Post your "must have" and/or "essential" restoration supplies

[Rich_NYS]

I've had my car for one week and so far I've already made at least 3-4 trips to the hardware & home improvement stores.

I removed an access panel & noticed I'll need some black RTV.....few days later I bought a nice super-gucci heat gun & plastic scrapers....then blending pads & cleaner.....then adhesive remover. Tonite I realized I should get some contact cement and a telescoping magnet.

What are the items you think are ranked as "must have" and/or "essential?" I need to stock up!

[Dangermouse]

Super-Gucci ? Don't think I have a designer one

[NightFlyer]

Super-Gucci ? Don't think I have a designer one

You really need to get with the times Dermot! Only designer heat guns are worth buying. Although I personally prefer the Hugo Boss heat gun to the Super-Gucci

An 8mm square drain plug socket for changing the oil (assuming you have the stock/OEM plug). Or you can just use a piece of 5/16" square bar stock from Menards like I do.

[Rich]

Materials and tools that are helpful with restoring a D, most of which come out of lots of threads or experience - most of them are good for any 30+ year old car:

Dielectric grease for when you renew the grounds, assuming the car has seen some moisture over the years.
Cooling system pressure test kit for verifying good integrity of the system and the pressure cap(s).
Torque wrench
1/2in. square drive extensions plus a good Allen key fitting (1/2in. sq x 3/8in. hex) plus a breaker bar if you need to de-torque the doors - a common issue due to PO mistakes. 3/8" sq. drive is NOT OK for this job.
12V test lamp probe. It's amazing how much handier it is than a volt-ohmmeter.
A volt-ohmmeter
The special square wrench to unscrew the OE-style oil pan drain plug!! Size is given in post #3 I now see!
If you get into trouble with the K-Jet then a fuel pressure test kit's good for troubleshooting, and so is a dwell-tach.

And, not so much for restoration work, just for keeping it shiny:
Bar-Keeper's Friend - liquid or powder - deep clean the SS as needed, keep it off the fascias or at least don't scrub them with it...
Your favorite spray stainless cleaner - good for small touch-ups on handprints
Black Again or Maguire's Natural Shine - for black sections of fascias, for louver and side vents and rub strips (keep it off the SS) - NOT ArmorAll

I'm sure the forum will be adding to the list of Essentials. Happy shopping!

[ALEXAKOS]

HEALTH INSURANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I almost drilled by ballsacks when the drill tip snapped and bounced it onto my crotch making a hole on my pants between my inner thigh and my right ballsack.

If that went through either my thigh or ballsack (yes I have said ballsack one too many times), it would have been a painful removal cause I had to make the drill work the opposite direction to unwind my pants that were swirled on to the drill!

Not funny

[ALEXAKOS]

To extend my emergency list:
- Fire extinguisher
- First aid kit
- Mobile phone ON YOU not near you. If something falls on you or you become trapped (God forbid) that you call someone immediately.

Surprises are nasty most of the times

[Rich_NYS]

You really need to get with the times Dermot! Only designer heat guns are worth buying. Although I personally prefer the Hugo Boss heat gun to the Super-Gucci

Super-Gucci ? Don't think I have a designer one

haha! Wagner Digital heat gun: two-speeds, 250 - 1350 degrees = super-gucci.

[Rich_NYS]

HEALTH INSURANCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I almost drilled by ballsacks when the drill tip snapped and bounced it onto my crotch making a hole on my pants between my inner thigh and my right ballsack.

If that went through either my thigh or ballsack (yes I have said ballsack one too many times), it would have been a painful removal cause I had to make the drill work the opposite direction to unwind my pants that were swirled on to the drill!

Not funny

Way too much info...lol

[Jonathan]

Patience.

Time.

Money.

[Mark D]

If you're doing a full on restoration then you'll need a few sets of metric wrenches, sockets, ratchets, screw drivers, pliers, etc. But I'm assuming since you're diving into a car restoration you have basic mechanical skills and most likely already have these tools. In addition I'd also invest in:

-Good air compressor and in line water/oil separator.

-Pneumatic impact wrench w/ impact rated sockets

-Pneumatic orbital sander, disc sander, cutoff wheel, etc.

-Sand blast cabinate and aluminum oxide blast media. Blast cabinates are surprisingly cheap and you'll save hours when you're stripping and prepping parts for refinishing.

-Hydraulic press. These are also much cheaper than you think and you'll find a million uses for it especially if you are working on the suspension, bushings, bearings, etc.

-Torque wrench. Ref service topics ST-09-7-81 and ST-24-10-81 for revised torque specs. Some of the values listed in the original service manual were later updated.

-Copy of the service manual, parts manual, and all service topics if you don't already have copies. Most of this can be found free online ...more info here:

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?28...Engine-Manuals
http://dmcnews.com/files.html
http://dmcnews.com/bulletins/index.html