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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Niceville Florida
Posts: 274
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Useful Harbor Freight bargains
About once a month I end up traveling to the neighboring town for one reason or another and I always take the time to browse the local Chinese, Pakistan, India and Taiwan hardware store... aka Harbor Freight. This trip was to check out the local VW Rare Air Car Show with my son. Lots of nice VWs...also lotsa not-so-nice VWs but what the heck, the weather was awesome and the price of admission ($0.00) was right!
Anyhow, found the two following bargains that others might find useful. The first is a Radiator Fin Straightener useful for straightening those bent a/c condensor fins you might have acquired over time. I purchased the same thing from my local CarQuest store about 3 months ago for $22.00 but I needed it so I paid the price. I was surprised to find that Harbor Freight has the identical product on sale for $2.49 Part # is 37892-2VGA. Ouch! Gotta talk to my CarQuest buddy about that one!  The second bargain was a pair of Arbor/Shop press plates used for the working surface on a shop press. These are basically raw chunks of flat steel. These boys are 9" x 9" x 1.25", weigh 24 lbs a piece...useful for all kinds of things and beats hammering on your concrete garage floor. This model (ITEM 6834-2VGA) went with a now discontinued arbor press. My local store was selling these for $10.00 a pair and I could have bought 20 pair if I had a use for them. At 21 cents a pound I couldn't resist buying one set! 
Last edited by Motorhead-45; 10-08-2006 at 05:27 AM.. |
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10-07-2006, 04:37 PM
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local Chinese, Pakistan, India and Tiawan hardware store... aka Harbor Freight.
Taiwan not Tiawan Also what does this have to do with anything PORSCHE? This should have been in OT. |
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10-07-2006, 04:47 PM
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John Original owner '81 911SC blackmetallic coupe. Terbatrol, SSI, M+K Gen 4, SC+ cams, A/C delete, console delete, heater backdate, 7 & 8 x 16 Fuchs with polished rims, Turbo tie rods, tensioner update, Rennline engine mount bar, Mainely Custom sump plate, new top-end, corner balance. |
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10-07-2006, 05:12 PM
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Location: Niceville Florida
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I hesitated before posting this...guess I anticipated shots from the peanut gallery but posted anyhow in good faith that this would be useful to some of you out there. The attitude serves no useful purpose there "ruf-porsche". I, like many others, spend quite a bit of money on this hobby. When I find a useful bargain I try to pass it on so that others can take advantage. Let me help you there sir, the fin straightener is useful for either the front condensor, the rear condensor or the evaporator in a PORSCHE equipped with air conditioning. The solid steel surface can be used for hundreds of purposes when working on a PORSCHE.
Damn..gotta love the guys in the peanut gallery! |
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10-07-2006, 05:27 PM
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MAGA
Join Date: May 2004
Posts: 10,792
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Thanks for the tip on the press tooling bars, I will have to stop at the local HF and pick up a set. I love HF for tools I rarely have a need for (Huge wrenches, throwaway "pry bar" screwdrivers etc etc). I have MAC, Snapon, SK and Craftsman stuff filling many of my toolboxes, but I still buy oddball stuff from HF.
I made a real nice 911 cam nut tool from the cut off box end of HF monster wrench and a cheap socket that I welded to it.
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German autos: '79 911 SC, '87 951, '03 330i, '08 Cayenne, '13 Cayenne 0% Liberal Men do not quit playing because they get old.... They get old because they quit playing. |
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10-07-2006, 05:40 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: SF Bay Area, CA
Posts: 1,861
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I buy stuff at HF all the time. I think a tool topic is totally relevant in this forum.
I just bought a 1000lb. engine stand for $39 for a Type IV rebuild. The same stand was over $50 from all the usual mail order places. |
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10-07-2006, 05:59 PM
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If it flows, it goes. If its smooth, it moves. Any questions? 96 993 C2 (Current) 87 911 Factory Turbo-Look Cab (Sold) 85 911 Factory Turbo-Look Targa (Gone) |
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10-07-2006, 06:06 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: St Petersburg, FL
Posts: 506
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I bought a mini milling machine from tham and plan to buy a vertical/ horizantal metal cutting bandsaw soon.
