SWEDE... you da Man!!

[mbouse]

Swede visited me a couple of weeks ago, and we chatted for a few hours about Fiats. when he left, he took some spare parts with him; however, before he did leave i showed him my gray plastic tool box with a hole punched in it by the P.O.

i lamented in the shape of my box....

guess what i just got in the mail (all the way from Sweden)... a gray plastic tool box.

Thanks, Swede!! you da man.

[ventura ace]

I saw your request about the contents of the tool box in the Mira forum. It's easier to post pictures here. The owner's manual describes the contents (sorry that the picture is not the clearest, but if you enlarge it, you can recognize the parts):

[swede]

Mike,

I’m glad you liked it and that it arrive in one piece, I can hope you will be able to find the missing tools that should be in it. Just let me know if I should look for tools.

I haven’t been able to work on my spider yet since the company shipped me directly to Singapore when I got home.
I’m really tired right now , we have been working 14 hours days for some time now and are finally going home tomorrow 9pm back to the winter cool Sweden

Regards,

Swede

[mbouse]

thanks alvon... can't make out the picture too well, but i can at least read the description.

it's a start anyway. i know that i have some of the tools laying loose in the bottom of my big tool box, and Swede's offering covers some of that too.

any one had any experience at cleaning that gray plastic box? what's a good solvent that doesn't eat plastic?

[kilrwail]

Mike - Try using some diluted lacquer thinner. I swear by it for almost anything. If you need a picture of a complete original tool kit, I can get mine out and fill it up correctly for a photo. I don't use it every day, preferring to preserve it for shows.

[mdrburchette]

What would you dilute it with, Peter?

[pope]

lacquer extra thinner!

[swede]

[kilrwail]

Denise - For something like this, I would just use a wet rag (with water) and a dab of lacquer thinner. I believe I used full strength lacquer thinner on an old tool case that was cracked, without dissolving the plastic.

[fiasco]

My fear would be discoloring the plastic. I have one that got some overspray on it when a PO painted the car without taking out the toolbox (dork). Do you think the diluted lacquer thinner will take off the overspray without discoloring the plastic?

-- se

[mdrburchette]

I doubt it would discolor it any more than 35 years of exposure would. I was considering spraying mine with grey to make it look better. It has discolored over the years.

[kilrwail]

OK. Ask and it shall be answered. It must be snowing or something. I just went out to the garage and cleaned some grease marks off the old, cracked grey tool box. The grease came off but the grey was unaffected. I used full strength lacquer thinner. Now I know why I kept the old damaged tool box.

[mbouse]

between what Swede sent and what i already had in the form of tools, i believe i have the box full of correct Fiat tools. I'm happy with that. quite the project! now i have a new set of questions. according to Alvon's manual, the toolbox should be stored on the left side of the trunk, previous discussions i've had indicate secured in that corner with a rubber strap. to my understanding that strap should be very similar to the jack strap.

i see no hooks or a shelf in the left corner for the toolbox in either my '80 or my '78.

were those mounting brackets eliminated at some point? if so, how was the box secured?
did all model years come equipped with a box of tools, or did the tools cease to be supplied at some point in time?
did the plastic box ever change to another type of container?

ulimately, is this gray box of tools period correct for either my '78 or '80 Spider?

[kilrwail]

Mike - The grey box is correct for the '78 and it mounts on top of the jack with the help of a rubber strap with metal square loops on each end, which hook over bends on the jack support. There is no separate jack strap. Alvon's manual is for an earlier car (1638 engine). I can't answer your other questions, but check the jack support in the '80 to see if it's the same.

[mbouse]

well shoot! that fixes it. if the box is correct for the '78.. i gotta '78. the box goes in the '78.

we'll just have to iron out what is period correct for the '80 (i am suspecting something different than the box).