Vintage Shop Equipment
Meet the machines that kept generations of hot cars running at their peak.
by Tom Shaw
photos by Tom Shaw
4- The most popular vintage shop machine is the Sun distributor dyno. In production for decades, it comes in many different versions, but expert Bob Masters says, “There’s not a whole lot of difference between the oldest ones and the newest ones. There are differences but they are not enormous. The oldest ones - those requiring a 6-volt battery — will not adapt to electronic ignition, where those that came after will with an interface box. If you’re working on points and condenser, even the oldest one will do the job.” Prices on these range from a few hundred to a few thousand depending on condition and completeness. We recently saw a pristine distributor machine draw a winning bid of $3,550.55 on the online auction eBay (www.eBay.com). Others in more average condition, commonly close in the $400—800 range.
 5- Sun manufactured a large line of diagnostic machines, including this generator and voltage regulator tester. Safely testing a car’s components quickly was the key to profit for the automotive shop. |
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| 6- Fouled plugs are no problem for this AC plug cleaner. In the center, the dirty plug was screwed into a sandblasting chamber and cleaned. It was then tested for resistance and reinstalled on the engine if it tested good. |
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