My Tools - Part 2 (The beginning)

It all began in 1990 when my dad went for supper at a restuarant called PJ Baru, located opposite the Celcom HQ in PJ. He saw an old Morris Minor and decided to buy it. He put an RM70.00 deposit and decided to come back the next day for it. It was supposedly a gift for his 16 year old son...

I still remember those words "Son, I learnt to drive in a Morris Minor, and so you will too. Follow me tonight, we're going to see the car". Eagerly I told my mate Adrian who jumped delightedly and told me HIS plans to modify the car. Imagine my horror when I set my eyes on that piece of junk!! My dad negotiated with the owner and bought the car for RM2000.00.

Everything had to be fixed on that car. the seats could not fold, the doors were hanging at its hinges, the lights were dim, the engine was leaky and the list went on and on. That night I went to sleep or lied awake in my bed with so many things running through my mind. Bigger wheels, lowered suspension, sound system, a fully loaded engine etc. Then it dawned upon me. The first thing I needed to do - get my own set of tools!! A motorhead was born.

I went down to Thrifty supermarket (with Adrian) and bought 2 screwdrivers, a pair of combination pliers, 4-5 combination spanners/ wrenches (known in Malaysian slang as "common ring"spanners. And that's how it began. The first set of tools I had was an all important "Diamond' brand, made China. To me at the time, they really were diamonds. I admired the clanking sound it made, the bright metallic sheen and the 'feel' of the tools. Then I began hanging out with other like minded friends (Thanks, Raymond, Bobby, Gerard, Vinesh) and learn't a whole lot more about tools. I began to invest in good tool. Soon, brands like Stahlwille, Elora, Stanley, Craftsman and Snap On were among my inventory.

Most of my tools still survive today, thanks to careful handling and maintenance. In the next few posts, I will share what I know and have learnt through the years. Happy reading.

My Tools - Part 1

In any trade, tools are the most important assets anyone can have. My late dad always said 'you can always tell a man by the way he kept his tools'. Actually he never said that, he used to complaint about how messy my car was. It always performed well though, and my excuse was that I was too busy making sure that the car was performing well rather than looking well.

So, I decided to take out the old tools and clean them up. (This would be a good time to discover what I have left after so many pieces being borrowed- and never returned, misplaced and broken). It was a boring Sunday evening when I took out all my sockets and decided to clean them. Deciding on a quick option, I put it all in a tray and sprayed/ soaked them in STP's patented TUFF STUFF. Its a foam based cleaner which worked REALLY REALLY well. The pictures speak for themselves

Some of the sockets and tray before the clean up


Getting Soaked


Wallah - Brand New.. Well, almost


Taking Shape

I Am Back

Has it been that long? It is really really good to be back blogging again. My only excuse is, I have been away doing 'research' and compiling materials. So what has been happening since then?
I left my beloved job at Competitive Supreme and went into a business venture with friends. What happened next has always been referred to as - a learning experience. So, today, I decided to share what I've learnt with you, the rest of the world who by some providential arrangement come across these ramblings..