As I approach mid age at a now very scary rate- If I could suggest three very important basic tools to my 16 year old self, it would be a good pair of eyes, a good pair of ears and a healthy back. Wear the safety glasses. Put on the earmuffs. And don’t be a hero trying to lift things you shouldn’t. Look after these things as much as you can and you’ll enjoy working cars for a very long time.
I had a different video planned for this week, but there was a huge setback with an expensive part not fitting up properly. Not even the best tools can help with that sort of problem 😂
Gotta love the Stanley Fatmax hand tools - really good quality considering how inexpensive they are. Like you I went with Ryobi for my electric tools just because they have a far wider range than Stanley.
@@Beer_Dad1975 The Stanley spanner sets are the 🐐. Thin enough to get nearly everywhere but strong enough to not break. I haven’t broken or bent one yet despite hitting them with hammers and doing the old double spanner trick to increase leverage.
Some solid advice in this video. One thing I'd suggest with spanners is to work out which sizes you need for your specific car, and just buy those sizes to begin with. You might end up getting only 2 or 3 good quality spanners for the same price as an entire set of dodgy spanners, but at least you know those are spanners you're going to use and that they'll go the distance. Building up a tool kit is a lifelong journey. It'll take at least 20 years until your tool kit is approaching anywhere near complete. I'm in my 40s and my tool kit still doesn't have everything I need in it lol
I had to go buy a 24mm spanner on the weekend, despite having worked on cars for decades and having a fairly extensive tool set built up, I'd never had the need for such a large spanner - but had to service the transmission on my Lexus, and for some god forsaken reason, the Lexus engineers decided it was a good idea to make the filler plug on the side of the diff 24mm! I had a number of 24mm sockets, but again the Lexus engineer gods stymied me by not allowing enough room to fit the socket and ratchet in.
I bought a complete set of Sidchrome 1/2” drive sockets and rachet, when I was a 1st year apprentice. It was bloody expensive on apprentice wages I can tell you! But I still have that entire set and it has served extremely well. When I’m pushing up daisies, it will be passed onto one of my SIL’s. My advice to a young bloke would be to check Garage sales or E-bay for a quality brand metric set. Something like Sidchrome will outlast you.
I remember my first kit. It was junk but it got most of the jobs done. In hind sight, I don’t know how I managed to do what I did with it. What an excellent topic to cover.
Tool pro 198 piece automotive tool set for about 200 bucks from super cheap it’s got 1/4 3/8 1/2 inch and adapters extensions everything you need for years to come
Misc things that spring to mind: sandpaper, metal files, hex keys (Allen keys), good torches / engine bay light / portable worklight. Also a cheap multimeter can be sometimes useful, even if it's just for checking for continuity.
I started with a Sidchrome set, combined 1/2 inch socket set, ring and open ended spanners all in SAE, that was 1969 at a cost of $47 which was a lot of money then, more than a weeks wages for me at the time as a youngster in Ipswich. I still have it and still use it mainly though the ratchet and handles as metric sockets and spanners have been added nothing though of equivalent quality to the original Sidchrome which is indestructible
Only tools I can really think to add would be jack stands & hose clamp pliers. The AU gets drained from the bottom radiator hose, I've always struggled with long nose pliers getting good grip and not shuffling the clamp around. They aren't too pricey at around $35 dungerees, definitely a more specialised tool but inexpensive when needed. Also a pipe that fits over your ratchet for when you need a bit more leverage. Great video as always Sean.
You need an oil drain pan to drain the oil into, a good funnel I started out with one and wiped it out all the time, now I have two one for draining the old oil back into the jug to get rid of and one to put the new oil into the car. And also spend the money and get a set of car ramps to make changing the oil easier. I have had my set for 20 plus years and they come in handy for changing the oil, changing the transmission fluid etc. That is money well spent and they aren't too expensive.