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1985 M491 Carrera Slate Blue Metallic(fun car) 2001 BMW 325i (basic tranportation) http://jmforge.com |
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10-07-2006, 06:09 PM
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Location: Nor-Cal
Posts: 4,403
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I purchased a set of fine tooth ratchets from them a few years ago for like $20, and they work better than the fine tooth version I purchased from Sears prior. Of course if I was turning wrenches for a living I'm sure they would be shot by now. But for a hobby mechanic like myself they work great.
I'm gonna have to pick up a set of those press-plates. |
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10-07-2006, 06:19 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,325
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HF has great stuff for the hobbist who will use stuff for 1 or 2 projects or occasional use. We dont need commercial quality all the time.
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10-07-2006, 06:20 PM
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Back in the saddle again
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Central TX west of Houston
Posts: 56,341
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Great thread! It sucks that the only HF in Houston is on the opposite side of town. I'll have to get over there someday.
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Steve '08 Boxster RS60 Spyder #0099/1960 - never named a car before, but this is Charlotte. '88 targa  SOLD 2004 - gone but not forgotten
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10-07-2006, 06:39 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 1,794
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Without a doubt, Harbor Freight has helped me lower my vehicle maintenance expenses.
I bought that exact fin straightener that Motohead mentions from Harbor Freight and used it last spring when I was sorting my A/C system. It works great. I also had to buy some additional big honking wrenches for the evaporator plumbing so I could remove the unit and clean it. One of the other bargains I've gotten from Harbor Freight was the $2.99 set of thumbwheel ratchets. Yep, the finish and the knurling isn't that great, but I use these silly things all the time! Funny this thread came up because I'm planning on heading over to my local store tomorrow. I'll look for those press bars. Great tip on the cam nut tool, Tim. Brian |
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10-07-2006, 07:27 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: SE PA
Posts: 3,188
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Gotta love those $1 screwdrivers. How many drives to Sears for new Craftsman ones before that breaks even? Of course, since the HF screwdrivers last just as long, the math goes straight out the window...
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10-07-2006, 07:50 PM
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Location: Long Beach CA, the sewer by the sea.
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Quote:
As a home mechanic who disdains working on my Chevy PU, or anything else 'Merican, I do all I can on PORSCHES. HF gets me casual tools that I otherwise would not own. I have pointed out before that a LOT of the tools for sale in any kind of store come from the same countries. If you're gonna spend money on imported goods, spend as little as possible, is my theory. Same amount of money goes offshore whether you give it to HF, or spend twice as much somewhere else when they are selling basically the same tool. |
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10-07-2006, 07:56 PM
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Diss Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: SC - (Aiken in the 'other' SC)
Posts: 5,022
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They have a good selection of air hoses and fittings for the plumbing for my air compressor.
Good cheap tools when you are using them for beating on. Disposable nitrile/latex gloves. And (god forbid) Freeway Blaster horns to drastically increase the volume of the horn for about $10.
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- "Speed kills! How fast do you want to go?" - anon. - "If More is better then Too Much is just right!!!" - Mad Mac Durgeloh -- Wayne - 87 Carrera coupe -> The pooch. |
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10-07-2006, 08:03 PM
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And thanks Motorhead, I've been in need of one of those tools to straighten out the A/C fins on my 911SC.
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Ray H. 1979 911SC Coupe 2000 986 |
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10-07-2006, 08:24 PM
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Recreational User
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Seattle, WA
Posts: 888
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I love Harbor Freight ViceGrips... 3 for $9.95!
  -(ViceGrips not ViseGrips...)
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10-07-2006, 08:57 PM
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Location: Nor-Cal
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Quote:
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10-07-2006, 09:01 PM
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Great thread, on sale now until next week is a 20 gallon parts washer. I picked it up and could not be happier, the pump is quiet and powerfull. Not much to a parts washer of course, but it's a great tool to have around.
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2021 Model Y 2005 Cayenne Turbo 2012 Panamera 4S 1980 911 SC 1999 996 Cab |
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10-07-2006, 09:59 PM
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Location: So. Cal.
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Hey, I bought one of those radiator/condensor fin straighteners from Eastwood. Exact same thing, but I got a better deal at $10 plus shipping.
Sheesh.
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Marv Evans '69 911E |
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10-07-2006, 10:36 PM
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1981 Porsche 911SC
1987 Porsche 911 3.2
1979 Porsche 911SC coupe
2000 Porsche 986 Boxster
1985.5 Porsche 944 2.5L Supercharged 
911 SC
Panamera
