They were actually church keys and used for just about every other home or business. It's just that churches were probably the last to change their door locks for security purposes and so they're remembered as such. Also called skeleton keys.

It's just coincidence that they also worked to pry off bottle caps so conveniently.

 

Church keys were a metal tool with a bottle opener on one end and a pointed opener on the other. "Back in the day" beer came in bottles that required the top to be pried off and cans without any pop tops or other self openers that required opening by punching two triangular shaped holes in the top with the pointed end of the tool. They were an advertising givaway anywhere beer was sold, and any self repecting young man had a collection of them stashed so one was handy at any opportune moment. Since one was at hand all the time they also were pressed into service as paint can openers and emergency screwdrivers... "no officer I haven't been drinking, I had a few loose screws that needed tightening."

 

Heck, I always thought a church key was standard equipment. One or two in the glove box, one or two in your tool box, one down behind the seat, (if you had a car one or two in the trunk) occasionally one wedged into a spot under the hood along with a scrap of rag. Any self respecting car had a bare minimum of 3.

Bobby

 

I found a old leather belt. (One of the previous owners must have been thinner than me.)
Mouse nest in the glovebox, a old watch strap, a old dash plaque and interestingly enough my truck also has a switch under the dash. Not sure what it was for maybe it hauled shine, the truck came from N.C. Not sure what it could outrun with the original flat six and six volt it had way back when...
Jeff

 

The wire on the other end of my switch died before it made it to the brake switch, but that's where it was headed. My uncle (an old okie) said they'd use those switches to cut the brake lights so they could turn and such in the dark without the cops being able to see them slowing down.

Sounded like it would work to me.

 

The truck was my dad's years ago, I found lots of candy under the seat (his little secret), and I also found a old beehive behind the seat.

 

Very cool to have your dads old truck!

 

Fred came with the ND plates from 1974. Registrations from the 1st & 2nd owners. A church key, tractor spark plug & valve, original jack, parts from a combine. The tool tray had a lot of misc. farm equipment parts. Nails, scews, a pen from a savings & loan. 3 mouse nests (Heater, glove box & behind seat). But my favorite is a "Drive Safely" license plate that will be going back on...I got a small museum for the price of an old truck!

 

Actually, a "Church Key", refering to it's Triangular Shape, is a Pointy Ended Opener of Canned Drinks before the Pull Tab came around.
So if you were caught w/ a "Church Key" on you by the Leo's, they knew you were about to or had been boozing & releaved you of it.
They're also a "Multi" Purpass tool, as you could also open your Oil Can w/ them to put Oil in your truck & they had Auto Parts & Beer Averts stamped onto them.

 

While tearing down an F6 I found an old pair of 'vice grips' like pliers clamped onto a nut way up in the fender/wheel well. Guess the PO didn't notice he was one tool short after working on the truck.

 

I accually found some old bank payment cupons and papers for the truck. yes I kept them and they are giong in the album of the truck.

 

Not my truck, but when my dad was a kid, he won a used car, Model A, I think, in a church or some other kind of raffle. His folks sold the car, during the depression years. Years later, when he was first out of the service, he bought a car and under the seat was the years old newspaper clipping of him winning the car. He didn't remember if the car was the same one, or not, but was pretty sure it was, after seeing the clipping.

My truck didn't have nothin'!! In fact, carb and linkage, radiator and shroud, and whole bunches of stuff WEREN'T there!! At least no church keys, or rodents...



R

 

This year, I bought a 63' Futura Convertable that was restored 15 years ago, then covered up and stored for 11 years. All looked perfect except the gas was about as thick as varnish so after slowly draining for a full day, I removed it and put light in it to see what was rattling around and I found this: GI Joe and Barbie heads and legs, a set of keys, many rocks and polished stones, a 3/8" combo wrench, ball bearings, metal cabinet ***** and a lot of other junk. The PO had grandchilren and they played in the shed where the Falc was put away. He still can't believe what I pulled out. He even gave me the cost of the tank and sender back, like a rebate. What I can not understand is : with 10 gallons of old gas, why was the sender dry enough to turn to dust after I took it out??? Just weird.
Jon

 

In the last truck I bought I found the original owner's manual, which is very unusuall, but inside was the original 90 day warranty:





Tells you how much they thought of their vehicles.

 

Mice,Mice and more Mice!!