Re: 1970 Hard Top Wrench (Update?)
James- We once talked offline on this wrench... very interesting find. I was hoping you could possibly obtain a better/closer image of the TEXT on the shank of the wrench. From what I can see via the enlarged/composite image posted (your wrench is in the center), it appears to be a PROTO brand wrench. If so, I don't believe the company was in business in 1971 (but I could be mistaken).
From my research, I thought PROTO morphed into Challenger Tools... and also merged with VLCHEK (maker of the C1 & C2 hardtop wrenches). Challenger manufacturing was moved to the VLCHEK factory in Cleveland, and eventually closed down in Feb 1969.
The Challenger wrench that Joe has in his 1969 makes perfect sense to me (beautiful example). It may be pure coincidence that the closing of the plant seems to coincide approximately the same time the HT wrenches disappeared from Corvettes. The research continues...
proto.jpg
James- We once talked offline on this wrench... very interesting find. I was hoping you could possibly obtain a better/closer image of the TEXT on the shank of the wrench. From what I can see via the enlarged/composite image posted (your wrench is in the center), it appears to be a PROTO brand wrench. If so, I don't believe the company was in business in 1971 (but I could be mistaken).
From my research, I thought PROTO morphed into Challenger Tools... and also merged with VLCHEK (maker of the C1 & C2 hardtop wrenches). Challenger manufacturing was moved to the VLCHEK factory in Cleveland, and eventually closed down in Feb 1969.
The Challenger wrench that Joe has in his 1969 makes perfect sense to me (beautiful example). It may be pure coincidence that the closing of the plant seems to coincide approximately the same time the HT wrenches disappeared from Corvettes. The research continues...
proto.jpg
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