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This question is broad, Every car company is different and uses differnt kinds of tools to do different kinds of things, you’d need thousands of tools to work on all kind of cars, that is not including trucks and things…
But generally speaking I’ts a good idea to have 2-22MM and SAE (non metric) all the way up to 1 inch in wrenches and sockets of both deepwell and shallow, A handfull of torx and E sockets ranging from 5 to 35… An allen wrench kit, a hammer, flat heads and philips screw drives… and that will get most of your work done on many cars…
Also it’s nice to have brake wrenches, these are reches that have a slot cut in them to work on brake lines, but you can also use them for O2 sensor.
If it’s a honda or ford (not many fords though), I know that they both like to use “special” tools for timing belts and things. Chevy, however, is more simplistic when it comes to tools from what I have seen.
I want to be able to start working on my own car, I have help my brother build his car so, I know a few things.
What kind of work specifically.
I think ETCG’s home box is a great basis to do most basic and advanced stuff at home.
Eric always recommends that you get the best tools you can afford and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Craftsman. In fact, they’re guaranteed forever which is a no hassle return and exchange policy. Since you’re not planning to make a living with these and you essentially need them for working on your own car, I recommend that you get whatever wrench type, metric or SAE, that your car requires in a basic set along with an oversize box to add more pieces to as you need to get more tools later on.
IMHO, all you need to get started is a basic set of combination wrenches, standard sockets 3/8″ 6 point with 3/8 drive’ and a 3/8 square drive screwdriver handle (medium depth sockets are useful) along with some 3/8″ extensions (short and long) a universal joint for your socket set; a good set of screwdrivers flat blade and phillips usually come in Craftsman sets; a ball pein hammer (probably 48 ounce would be useful) a set of punches and chisels, pliers, channel locks, wire cutters, long nose pliers, long-handled (curved) long nose pliers; a pair of vise grips and long-nose vise grips; a couple of crescent wrenches, large and small; a putty knife, 2″ that you can also use as a gasket scraper; a 5/8 and 13/16″ spark plug socket; a 12v test light with probe; a drywall knife with a retractable blade AND a can of Bandaids and a good pair of gloves. A pencil soldering iron and some 40/60 rosin core solder; electrical tape and depending on your car, an OBD CANII scanner; a small set of high speed steel twist drills is always good to have around and that should get you started.
Later if you decide to start doing things like brakes you can get what you need at that point, either buy or rent or borrow what you might need from a parts store where you’re getting your parts. A click-type 3/8 drive torque wrench (foot pounds is probably sufficient for now) might be of some use to you now but understand there are a number of different size torque wrenches that measure in varying amounts like foot-pounds and inch-pounds, etc. I recommend a click type since you may be working in tight spaces where it’s hard to see the spring gauge and having one that clicks doesn’t require being able to see a dial when you’re using it.
ALSO you can often get some GREAT deals on used tools on Craigs List, garage sales, the newspaper want-ads, bulletin boards and used car weekly newspaper mags. Once in awhile, you can nail something swell on E-bay. Also take a look at JH Williams tools which are a Snap-On brand. I’ve had a lot of Williams stuff and Bonney since I started about 42 years ago and they still work great every day. For new stuff, you can also take a look at Harbor Freight. Some of their stuff is quite good, tool boxes and so forth, and some of their other tools are, well, not so great but at least of sufficient quality for a DIYer to use like on a weekend basis rather than every day.
Don’t sweat things like air tools and compressors at this point although I gotta tell ya, having a compressor, hose and a few air tools can be a huge help to anyone.
Have fun !
MarkC,
http://www.amazon.com/Craftsman-9-33255-Mechanics-Tool-309-Piece/dp/B00065SZBU/ref=sr_1_3?s=hi&srs=2587785011&ie=UTF8&qid=1369715762&sr=1-3&keywords=craftsman+tool+set
This looks like a good starter set. I’m planing on getting this very set for summer. But it depends on what you’r working on or what you will be planing on doing on the car. I would say go with and thing that has a warranty. My first stop would be craftsman and then upgrade from there if need be. B) Good luck.I’m going to be working on a 95 firebird but as i get older i plan to work on cars as job.
I have helped build a G35 from the ground and i really loved that.COOL ! But as has been suggested, build your set slowly based on what you really need. Not to be negative at all, but sadly there are a lot of guys (and gals) who prematurely spend a lot of dough on tools that end up being sold as almost new but at a big loss cause things didn’t quite work out or their plans changed drastically.
Just wondering since you sound like just getting rolling and you’re ambitious, have you ever considered learning how to fix airplanes? There are some really good schools to learn those skills, not to mention the military. If you ever want to talk about it, drop me a private message and I’ll be glad to offer you some insight into it.
MarkTons of places to buy tools from, everything from hardware stores, specially tool places, automotive parts stores, sears, and tool trucks.
Wow, it’s been so long I can hardly remember. I bought a second-hand Craftsman tool box, a couple of sets of Craftsman wrenches and their Screwdrivers at a Chicago Sears Roebuck store. I still use the wrenches umpteen years later in my home tool box. A short time later, I bought several sets off a Snap-On guy name LaPorte.
Got all of those and use those all the time, nearly every day, and from time-to-time I still buy a Snap-On tool or two, but rarely do I buy tools these days. Snap-On is good at making repair parts available like ratchet repair kits so if the gearing goes out, no hassle just replace it yourself and keep a few spare around just in case.
I also have a lot of sets of used Bonney combination and a lot of line (tubing) wrenches; and JH Williams that are as good s Snap-On (and made by them as an Industrial brand) and some Matco stuff and a quite awhile ago, I bought a couple of large roller cabs in used shape and a pile of used hand and aircraft specialty tools from Boeing Auctions up in Washington.
Excellent thought ! PLUS it’s about time for the fathers day tool sale there, among other places, so I’d start picking out what you need now and score it soon when stuff goes on sale there. If you can’t find it in the store, they’ll either order it for you or you can get it online. ALSO, I just remembered Orchard Supply and Hardware is owned by Sears now and they sell Craftsman tools too. If you have one of those around you, their dad’s day sales are great too.
Sparks
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