September 2023 - 50

BIG TIME BOXES
The 20-year
search
After searching 20 years for
a matching Snap-on special
edition Metal Haven box, this
technician finally found it on
Facebook Marketplace.
By Kayla Nadler, Associate Editor
S
panning a total length of
16' 4 " , technician and
shop owner of Outlaw
Automotive in Abilene, Texas,
John Lenamon says his toolbox
setup is now complete.
" It's an older setup, " Lenamon says. " It
has taken me about 20 years to get here. "
But it has taken that long for good reason.
Lenamon didn't want just any box to
complete his setup. He wanted a matching
Snap-on special edition Metal Haven box.
Back in 1999, his Snap-on dealer -
who was also a good friend - attended
a tool show and came across the special
edition Metal Haven box that he instantly
knew Lenamon would want.
" He didn't even ask, " Lenamon says.
" He just ordered it because he knew I would
buy it when I saw it, and he was right. "
However, within just a few short years,
he knew he was going to need another one.
And that's when the search began.
THE NEED TO EXPAND
It quickly became evident the search was
going to take longer than he expected.
" The boxes are really, really rare and
hard to find, " he says. " And very expensive
when you do find one. "
So, Lenamon decided to purchase
John Lenamon
Shop: Outlaw Automotive
Location: Abilene, TX
other boxes in the meantime. He first
started with an end locker. And when he
needed more space, he bought another
end locker. After that, he bought four
smaller boxes (two sets of top and bottom
boxes with drawers).
Although the additional boxes weren't
Metal Haven, it was still important to
Lenamon for all the boxes to match in
color - black with silver trim.
FOUND AT LAST
Lenamon never stopped searching for his
matching box. He even had it set up on
eBay that if anything new got posted with
'Snap-on Metal Haven' in the name that
it would notify him.
Then a year ago, he opened Facebook
Marketplace and there it was. The owner
of the box was retiring and didn't have
room for it at his house.
" It was about 100 miles away and boy,
I jumped all over it, " he says.
Previously, it bothered Lenamon
that the trim on the additional boxes he
50 PTEN SEPTEMBER 2023 www.VehicleServicePros.com
Lenamon's setup may have taken 20 years to
complete but it was well worth the wait.
Photo courtesy of John Lenamon
bought are shiny whereas the trim on the
special edition box is satin, but " it's okay
now " seeing that his setup is symmetrical.
WHAT'S INSIDE
Having been a technician for over 30
years, Lenamon has his tools organized
exactly how he likes.
Each type of tool is dedicated to a specific
drawer(s). Tools that don't fit within
a drawer can be found on the top or in one
of the end lockers.
The left locker is a docker locker, which
has a roll cart built into it that pulls in and
out. It also houses most of his rechargeable
tools such as cordless drills and
impacts. The right locker is more a traditional
locker with shelves on top and
drawers at the bottom for his programming
tools and laptop.
His newest box is home to his specialty
tools, including Ford's different timing
tools, engine kits, and " crazy tools you
got to have nowadays. "
When asked if he plans on adding to
it yet, his response was, " Nope, I think
I'm done. "
Want to show off YOUR Big-Time
Box? For more information, email
Editor@VehicleServicePros.com.
http://www.VehicleServicePros.com
September 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2023
