ILLUSTRATION BY BROWN BIRD DESIGN
Working on your own car is easy… as long as you have the tools to do it. Most people don’t have access to a solid collection of basic hand tools for wrenching on vehicles, meaning performing DIY work is a non-starter. If you’re one of those people, change that with a mobile toolset.
A good box of tools is all you need to start working on your car. Most cars don’t require any special tools to perform straightforward jobs like oil changes or brake pad swaps. All you need is a few sockets, a ratchet, and a basic knowledge of how cars are put together.
When I first started working on cars, it was these types of tools I used. And it’s not like I was working on anything simple. Most jobs on my BMW M5 and 850i weren’t very straightforward, but the tools I used were no more complex than usual.
Getting a mobile toolset like this means you can take your hardware with you, whether you’re traveling with your project car or going to help out a friend in need. The handle on top of the box makes life way easier in the long run, and it can save you if you happen to break down on the road. Trust me, I know from experience.
Picking the right toolbox for your needs is incredibly important. It can mean the difference between getting the job done and having to run to your local Harbor Freight to grab a tool you don’t have. I like Gearwrench’s 239-piece set, as it has the metric-sized wrenches and sockets I need to work on my very broken German cars. It also has several extensions, L-wrenches, and even a pair of spark plug sockets, meaning I can do almost any job I need to on a car like my E30.
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