Hazet "roundbox" toolkits/ Hazet Tourist toolkits

Beginning around 1950, Hazet (the producer of many of the individual 356 tool kit items) began producing a tool kit that was round in shape and fit onto the spare tire in the trunk of Volkswagen Beetles, Porsche 356, and other cars. There are two main varieties of this so-called "roundbox" toolkit: one has the VW symbol embossed on the cover, the other has a Hazet logo with the name "Tourist" beneath. I have been told by a knowledgeable tool enthusiast that the VW version was marketed through the VW dealer system, while the Tourist version was available through normal Hazet channels.

These kits are complementary to the original kit, although there is some overlap. They are generally of equivalent quality (notable exception - look at the generator pulley wrench).

Summary of versions:

There were a number of variations available. The most common type is the standard VW or Tourist version similar to the one pictured here. They originally had decals inside the lid to show the layout of the tools, but these decals weren't always accurate!

I have seen five variations of this basic kit. By examining the case by itself, you can determine which of these five variations it is. The earliest kit had no Phillips screwdriver (located between the handles of the small pliers), so there should be no clips in that location. The next variety has clips for holding the Phillips screwdriver. Around 1956, a third variety appeared: this one had a sprayed on flocking on the interior rather than a felt pad. The flocking covered the clips as well as the flat surface - the felt pad covered only the flat area. Around this time the 21mm/36mm box wrench replaced the 36mm box wrench, but the decal didn't reflect this difference immediately. Sometime around 1959 or 1960, a fourth wrench was added to the kit. The clip that holds the wrenches will have 4 spaces in this kind of kit. To make space, the medium screwdriver was moved to between the handles of the large pliers. I call this kit "deluxe" (my term only - not official!) because it had the most tools of this style box - 13. Shortly after this time, the T-handle socket was dropped from the kit, and the medium screwdriver was returned to its previous position.

It should be noted that there were variations in the tools also. Plating, part numbers, and sizes went through their own evolution as well.

This "truth table" should enable you to determine the version and approximate vintage of any standard VW or Tourist tool box:

Detailed contents:

From a couple of sites on the internet, I was able to make the following chart of these tool kits:

		early ad	1951?-56	1952	1956-58?	1958 catalog	1959/60?	1961	1965?
Hazet number		VW	observation/ description	Tourist 500E	observation/ description	Tourist 2500E	observation	observation/ description	VW Type 3
(click photo for bigger image)
450 7x8	wrench	1	1		1	1	1		1
450 7x9	wrench			1				1
450 9x11	wrench								1
450 10x12	wrench	1	1		1	1	1	1
450 10x14	wrench								1
600-10	wrench			1
600-14	wrench	1	1	1	1	1
605-13	wrench						1	1	1
605-14	wrench						1	1
760	slip joint pliers	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	760-3
764	sparkplug socket	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
2505	sparkplug socket								1
772/2	lug wrench	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
811	long screwdriver 150x8	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	811-6
813	medium screwdriver 80x3	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	813-2
814	Phillips stubby 40x6, Nr. 5-10		1		1	1	1	1	814-02
814	different size?								814-3
1850	pliers	1	1	1	1	1	1
1850-2	pliers							1	1
561	36mm box wrench	1	1	1
561	36x21 box wrench				1
2561	36x21 box wrench					1	1	1
527	14mm T socket	1	1	1	1
2527	14mm T socket					1	1
2125	contact file								1
2567	oil plug tool								1
total pieces		11	12	11	12	12	13	12	14
source:		gutefahrt.com	gutefahrt.com	hem.wtnord.net	gutefahrt.com	gutefahrt.com		gutefahrt.com	gutefahrt.com

circa 1955/56 "Tourist" toolkit:

Here's the case, closed, with "Hazet Tourist" on the cover.

Open, as it would sit in the spare tire.

Wrenches, in this case, Hazet 450 7mm x 8mm and 10mm x 12mm, and a 600 14mm.

Lugwrench, Hazet 772/2 with integral hubcap puller, same as in the Porsche 356 kit.

Three screwdrivers, made by Hazet. The large one is similar to the Jorg screwdrivers found in the 356 kits.

Sparkplug socket (left) and 14mm socket for fuel pump and carburetors (right).

From top to bottom, pliers (very similar in size and shape to those found in 356 kits), 36mm box wrench (same function as the stamped steel one in 356 kits), and slip joint pliers.

Other Varieties:

Hazet also made other versions that are quite different from those described above. Here's one that is very different:

It has the same small wrenches, T-handle, large pliers, lugwrench and sparkplug socket as the other kits, but also has a pair of 27mm wrenches (likely for front wheel bearings on early VW and Porsche 356), a large T-handle socket (oil pressure sender on a VW or Porsche 356?), and a feeler gauge!

This kit is probably better in a 356 since there is less overlap with the factory kit (which was significantly better than the VW kit of the era).

Just to confuse people, Hazet used the standard decal in it. The clips are completely different, so you would have a tough time organizing tools as suggested by the decal...