Great tips there mate!!! If you're going to get an Impact Driver, you'll also need an Impact Socket Set otherwise you'll end up wrecking (splitting) your good quality sockets!!😱
I'd get a full set of good quality spanners for whatever scale your car is 6-32mm, throwaway adjustable hammers, most useless tool on the face of the earth also those stanley sockets are awesome, i use them as impacts on tractors with a 3/4 Milwaukee high torque and haven't broken 1 yet
Thanks for your vids. Im just getting an Au Forte this weekend from family with only 85,000 km and am looking forward to working on it to make it the best possible version of an au i can. Your vids will help me heaps 😀
I started by using the tools my parents had which are probably 20 or 30 years old fixing the push mower, the blower and wipper snipper and building push bikes with them. The tools were extremely basic half a set of screw drivers, a 3/8 socket set with peices missing and a couple of shifters. That was 15 years ago fast forward to now I'm a mechanic with a 10k tool box 80% full of tools and my hand tools for home have gotten better with a full 200 peice Toolpro kit from supercheap, 2 jack stands and a trolley jack. What ever I upgrade at work the old tools come home for me to use
I got a Repco 3/8 Drive socket set + spanner set about 10 years ago and they are lifetime warranty. Obviously Repco will have to stay around for me to claim that warranty but it doesn't seem like they are going anywhere at the moment. Was about $100 on a super half price special back then. Have the ratchet a sliding T Bar and 2 sets of sockets from 8 up to 16 mm and the equivalent Imperial sizes plus two sets of ring and open end spanners I reckon it does 99% of what I need.
Good to see a straight up, no BS video (like all of your videos) on what tools to start off with, without spending big $$$. Sure, there’s plenty more that can be added, but this is a sensible start. ps your good work here wont offset the massive spike you and English TH-camr “Hubnut” have caused in AU prices…
One thing to keep in mind for when working on American cars sometimes you can come across things that will need odd sizes that will be in the imperial measurements. And I know that from experience from working on my old Jeep. That's one of the reasons I normally like to have both Metric and imperial socket sets for situations like that.
Thanks Sean. I have very very basic tools and have just fully restored a 1984 4x4 Hilux amongst several other cars. Yes it's nice to have a tool for every job but you'd be surprised what you can do with the basics like you have highlighted.
The best tool if your budget allows is the wallet. Save yourself the headache, pay someone else to do it and feel good knowing your supporting fellow Aussie workers 👍
I invested in Metrinch socket sets, one of each of the three drives shown here as they've all got their uses. 3/8 are a good all rounder, though one time with a particularly stiff bolt, the ½ drive made a huge difference in undoing it much more easily. The beauty of the Metrinch is each socket will tackle a metric as well as at least one imperial size, including British standard. It removes worries if you're working on a classic English car or even an Aussie classic which often use a mix. The secret is to accrue your collection gradually over time. These tools shown are a good base point, though it's amazing how I was able to get stuff done before spoiling myself with these socket sets, using cheapo or old tools as I needed.
Never been into cleaning definitely been doing servicing out of necessity because when I started driving in 1987 if I was unable to service my car then I was not in a position to afford to drive…… and that was not a good position to be in with the ladies I used to buy plugs points condensers leads and oil filters from Kmart and I used to get the $10 socket set and they used to break with regularity until I saved up enough to buy a Kinchrome set which I still have Then I realised I actually did a very good job on servicing better than what I was paying for from time to time so to this day I still do it and since I’m saving money on layby I always buy top quality parts
Awesome video an GREAT guide to a basic set of tools that do 95% plus jobs. I still only have a basic set after 27 years that I still use. I leave the MUCH bigger jobs to the Merchanic. As I Don't have the physical strength to undo those bigger bolts or manoeuvre myself in awkward positions.
Sean instead of a shifter, aka the portable lathe. I am now using a Knipex pliers wrench and it is brilliant. Adjustable from 8 mm to 40 mm and super good quality, doesn't have to be continually adjusted either and grips a lot tighter. 86 03 180, I think otherwise known as the 7 inch size, absolutely brilliant. I reckon 7 inches really is the sweet spot.
