Car Tools
A few years ago, I became aware of Van Neistat’s YouTube channel. I really enjoy his extreme utilitarian Anderson-esque approach to filmmaking and storytelling. It seems like everything he owns, says, or does is extremely thought out and purposeful.
He has a few videos about “kits” he keeps for various things. He actually did two videos on kits for his car. Like him, I’m also in a codependent relationship with a Toyota Land Cruiser.
Inspired by him, I decided to build out my own car tool kit. I wanted something practical and cheap that I could reasonably accomplish most home improvement and vehicle maintenance tasks with. I wanted just the essentials. Nothing more than is absolutely necessary. Here’s the kit I’ve carried for the last 4 years and a memo about each item.
paracord
Something to tie things (and not people) down with. I can’t remember if I’ve ever used it. It’s too big, gets tangly, and generally speaking I think was a mistake.
electrical tape
Very useful. Not all electrical tape is created equal. This stuff is on the low end. But it’s still been very useful. It lasts pretty well even in dirty environments.
multi-tool folding knife
I just had this laying around and figured it might be useful. It has not been. Generally speaking, tools should follow the Unix philosophy↗. In my experience tools that do multiple things are compromised at everything and excel at nothing.
ear plugs (3 pairs)
Very useful. These are silicone conical style that you can get at Harbor Freight for about $6 for 25 pairs. Protect your hearing.
rubber bands
Very good to have on hand. My go-to cable management solution is rubber bands. Also cheap. They’ll get crusty over time so it’s probably best to keep them in an airtight container like a Ziploc bag.
channel lock pliers
Incredibly useful. I just used these to install my Mom’s washing machine a few days ago.
side cutters
Get good ones. Don’t cut things that will damage them. Great at clipping off zip ties.
needle nose pliers
One of the most useful general-purpose tools around. Great at pulling out carpet staples or nails. Also built-in cutters for things you don’t want to use the side cutters for.
magnetic level
Possibly the GOAT. So useful. A level takes amateur effort and turns it into a professional result. Picture hanging. This one has a (very weak) magnet which is surprisingly useful. You do not have the ability to eyeball levelness, do not try.
Phillips/flathead screwdriver
Absolutely essential. In an ideal world we’d use Robertson bits↗ instead of Phillips but oh well.
blue loctite
I’ve used this several times. This is actually the only bottle I have that I know where it is. Whenever I screw something in that I don’t ever want to do again, I use a little bit. My friend told me that nail polish works just as well and I believe him. Nail polish seems to also be generally more useful all around.
measuring tape
Don’t be a dingus and do measurements with your arms and strange things. Settle the debate! “Will this fit through the door?” Now you know. Measure twice, cut once. For critical measurements, burn an inch.
socket wrench set
This set is pretty much bottom of the barrel quality-wise, but it’s still so much better than no set at all. I just used this last weekend installing a TV mount. Absolutely essential. It seems like no matter what size sockets you have, you’ll always be missing the one you need.
monkey wrench
Very helpful in a pinch. Not really very good at wrenching, but compared to your fingers it works wonders.
metal picks
I’m not sure if I’ve ever used these.
zip ties
Similar to rubber bands, these are very useful to have around. Great for cable management. Can be daisy-chained to increase length. They come in all sizes, but I go for the small but not tiny size. I just used these to secure a washing machine drainage hose. I had the drain hose come out of a washing machine once and it was a total disaster.
Bic lighter
The romantic in me wants to buy a flint fire starter, but the realist knows a cheap lighter is about a thousand times better at fire than a flint will ever be. Good for melting the end of a nylon rope after you cut it.
hot glue stick
I learned from Van Neistat that you can use hot melt glue sticks with a lighter and it’s just about as good as a glue gun. Very useful in a pinch. Most recently I used some to temporarily secure a nylon wall anchor in place until the screw caught on. Man, I hate those nylon wall anchors.
battery terminal cleaner
Don’t think I’ve ever used this. But a pretty common vehicle issue is battery-related and I’ve seen enough vehicles not start because the battery terminals were corroded that I felt like it justified the $3 price tag.
industrial sharpie
Very useful. I like the “industrial” kind because it makes me think it’s better.
breakaway box cutters
Possibly the best dollar you can spend. The blades are designed to be broken off as they dull so it’s like 20 blades in one. Very, very useful.
allen key set
I’m not sure if I’ve ever used these. Usually things come with their own allen key, but if they don’t, this kit will come in handy.
