Morris Minor Owners Club

I'm trying to get an idea of how much a minor is likely to cost me so I'm trying to think of any easily forgettable expenses and one I've thought of is tools.

Looking at the spanner sizes: there are quite a few . I don't have a huge amount of tools, and most are DIY orientated, so just an adjustable spanner or two and a pretty decent sized socket-set.

Looking at trying to get as much work a complete novice can do on the car time permitting, what kind of tools would people recommend, which are essential buys? Obviously I'm not going to be doing any major restoration or welding, just keeping it happy and running.

Thanks.

If you don't mind car boot sales they are a good source of AF and Whitworth spanners.

beero wrote:If you don't mind car boot sales they are a good source of AF and Whitworth spanners.

Second hand is fine, I'll keep that in mind!

And there is NOTHING metric on a Minor.......so metric tools are no use to you!

A good set of spanners, a set of screwdrivers, feeler gauges, a decent jack, axle stands, and a grease gun would be a good starting point. That's presuming your socket set has a good selection of imperial sockets - if not then add them to the list.

I'd echo the above and definitely recommend buying good quality secondhand over cheap and nasty new tools. This is especially true for screwdrivers, spanners and sockets. These need to be made out of good quality metal and to good tolerances, or they'll break, slip off or chew up your bolt heads.

bmcecosse wrote:And there is NOTHING metric on a Minor.......so metric tools are no use to you!

True, but i personally find a 13mm ratchett spanner is a very useful alternative to 1/2" as its pretty much identical.

There's no need to buy loads of tools up front. Buy as you find you need. Plenty available either second hand or via the www.

bmcecosse wrote:And there is NOTHING metric on a Minor.......so metric tools are no use to you!

Unless someones been there before you and fitted some... Very frustrating!
However, for example a 13mm hex socket is a nice tight (tap it on with a hammer) fit on 1/4"BSF wing bolts for example which can be very handy when the originals are worn, rusty and rounded.

Frost sell new BSF spanners and sockets if you can't find secondhand.
My last set of BSF spanners came from an antique shop of all places from a tray of old and colelctable tools! £1 each for Superslim spanners - it would have been rude to refuse. They quickly went into my own colelction of old and collectable tools - the garage toolbox!

I have a chart hanging above my workbench showing measuerd and calculated values of all my spanners- metric and imperial and always choose the spanner with the closest fit-having measured the nut or bolt in question with a dial gauge calipers first-a very very useful tool. My metric spanners are used quite often as it's somtimes a tolerance issue.
Regards
Declan

Hello A n' A,

"True, but i personally find a 13mm ratchett spanner is a very useful alternative to 1/2" as its pretty much identical."

Not in my experience, it's too slack and will slip on a really tight fastener, 11mm and 7\16" are much more compatible.

Judging by the number of electrical queries, a cheap multimeter and learing it's correct use is invaluable.

Alec

Personal experience, most of the time it is close enough though. And the 11mm thing is interesting too, as it does show that at least a couple of the metric ones may be useful, so don't totally discount them and throw them to the back of the garage. There is also sometimes opportunities to replace old rusted nuts and bolts with nice new ones, usually metric.

Hello A n' A,

again personal preference, but I wouldn't confuse the issue by using metric bolts on any machinery with imperial fasteners?

Alec

beero wrote:If you don't mind car boot sales they are a good source of AF and Whitworth spanners.

Seconded! Car boot sales, autojumbles and larger classic car shows will have stalls selling tools, especially good for AF and whitworth as these are not as readily available now in Motor Factors etc.

I have over the years spent a lot on tools, but now I have most of what I need to do just about any job on the Minor. It is metric sockets and spanners I could do with more of!

I agree-with the above comments- Don't be tempted to bodge a job with metric spanners. The proper Whitworth and AF makes every job SO much easier!

And there is NOTHING metric on a Minor.......so metric tools are no use to you!

hmm
11mm fits many things

13mm socket fits wing bolts if the heads are a bit corroded (i.e. when they are undersize)

18mm sockect - perfect fit for the wheel nuts on a Minor 1000. It can be added onto the end of one of those extending wheel wrenches that come with 17/19mm double ended socket (~£6 from Wilco). Keep the double ended socket with the wheel brace and you can help change wheels for stranded motorists in modern cars who can't undo their wheel nuts using the little wheelbrace that came with their car ;-)

Get hold of a decent (old & large) scissor jack to go in the boot as it has many uses (including to help change wheels for stranded motorists in modern cars)...