I'd add a soldering iron, and some heat shrink. I fixed my Falcon Ute's LHS tail light by resoldering the wiring going to the globes. A previous owner had replaced the taillight just by twisting the wires together and using electrical tape. It was pretty easy to fix it properly. A soldering iron also came in handy when I ran a pair of cables to a second set of speakers in the rear of the cabin, and also when I added a reversing camera to the tailgate. Technically you could use electrical connectors instead of solder but connectors can sometimes be unreliable. Even if they don't come apart they can still oxidize.
Definitely invest in a trim removal tool set because let me tell you a story kids. Ford Australia used the FAAAARRKEENN! worst! plastic clips to put their cars together. You will break them all the time.
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As I approach mid age at a now very scary rate- If I could suggest three very important basic tools to my 16 year old self, it would be a good pair of eyes, a good pair of ears and a healthy back. Wear the safety glasses. Put on the earmuffs. And don’t be a hero trying to lift things you shouldn’t. Look after these things as much as you can and you’ll enjoy working cars for a very long time.
A breaker bar is very handy,
when i did my heads i thought i had all the tools i needed, many trips to sca proved me wrong 😄
Been working on my own car for nearly 40 years. I generally buy tools as I need them
I only really use 3 tools
1. Bunnings spanner set
2. Filter wrench
3. Phone with my mechanic on speed dial when something goes wrong
Option 3 is a good one to have 👌
I had a different video planned for this week, but there was a huge setback with an expensive part not fitting up properly. Not even the best tools can help with that sort of problem 😂
Big Fo Hammer?
Gotta love the Stanley Fatmax hand tools - really good quality considering how inexpensive they are. Like you I went with Ryobi for my electric tools just because they have a far wider range than Stanley.
@@Beer_Dad1975 The Stanley spanner sets are the 🐐. Thin enough to get nearly everywhere but strong enough to not break. I haven’t broken or bent one yet despite hitting them with hammers and doing the old double spanner trick to increase leverage.
Some solid advice in this video. One thing I'd suggest with spanners is to work out which sizes you need for your specific car, and just buy those sizes to begin with. You might end up getting only 2 or 3 good quality spanners for the same price as an entire set of dodgy spanners, but at least you know those are spanners you're going to use and that they'll go the distance.
Building up a tool kit is a lifelong journey. It'll take at least 20 years until your tool kit is approaching anywhere near complete. I'm in my 40s and my tool kit still doesn't have everything I need in it lol
I had to go buy a 24mm spanner on the weekend, despite having worked on cars for decades and having a fairly extensive tool set built up, I'd never had the need for such a large spanner - but had to service the transmission on my Lexus, and for some god forsaken reason, the Lexus engineers decided it was a good idea to make the filler plug on the side of the diff 24mm! I had a number of 24mm sockets, but again the Lexus engineer gods stymied me by not allowing enough room to fit the socket and ratchet in.
I bought a complete set of Sidchrome 1/2” drive sockets and rachet, when I was a 1st year apprentice. It was bloody expensive on apprentice wages I can tell you! But I still have that entire set and it has served extremely well. When I’m pushing up daisies, it will be passed onto one of my SIL’s.
My advice to a young bloke would be to check Garage sales or E-bay for a quality brand metric set. Something like Sidchrome will outlast you.
I remember my first kit. It was junk but it got most of the jobs done. In hind sight, I don’t know how I managed to do what I did with it. What an excellent topic to cover.
We gotta start somewhere! One thing doesn't change though, and that's getting stuff done with what we have ✌
I recommend a 75-80cm breaker bar. For $50-$30 you can get the power of a impact gun thanks to the power of Archimedes.
Real back saver.
