I've always said "Get one good set of vice grips and you can do without half the tools in your kit". Very much the most important tool in a kit. Other most important tool is a fully charged mobile phone.

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"Investing my Super in a Cooper" &
"Re-living my Surfing Past in a Woody"

Lucas, Bosch Smoke.................. I still dont no which is better for problem solving ?....... I think for any minor electrical issue the lucas product is far better and alot easier to use with the way its packaged.

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1964 Grp Nb Cooper S
1976 911 3.6 Circuit Car
1969 911T Grp Sb Historic Racer
2009 LC200 V8 TDI.... 660nm..
2011 Golf VI, TSI

Stanley have an ordinary shifter spanner with a vice grip locking mechanism. Must get me self one when I've got $32 burning a hole in my pocket with nothing else to spend it on.

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

These are great when assembling doors, when you drop the nut/clip down inside the underside of the pocket.

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Of all the tools I use on my cars, the best investment would have to be my ratchet spanners.
I love my ratchet spanners!!

Oh, and get a swear jar. You'll have enough cash in it for an engine upgrade in no time.

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'72 English Van...'72 Export Moke ...63' 850...KZ 750E1...'74 P76

buy a mig welder, your gunna need it

Very high on the list of stuff I want/need to get. I love em!

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I've always had a few, but the ratchet was always to coarse and stiff to turn, so the nut would spin...now they all seem to have a really fine movement to them. I might have to buy a set.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Get the flexible handle ones, the straight, fixed angle ones don't fit in many places. So, my Gearwrench set doesn't get lots of use.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

Yes, that's their downfall everytime. You have the need, but its difficult to find a real use when the spanner lies flush against the bodywork, or the head is too large to fit in the gap near the nut (which is why you wanted the tool in the first place)

Trouble is, a set is at least 120 for a plain set of offset or flat, as soon as they add something to make them useful (like a flexible handle) they climb past 200 straight away. I use my 1/4 drive socket set for just about everything like this and they're very cheap. I got a 50cm extension for the 1/4 drive set, and use it to undo or tighten the lower rad hose clip in a nano second. Really useful tools.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

My brother can get the bosch smoke at 1/4 of the price of the lucas smoke .....as thier supplier doesnt have a high demand for lucas smoke so they dont buy as much in bulk.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMkVq1jRGU

You can show me how you used that on your mini Mick when you turn up here in it one day

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMkVq1jRGU

next time you know someone going to US get them to pick up a set from Sears. And a few big sockets for flywheel, driveshaft etc. Sears has all of this stuff dirt cheap.

I got mine on a business trip to Port Hueneme at the Sears in Ventura. Cost about AUD$50 for a four spanner gearwrench set.

cheers
michael

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the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page
66 Mini Minor sponsored by http://www.lifeonthehedge.com.au/ The Dog Harness Specialists
It was a pleasure ausmini. I'll miss all you misfits and reprobates

MIG welder: useful for minis and general life. As soon as you have one, neighbours find jobs for you to do like mending kid's bikes.

I find it handy to have a range of sockets, wrenches and bars, for times when you need both 1/2 sockets, or when you can't get leverage with your ' good' set. I have a set of tapered socket wrenches, whereby each socket works on a range of sizes, like 1/2", 12mm and 13mm. They work a treat, grip well and seem well made. But like all things I'm not convinced entirely of, I don't misuse them.

I love my ratchet spanners. Love them love them love them.

you will need a tension wrench at some time. and a service manual.