As a person who is known for old automobiles in his social circles, I get asked a lot of questions about vintage automobiles and the environment. Most of the time the conversation evolves into how I should rid myself of these old smog producing dinosaurs and do something good for mother earth. This usually puts me on the defensive saying that I’m actually helping out by not buying new products and reusing items as much as possible. I also preach to them that people who own and work in vintage automobiles are the ultimate recyclers. We the vintage car owners as a whole are constantly recycling, whether it is scrounging used parts and a wrecking yard, or rebuilding a key item that isn’t sold off the shelf anymore. I feel that these small practices add up quickly when it comes to reducing your carbon foot print. Granted I do not have any empirical data to back up my theory, but I still strongly believe we are helping.
When I first moved to Seattle Washington I worked in a local chain tire shop while putting myself through college. Since I was a bigger guy I had the honor of changing commercial truck tires. Being tire shop in the industrial area of Seattle we saw a huge volume of 18 wheelers. For reference next time you see a 18 wheeler go buy look at the tires (they are rather large). While some of these tires are tubeless, the bulk of them are not and require a tube inside. For ten to twelve hours a day I would be changing these tubes out for new ones or repairing them with patches depending on the severity of damage. For the most part we would throw the used inner tubes in the dumpster never to be seen again. We would save some of the nicer ones to re-sell to people in the winter time for tubing in the snow. We had a contract with a rubber recycling company, but they focused on tires only and not inner tubes due to the fact that inner tubes were a negative return on investment due to not enough material to reuse once broken down. So most all the tubes being used are being thrown away and left to rot in our local dumps. I have looked up how long rubber items take to decompose and for the most part it will take longer than a human lifetime.
Being a vintage automotive aficionado I decided that there has to be a way to reuse these inner tubes. Not recycling them, but upcycling them into a useful product that other like minded individuals can use that involves automobiles and day to day life activities. I have listed below pictures of prototypes I’m currently working on.
Tool Rolls
An easy way to carry a tool box in your car with minimal space. Add the tools you want then roll it up and throw it under the seat or in the trunk. The beauty of using rubber is that it won’t scratch your paint and will keep your tools from rattling so you can enjoy the finer things while driving.
Prototypes of a tool roll shown unrolled using differet colors. These differ from the final product a little bit.
Here is the same tool roll rolled up ready to go.
Beer/Soda Cozy
Do you like to keep your beverage cold and your hand warm? We have created a indestructible beverage cozy out of rubber we have farmed from the inner tubes. The cool part is that it flattens nicely when not in use.
Automobile Fender Cover
A clever way to protect your pristine fenders when working on your engine. This is still in the prototype phase and will differ from the picture.
A prototype of a fender cover that will be built out of rubber.
Mens Wallet
For the man who has everything yet wants to be unique and help save the earth at the same time. Pictures pending.
iPad Cozy
A durable yet slim bag that will handle inclement weather and look good doing it. Pictures pending
Kindle Cozy
See iPad cozy
Key Fobs
Rubber key chain
Lunch bag
The most rugged lunch bag ever!!
I’m constantly working on ideas for other items I can build and will update this page when I have images to share.
