What Are These Pointed Tools Used For?

[tzins]

Does anyone know what these tools were used for? The board they are mounted in is labeled with various years and makes of cars in the 50's and 60's. Each tool tapers to a very sharp point. I couldn't find anything on the internet using the company name or product line name. Someone went to the trouble of taping a number on each item so that it could be replaced in the correct location on the board.
Any help would be appreciated.

[skipskip]

lock picking?

[rusty]

Concur, for opening locked doors.

[tzins]

I respect your opinion and appreciate getting your responce to my inquiry. However, please consider this additional information. The lock mechanism on a car is about 1 inch long. These tools are about 6 inches long with lots of kinks and bends over their entire length. Why all the unnecessary bends? These tools are extremely sharp, like a fish hook. Why would that be needed for picking a lock? Based on the labels, each tool only works on a certain make of car for one or two years. Are car locks really that unique?
Someone else told me these might be o-ring picks, used possibly for automatic transmission work. What do you think? As I understand it, if there's an o-ring that is very inaccessible and you can't reach it by hand, you stab the o-ring with a long pick to remove it. I have some questions about this theory: If you have to stab the o-ring to remove it, how do you install the new one? Did car companies redesign transmissions every year or two? How did the taped-on labels, added to these particular tools, stay in place if they were exposed to transmission fluid?
Any comments?   

[scottg]

I am suspecting door hinge lineup tools.
 All doors are different and many of them have exceedingly small access to get in there and bolt on anything!
 just a guess
 yours Scott

[rusty]

>The lock mechanism on a car is about 1 inch long

Not for the lock, for reaching through the window into the door panel to trip the lock levers from inside the door, or through the window rubber to reach the handle on the door. The pointed end is so you can get it through the rubber/glass joint at the top of the window, or edge of the vent...

old fashoned slimjim

[scottg]

for reaching through the window into the door panel to trip the lock levers

 I could believe this, but I sure hope they are faster than the standard slim Jim!!

 I bought a large kit of those. Slim Jims in all shapes and sizes.
 Well I was over at the garage, and we were locked out of a car.
  First I tried and got nowhere in a couple minutes. So Al took over and did no better in 5 minutes.
 Then he threw up his hands and walked away.  But I went back in for 5 or 10 more minutes and popped the latch. 
 
 I think that seen on TV,  3 seconds and done,  is only for cars you pop the latch on all the time.
It takes a little longer than that, the first time through. ;)
 yours Scott 

[1930]

Pointed ends would tear up the rubbers

[1930]

I can get into alot of older cars pretty quick with my Jim but nowadays they are placing plastic or metal guards on the inside of the door latches so that the slim jims wont do it.

[1930]

Found the answer, ebay item # 250931119758   speedometer setting tools
I have ZERO idea what I would ever use them for but I just had to know the answer for some reason, if you decide you would like to sell the set and I can afford them than I would like to have them.

[Papaw]

Way to go, 1930!!
Good sleuthing there.

[tzins]

Here's a huge thank you to 1930. I don't know how you did it, but I really appreciate your efforts in identifying these tools. I don't think I would have ever resolved this without your help. Thanks again and please keep up the good work.

[1930]

I had very little to do with it, I made a post on the AACA asking for identification and I posted your pictures, a fellow there codename 34 Dodger answered with the correct information.

[john k]

I have never seen tools for this before, where I started working, an older fellow had a set made of bent wire, done by himself.  These were for re-setting the odometer on used cars.  yes, rolling back the numbers, to make that used 100,000 mile car a little sweeter to sell.  In the 60s, a Cadillac dealer completely detailed each used Caddy, made her shine, then rolled back the odometer to 29,000 miles.  So every used Caddy on the lot had less than 30,000 on it.  Oh, the feds made this all illegal in the early 70s, hefty fines, I know one man that got a brand new pickup from his dealer, when he found out the odometer wasn't right!  Had to love the old days, John

[Lump]

Love this thread!
When I was a teenager pumping gas at a Shell station, the owner and his mechanic came back from an auto auction with a really clean-looking '63 Falcon convertibile. Bright red, black top, nice. We young guys helped to rub it out and wax it and did some detailing...then the ower and mechanic sent us out of the shop area, and told us to go clean the lot for a while. Later they put the car out on the lot with a FOR SALE sign in the window. Before too long someone came in and inquired, and while the owner was telling a tall tale about knowing the whole history of this low-mileage car, the prospective buyer looked under the hood and saw many, many oil-change stickers with recommended mileage written on them for the NEXT oil change. MOST of the stickers were for mileage WAY above what the odometer showed. The owner was shocked and embarrassed, and quickly decided he had changed his mind, and no longer wanted to sell the car. HAHAHAHA