Period Correct Toolkit

[Conserv]

Reiterating what has already been said in this thread, colors of tool kits were not a function of year, but mere chance — many of us believe the cheap vinyl toolkit covers were multiple colors because they were assembled from vinyl scraps generated by some upholstery projects un-related to BMW seats. The cars immediately preceding and following mine down the assembly line may well have received different color tool kits. And, BMW was much less fussy about the markings on the tools ca. 1970 than we are, ca. 2019.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

['76mintgrün'02]

Thank you for the nice photos, saoirse!

 

I see that the wrench sizes were the big bent 19/17, a 14/13 and a 10/8.

Based on that, none of the ones that I have found would have come in our kits.

 

The finish, or lack thereof varies on DIN 895 tools and it appears that the kits contained yellow cadmium plated tools.

(or some similar plating alloy)

Was that pretty consistent over the years?

 

I found this info online (Garage Journal posting).

DIN is an abbreviation for Deutsche Industrie Norm, or German Industrial Standard. This was a set of standards that specified all important parameters of industrial goods, including size, tolerances, finish, and hardness. DIN 895 was a standard that applied to a wrench. A wrench marked DIN 895 meant that it complied with all aspects of that particular standard.

 

This is from Wiki

Heyco was founded in 1937 by Max and Ernst Heynen and started off manufacturing hand tools for the early automotive industry in Remscheid, Germany. After World War II, Heyco began production of tools for assembly line automobile production. Heyco expanded to Tittling/Bavaria, Germany in 1961, and to Derschen/Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany in 1981. Heyco Production facilities also operate in the Czech Republic, and Ireland.^[6]

 

I'll bet Heyco made all of the wrenches in my photos (aside from the one Hazet example off to the side in the first pic).  They only put HEYCO on some of them though and left the others blank.

 

I did not realize that they put a plug grabbing 'clip' inside the tubular socket.  That is a nice detail.

 

Tom

[Conserv]

46 minutes ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

 

...The finish, or lack thereof varies on DIN 895 tools and it appears that the kits contained yellow cadmium plated tools.

(or some similar plating alloy)

Was that pretty consistent over the years?...

 

Tom,

 

I’ve seen more Heyco tools that were likely silver cadmium than yellow cadmium plated. So perhaps that dimension, too, is a variable.

 

When re-plating, I try to emulate the original finish, and, for saoirse’s tools, I would probably choose clear zinc, as the easy-to-do-on-a-retail-basis interpretation of silver cadmium. Yellow zinc, which largely emulates yellow cadmium, has more yellows, as well as more green and blue tinges.

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

Edited December 30, 2019 by Conserv

['76mintgrün'02]

Thanks Steve.  The three little wrenches (13/10) in my first pic have three different finishes.  Plain/yellow/silver.

 

I chose the yellow one (13/10), to install as a battery terminal wrench, using a small magnet to stick it to the fender, behind the relays.   

That was not a size offered in our kits, apparently; but a very useful combination.  That wrench is marked W. Germany and HEYCO.

 

As you can see, my relays are not correct either.  They should be plastic capped on a '76... it took some hunting to find the five prong relay on the left that is marked GERMANY.  Most of them are marked SPAIN.

 

(I may have to chisel the weld BBs off... a few more chips in my paint won't matter, but I do hate weld spatter!)

 

Tom

[John76]

Here is the tool kit from my '76. Never used!

 

[John76]

12 hours ago, '76mintgrün'02 said:

As you can see, my relays are not correct either.  They should be plastic capped on a '76...

 

Plastic capped???

Here are the original relays from my "76.

High beam, Low beam and Horn.  All 3 are  Hella 4RA 002 566 15. Made in Germany.

 

['76mintgrün'02]

Cylindrical???

I thought those only came in the early cars.  They're pretty.

 

My car came to me with a Spanish made five pronger and two plastic relays dated 5/75.  I have seen other '76 models with plastic ones as well and I assumed mine were original.

I added the fourth one on the right for my driving lights.  As you can see, one of my plastic ones had a cracked top; so I gladly set them aside when I pulled a bunch of metal ones out of an e21. 

 

 

One car at the yard had a bunch of BMW stamped relays that were made in ITALY. 

They're kind of pretty, but too much bling for my dirty old engine bay.

Not period correct, either.

I prefer dull grey.  One day, I thinned a little black paint and dribbled it into the lettering, then wiped most of it off... wanting to highlight the word GERMANY.  

 

Cheap thrills.

 

Heyco-Heyco un-day

 

 

[Conserv]

On 12/31/2019 at 1:45 AM, John76 said:

 

Plastic capped???

Here are the original relays from my "76.

High beam, Low beam and Horn.  All 3 are  Hella 4RA 002 566 15. Made in Germany.

 

Like so many other details on ‘02’s, the answer varied according to what BMW had sitting in their parts inventory when your car rolled down the assembly line.

 

My ‘76 (VIN 2742541, manufactured April 23, 1976), came with three of the square plastic relays that Tom’s was originally equipped with. I’ve added an identical relay for auxiliary lights. (Full disclosure: a fifth relay, also for auxiliary lights, is mounted beneath the factory relay rack, but it is a self-mounting relay of a different style.) All of these relays are dated and I’ve consistently found extras and spares on... 1976 ‘02’s, but only on 1976 models.

 

The identical relay was apparently also used on e21’s from 1975 through, at least, 1980. Mind you, not all e21’s, but many.

 

Below are the four currently in my ‘76. They’re dated (respectively, as shown in the photos) April 1976, October 1975, April 1976, and August 1975. Because I’ve added a fourth relay since the car left the factory, and one relay failed, I can no longer recall which two of these relays came with the car and which two came from other 1976 models.

 

And, yes, thank you, my relays do display an even “patina,” evidencing the tremendous service they’ve provided me these many years... ?  No, they don’t clean up, and I haven’t yet felt a need to paint them! ?

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 2, 2020 by Conserv

[Mike A]

On 12/30/2019 at 7:50 AM, Conserv said:

Reiterating what has already been said in this thread, colors of tool kits were not a function of year, but mere chance — many of us believe the cheap vinyl toolkit covers were multiple colors because they were assembled from vinyl scraps generated by some upholstery projects un-related to BMW seats. The cars immediately preceding and following mine down the assembly line may well have received different color tool kits. And, BMW was much less fussy about the markings on the tools ca. 1970 than we are, ca. 2019.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

Having seen a room full of them  in 1968, I can attest to the fact that those tool bags had to be sewn by ladies' hands on typical sewing machines in the upholstery department .

[sczapiga]

This is all very helpful, I'm putting together a Pelican box with cut foam to hold wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers etc... I have a good idea what types of tools to carry from years as a race mechanic/ rally mech. but would like to know what size wrenches and sockets are needed to work on all parts of the car 1975 2002 base. I'd rather not just throw a whole set of wrenches if some are not needed, space is a minimum and would like more room for test light, zip ties, fuses etc... 

 

Thanks! 

Photo for reference of what I'm building. 

 

[beammmer]

Not sure how the topic went from tool kits to relays, lame.  Found this on eBay and won for $14.00, plus $8 for shipping. 
 

Don

['76mintgrün'02]

28 minutes ago, beammmer said:

Not sure how the topic went from tool kits to relays, lame.  

 

That was my fault, Don.  I mentioned relays.  Sorry.

 

You scored on that tool kit alright.  That's a clean one!

Thanks for sharing photos.

 

Tom