Mike - The extra set of 10, 12,14 and 17 mm sockets and wrenches are in the travel pack we keep behind the car seat (and rarely need). The shiny red cabinets and tool chests are status symbols we keep in the garage to impress the neighbors (and thieves) when we forget to close the garage doors.

KenshinX - As others have already mentioned - buy high quality tools - your fingers and knuckles will appreciate it...I prefer Snap-on tools - but my bank account suffers accordingly...

If you have limited space in the garage - look at opportunities to hang things off the walls or stash in the rafters, because you will need as much open floor space as possible when working on the car.

Regards

GWGarrard

Pawn shops are a great place to get tools secondhand. I have a huge collection and most is flea market and pawn shop stuff. You'd be surprised how many folks have to pawn their high dollar Snap-On tools. And I now have them.

I highly recommend investing in a Mity-Vac or similar tool for one-person brake bleeding. I was lucky enough to find a complete set up slightly used. Complete with a feeder bottle for the master cylinder. Very handy.

I also suggest a set of hose pinch clamps. When you have to rebuild or replace a caliper or wheel cylinder, you can clamp off the rubber brake line and keep almost all of the fluid in the system. If you've got SS lines then thats another issue.

FWIW,

Chris A.

If you are set on buying things before you have the car(I would wait)

Put the tool storage on hold, buy some heavy duty peg board and some peghooks and store your tools on it, much faster, easier and uses almost no realestate in a small garage. You don't need the vacuum yet

As Mike suggests, most things in a Z can be accomplished with a few tools 8,10,12,14,16,17,19, 26mm(Oil plug) sockets and wrenches, a #1 and #2 Phillips, a pair of vice grips, a 3lb hammer, a 13/16" deep socket, a pair of forcepts, a breaker bar, and a high quality 10mm flare nut wrench a pair of stands and a floor jack. I would buy the car the the FSM, then the tools.

To cover pretty much anything I care to I keep the following tools handy, with more stored for specific uses.

1) An 1/4" drive metric socket set (incl. deep)

2) a 3/8" metric socket set (incl. deep)

3) a 1/2" drive metric socket set (incl. deep)

4) a large deep socket set

5) a MAC 10 mm flare nut wrench

6) spare 3/8" sockets in 10, 12, 14, 17, and 19mm sizes

7) a set of metric combination wrenches

8) a set of metric open ended wrenches

9) A set of Rachet wrenches

10) a set of Mac allen drivers

11) an old Craftsman Torque Wrench (Tested every 5 years or so)

12) a set of screw drivers.

13) a 3 ton floor jack

14) a set of forecepts

15) a pair of extended phillips & standard driver bits

16) a 5' length of 1" heavy wall pipe

17) a set of left hand drill bits

18) a set of easy outs

19) a high quality rechargeable drill

20) an active membership here!

Will

buy some heavy duty peg board and some peghooks and store your tools on it

Amen, and some good shelving to put all the parts on when you inevitably take the car apart or start buying large amounts of spares!! :stupid:

Chris A.

Victoria British/ Motorsport.com. Yes the 280Z's are metric.

Ooops, never mind.