Elora Wrenches on eBay

[LMH]

These are not mine, I just saw them during my daily searches and thought I’d pass them along. Nice looking set and has the Elora clip to hold them together. All wrenches match each other and price is not too bad.
Larry

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F153327377759

[my427cobra]

Hi Larry. That would be a nice set for someone.

Interesting that two of the wrenches say "CHRON- VANADIUM" while the others say "CHROME-VANADIUM".

I'll have to check mine to see if they have this mismatch.

Cheers
Greg

[my427cobra]

Hi again Larry. As i look at the picture of the wrenches again, the top wrench says "CHROM- VANADIUM" missing an E.

Strange.

Cheers
Greg

[my427cobra]

Here's the pic:

[my427cobra]

Can't read what the bottom wrench says.

Greg

[my427cobra]

ZOOM'd the pic and the second wrench from the bottom says "CHROM" .

Looks like an N until you magnify it.

Cheers
Greg

[LMH]

I saw that but I don't know why it's like that. Guessing when it was struck in the forge, it moved slightly and screwed up the M and E. The line between the two words is longer, like the middle of the E was struck but not the rest of the letter.
Personally it wouldn't bother me much. I've seen other Elora stuff that's not perfect. They're good quality but they aren't Snap On or Proto (my personal favorite tools) by any means!

Larry

[Gaz64]

Originally Posted by LMH

I saw that but I don't know why it's like that. Guessing when it was struck in the forge, it moved slightly and screwed up the M and E. The line between the two words is longer, like the middle of the E was struck but not the rest of the letter.
Personally it wouldn't bother me much. I've seen other Elora stuff that's not perfect. They're good quality but they aren't Snap On or Proto (my personal favorite tools) by any means!

Larry

More than likely the die was wrong when the early wrenches were made, and eventually the mistake was spotted.
Then all the dies for each wrench would have included the correct spelling of "Chrome".

Gary

[rsk289]

I have to say I still don't really understand the point of having a set of original spanners in a replica car's toolkit. I'm all for originality to the nth degree, as anyone who knows me will tell you - but I can't bring myself to carry a tool roll in the car with a set of spanners in it that won't fit a single fastener on the car. If you convert or build your car's running gear to Whitworth threads, that makes a lot more sense. I guess the clever way to do it would be to source a set of Elora spanners of the correct pattern but in AF sizes, perhaps?

[LMH]

Originally Posted by rsk289

I have to say I still don't really understand the point of having a set of original spanners in a replica car's toolkit. I'm all for originality to the nth degree, as anyone who knows me will tell you - but I can't bring myself to carry a tool roll in the car with a set of spanners in it that won't fit a single fastener on the car. If you convert or build your car's running gear to Whitworth threads, that makes a lot more sense. I guess the clever way to do it would be to source a set of Elora spanners of the correct pattern but in AF sizes, perhaps?

It's all really just for display. For example, I wouldn't want to use the bleeder tool as it was too much work to replicate that correctly and I have 16/3 and 12/3 calipers that it fits! I wouldn't want to use the jack either unless I was stuck with no other means to deal with a flat.

Larry

[dacobb]

Originally Posted by rsk289

I have to say I still don't really understand the point of having a set of original spanners in a replica car's toolkit. I'm all for originality to the nth degree, as anyone who knows me will tell you - but I can't bring myself to carry a tool roll in the car with a set of spanners in it that won't fit a single fastener on the car. If you convert or build your car's running gear to Whitworth threads, that makes a lot more sense. I guess the clever way to do it would be to source a set of Elora spanners of the correct pattern but in AF sizes, perhaps?

Here's the point: It's fun to source "original" Cobra tool parts and assemble them for your car. It doesn't get much deeper than that.

Also, it's fun to try to fake out the "Cobra experts" which you can only do up to a certain point...when they look at an ERA frame it's over. But the time spent faking them out is priceless. I intend to do that full bore.

So when they "tut-tut-tut" it's a replica, my response will be "what took you so long?"

[my427cobra]

Well guys, here's my approach to the originality stuff:

I attend the Pismo Donut Derelicts Saturday morning car show. The cars show up every Saturday morning from 8:00 am to about 9:30 am (yes every Saturday morning - it's California). It's a very casual and laid back affair (no judging etc) with 200 to 300 cars in the shopping center parking lot and we get a lot of pedestrian traffic.

We get every kind of car, truck and motorcycle you can imagine.

Most of the attendees and especially the pedestrian traffic love to learn all about the different cars, trucks, boats , army vehicles, race cars, motorcycles etc etc.

So about once a month I put on a different display: wheels, tires, interesting parts, pictures, posters, Shelby license plates etc etc and guess what: tools.

Most people have never seen this stuff and are very interested in the history.

I'm not out to win trophies or fool/prove originality or use the tools.

It's just fun.

Cheers
Greg

[LMH]

Interesting little tid-bit I found out today. "Chrome" in German is "Chrom"!

Larry

[Gaz64]

Originally Posted by LMH

Interesting little tid-bit I found out today. "Chrome" in German is "Chrom"!

Larry

That explains it then, initially made for the German market, then the rest of the world in English?

Gary

[LMH]

That's what I'd say.
Larry

[ALF]

And they did print on the boxes in English too in old West-Germany

[rsk289]

I see those are AF sizes, Alf - was that clip style ever used for Cobras?

[ALF]

I've no information if this clip was ever used for Cobras.
I'm sure Larry will know the answer.

Yes, they are AF
5/16"x3/8"
7/16"x1/2"
9/16"x5/8"
11/16"x3/4"
13/16"x7/8"
Not sure if 100% correct for a 289 Cobra

[rsk289]

Won't be correct, I'm afraid, as Cobra spanners were all Whitworth, mostly fine. That said, what you have is probably what I will use, because my car has AF chassis fasteners so the spanners can actually be used roadside if necessary. My view is that any onlooker who's interested but doesn't know the cars intimately will be none the wiser (old o/e spanners, Imperial sizes, etc.) - and those who do, will long ago have realised they are looking at a replica by a quick glance at the chassis number. There was never a COB67**.

[LMH]

Originally Posted by ALF

I've no information if this clip was ever used for Cobras.
I'm sure Larry will know the answer.

I’m not 100% sure but every original I’ve examined did use the spring metal clip. You have to note though that tool kits could be purchased through SA and AC Cars after production ceased on the Cobra and Cobra 427. Some original cars didn’t come with a tool kit, at least as far as the original buyer knows. One owner in our circle never got one with his car and he is the first owner. Somewhere between AC Cars and him, it went lost.
Anyway, not all tool kits in current cars were what came with the car day one, given that it did come with one. Question is, would a concours judge take points off on an original car if the tool kit had a thumb screw wrench clip? Having been involved in a number of concours events with Cobras, doubtful.
Larry