Decorate Your Desk with a Piston Paperweight

We’re willing to bet you’ve got a garage drawer full of old car parts that, though perhaps rendered functionally useless by wear or obsolescence, are just too cool to toss in the trash. As enthusiasts we collect this stuff like the carpet under a couch collects dust bunnies—it’s like magnetism.

Pistons, rods, pulleys, shift knobs, taillights, camshafts, intricately finned heads, Wankel rotors, perhaps even the odd 10-inch wheel from a Mini, they all make great paperweights or objects of interest for your office. Used tastefully, they’re wonderful reminders of what we work so hard for, and what we have to look forward to tinkering with/driving/rubbing with a diaper in our off-hours.

If, unlike us, you don’t retain a sentimental attachment to worthless old parts but like the idea, take a trip to your local junkyard with a small ratchet/screwdriver set and spend an enjoyable hour or two browsing. Be creative, it doesn’t necessarily take an interesting car to yield interesting parts—it certainly helps, though. Further fun can be had on eBay or craigslist, so go have a look, and let us know in the comments below what you find and how you use it.

Pictured below: Jaguar V12 connecting rods, 911 camshaft, Lancia Scorpion rear taillight panel, 911 piston and cylinder, Mini 10-inch wheel, Wankel rotor and an interesting vintage gear shift knob.