Tool pro 198 piece automotive tool set for about 200 bucks from super cheap it’s got 1/4 3/8 1/2 inch and adapters extensions everything you need for years to come
Sounds like a winner!
Misc things that spring to mind: sandpaper, metal files, hex keys (Allen keys), good torches / engine bay light / portable worklight. Also a cheap multimeter can be sometimes useful, even if it's just for checking for continuity.
All good suggestions!
I started with a Sidchrome set, combined 1/2 inch socket set, ring and open ended spanners all in SAE, that was 1969 at a cost of $47 which was a lot of money then, more than a weeks wages for me at the time as a youngster in Ipswich. I still have it and still use it mainly though the ratchet and handles as metric sockets and spanners have been added nothing though of equivalent quality to the original Sidchrome which is indestructible
I hope you enjoyed a nice ‘summer of 69’ with your brand new tool set 😊
Only tools I can really think to add would be jack stands & hose clamp pliers. The AU gets drained from the bottom radiator hose, I've always struggled with long nose pliers getting good grip and not shuffling the clamp around. They aren't too pricey at around $35 dungerees, definitely a more specialised tool but inexpensive when needed. Also a pipe that fits over your ratchet for when you need a bit more leverage. Great video as always Sean.
Good tips!
Thank you.
You need an oil drain pan to drain the oil into, a good funnel I started out with one and wiped it out all the time, now I have two one for draining the old oil back into the jug to get rid of and one to put the new oil into the car. And also spend the money and get a set of car ramps to make changing the oil easier. I have had my set for 20 plus years and they come in handy for changing the oil, changing the transmission fluid etc. That is money well spent and they aren't too expensive.
Great tips there mate!!!
If you're going to get an Impact Driver, you'll also need an Impact Socket Set otherwise you'll end up wrecking (splitting) your good quality sockets!!😱
I'd get a full set of good quality spanners for whatever scale your car is 6-32mm, throwaway adjustable hammers, most useless tool on the face of the earth
also those stanley sockets are awesome, i use them as impacts on tractors with a 3/4 Milwaukee high torque and haven't broken 1 yet
Thanks for your vids. Im just getting an Au Forte this weekend from family with only 85,000 km and am looking forward to working on it to make it the best possible version of an au i can. Your vids will help me heaps 😀
Sounds awesome mate, there's something cool about base models with low mileage.
@@MotoringBoxTV ill slowly fix it up with some body kits, lower it a bit. Rims. Make it my own 😎
Noooooooooo
@@jamesfrench7299 why no 😆 They look amazing when done up
I started by using the tools my parents had which are probably 20 or 30 years old fixing the push mower, the blower and wipper snipper and building push bikes with them. The tools were extremely basic half a set of screw drivers, a 3/8 socket set with peices missing and a couple of shifters. That was 15 years ago fast forward to now I'm a mechanic with a 10k tool box 80% full of tools and my hand tools for home have gotten better with a full 200 peice Toolpro kit from supercheap, 2 jack stands and a trolley jack. What ever I upgrade at work the old tools come home for me to use
Always awesome to hear these stories - thanks for passing on the knowledge!
I got a Repco 3/8 Drive socket set + spanner set about 10 years ago and they are lifetime warranty.
Obviously Repco will have to stay around for me to claim that warranty but it doesn't seem like they are going anywhere at the moment.
Was about $100 on a super half price special back then.
Have the ratchet a sliding T Bar and 2 sets of sockets from 8 up to 16 mm and the equivalent Imperial sizes plus two sets of ring and open end spanners
I reckon it does 99% of what I need.
Good to see a straight up, no BS video (like all of your videos) on what tools to start off with, without spending big $$$. Sure, there’s plenty more that can be added, but this is a sensible start.
ps your good work here wont offset the massive spike you and English TH-camr “Hubnut” have caused in AU prices…
One thing to keep in mind for when working on American cars sometimes you can come across things that will need odd sizes that will be in the imperial measurements. And I know that from experience from working on my old Jeep. That's one of the reasons I normally like to have both Metric and imperial socket sets for situations like that.
volunteering myself as the extra tool....
