Here we go again! New Years Game 2017 anyone?

My GRM Box O Awesome arrived today!

This also served to me a remonder to get off my duff here on a cold day and get my box put together.  I got the box from the post office just Weds.  I'll have it out tomorrow, Sat.  

GRM Stickers and shop towels.  I think these stickers are "vintage" because the current ones say "hardcore".   

3 spectacular hot wheels!

Not just zip ties but metal zip ties!

2 seat belt fasteners and some actually very nice tools.  Shot glass/mug of 49ers.  Im not sure on the yellow wheel but it seems to be an electric motor and axle 

2 very nice AeroCatch closures.  How timely.  I was just considering some of these for a yet to be announced project.  A battery tie down and would you believe I just bought on like it 6 months ago.  This too may go on the same project as the AeroCatches.  

2 nice bump stops with part number.  Yet to research.  

Also the gift of Oil psi and Boost!   4 spark plugs that look to be new.  

I have not yet figured out who to thank for all this bounty but I will.  

Ashyukun, I should add that the box I sent you hadn't been used for the New Years game before. In other words, don't feel that you have to preserve it. It had taken a trip through the USPS system before, but nothing related to this. 

thatsnowinnebago said:

Apparently USPS didn't take kindly to my box o' fun. However there were some enticing rattles when I carried it inside... I'll open it up after work and share my haul. 

I usually wrap tape around the equator of the box as well.  Not sure why I didn't do that this time.  And there were some rattles when I packed it, so I hope everything stayed in.  

In reply to thatsnowinnebago :

That's some fairly expensive stuff right there. Much, much more expensive per gallon than gasoline. You can use it to encourage skunks to leave your property. Glue a cotton ball to a golf tee and add a few drops. Skunks will depart post haste, though you may have coyotes snooping about the following morning.

In reply to John Welsh :

:Raises Hand:

I thought that given your propensity for auction cars and actually getting projects to the challenge, you might be more inclined to use some of that stuff than I am. The Aerocatches and stickers came from the extremely generous box-o-good-stuff that AngryCorvair sent me last year. I was very excited to install them on something, but I don't want to cut up my Miata and my current circumstances don't allow for another project. At one point, I needed like 5 of those metal zip ties and it was cheaper to buy 100 - so I've been doling them out. The wheels and electric motor were given to me by a former coworker for one harebrained project or another that never panned out. I don't remember what the bumpstops or battery tie down are from, but they're your problem now! The spark plugs were purchased for my Focus ST, but then I sold it before I got around to installing them.

As for tools - I couldn't find a spare 10mm, so I sent you a 9 and 11. Just average the 2 and you'll be good. Enjoy!

I'd like to know who sent my box as well - I have a guess, but I'm not sure if they're a participant or not.

David S. Wallens said:

My unboxing video, now on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/zQnFtN4903s?rel=0&showinfo=0

 

Hey, I can see it!

In reply to cmcgregor :

Thanks for the thoughtfulness that went into the gifts!

The California address threw me a bit but now that you raised your hand I seem to remember that you just arrived out there.

The box sent to me came some time ago and I apologize for taking so long to post this.  I forgot to snap a pic of the closed box but here we go:

My favorite is the Canoe parking only plaque, excellent.  Hopefully when I put the Michigan plate in my Ohio garage nothing bad happens.  After playing Dirt with my son it was interesting to see a real set of pace notes.

Gloves, stickers, a Sharpie and nice taste in Hot Wheels.  The vacuum tube is cool, I have never seen one up close before.

Stuff for my "after the holidays" diet.  The worms were excellent by the way.

Next we have a coil, a fidjet spinner (which my children have taken), a bag of some kind of clips and a plate off of something.

Next we have what looks like an ABS pump, something out of a transmission I think, covers for positive and negative terminals on something and I have no idea what the last thing is.

Thank you for the stuff, it is always cool to see what is in the box.

I finally got my box in the mail today.

Box arrived tonight! Feels pretty full.  I'm going to have to wait till Sunday Evening to unbox probably. Thanks in advance, Mezzanine!

To Aaron_King: Coherent is a high end academic and industrial laser manufacturer. I can’t tell what that part is but it is seriously geeky-cool. 

