Gear: Vintage Diagnostics Machines Highlight Your Garage

Vintage Diagnostics Machines Highlight Your Garage

By Petrolicious
June 13, 2013

Hunting and collecting vintage garage gear can be nearly as fun as driving cars of the same era, and nothing complements a fine old driving machine like a few well-chosen vintage accessories—particularly a classic diagnostics machine.

Engine analyzers, distributor testers, oscilloscopes, and other diagnostic equipment of the time were fine pieces of engineering and craftsmanship in their own right, built on heavy, all-steel chassis and with glass-fronted gauges, etched lettering, and great graphics and colors galore. If you’ve got a few spare square feet and don’t have any philosophical qualms with harboring a tool that will most likely never earn its keep, there’s no cooler way of highlighting your parked classic.

See the eBay listings for the machines pictures below (clockwise from top left): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

Join the Conversation
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Luc Bonachera
Luc Bonachera
11 years ago

Those are nice! In my garage, I have the dashboard of an old boiling system that I salvaged a couple of years ago, with old-school needles and huge knobs and buttons. It’s completely useless, but I loved the James-Bond’s-archnemesis-evil-lair look about it!

Stephan Protzen
Stephan Protzen
11 years ago

I recently needed a new tach/dwell unit and found I could get a used vintage Snapon for the same price as new cheapo plastic one. After cleaning off layers of nicotine tar I tested its accuracy against another unit and it works perfectly. As you say its well made and looks cool in my garage.

Petrolicious Newsletter