The day after finding the wide file cabinet and old lockbox...

billjustbill

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After the 4-drawer wide file cabinet and the strongbox were found last weekend setting next to a dumpster, I went back Sunday. It's the end of the month and someone must clearing out and leaving their storage bay.

I found in the same "Lockbox" Treasure Dumpster, more interesting finds. Items, again, more of history and past lifetimes than of great worth....

First, setting against the back of the large metal container, I found two "new" old stock tires wrapped with clear, yellowed, crumbling and brittle wide cellophane tape with a aged paper I.D. ring of paper. Each unused tire had a unique look, the once very dressy WIDE whitewall and stamped "Firestone" tires. Are they worth anything? Needing a good brush-washing, the tires probably are too old to use, but should cleanup maybe for someone having an old wheel or wheel-size hubcaps for a "man cave" or garage sale....

Also, a late 1940's-1950's ham radio made from a large kit type.... an individual transmitter and a receiver unit that used vacuum tubes in their day.

The first pictures are of the auto window air conditioner from the 1950-60's. With some dusty surface rust, it appears to be in good enough condition to be filled with water and used. There is a cotton cord with a knot in the end that is still soft and flexible. It all works, by pulling it, a slight spring tension is felt as it originally rotated a wire drum cover with a "swamp cooler air conditioner straw pad". It gets wet in the water-filled tank. When the knotted cord is let go, a spring spins back the straw pad for a second dip....
 

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DBANDGB

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Jan 19, 2011
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The tires are cool. What size are they and do they have a date code on the inside. Like you said they are to old for use. The first thing you have are called a swamp cooler. They hung on the passenger side window, Some guys look for them as an antique.
 

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Rookster

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Nice finds and effort. :icon_thumright:
 

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Cool old finds, congratulations! :occasion14:
 

1637

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save those tire for some building a old show car and that cooler is worth some money.
cool finds brad
 

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billjustbill

billjustbill

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DBANDGB,

I believe the tires are 8.50 X 16, tube type. Where would I look for the Mfg. date?

Thanks,
Bill
 

bigcaddy64

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You might be surprised to find out that those tires might still be good to use for a Sunday driver or as an exposed spare tire. The big clue is the size. Find out which vehicles used that size of rim and go from there. Many of my mid 1960's Cadillacs still sport original white-walls that i drive around daily without issue. I don't go on the freeway so im not pushing them but i haven't had a problem yet. NOS vintage tires are very desirable to the right buyer.

1932 Fords used 16" rims so start looking there. I would guess that other manufacturers used similar sizes but the width will tell you if its for a car or truck. If you want to clean them, try some Black Magic "Bleche White" Its pretty nasty stuff but a few sprays of that will pretty much make any grime and dirt just vanish, leaving them white as snow.
 

A2coins

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I found some cool stuff this last weekend Ill post once I go through it all . Thanks to all your cool posts.
 

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