Reference: Tool Rolls & Contents

[Allen Henderson]

These screen shots, images, were taken from a post on this board by Eric. It is easiest to put it all in one place this way. Here is the link, too, if you want it. Thanks Eric!

http://www.early911sregistry.org/for...t=toolkit+bags

[Xen]

Great info, much appreciated

[pss]

Here is the 12mm hex Allen drive version of the subject. Also, tool kits are often photo'd with a "PORSCHE" or "Porsche" towel. There is some debate as to whether tool kits originally came with towels. Some say ONLY the travel kit originally (not even later factory made up travel kits) came with a towel while others say even these had no towel. I've no opinion. Any documents or proof? Thanks.
-Allen-

I cannot figure out whether the 65 kits should include a 10 or 12 mm allen. Was is meant to operate the spark plug kit or did it serve another purpose?

[356rider]

As a data point, #1318 has the 12mm Allen in the tool kit and its drain plug is 10mm. I believe both are original.

[356rider]

...

I've got a couple of small font wrenches in my collection, (literally just a few out of hundred(s?) of wrenches) and those don't have the machine finish on them.

Here's another data point. The wrench on top is small font with machining marks. It is a loose wrench that I have so unfortunately I can't say what year kit it came from.

037.jpg

[Allen Henderson]

Good question.. If the plug wrench happens to be a 12mm, you would assume you got a 12mm allen. But then what size would the drain plug be? Was the earliest drain plug a 12mm? More of a rhetorical question.

We did some research. 901s and early 911s up until, at least, late 1965 production had 10mm drain plugs. The two drain assemblies with plugs are virtually identical. I guess that Porsche started with the 12mm drive spark plug socket and later realized a 10mm drive would be better; then the tool kit owner would have a "Allen" (not me ) hex drive that would fit the wrench AND the oil drain plug. When did the switch from 12mm hex drive to 10mm drive take place? Could it be when the bags switched from a bag with tabs to no tabs, or? I don't know?

-Allen-

[Allen Henderson]

Here is a proper SWB (short wheelbase) toolkit with Messko that has the very rare Elephant Hide bag. Actually, I'm not 100% sure this kit came with a Messko. Opinions? Missing I suppose in technical sense is a fan belt and lug nut. Thanks.

-Allen-

[Bill Simmeth]

All the Hex wrenches I've seen are marked Klein. Here are some correct SWB spark plug sockets. I've seen BOTH 10mm and 12mm (rare) hex-drive versions. Thanks.

klein group.jpg

Thanks for the great thread. A recent sale of a "1965 toolkit" featured the SWB spark plug wrench shown below. Is this a true Porsche SWB wrench? Its barrel differs slightly from Allen's samples above. And a response to the sale thread seemed to cast doubt as it lacks the "humps" in the transition to the 21mm end (for clearing the spark plug). If its not for a SWB 911, what application is it?

klein1.jpg

[Allen Henderson]

Bill,

In my opinion, your Spark Plug Wrench is a "correct" version of the accepted Klein 21. Clearly there were several versions. It looks pretty rusty though. You can try cleaning it up with polish and a brass brush. No doubt the plating is totally shot and you'll have to use a steel wire brush to get the rust off. IF the plating is gone, you can polish the bare metal but, of course, the finish will not be original/correct, but polished raw steel-it will most likely have a black color tinge. I have heard from some real experts, one in particular is a well-known 356 restoration expert, that matching the original plating is nearly impossible. And is, at best, a hit or miss proposition. That is why folks replate, say their wrenches, in a set; although they don't get an original finish, at least they match each other. Let us know how you make out. Thanks.

-Allen-

[Allen Henderson]

Recently, I had a off-line conversation with a well-known knowledgeable list member regarding the pictured SWB spark plug wrench(s) and when they transitioned to the later knurled knob version. My 901 friend and I have assembled a picture and data database of a few thousand SWB cars and of about 400 1968 911s. So, I looked through the pics for toolkit photos. About 10% of the cars (these came from for sale cars on eBay, the list and other places) had toolkits pictured. I especially like photos of unrestored cars and photos of their toolkits for authenticity. Many of the toolkits were clearly wrong with waffle bags or even totally wrong much later bags. Most all the kits that had screwdrivers had the correct Klein drivers, some had the later 10,000 volt screwdrivers but were clearly, from other clues in the kit, not original. About eight kits had the 10mm drive spark plug wrench pictured below, where we could tell and the wrench wasn't down in the bag so we couldn't.There were some knurled knob spark plug wrenches in the kits but most of these were in "assembled" incorrect kit with, say, 10,000 volt screwdrivers. There were, somewhat suprisingly, several kits with 356 or 912 tools: the generator and/or the spark plug wrench.

There were ony a couple of cars with photos of the Messko but this is not suprising as these are often not in the toolkit, having either been lost, stolen or in the glove compartment. However, I just recalled I purchased an original 1968 912 kit from a gentleman who took it out of this 912 when it was new, put it away and sold it to me many years later and it HAD an original dual scale Messko in a grey vinyl pouch, just as we might expect ! So, to me a maroon/red Messko tire gauge was included in 1968 Porsche toolkits.

BTW it is distinctly possible that Klein, an international tool company still today, sold the "Klein 21" spark plug wrench at your local German hardware or automotive store. Just like Drop Forged Wrenches which, Porsche used, and were sold to the general public. This would explain the various versions of the open-end wrenches as well as the Spark Plug Wrench. Of course some special versions were apparently made just for Porsche. The 12/14 Drop Forged apparently was made for Porsche for the 356 kit as it is very rare. And, for example, the Hazet (little "a") 450 10/14 open end wrench found in 356A kits or the 11/12 found in the same kits; these are very rare and probably were made special for Porsche. For Drop Forged and Hazet wrenches, on eBay for example you'll see lots of "Porsche" advertised wrenches in odd sizes (and asking BIG Buck$) that were NEVER in a Porsche kit; frankly, mostly in-Germany sellers preying on the innocent and ill-informed or, giving them the benefit of the doubt, ill-informed sellers (although I've emailed many of them with links to, for example www.356tools.com.

And also my conclusion is the the 10mm drive Spark Plug Wrench pictured below was used consistently in SWB toolkits up and through 1968. I make the usual disclaimer that there, of course were exceptions and, we are ALWAYS open to addional information and are more than happy to change our opinion with more or better data. Thanks.

-Allen-