down the wall, all 9 ft. We chipped and pulled out close to 8 blocks looking for the phone, never found it but we can hear it when you call it.

Too bad a droid razor is a nice phone too... That will teach him to brag

James K0UA