Thanks to Blaine for spotting a Craigslist ad for six unique tool posters. They are each almost 2ft square and made of a plasticized (?) paper. There is definitely a weight to them. I suspect, given two of the posters have a number (Transmission & Clutch 2) that there were additional types of posters.
The text of the ad explains them well, “Set of six 1970’s vintage Jeep Kent-Moore special tool dealership posters. The six posters include special tool diagrams with associated part numbers for the “Body”, “Transmission & Clutch 2”, “Brakes”, “Axle & Propeller Shaft 3”, “Transfer Case & Overdrive”, and “Steering & Suspension”. Each poster measures 23.5” x 23.5” and has 4 punched holes in each corner for hanging/display purposes. All posters are in very good condition with some very minor paint wear on a few of the diagrams. The posters were found in the basement of an old jeep dealership in Montana and believed to have never been used.”
I picked these up Saturday afternoon, knowing that the proceeds were going to help restore vintage Yellowstone Tour Cars, but more about that in a moment.
The sellers, David and Cheryl, were a delight to speak with and I felt like we became fast friends. They explained that David’s grandfather owned a garage on the Main Street of Red Lodge, Montana. After WWII, his grandfather started selling jeeps, which meant David spent his youth driving a CJ-2A, so he is pretty familiar with jeeps. In fact, David and Cheryl still own two Wagoneers, both of which came from the family dealership.
These days, the garage is no longer a garage; instead, it houses the Buses of Yellowstone Preservation Trust, Inc., a 501(c) nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring and preserving the history of the early Yellowstone tourist vehicles. If you are interested in making a donation to their efforts, you can do so here.
David and Cheryl are also restoring the garage and former gas station back to a 1930s feel. One item they are still seeking is an original or good quality reproduction of a large Mobilgas Pegasus sign/horse. If you have any signage like that, I know they’d be interested in discussing it with you.
Once we can travel again, we’ll be stopping by Red Lodge, as they’ve offered to give a us a tour of the old station.
In the meantime, here are some pics of the tool posters:
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