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Spanning 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 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 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.”
