The Essentials... what are yours?

[nimike]

Essential tools for working on the pug... still thinking on this one.


Essential cleaning products for keeping the pug looking the biz...



Something plan (cant remember the name of it at the minute) in a white bottle for washing the car and not forgetting the chamois leather for that sharper finish.

Wonder wheels for making easy work of the brake dust haven also known as the alloy wheels

Turtle wax tyre dressing

Sun of a gun for the interior plastic and mats.

Either autoglym normal or high gloss polish, odd occassion turtle wax colour magic

Autoglym bumper car for the black bits of plastic.

Autoglym fast glass

Autoglym smelly spray as well.

Autoglym tar remover for the summer time.

[mjb]

Tools in my boot... In order of importance

Quality ratchet screwdriver and one of those rubber packs of security bits (contains the all important Torx bits)
Spider wrench (can store in the spare wheel)
Quality socket sets - 1/2" and 3/8"
Decent pliers
Flat and crosshead (not pozidrive) screwdrivers, including the mandatory BIG flathead which always ends up the most often used but never turns a screw in its life
Big hammer
Set of metric spanners, including 15+16mm (one of those is used for engine mounts and often isn't included)
Mole grips
Allen keys
Knife
Breaker bar
Torque driver
Gas soldering iron
Multimeter
Plenty of wire (not just for carrying electricity)
Zip ties
Jubilee clips
Trolley jack
Ratchet action axle stands
Cordless drill

I tend to carry most of that around with me (minus the drill, jack and axle stands) but thankfully the worst I've had to do at the side of the road away from home has been to change a tyre and hack a throttle linkage together

When I need the boot space I carry a Halfords brand tool bag (very good tbh!) containing this reduced kit:

Ratchet screwdriver + bits
Gas soldering iron kit, wire, multimeter
Spanners
Hammer
Screwdrivers
Pliers
Allen keys
Knife
plus the spider wrench in the spare wheel

[teamster1975]

For general work:

Trolley jack
Axle stands
Various socket sets
Torque wrench
Work light!
Ratchet spanners
Snap-on screwdriver with torx bits
Moleys and pliers
Stanley knife
Impact driver for those tough nuts and bolts!
Hammer
WD40!!!!
Mat to lay on!! (This diy mechanic lark kills my back nowadays )

'leccy stuff

Gas soldering iron
heat shrink
solder and flux
insulation tape
Various lengths of loom I've acquired over the years
Multimeter

[steve_earwig]

Mobile phone

[mjb]

ooo light yes! I never go anywhere without mine. It runs off the lighter socket and has a headlamp bulb in it! Gets bloody hot in use, but it's good enough that you can aim it somewhere well away from where you're working and the reflected light illuminates everything much better than a directed beam

I need to add this to the never-go-anywhere-without list too:

Duct tape

[teamster1975]

I forgot cable ties as well; they make a perfect replacement throttle linkage!

[mjb]

Also great for attaching undertrays and petrol filters

[teamster1975]

and petrol filters

Yep, I've done that too!

[totaleclipse]

my essential tool for working on the pug is a large dry shed.

without that even with the rest of my tools, i would never bother doing anything, lol.

[Welly]

AA membership card + phone

Boot = completely empty

[Doggy]

AA membership card + phone

Boot = completely empty

Similar: AA membership card + phone

1/4 drive socket set + torx bits, plus a few odds & ends to avoid the delay for AA most of the time

Last time I called the RAC with a leaky top hose on an August Saturday afternoon - they said 3 - 4 hours to get there, despite 'Priority' status as my wife's disabled

Bodged it & limped it home from Newbury. Cancelled the RAC the following day, thankfully don't yet know if the AA are any better......

[Welly]

In 20 years of driving I've been 'recovered' three times......Once in the Honda when the Dizzy packed up late at night near Stamford (got home at 01:30 am) and TWICE in the 406 with the broken road spring and the LP fuel pump saga.

I must say though the AA are brilliant (but make sure you've got the top level cover which brings you home, not just to the nearest garage).

[darrenwall]

Tools in my boot... In order of importance

Quality ratchet screwdriver and one of those rubber packs of security bits (contains the all important Torx bits)
Spider wrench (can store in the spare wheel)
Quality socket sets - 1/2" and 3/8"
Decent pliers
Flat and crosshead (not pozidrive) screwdrivers, including the mandatory BIG flathead which always ends up the most often used but never turns a screw in its life
Big hammer
Set of metric spanners, including 15+16mm (one of those is used for engine mounts and often isn't included)
Mole grips
Allen keys
Knife
Breaker bar
Torque driver
Gas soldering iron
Multimeter
Plenty of wire (not just for carrying electricity)
Zip ties
Jubilee clips
Trolley jack
Ratchet action axle stands
Cordless drill

I tend to carry most of that around with me (minus the drill, jack and axle stands) but thankfully the worst I've had to do at the side of the road away from home has been to change a tyre and hack a throttle linkage together

When I need the boot space I carry a Halfords brand tool bag (very good tbh!) containing this reduced kit:

Ratchet screwdriver + bits
Gas soldering iron kit, wire, multimeter
Spanners
Hammer
Screwdrivers
Pliers
Allen keys
Knife
plus the spider wrench in the spare wheel

i reckon you'd get an extra 5 mpg if u removed all that extra weight out of the boot lol

[mjb]

i reckon you'd get an extra 5 mpg if u removed all that extra weight out of the boot lol

The way the coupe's going at the moment I daren't!

[swiss]

'The Persuader'