When it comes to tools - spend as much as possible and they will pay for themselves many times over!

I have many duplicates in my toolbox. This can be handy if you leave things all over the place but often when something is tight, you need the 'best' spanner to undo it. I've had occassions where the cheap tools damage a nut/bolt head and the good spanner will undo it.

Sockets - I have a small set (1/4" drive ) and a large set (1/2" drive) with metric and AF. You can buy a set of Whitworth sockets from ESM, Frosts etc..
Get hold of high quality 6 point sockets if possible. Cheap 12 point sockets are often more trouble than they are worth. Good 12 point sockets are well worth having, and only beaten by high quality 6 point sockets.

Screwdrivers - a few small ones, one very large flat screwdriver and a multibit set with srewdriver - this will do more jobs than just the old cars! The bits are 1/4" AF so you can also fit them in a socket (e.g. to undo torx head fasteners on modern stuff)

Pliers - thin nose, small set and a big pair (or replace the big pair with a good set of pump pliers).

Pump pliers - a big set (10") can do many many things. Also very handy for undoing the spring loaded modern hose clips if you end up fixing a modern car.

Molegrips - the wrong tool for every job but often very handy.

Hammer - a average household claw hammer will cover many jobs (including Minor wheeltrim removal) and if you get into serious DIY, a bigger ball pein hammer will be a nice 2nd.

Multimeter - certainly not essential on a Minor. You can tell a lot (and get less confused) using a test light [e.g. 20w bulb on long wires with crocodile clips on the ends]. A multimeter canl show 12v even when there is a high resistance connection (i.e. you think there is a 12v feed but nothing works when you turn it on). Using a test light instead you will not be fooled that easily.

Retractable Stanley knife - the cheap snap off knives look good value but I've never found them to be anywhere near as useful as the real deal.

Wire brush. Anything goes, but the cheap wooden ones last less well than the crimped metal spined ones.

Files - not needed often. A set of needle files takes little space, and the round ones are good for enlarging holes.

A good scissor jack will get you through nearly all DIY jobs. A trolley jack is worth having to save time but only if you do enough work to make it worthwhile. From personal experience the cheap new ones are not worth the cost of the petrol to drive to/from the shop. If you're getting one, get a good big one to keep in the shed / garage. Don't worry about load rating - the only important number will be how far it lifts (the more the better).

4.5" Angle grinder - useful for causing injuries, putting sparks into glass, firing small parts across the garage etc.. Also useful for cutting off seized bolts and/or removing chunks of bodywork but you're getting into serious territory here!

Welding equipment - can make a prize mess if used badly but can save a fortune if doneright. Really not essential unless you keep rescuing basket case cars.. The ability to weld can lead to a tendency to buy basket case cars!! Not always good!

again personal preference, but I wouldn't confuse the issue by using metric bolts on any machinery with imperial fasteners?

from personal experience - garages and previous owners may have already done this for you! Being unable to unbolt something due to lack of metric tools would be frustrating.

I have to admit I'm a bit of a DIY fiend. I have two very well stacked toolboxes, one is pure metric for modern cars with the remaining space used for electrical tools (crimping pliers etc..) and the other has everything (metric, AF &Whit).

I have to say it was nice to leave the olde-car toolbox in Bedfordshire for a few months when I was doing a rebuild over there rather than cart ~40kg back and forth a lot!

When you get to the level where you have 2 angle grinders (one for cutting one for grinding) rather than keep changing disk, you know you're pretty serious.

Ray - you haven't mentioned a trolley jack!

When you get to the level where you have 2 angle grinders (one for cutting one for grinding) rather than keep changing disk, you know you're pretty serious.

Oh dear. I have got more than 2 grinders lol

Hello Ray,

"A multimeter canl show 12v even when there is a high resistance connection"

That's why I said and 'learn to use it properly' The circumstance you quote will not apply as long as the circuit is complete, i.e test with the defctive component switched on. I agree a lamp and some connectors can tell a lot but also needs some interpreting if the voltage is slightly low when it shouldn't be.

Alec

Don't go trying to make metric tools fit a Minor - it's folly in the extreme. Rounded nuts and skinned knuckles lie ahead!

And don`t use a hammer and chisel on nuts,use the correct size spanner!!!!!!!1