Lets see; yes it really has been 30 years since I have walked on a Snap-On truck.
OK so most of you are saying WTF?
Well that is fine, if you have never been a mechanic you will not understand.
The tools with the black handles are mine from 30 years ago, some of my favorites.
30 years ago I was a partner with Duane Griffith (RIP) at Griffith Automotive.
He was by far the best "mechanic" I ever worked/learned from/with. Another mechanic in his category is Ron G.
They were/are people who could fix things, not replace parts as the present day "technicians" do.
If something was broken you had to figure out a way to fix it, period.
Griffith Motors morphed out of Gray Automotive, again in Steamboat.
We specialized in Subaru's and Volvo's as they were so popular and really easy to work on.
Additionally we serviced all of the "Steamboat Taxi" vehicles and vehicles from another Griffith enterprise; a white water rafting company fleet of buses.
Interesting work, buses are "big" and easier to work on in my opinion.
Marg, (before I met her) was the bookkeeper/receptionist for Gray's, Duane was the owner of both companies.
He had a cool Ford F-150 4WD short box with a 429CI that he stuffed into it with cool murals on the side, great truck, he even let me drive it sometimes.
So back to Snap-on.
Every week Bill Smith would pull into our lot and Duane & I would walk into the truck drooling, check books open and buy tools or boxes.
I was looking for a box early on, but could not afford the Snap-On new price.
Cool thing about Snap-On is that they sell used products. Well one day Bill arrived with a "slight used" lower box.
It was out of a body shop and was covered in paint spray, and what eventually Duane & I affectionately called the "Taco Wagon"...
It looked like shit, but I did not care as I did not have the $$$ for a new box. It held all of my tools plus gave me room for expansion.
I bought the taco wagon and was totally happy with it.
I never sold tacos out of it, but hey it rocked as a tool chest.
Wish I still had it, good memories...
Snap-On by far is the best tool for mechanics, excellent quality lifetime warranty and yes some engineer actually figured out how to make the tool work for the mechanic.
If you do not use them you would not understand.
For me it is no different than buying the proper chef's knife.
Yeah it will cost you, but wow baby it feels good and does the job...
Jeez ranting here.
Tonight I stepped on a Snap-On truck again after 30 years!My heart was beating fast and I was salivating, all these tool and no home for them.
I had carefully budgeted for what I really needed to work on our fleet of bikes.
Without the proper tools you waste time, damage what you are working on and generally curse a lot more than is normal, yes really...
Proper tools make the repair much easier, period.
I actually tried to be careful and focus on what I came to buy, but really you are in the "candy store" do you really care about what you need?
Well I spent twice what I had budgeted, but came out of the truck feeling great.
30 years since I spent the time/money to buy the proper tools to repair what I have to fix.
Now all I have to do is find a garage set up to allow me to repair what I have to fix without the struggle of a crappy layout...
I am working on that presently, got a shed in the back that can help me out with the proper thought/expense, another story there.
It was a sad day when I had to sell off most of my Snap-On tools/boxes when we left Steamboat.
I was able to keep some of my favorites though.
I found out today that they changed the handles on some of the tools that I most remember most for the "feel" of from 30 years ago, strange but true.
Wish I still had those tools, oh well...
I am still giddy, nothing like a stroll down memory lane in the midst of a Snap-On tool truck.
Hard to explain, just have to live it...
W
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