Today we assembled the Tools for our 1954 MG TF restoration project. Many of these tuck into the ammunition box that is welded into the front firewall except the starting crank that is fastened to the rear bodywork.
Subtle details include an Enots grease gun with a Black Oxide/Blued barrel and the correct King Dick pliers with new wrinkle finish.
It took many talents to bring this kit together including a new roll from the The In-Point PTY Limited who manufacture a replica bag with the correct latex covered hessian/jute material.
A few of the items are original to the car and came in the ammunition box including 2 of the open spanners and all the box-spanners. Many of the scarcer items cam from Hugh Pite including the rare king dick feeler gauge, a short-handle ball peen hammer and an original King Dick jack with handle!
According the very excellent Original MGTF Midget website our kit is now very complete:
King Dick Ring-Type tappet spanner
King Dick Ring Spanner for cylinder head nuts
King Dick .019 Tappet Feeler Gauge
¾-pound ball peen hammer
King Dick Pliers
ENOTS No.1 Grease Gun
Two Dunlop Tire Levers
Tire Valve Spanner
Lucas Distributor Feeler and screwdriver
Screwdriver
Unlabelled Shelly-Type Tyre Pump
King Dick Set of Box Spanners
King Dick Set of Open Spanners
King Dick Adjustable spanner
King Dick 1077 Jack
King Dick Jack Handles
6-Inch Tommy Bar
THOR knock-off hammer
Here is the King Dick 1077 Jack sitting in its new home, the ammunition box fitted with white felt.
Today we had an absolutely original XJ6 in the shop from 1968 which was a two-owner car.
In the trunk was the pristine tool roll and the owner let us open it and reveal an untouched set.
We found Shelly Pliers, a yellow plastic valve stem remover, hubcap remover, Lucas .014 Key, and spanners that varied from Eagle, Daimler and Jaguar!
Pieces of the Derby Tool kit in a replica Silver Ghost tool roll.
One of the more interesting topics concerning our new Bentley is what we are missing. By that I mean the exhaustive tool kit and supplies that were originally delivered with the car from new.
Fortunately our friend Nick Northeast came by and showed us his impressive collection that accompanies his own Derby Bentley. We wasted no time to document Nick’s entire kit which can number over 50 pieces depending on the car.
Nick tells us that the kit is similar to the standard Rolls-Royce output, but has Bentley specific pieces such as early F.B. spanners and the unobtainable Bentley Motors Ltd. feeler gauge.
The harder to find Bentley-specific parts of the kit.
4 Tommy Bars and their Double Ended Box Spanners
Unrestored Lucas Bulb Holder with correct holder and a Lucas Type 97 inspection lamp.
Tire related Tools: Dunlop Jack with handle. Ace Corncraft Wheel Disc Spanner, Rudge Whitworth Wheel Nut Spanner, Kinsman MKII Tyre Pump, Hammer, Starting Bar, Starting Handle.
Entire selection of the small tools in the replica Phantom II roll.
Bentley Specific List of Nick’s tools:
1931 Bentley Motors Ltd. Feeler Gauges
Double Ended Jaw Spanner 3BA w ¼BSF FB559
Double Ended Jaw Spanner 1BA w ¼BSF w FB560
Double Ended Jaw Spanner 5/16BSF w ⅜BSF FB561
Double Ended Jaw Spanner 7/16BSF w ½BSF FB562
Double Ended Jaw Spanner FB563
Single Ended Jaw Spanner 11/16BSF FB2190
Valve Tool Comprising Clamp with Adaptor EB809
Rocker Tappet Adjustment Spanner E79087
Nestel Oil Syringe FB82659
Air Silencer Spanner EB2126
Petrol Tank Drain Plug Key FB564
Double Ended Box Spanner 3BA w 2BA F9809
Double Ended Box Spanner 1BA w ¼BSF F9810
Double Ended Box Spanner 5/16BSF w 3/8BSF F9811
Double Ended Box Spanner 7/16BSF w ½BSF F9812
Double Ended Box Spanner ¾BSF w 13/16 F9814
Tommy Bar 3/16BSF E7342
Tommy Bar ¼BSF E7658
Tommy Bar 5/16 E9048
Tommy Bar 7/16 E12645
***Update**
Peter Charlton has found this exceptional Derby tool kit and has kindly let us feature it on this page.
It looks like the type tucks away in the trunk is sometimes integraded on a separate tray or on the inside of the trunk panel itself.
He says “Looks to be unused and totally original.
They used both FB and F series box spanners, I guess the coach builder used what he had available.
Pliers look to be nickel plated and no markings.
The open ended spanners have no markings as you would expect, but are modified RR tools then cadmium coated. Even the small contacts spanner has had it’s markings removed.
I did a bit of searching in the RROC archives. I found a 3 1/2 litre tool list. It clearly states that the open ended tools are to be made from modified RR tools.”
