CollectingSnapOn.com

I traded a stereo system for this 1971(last year for it) KRA-59A 9 drawer top chest and was wondering if anyone knew if the Chevy logos on this box came that was from the factory or whether a PO added them? i had a lady at a local flea market look at it and she's a member of some '57 Chevy club and she said something to the effect of it was a special anniversary box or something like that. Apparently the "Chevrolet" and the "BelAir" gold colored badging is from a '57, but she aid the Chevy logo in the lower left was too small to have come from the car.

If any of you know the real skinny on this box, I'd love to hear the story.

TIA

DM&FS

Not that I am aware of. The first commemorative and anniversary boxes that I've seen came out in 1970, first just a few of them, like the 50th gold boxes, then the bicentennial boxes in 1976, and then all sorts, beginning in about 1980. Tools and trinkets seem to have begun around the same time, though I've seen specialty items purported to have been original snap on production, that came earlier, like Rotary club and American legion screwdrivers, and though they have pre 1970 dates, they may have been customized after the fact, and were not produced by Snap on that way. Maybe someone else can offer better, I'm not the expert, but I would say that box has been customized by a Chevy fan, and not Snap on.

I totally agree that this box was customized by the person that owned it not by Snap-on tool box factory but still a nice find

Thanks folks. The lady may have been correct in that the goldish Belair and Chevrolet badges came from one specific trim package for the 57, but I can't even remember the model she quoted me. Also, I was thinking that the KRA(A standing for "anniversary") might be a clue, but I think otherwise now. Maybe Snap Mom will settle this once and for all!!

DM&FS

Snapy64 is much more of an expert on boxes than me. There is no way to know it all, so its good to have a cross section of collectors on this site.

a dealer could order extra trim pieces and logos for any tool box so that is most likely what happened with this KRA59, either the dealer customized it before he sold it or the customer ordered the trim and applied it himself. The A does not indicate anniversary the KRA series of toolboxes had that prefix for many years and on many models and the A after the part number would just be a change in manufacturing later models would be KRA59B, KRA59C etc.

Although this is a nice looking box, this is not a Snap-on Bel Air box. The trim on this on this box is available from a number of vendors. The Snap-on Bel Air box was introduced in 1997 for the 40th Anniversary of the '57 Chevy Bel Air. The were all turquoise and only available in the KRL (roller) series, not the KRA (non roller) boxes. I was a Dealer then and I know that if a replacement part was needed, the old/damaged part had to be sent to Snap-on to prevent enterprising individuals from counterfeiting special edition boxes.

Snappy Dan

What box are you referring to? The one by the original poster or the photos I posted?

Hi Ferret, not talking about the pic that you posted. Your picture is an actual Bel Air box. Beautiful box! The red one posted by Dimwittedmoose51 is not a Snap-on built Bel Air box.
I am fortunate enough to own one myself, with the matching cover, jacket and hat. My Bel Air box sits in my garage along with my '55 Chevy Nomad. Makes me smile every day!