Author Topic: Auto Spec.  (Read 11094 times)

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Offline Branson

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Re: Auto Spec.
« Reply #15 on: July 04, 2011, 08:11:09 AM »
Branson if you could send that pict. to jhason2@yahoo.com it would be appreciated, thanks

I'll give it a shot, but the pic may need to be re-sized.

Offline Branson

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Re: Auto Spec.
« Reply #16 on: July 04, 2011, 08:30:49 AM »
I got the email with the pic off to jhason2@yahoo.com without a hitch.

Offline mrchuck

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Re: Auto Spec.
« Reply #17 on: July 05, 2011, 09:33:00 AM »
I visited their manufacturing plant in St Joseph, MI. in the early 60's.
Flew in on a military C 47. They wanted to help build the first "fixed" machine guns for our slick Huey Helicopters.
I took back several prototypes to my  MACV-SOG Hamlet protection base in Laos.  They seized up under constant spray fire. Their hydraulic jacks were world class though.
Molon Labe

Offline 1930

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Re: Auto Spec.
« Reply #18 on: July 05, 2011, 04:26:02 PM »
Thanks chuck, maybe you can answer my question of did they have a sideline for hand tools at this plant. Thanks
seized up under constant spray must have been a pisser for them
Always looking for what interests me, anything early Dodge Brothers/Graham Brothers trucks ( pre 1932 or so ) and slant six / Super six parts.

Offline rusty

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Re: Auto Spec.
« Reply #19 on: July 05, 2011, 05:56:11 PM »

>seized up under constant spray

That was probably the least evil thing it could do. There was a reason the early machine guns were water cooled. The early designs had awfull problems with heat, if the bolt didn't expand so much as to jam in the barrel, the barrel might expand so much as to allow the shell casing to travel doiwn the barrel and get stuck (bad) , the ejectors would jam (bad), the recoil machinery would get sloppy and do weird things(bad), one prototype wouldn't stop firing after it got hot (really really bad). And if you were really unlucky, the bullets would self fire from the heat before being fully chambered....(pure evil)
Just a weathered light rust/WD40 mix patina.

Offline Branson

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Re: Auto Spec.
« Reply #20 on: July 05, 2011, 06:32:25 PM »
I visited their manufacturing plant in St Joseph, MI. in the early 60's.

Auto Spec had a plant in St Joe? 

Offline 1930

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Re: Auto Spec.
« Reply #21 on: July 05, 2011, 07:02:01 PM »
That is what is cast into the early jacks Branson
Always looking for what interests me, anything early Dodge Brothers/Graham Brothers trucks ( pre 1932 or so ) and slant six / Super six parts.

Offline mrchuck

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Re: Auto Spec.
« Reply #22 on: July 07, 2011, 07:22:41 PM »
Auto Spec made no hand tools that I saw. Maybe they shipped a tool with their big auto floor jacks, or auto tool kits.
All the time I was in St. Joseph, MI, the big thing going on was that Martin Luther King was visiting a huge plant, next door,, that made washing machines.
He had toured the plant and complained to the manufacturer that all the machines were white. The plant manager said yes, that was true, but if you opened the top door and looked inside, you would see that all the agitators were black.
A true happening there, and Auto Specialties Mfg., next door, was laughing it up.
Yes, times have changed.
St Joseph, MI. is directly East, across Lake Michigan, from Chicago, IL.
Molon Labe

Offline 1930

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Re: Auto Spec.
« Reply #23 on: July 07, 2011, 07:33:11 PM »
Thanks Chuck, what do you mean though by auto toolkits, can you clarify.
I found this story ( All the time I was in St. Joseph, MI, the big thing going on was that Martin Luther King was visiting a huge plant, next door,, that made washing machines.
He had toured the plant and complained to the manufacturer that all the machines were white. The plant manager said yes, that was true, but if you opened the top door and looked inside, you would see that all the agitators were black. )
very amusing and will use it often. To be honest I am still laughing only because ....well never mind, but thanks for that!
Always looking for what interests me, anything early Dodge Brothers/Graham Brothers trucks ( pre 1932 or so ) and slant six / Super six parts.

Offline Papaw

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Re: Auto Spec.
« Reply #24 on: July 07, 2011, 07:40:28 PM »
A little political, but if it goes no further, OK.
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Jack Urcarup

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Re: Auto Spec.
« Reply #25 on: July 15, 2012, 07:01:43 PM »
Ausco is still in business in Benton Harbor Mi (across the river from St Joseph).  They make brakes for off-highway vehicles and industry.  They sold off the jack business in 1988 to US Jack, also still in Benton Harbor.

I can't confirm the story about the washing machine company but that company would be Whirlpool which is still headquarted here.

Offline johnsironsanctuary

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Re: Auto Spec.
« Reply #26 on: July 16, 2012, 09:46:47 AM »
Ausco was a competitor of mine in the eighties and nineties. A friend of mine, who was an engineer at Hayes Brake went to work for them when our parent company bought them out. They were really big in OEM jacks for auto tool kits. Back in the teens and 20's, they made a rim spreader for jacking apart split rims. It is a kind of a three legged tool with a threaded screw in one leg that is operated by a hand crank. Where I ran into them was a multi disc brake and ball ramp actuator that they sold for ag tractors, mining and construction equipment.
I sent him an email asking for a brief history of the company. I'll post it when I get it.
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Offline crankshaftdan II

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Re: Auto Spec.
« Reply #27 on: August 04, 2015, 11:39:52 AM »
Just a new refreshing of the St. Joseph, mich. thread as I found this DOE wrench @ local swap meet.  The openings are different sizes if you flip the wrench as in a tapered wrench opening.   Could this have been used for shock absorbers or was this a specialized wrench for some of their other tool kit/mfg. items???  No identifyable numbers stamped or cast anywhere and the old black paint still clinging to the beam-maybe dates this wrench???  m m Cranky
E-mail address  dhdslimbow@yahoo.com
Looking for USA made ratchets-all sizes-drives and lengths  also S-K SuperKrome wrenches ditto.  Like to trade vs buy run it past me-nothing is cut in stone!

Offline lauver

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Re: Auto Spec.
« Reply #28 on: August 04, 2015, 03:00:49 PM »
gang,

I've got a large (8-9") Auto Spec. slip joint plier, and have seen many of these same pliers for sale at the local dirt market.

That said, I never seen any other type of tool with the Auto Spec. stamping on it.
« Last Edit: August 04, 2015, 03:06:57 PM by lauver »
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Offline mrchuck

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Re: Auto Spec.
« Reply #29 on: August 17, 2015, 06:44:49 PM »
Auto Specialty made jacks as I had one back in the 1960's.
They were right next to the Whirlpool assembly plant.
Molon Labe