In reply to Aaron_King :

I'm glad there was something in there you liked.

Glueguy is right, the Coherent thing is a "frikking laser" (Dr. Evil reference).  IIRC it is 4 or 5 milliwatts.  Make a laser car alignment system?  I can't remember what I had planned for it, obviously I never did anything with it.  I don't recall what the vacuum tube was used for- either a radar or a communication system- there are too many in my garage to keep track of.

I haven't made anything out of the clips yet- maybe tool holders?

The ABS pump is for a C900 Saab, the transmission bits are all from ribcase Spridget boxes.  The one cover should say MOWOG on it.

The coil is for a 50's Chevy, 55 or 57 I think.

I made the sign at my local maker space.

Sorry it wasn't more exciting!

This photo serves as proof positive that my box went out today...

In reply to paranoid_android :

Not more exciting?  Sorry if it came across that way, the box was great.  Now to think up something for the laser  

I was tempted to send the sign along next year but I may have to keep it now  

In reply to Woody :

I was trying to come up with something funny to say about my location and the unlikeliness of having those issues, but I think some neighbors have actually claimed to see coyotes...

In any case, as the carpet ably demonstrates, we have some domesticated animals who also would probably react oddly as well. No idea whether a 35 lb lab/shar-pei/mutt considers foxes prey or predator. Given that ours thinks King Charles spaniels are predators, I could harbor a guess...

finally got to sit down with my box and get my hands dirty.  i have an inkling to who it might be, whoever it is knows me too well based on the magazines with the Caprice and Lumina Z34 on them and the book.

a card made from banana bark, a single glove, 1 new/1 used spark plug, a block of wood, a grab handle, top of a driveway reflector, some toggle bolts and gate latches, a skeleton keychain, a couple feet of nicopp brake line, and some audi rings

some used looking speaker wire, part of a storm door spring chain, mantles for a coleman lamp, some plastic clip things, some zip ties, a knockoff for a 4 lug something, instructions for HF recip saw and a shop vac, intake boot clamp and a socket with bulb.

couple indiana license plates, a couple junky screwdrivers, craftsman wrench, pipe plugs, nipple, barb fitting, inflating needle for balls, paint can opener, used HF cutoff wheel

St Francis prayer card, saturn emblem, assortment of mostly unbroken t handle allen wrenches, a 3/8 wrench with socket end, some sort of bit with a bunch of splines on it.  I gave all the good allens to my son, who got his first toolbox for christmas.

4 magazines from 1991.  Sender is familiar with my vehicular history or just made some lucky guesses, but i had a Z34 when i joined in 2005 that was to be a challenge car but found bad structural crash damage when dismantling for 5 speed swap.  most everyone knows my history with B bodies.

Then this showed up separately from the rest yesterday in an amazon envelope.  

with the following note

There was other stuff in the box, and I'll post it up in a bit, but this HAD to be applied immediately.

I'm blown away. Can you win Christmas? I think I won Christmas.

mazdeuce - Seth said:

There was other stuff in the box, and I'll post it up in a bit, but this HAD to be applied immediately.

I'm blown away. Can you win Christmas? I think I won Christmas.

I'm not sure what the wheels in the background belong to, but I think you are winning at "stance" too.

Well, I got around to opening my most excellent box from Angry Corvair today. I had planned on doing so yesterday but doggie diarrhea and a friend's birthday were deemed more important. C'est la vie. Anyway, on to the good stuff!

Opening the box with my Christmas gift.

The oil spot seems rather appropriate for this crowd.

I told the girlfriend that I hope my car is date bait. She wasn't impressed. Getting a 1960 Motor Trend is very cool either way. 

I'm hoping you saw my age and knew this tape was made juuuust before I was born. Totally rad artwork. 

Well packaged safety glasses that I will definently be using. 

Super dope R5 Turbo Hot Wheels.

Well packaged Discman. Much nicer than any I ever owned. 

Thoughtful note.

A record cleaner! I wasn't quite sure what this was at first. I guess I'm probably a bad Portlander for that. The girlfriend was pretty amused when I translated the note.