I keep all the tools in a cheap bag. I wrote my name, number, and the date I assembled the kit in white paint pen. I like putting my name on things because it helps honest people not walk off with my stuff accidentally, and keeps dishonest people honest.
In addition to the tool bag, I keep a few other essential tools in my car.
Most importantly, I keep a cheap set of ratchet straps. It is impossible for me to state just how much better the worst set of ratchet straps is compared to a rope. Ratchet straps have a bit of a learning curve though. You put the end of it through the ratchet and only ratchet it about 5-10 times to get it tight. Do not try and ratchet the entire strap or it will not work! A set of 4 like these at Harbor Freight is $10. I like that they’re cheap enough I can give them away when I need to. I feel a lot better about donating a $2.50 strap to an underprepared fella than risking the possibility of losing a load on the road and someone getting hurt.
In my glove box, I keep a nice pair of leather gloves that fit well. You’ll probably want to spend about $20. Make sure you try them on before you buy them. I also keep an emergency pair of polarized sunglasses. These are about $20 on Amazon and in a pinch make for better-than-nothing safety glasses. I also keep my vehicle maintenance log which is currently filled so I need to print a new page.
I can’t recall how much this tool kit cost me, so I decided to just recreate it. Harbor Freight doesn’t seem to be quite as cheap as it used to be, and they’re pushing the more expensive items and gating deals behind paid memberships. But the “Pittsburgh” brand has a lifetime warranty on most items, the quality is “good enough”, and they mostly seem to be cheaper than comparable tools from Walmart. I mostly went for a 1-to-1 reproduction of my tool kit, but I varied a bit.
Here’s what I got:
| Item | Price | Store |
|---|---|---|
| 12 in. Tool Bag W/ 21 Pockets↗ | $4.99 | HF |
| Breakaway Box Cutters (x2)↗ | $0.99 | HF |
| Wire Stripper↗ | $6.99 | HF |
| Micro Flush Cutters↗ | $2.99 | HF |
| Nitrile Dipped Work Gloves↗ | $1.99 | HF |
| 10 in. Adjustable Steel Wrench↗ | $7.99 | HF |
| 6 in. Diagonal Cutters↗ | $3.99 | HF |
| SAE/Metric Hex Key↗ | $6.99 | HF |
| 12 ft. Tape Measure↗ | $2.99 | HF |
| 6-in-1 Screwdriver↗ | $2.99 | HF |
| 6 in. Magnet Level↗ | $2.49 | HF |
| 10 ft. Rope↗ | $1.49 | HF |
| 10 in. Groove Joint Pliers↗ | $8.99 | HF |
| Electrical Tape↗ | $1.99 | HF |
| 8 in. Needle Nose Pliers↗ | $3.99 | HF |
| 3/8 in. 21 pc. Socket Set↗ | $24.99 | HF |
| Bic Lighters (x2) | $3.24 | WM |
| Hot Glue Sticks | $1.27 | WM |
| Nail Polish | $0.98 | WM |
| Sharpie Extreme (x2) | $3.44 | WM |
| Total | $94.69 |
I couldn’t find a large pair of flush cutters, just some “diagonal cutters” and some “micro flush cutters”. I also added a wire stripper. You can use a blade if you’re legit, but I just find a cheap pair of wire strippers to be very useful when I need to strip wire. The screwdriver is a 6-in-1, but it should be fine. You could probably just get a single phillips and a single flathead instead. The gloves I got are half a step above disposable latex gloves but can still keep your hands clean without breaking your gentlemanly facade. I really kind of splurged on the socket set. I think they had the same kind I got originally for about half the price, but I wanted something nicer and with larger sockets. I really wanted a deep socket set as well, but they were more expensive. As I write this, I realize I should have grabbed an extension or two.
I didn’t buy more zip ties, but a pack of 100 is about $3. I also didn’t get more rubber bands, but a lifetime supply from Walmart is just $1.18. The ear plugs were the ones I really debated. A pack of 25 pairs at Harbor Freight is $6.39, and I just didn’t want that many of them. The silicon ones can technically be washed and reused and it seems like you can get them for free if you try. See if your next flight attendant or hotel clerk will give you a pair.
I think $100 for these essential tools to keep in your car is a very good idea, but also too much to spend. I think you could find a lot of this stuff secondhand if you go spend a morning yard sale shopping. With any luck you can score some higher quality vintage tools as well for less than Harbor Freight will sell them new.