FranktoidTM No. 27 - If Tool Boxes Could Talk

 I recently re-organized my tool boxes, mainly to make room for new tools that I had bought but also because it was years overdue. It was a bit of a daunting task as I have five roll-a-ways. I'm not one to just chuck tools away either, every piece has its place. I might be a little OCD when it comes to my tools but at least I can find everything when I need it. Some of the boxes I have had for over 45 years so the main problem I have in re-organizing is the relocation of tools that have been in the same drawer the entire time. Now I have to remember their new location! Many a night was spent wrenching on my project cars and pulling tools out of these boxes so their locations were ingrained in my memory. I also cleaned out my portable tool box. That's the one that I always brought with me to the wrecking yards. Self-service yards started about the same time that I got my drivers license. Before that junkyards were like auto parts stores; you went up to the counter and requested the part that you needed. They might have had it on a shelf in the back labeled with a yellow paint marker or they would send an employee out into the yard to remove it for you. If that yard didn't have what you wanted they would get on the "squawk box" and check other wrecking yards in the area to see if they had it. 

The self-service yards in my area of Southern California at that time were Ecology Auto Wrecking and Pick-a-Part. I would visit them almost weekly, tool box in hand. My tool box was on the smaller side so there was not really any spare room in it for "extra parts", but I would still have to open it up when leaving the yard so they could make sure it didn't contain any pilfered parts. The joke was on them, everyone knew that was what your pockets were for! As I was emptying out my portable box I ran across some scraps of paper and remembered that I used to write down parts that I was looking for during my junkyard crawls. I glanced over the lists and couldn't remember if I ever ended up finding the parts or not. One of the vehicles listed I had forgotten that I even owned it! If my tool boxes could talk they might remind me of a thing or two in case I forgot!