Tool Substitutes

Accidentally locked the keys in my 85 Iroc Camaro once,,with electric door locks.

Walked over to the Home Depot that was close by, bought 5 feet of thick copper grounding wire,, carefully snaked it thru the door window seal and slowly uncoiled it until I could poke the unlock button on the opposite side.

I have a gun sight adjusting tool on my keyring that doubles as a handy screwdriver when in need. Sears usually has the quarter sized screwdriver tool that rides on the keychain,,just a thought for next time.

PV:

You are very resourceful.

I've always placed a "hide-out" key in my vehicles for that very reason. I also carry AAA insurance for emergency situations like flat tires and getting stuck in the snow.

As above HAMMER

SuperDave wrote:PV:

You are very resourceful.

I've always placed a "hide-out" key in my vehicles for that very reason. I also carry AAA insurance for emergency situations like flat tires and getting stuck in the snow.

Yup. It only took 1 time before I started hiding keys, along with a spare in my wallet.

As an aside, even a vehicle with "keyless entry" won't start it without a "computer-chipped" key in the ignition.

Additional "computer-chipped" keys are usually available only from dealers specializing in your make of car and run about $75 per copy.

As to utilitarian tools, it's pretty hard to beat a "Leatherman" which come in a variety of sizes.

Then there is alway the legendary "Swiss Army Knife" which also available in sizes.

Here is what I carry everyday.

How about the SwissTool. I've been using this for 4 years, 5 days a week at work.

A little pricey, but I've tried most of the others and this one does it for me.

Here is my favorite - Leatherman "Kick"

WingingIt74 wrote:Here is what I carry everyday.

Ditto,for the last 30 yrs,I was a MacGuyver before MacGuyver was cool!!

I bet Colonel O'Neill carries one too.

I know this is not on topic entirely but it was an email from my uncle in Florida.

TOOLS EXPLAINED

DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.

WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers.

SKIL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.

PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.

BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.

HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board principle... It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more dismal your future becomes.

VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing.

TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood projectiles for testing wall integrity.

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.

BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of the outside edge.

TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect.

PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.

STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.

PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.

HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short.

HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit. It is especially valuable at being able to find the EXACT location of the thumb or index finger of the other hand.

UTILITY KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic parts. Especially useful for slicing your hand wide open when you do something stupid.

SON-OF-A-BITCH TOOL: Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage while yelling 'Son of a BITCH!' at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often, the next tool that you will need.

Hope you found this informative.

I've been carrying a Leatherman Crunch for the last 10 years. I find it bettern than the pliers and doesn't cut into your hands.

http://www.leatherman.com/product/Crunch

My all time favorite:
TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect

RknRusty wrote:My all time favorite:
TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of everything you forgot to disconnect

Ya gotta laugh when the car lifts off the jack stands.

SuperDave wrote:As an aside, even a vehicle with "keyless entry" won't start it without a "computer-chipped" key in the ignition.

Additional "computer-chipped" keys are usually available only from dealers specializing in your make of car and run about $75 per copy.

40 Quid Dave?
Me and you are going to go into business and make a fortune.
You won't get a key for anything with 4 wheels over here for less than 200 bucks
and then there's BMW and hoho Mercedes...........

John Goddard wrote:

SuperDave wrote:As an aside, even a vehicle with "keyless entry" won't start it without a "computer-chipped" key in the ignition.

Additional "computer-chipped" keys are usually available only from dealers specializing in your make of car and run about $75 per copy.

40 Quid Dave?
Me and you are going to go into business and make a fortune.
You won't get a key for anything with 4 wheels over here for less than 200 bucks
and then there's BMW and hoho Mercedes...........

Toyota ones are under £30

No transponder keys here,,I'll hack and slash in a race car button and dead switch before that.

It's easy enought to fab in a regular door key entry,,seen it done.

nitroairplane wrote:

John Goddard wrote:

SuperDave wrote:As an aside, even a vehicle with "keyless entry" won't start it without a "computer-chipped" key in the ignition.

Additional "computer-chipped" keys are usually available only from dealers specializing in your make of car and run about $75 per copy.

40 Quid Dave?
Me and you are going to go into business and make a fortune.
You won't get a key for anything with 4 wheels over here for less than 200 bucks
and then there's BMW and hoho Mercedes...........

Toyota ones are under £30

What coded ones?

Think so.

I remember my dad getting one made for an '87 Corvette. I think it was about 75 - $85.

Those coded car keys are brilliant! Friend of mine bought one of the first Fiats to use them, drove it to work from the dealer. We all went out to admire it at lunchtime and it wouldn't start. The dealer sent a mechanic, who also couldn't start it. Ended up being removed on a low-loader, reason was, it suddenly decided it didn't recognise it's own coded key! My friend decided there was no way he was accepting a replacement of the same model, and had it replaced by one with a standard key! Just another of the numerous joys of computers!