Garage Finds from Dad’s Garage
 

My dad passed in 1997, mom passed this last February. We’re in the process of cleaning out her house and all of my dads stuff is still there, tools and such. Here’s a pic of a couple items I remember vividly from when I was a kid. Item 1, the Geiger creeper. My dad typically worked on the family cars on Saturday mornings and I would always go to the auto part store with him. One Saturday morning, we parked to go into the store and he found $5 in the street. My dad was a pretty thrifty guy and wouldn’t typically buy himself a luxury item like a creeper but I guess he figured why not throw in a little of his money and splurge a little. Item 2 was picked up at the same auto part store as they were giving these away and my dad got one. I was able to talk him into letting me use it to store my model car paints and glue. Please feel free to share anything of yours that came from Dad’s garage.

That’s an emotional journey that I have also been through, but priceless in the forgotten memories it brings.

Wow that's so cool that you have those great memories of your father.They are to cherish and pass on to your kids.

Very cool.

I spent a few hours last July and August going through stuff in Mom's attic. Dad died summer of 98. Mom is 93, in assisted living. We were looking for my dad's discharge papers so we could apply to the VA for aid and assistance, based on Dad's war time service.

Found the installment contract from when Mom and Dad bought their first bedroom suite. She still has it.

Love the creeper. Reminds me of my Lisle Jeepers Creeper. I bet they have the same wheel set up.

It truly is a journey back in time going through everything. It’s not only the things my parents amassed in their lifetimes but also my grandparents and even some things from great grandparents. Not a garage find but was my grandfathers cigarette case from when he was in France and Germany during WW l. Found that in a file drawer with his discharge papers from the army.

Thankfully my Dad is still around, but doesn’t get out to the garage as much as he would like.
Anyway he gave me this fender cover.
I bet this fender cover has been used to change 10,000 spark plugs and countless tune ups!
Fond memories for sure
Thanks again Dad!!

Cool stuff guys. The family combined with the cars (and business) runs deep with me. I'll dig up a few things to share with everyone.

Tim

Growing up, my dad was a bodyman and painter (he started around 12-13) and he always had a Lisle Jeepers Creepers that barely functioned. Never understood the design of casters with the slanted wheels that never rolled, but it kept him off the cold floor of our garage in the long PA winters. Not sure whatever happened to his original one, but I saw one just like his at a flea market in near pristine condition, I had to get it. I knew my brother had a fondness for those memories of my dad as well, so fortunately, I found another one just like my dad's old one on eBay shortly after I got this one so when I won the auction, I sent it to my brother as a surprise. It was great, and he loves it like my dad loved his just because it's so much a part of my dad.
https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/NiwAA...Im/s-l1600.jpg

Apart from a certain orange car... this was a fixture on my Dad's workbench or in the drawer... and it's with me now. The Boy plays with it sometimes too; he's the only 8 year old around here that knows what it is and knows what roll up windows are for that matter.

Mum (jokingly) never let me forget she had to quit her front office desk job at Labatt's downtown to check in to the hospital to have me. Apparently I came just a few months too early for her to benefit from the Unemployment Insurance Act of 1971 that codified paid maternity benefits back home...

Like all of these items above (and posts to come) it's a pleasant memory of Dad...

Cheers Friends!
Anthony

My father had an identical one. Can’t tell you have many transmissions on 2x8’s that thing help roll under cars. And yes, getting one to roll straight was almost impossible!

Nice cold Labatt's 50 on a hot day at the cottage!Ahhh!

^ YUP. Our cottage was a rental that we’d book the whole summer a couple miles from Douglas Point where he worked. I spent a lot of time in Lake Huron. And 50 was his preference too!

Mine also.Your dad had good taste Anthony.

He did. Thank you!

This is a cool thread from an emotional standpoint so thanks for posting Julio. My Dad went to tech school in KC right after he graduated HS in 1962 and the majority of the tools in my garage were purchased by him in the mid 60's through the early 80's and are still being used by the boy and I to this day. In the photo below is the creeper and acetylene torch he bought before I was born in 1972. As a kid I swore he could fix anything with that torch and a coat hanger! Over the years I've probably spent twice as much time on that old creeper than he ever did but he got twice as much work done on it than I ever have since he had the skill to fix anything by just looking at it long enough. The hydraulic jack and tool box were bought after we built the garage when I was a kid and several of the tools in the box have his name or initials engraved on them which is pretty cool. Dad died in a car wreck in 1992 at 47 when I was 20 and I've held onto as many things of his as possible over the years to pass on to my kids since they never had the opportunity to know him.

Thanks for posting, they don’t make jacks like that anymore! Regarding your dads mechanical skill, I feel the same as my dad was also really good at diagnosing and quickly repairing to a high standard. He was really lucky as a kid to attend Aero-Mechanics school which was based at Detroit City Airport and was part of the Detroit Public Schools. He learned much of his mechanical skills there along with welding and also earned his pilot license at age 18. One of his teachers gave kids flying lessons after class in one of the planes owned by the school.

This is my Dad’s “Head Aches” Car Club plaque that he made in the late 50’s.
I have it proudly displayed in my garage “Dave Cave” LOL:headbang:
My Dad still keeps his “Head Aches” Car Club jacket in the 409.

lmao

I thought y’all would enjoy some pics of my Dad’s old school tool box. This is the tool box that he would use at the drag strip racing the 409.:biggthumpup:

^ very cool!

When did he have a falcon? Those Ford stickers are for a front and rear bumper for a 61-2 falcon. I wish I saved my dads toolbox. He had it for years and had the worst tools in it! Partial socket set. Never had the one he was looking for!
Buddy

When they first got married in the early 60's they had a Falcon (I think they had 2 - a coupe and convertible at different times). We'll try and get some pics.

We are starting to go through this stuff in the coming months as they have decided to downsize a bit - so more treasures to follow..........kind of sad actually.

Here are some pictures of their Falcon convertible from back in 1963. That's our Mom and Dad in the first picture. I believe the picture in what looks like a junkyard without wheels is when it was stolen (they worked on the north side of Chicago).

Maybe they stole it for the (Radir?) mags on it.

Globe Auto,A-Ohare,or Victory Auto Wreckers perhaps?

Most likely!