What tools?

The old Saab's upper radiator hose gave its life on the way home from a 12 hour shift the other night. A search of Publix at closing time yielded a roll of Gorilla tape and a jug of distilled water.Got me home. I just rotated the family trucksters tires with a 4 way and cheapo floor jack. Makes me ponder, What tools are must haves? Maybe an electric impact wrench? Ratcheting wrenches? BFH? Serious flashlight?

Hammer. Lathe. Welder.

Wrenches, ratchets and a torque wrench in my opinion. If you have extra money an impact is a good idea as well.

I'll have to admit to really liking the electric impact wrench. Essential? No. Really, really nice? Yes. Similar story with the ratcheting wrenches.

I will say that the tools I keep in my car are a metric 1/4" socket set, screwdrivers, flashlight, leatherman, and the sort.

Cell phone, AAA card with master member 100 mile towing.

Duct tape, PB blaster, vise grips.

If it moves and shouldn't, duct tape.

If it should move and doesn't, PB.

And vise grips to help in between.

$$$

I keep a full rachet set, ratcheting and standard wrenches, screw drivers, and a hammer in my cars.. not to mention electrical tape and other odds and ends.

metric wrench set, led flashlight, magnetic telescoping pickup tool, ice pick, bfh, lfh. duct tape. jack and stands helps as well.

Certain tools that are particular to the car, i.e., belt tensioner tool. Plus the usual screwdrivers, a ratchet socket set, a water jug, duct tape, zipties, maybe a used belt and hose or two. A can of fix a flat if you don't have tire pressure sensors in the wheels. An LED pivoting head light, the kind you wear on your head leaving your hands free to work.

Got to love AAA

jumper cables
AAA card
cell phone

my cars are a lot nicer than they used to be. BITD i carried a starter, an alternator, a water pump, a couple of fan belts, a jug of 50/50, a quart of oil, a quart of trans fluid (AT only), plus all the tools to change all of the above.

Floor jack, jack stands, wheel chalks * Good complete set of screwdrivers * 1/4" drive ratchet & socket set, 5mm - 13mm * 3/8" drive ratchet & socket set, 8mm - 19mm and deepwells * 1/2" drive ratchet & socket set, 10mm - 21mm * 1/2" torque wrench * short, medium, long extenstions for drive sets * drive adapters set... 3/8" to 1/4", 1/2" to 3/8", * 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" wobble adapters * full set of combination wrenches, 6mm - 21mm (ratcheting are nice but not necessary) * Full set of pliers, standard, large, needle nose, dykes, etc. * large channel lock pliers * large and small vice-grips * hammer set: rubber hammer, medium handle 3 lbs. sledge, claw hammer * file set * small wire brush set * hex key/allen wrench and/or bit set * star/torx bit set * Drill & bit set * pry bar set * test light & ohm meter * magnet-on-a-stick & "grabbers" * several small LED flashlights *

That will get most stuff done without having to go out and buy a tool every time you work on the car. But actually, I use every time I work on the car as an excuse to add to the collection.

electric (110v) impact is the best purchase I've made. Too bulky for close quarters, but a major sweat saver for lugs. 80% of my use is lugs and I don't regret it a bit. A good bench vise is a big help too. Home Depot has a rotating 6" Irwin for $79.

A radio that plays old country music. Enough lighting to perform surgery. Bins and pegs and stuff so you can stay organized.

cordless impact wrench..

got one as a x-mas present last year. I love it. zings off lug nuts in no time.

darkbuddha wrote: Floor jack, jack stands, wheel chalks * Good complete set of screwdrivers * 1/4" drive ratchet & socket set, 5mm - 13mm * 3/8" drive ratchet & socket set, 8mm - 19mm and deepwells * 1/2" drive ratchet & socket set, 10mm - 21mm * 1/2" torque wrench * short, medium, long extenstions for drive sets * drive adapters set... 3/8" to 1/4", 1/2" to 3/8", * 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" wobble adapters * full set of combination wrenches, 6mm - 21mm (ratcheting are nice but not necessary) * Full set of pliers, standard, large, needle nose, dykes, etc. * large channel lock pliers * large and small vice-grips * hammer set: rubber hammer, medium handle 3 lbs. sledge, claw hammer * file set * small wire brush set * hex key/allen wrench and/or bit set * star/torx bit set * Drill & bit set * pry bar set * test light & ohm meter * magnet-on-a-stick & "grabbers" * several small LED flashlights * That will get most stuff done without having to go out and buy a tool every time you work on the car. But actually, I use every time I work on the car as an excuse to add to the collection.

You must drive a Merkur....

I go with the case of beer and a friend with a complete mechanic's garage, myself. Also everything metric, EVER.

hotrodlarry wrote: cordless impact wrench.. got one as a x-mas present last year. I love it. zings off lug nuts in no time.

I got one for Christmas last year too... then my Father borrowed it and I have not seen it since

If you guys are including a cordless electric impact, I'll add in a cordless electric ratchet. I bought a couple of the cheap-as-dirt 1/4" Skil versions when they were on clearance at Walmart last year ($20 each) and have loved having 'em. Just think about all those places you wish you could use a ratchet, but don't have any room for swing to actually ratchet... this thing solves that. And yes, it's been extra awesome in tight areas to not have a hose attached like on an air ratchet.

I don't think the Skil version is available anymore, but there are others out there now, including Milaukee and Ingersoll-Rand.

I just bought this:

for $150 at Lowes. 200psi, 15 gallon, plenty to run any wrench or nailer that I have. Occasional grinding is also possible.

I am also a fan of these suckers for manual wrenching:

The colors help identify size in a crowded toolbox.

I try to go stop at every garage sale I can that looks like it might have tools. At the last one, I stopped, realized I didn't have money, went to get money, and by the time I got back, the socket set that I was going to buy was gone. I ended up with a Yankee screwdriver that doesn't quite work, and a picture of a C4 corvette (framed) for $5. I only buy tools made in USA at the sales though.

I was talking to the guy for awhile about the Corvette factory tour, Harley Davidson's, golf putters (he collects them)... and as I was leaving, he gave me a valve-spring remover for a Flathead Ford. Said he'd never use it again, and it sounded like I would at least appreciate it for the cool factor.

I'm finding that I need a shrinker/stretcher and a better quality tube notcher. I still haven't got a lathe or mill but... boy could I use them.

I like the idea of the colour coated wrenches.. do they have matching sockets too?

Needle nose pliers, regular pliers, Channel locking pliers, and vice grips. A 3/8" ratchet, and a set of deep and shallow sockets. A respectable set of good ol' box wrenches. Electrical tape. A pair (one long and one short) of Philips, and a pair of flathead screwdrivers. An Allen wrench multi-tool. A bf hammer and a 4way. Aside from the 4 way, all that can fit in one of those little plastic toolboxes, and can be placed snugly in your trunk. With that set you can do just about any limp-me-home roadside stuff. If you cant fix it with those tools, you probably couldnt fix it on the side of the road anyway.