It’s the holidays and we need some gift ideas. So tell us the things that have made your automotive wrenching easier, saved your butts, or are simply so satisfying to use that you want to spread the joy. They can be anything, from tools to JB Weld to a clever hack that every shadetree mechanic needs to know. Bonus points if they’re not as basic as the vise-grips in the lead image, unless there’s some specific brand that outshines their rivals.
What indispensable items are in your toolbox?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What automotive things are you thankful for this year?“.
We’re so grateful for our community of readers and passionate car owners and enthusiasts that make JNC possible. It was heartwarming to read about your own adventures with your cars as well. Reading the comments from last week almost brought tears to our eyes.
We know the the thrill that comes with finding a long-desired part, like Sedanlover scoring the right wheels for his wagon. Perhaps even better is the feeling of once again acquiring a dream car that one regretted selling long ago, like Bryan Kitsune did with his ST165 Celica.
Simpler joys included エーイダン‘s appreciation of basic road safety items, while Fashion Victim praised the lack of E85 in his home country (jealous!).
RX626 was thankful for the revival of some beloved nameplates in the face of a crossover onslaught, like the Prelude, Integra, and Celica. Meanwhile, Land Ark‘s multi-state Miata road trip is what car ownership is all about.
Particularly touching comments included Fred Langille‘s gratitude for support from his automotive village, StreetSpirit‘s quitting of his day job to work full-time on JNC-inspired automotive dreams, and Brett‘s gracious remarks about the JNC community.
While it’s tempting to give it to someone who name-dropped JNC, the winner this week is returning champion Taylor C., who is making a real difference in the world:
I am a merit badge counselor for both my kids’ Scouts Troops. I have been trying to find time to teach a merit badge, and ultimately made time to teach the scouts the Automotive Maintenance Merit Badge. The requirements for this badge are pretty extensive, ranging from familiarity with all the subsystems of the car (power, drivetrain, fuel, electrical, brake, etc.), as well as hands-on. There will also be two projects the Scouts will take part in: changing out to spare tire a doing an oil change.
My daughter is in an all-girls troop within association, and I am currently teaching her troop. There are seven scouts enrolled, and they continue to express a genuine interest in the subject. They ask questions out of curiosity, and have inquired on when we’d do the hands-on project. The light shines bright when they understand the concepts I teach them. The Scouts also (as part of my assigned homework to them) have showed their parents how to pop the hood, what type of engine they have, where the oil fill / dipstick is, AND relayed their actions back to me. Best part is that this merit badge is not a requirement for their Eagle Scout ranking, so the fact these Scouts are taking it means a lot.
I was on a camping trip with my son and his trip, and have asked if they’d be interested in pursuing an Automotive Maintenance Merit Badge. They all expressed a desire to learn more, and those were were within earshot joined our conversation to learn more about it.
How am I thankful? For the fact that there’s a future generation who, besides all the social media and electronics that surround them, are still interested in back-to-basics and gaining knowledge / experience through hand-on, curious to understand how things work, and looking to break well-known stereotypes.
Omedetou, your comment has earned you a set of decals from the JNC Shop!
This is an easy one. My car ramps from PartSource.
Do not forget to chok the wheels.
A few 10mms, some plyers, random bolts in various sizes, and a few common fuses.
I swear my cats know to steal ONLY the 10mm sockets. Evil…
The one tool that would pose the most problems by not having is my trim puller and plastic trim remover tools. Before I got them I was breaking clips every time I tried taking anything inside my cars apart. I doubted their usefulness until the very first time I tried it. I could make due without them but it would make things a lot more frustrating.
It’s worth noting that I STILL haven’t used my Nepros ratchets and I bought another 1/2″ long-handle ratchet from Factory Gear in Shinagawa last year and carted it all the way home. I bet they would great. I may never know at this point.
An air compressor. Flat tires [especially 13-inch ones] are hard to fix on the road.
Aerokroil penetrating oil. Positively awesome. Probably caustic as all get out, but positively awesome.
A “Hammer” like Jeremy Clarkson would have, sorts out most issues 😀
it has to be my sheetmetal nibbler, with old cars comes rust, and with the oldness and obscurity comes making your own replacement parts so a sheetmetal nibbler has been my most used tool lately for removing the rusty bits with less of a mess than an angle grinder but also for making very very accurate replacement bits for crusty old sheetmetal.
i highly recommend one to anyone who’s exorsicing rust devils, get you some of that!
A kettle…
most problems can be overcome after youve sat down and had a break with a decent cup of tea,
Lol, I love this. I hope you win.
Ditto
I’ve been bringing a jump starter and a wireless tire inflator everywhere I go just in case.
AAA card.
True but its not all roses LMAO! My last AAA call, I waited 3 hours for them to arrive to the middle of nowhere where I was stuck and it was sub 40 degrees out. The previous AAA call from this past summer, they were loading my Honda Element (would have been future JNC) up on a flat bed. As soon as the front wheels were elevated, the truck slips out of Park. We were on a slight incline and the truck rolls back towards this bldg and my ride absorbs the impact between the truck and the bldg. Thus I was hit on both the front and back. To top it off, AAA’s insurance took a month and a half to finish the claim and totals my ride after initial review said they would save it. I still have AAA but cringe each time I think about them. :/
Sometimes YouTube, sometimes a rectangle of plastic with a bunch of numbers on it
The most indispensable tool I’ve still got in my car is an old 80’s Snap-On triangle palm ratchet I “borrowed” from my grandfather’s tool cabinet 15 years ago as a teenager. The thing has taken apart and put together so many pieces of the ’80 RX-7 I had back in 2011, and I refuse to get rid of it even with worn out teeth. (Just gotta twist it until you find a good tooth that catches…) It’s helped me fix Fiat 500s, Mustangs, Miatas, B2200s, you name it. It’s small enough to throw in any small tool bag, and it’s comfortable to use at almost any angle and in tight spaces to zip off nuts and bolts with low torque specs. Totally worth the five-finger discount price of $0 I paid for it! Bonus points for the old ones being shaped like rotors, which automatically made it my RX-7’s MVT! (Most Valuable Tool)
For me, container ramps have been a game-changer. I’ve got a few cars that are pretty low to the ground, and trying to get them onto a regular set of ramps is always a struggle. The container-style ramps give me a lot more clearance, and they’re just a lot sturdier. Another thing I’ve found super helpful is a good shelter for working outdoors. Sometimes, I need to wrench on something when it’s raining or snowy, and having a portable shelter can make all the difference, especially when it’s freezing out. Oh, and I’ll throw in wheelchair ramps https://www.astrolift.co.nz/category/Container-Ramps-and-Shelters too—sounds odd, but I’ve used them for car repairs too, just for getting the job done with a little extra height for certain angles. And I totally agree with you on the importance of a good set of ramps.