Thanks Sean. I have very very basic tools and have just fully restored a 1984 4x4 Hilux amongst several other cars. Yes it's nice to have a tool for every job but you'd be surprised what you can do with the basics like you have highlighted.
Exactly right!
New subscriber . you have great content on AU,s, lots of handy tips too. thanks for uploading . Cheers, like button pushed
Thanks for the support 👌
The best tool if your budget allows is the wallet. Save yourself the headache, pay someone else to do it and feel good knowing your supporting fellow Aussie workers 👍
I invested in Metrinch socket sets, one of each of the three drives shown here as they've all got their uses. 3/8 are a good all rounder, though one time with a particularly stiff bolt, the ½ drive made a huge difference in undoing it much more easily.
The beauty of the Metrinch is each socket will tackle a metric as well as at least one imperial size, including British standard. It removes worries if you're working on a classic English car or even an Aussie classic which often use a mix.
The secret is to accrue your collection gradually over time. These tools shown are a good base point, though it's amazing how I was able to get stuff done before spoiling myself with these socket sets, using cheapo or old tools as I needed.
Never been into cleaning definitely been doing servicing out of necessity because when I started driving in 1987 if I was unable to service my car then I was not in a position to afford to drive…… and that was not a good position to be in with the ladies
I used to buy plugs points condensers leads and oil filters from Kmart and I used to get the $10 socket set and they used to break with regularity until I saved up enough to buy a Kinchrome set which I still have
Then I realised I actually did a very good job on servicing better than what I was paying for from time to time
so to this day I still do it and since I’m saving money on layby I always buy top quality parts
Awesome video an GREAT guide to a basic set of tools that do 95% plus jobs. I still only have a basic set after 27 years that I still use. I leave the MUCH bigger jobs to the Merchanic. As I Don't have the physical strength to undo those bigger bolts or manoeuvre myself in awkward positions.
Sean instead of a shifter, aka the portable lathe. I am now using a Knipex pliers wrench and it is brilliant.
Adjustable from 8 mm to 40 mm and super good quality, doesn't have to be continually adjusted either and grips a lot tighter.
86 03 180, I think otherwise known as the 7 inch size, absolutely brilliant.
I reckon 7 inches really is the sweet spot.
Portable lathe, I love that name.
@@MotoringBoxTV it's a bit nicer than "nutfucker".
This was excellent
Would recommend a spark plug remover too, for basic servicing, very handy to have,
Also, Great Video!
Great video! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I'd add a soldering iron, and some heat shrink. I fixed my Falcon Ute's LHS tail light by resoldering the wiring going to the globes. A previous owner had replaced the taillight just by twisting the wires together and using electrical tape. It was pretty easy to fix it properly.
A soldering iron also came in handy when I ran a pair of cables to a second set of speakers in the rear of the cabin, and also when I added a reversing camera to the tailgate.
Technically you could use electrical connectors instead of solder but connectors can sometimes be unreliable. Even if they don't come apart they can still oxidize.
Definitely good things to have when you're modifying or fixing wiring!
Your dead right, you don’t need a big tool kit when starting out. Build it up as you go
You always need little things .... Like a Funnel !
Yup, there's always something.
You missed this tool, you missed that tool, and this is why I have enough tools to open a shop. 🤣🤣🤣
Definitely invest in a trim removal tool set because let me tell you a story kids. Ford Australia used the FAAAARRKEENN! worst! plastic clips to put their cars together. You will break them all the time.
I ordered a whole kit of those clips in many different sizes. Highly recommended 😂
@@MotoringBoxTV 😂 yep very good idea. Ford should of honestly supplied a box of them with every sale lol
thought about it... This video popped up.. weird
Looks like my bedroom set up .....
🙄
It was. A piece of shit.🤣
We've all had a kit like that I think 😂