I discovered the source of the intriguing rattles. Three SBC studs, with lock washers! And 3 of out 16 machine screws, and 2 out of 16 matching nuts.  

2003 Mazda 6 V6 coil! And an oil filter for (probably) a 2010 Odyssey!

Mystery tool!

The whole haul (and one very good boy)! Things not specifially called out: Zip ties, hex keys, an HDMI cable, owners manual for a 1996 200sx, epoxy, a fuel pressure tester, a halogen map light,  bubble level, 1/8" drill bits (nice, I always break them), mini pick set, adorable can of penetrating oil, scissors, bicycle inner tube, radiator stop leak.

Also, big thanks to Angry Corvair for the box and to Hungary Bill for setting this up! 

In reply to thatsnowinnebago :

That mystery tool looks suspiciously like a GM steering column hub remover (or something like that).

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

That is freaking amazing!

In reply to Aaron_King :

You didn’t come across that way.  I just didn’t do as good a job of of setting stuff aside as I thought I did 

I can make more signs too!

First thing this morning I had this box out by the gate. I was excited. 

I popped it open and found some broken packing foam (I appreciate thorough packing) and a rolled up....something. 

Which was this wonderful amazing thing. I didn't even realize it was gold until I put it on the R63. Again, amaing. 

Pulled out the first layer. So much stuff. Watch books, one armed Darth Vader, new sunglassess, bottle opener that doubles as a bludgeoning tool, charger for my Hong Dong, and a brand new LS400 owners manual.

That is the last picture my camera will ever take. I was all excited, and not as careful as I should have been, and now it takes pictures like this. I took it apart three times to see if maybe I just knocked a ribbon connector loose. Nope I killed. it. Oh well, onto the cell phone and more pictures!

The next layer down was this. Lug nuts, towel hanger, bunch of wrenches (he even sent the 10mm, my man) baggie of miscelaneous stuff, and a legit flashlight that I just blinded Deucekid#1 with. He's all grumpy about not being able to see. 

And the final layer. More Vinyl. You have to look at it carefully to appreciate the genius of all of it. The unicorn-bird had to go on the R63 right away, but the rest of it, I need to find careful wonderful places for it. I cut vinyl for fun, but this is way way way beyond my abilities from both a design and cutting standpoint. It's like I've been putting crayon drawings on the fridge and Michelangelo just sent me a couple paintings. 

No name on the box. None that I can figure out anyway though it's been a long day so I might be missing something. Mrs. Deuce has done some sleuthing and thinks there should have been some Duct Tape and/or Bondo in the box.......maybe? 

To whoever it was, thank you. Amazing package. So much fun. I need to step my game WAY up for next year and add some personalization to the mix. 

In reply to thatsnowinnebago :

RATT and Twisted Sister were in heavy rotation for me shortly before you were born.  

Also, ball-end hex keys are magical.  Not as magical as a Fire-Unicorn, but not too far behind.  Every toolbox should have them.  And a dedicated pair of scissors.  ;-)

Enjoy!

PC

ps it took me longer than it should have to figure out the "one very good boy" comment, but I finally got it.  Dogs rule.

Let's unpack this box.

I find a note on top indicating that inside I will find two bottles of homebrew cider. One an aged (since July) semi-sweet cider and the other a hopped cider.

Past the note I'm not seeing much other than many holiday themed towels and something that looks like a car part. I am starting to smell cider though, which isn't a good thing.

It seems that the hopped cider did not transit well. Thankfully it was surrounded by those many towels which soaked up what little liquid leaked out of the plastic bag. I'm sad that a cider was lost in transit. But happy that it wasn't the aged cider, as that was the one I was most interested in drinking. Speaking of that bottle:

It was cleverly packed inside of an old K&N air filter (and the towels, of course).

The rest of the loot included:

• Mass air flow sensor made by Denso (Miata maybe?)
• OBDII code reader
• Very nice Kershaw knife
• Sticker sheet with a sad sun
• Sunglasses with sleeve and cleaning wipe
• Tactical spork
• Key ring
• and two large nuts tied together

Very nice package. Thank you thatsnowinnebago! I look forward to enjoying that aged cider.

And to my recipient in Illinois, a half-hour drive from St. Louis: your box should arrive on Monday.