Getting my 1st car soon, hopefully a mk2/3 polo of some sort.

I wanted something fairly old that's not too complicated, as I have basically no experience working on cars, bar a few mior things with my dad who's not much of a mechanic. I have a decent knowledge of cars/how they work, just a complete lack of experience.

I was just wondering, what are the basic tools needed to generally keep an old polo on the road and to swap parts (brakes etc.). I keep meaning to build a tool collection up, but I wouldn't know where to start and don't have much money.

Any help appriciated.

selection of sockets with at least a 17mm and a 10mm, selection of spanners, a crosshead and a flathead screwdriver.

Loads of penetrating oil cans and sum pliers and cutters, multimeter and a strong bar with a decent set of sockets.

A mobile phone and the number of a good mechanic, lol.

Cheers guys, sorted on the spanner front anyway, I'll nick my dads :-)

Anything else?

A decent trolley jack...the VW jack isn't called a widowmaker for nothing.

sissor jack from another car in scrappy for a couple of quid to replace one in the boot and a trolley jack for home use

mole grips and a hammer

Pair of axle stands and shed loads of WD40, a set of mole grips, a hammer and lots of patience coz some of those parts will be stuck on silly after years and years on the car.

Good thing about old cars is that they use flat head and phillips screws unlike newer cars that use horrid star screws, where you need star allen keys to get them undone and then you eat up the head of the screw and end up having to drill the bloody thing out! I speak from experience (or lack of). :-D

10mm spanner/socket handiest thing as a lot of the bolts and nuts are that size.

to cover all bases Argos do a decent tool chest for about £60 that contains most things for working on a mk2/3 polo.

i've got a halfords 150 piece (i think) tool kit, cost me £100 but in my eyes it wasn't a purchase its was an investment and i've never looked back

also a good trolly jack, a hammer, and a breaker bar.

Edited 27 May, 200917 yr by McLOVIN

common sense, probably the most vital tool of the lot

10mm and 13mm spanner, i swear nearly all the bolts on these cars are those sizes ?!

philips and flat screwdriver

small selection of sockets and a ratchet

shit loads of cable ties :)

10mm and 13mm spanner, i swear nearly all the bolts on these cars are those sizes ?!

philips and flat screwdriver

small selection of sockets and a ratchet

shit loads of cable ties :)

That is sooooooooo true! 10 and 13mm is all you need really. I got a small socket set from ARGOS years ago and then some bigger heads from Halfords and it's done me fine.

I would even suggest 2 10mm spanners though as if the clutch cable goes it has 2 nuts, both 10mm and you have to hold one whilst tightening the other.

shit loads of cable ties :)

so so true. few heat proof ones in case the back box drops off, or a 13mm spanner to remove the centre clamp and put it in the back seat.

Edited 27 May, 200917 yr by Cymro

Don't know what you are all going on about!

A can of WD40 and a fairly sized hammer fixes everything

torque wrench, multimetre, hydraulic jack and dont worry there will always be a job when you dont have the right tools

Thanks for the response, got the basics coverred, but a new jack you say?

I reckon college will be misplacing a mulitmetre in the near future

Don't know what you are all going on about!

A can of WD40 and a fairly sized hammer fixes everything

lol if a hammer doesnt sort it, youve got your self a electrical problem

Big roll of Gaffa tape... should hold it together nicely :-D

But speaking from a small amount of experience, a good pair of pliers always come in handy.

haynes manual anyone?

Any good, got a Mk2 one about I bought at a jumble for 50p, but some other guy wanted £7 for the Mk3 one. Found out I can get it for free on here though :-)

plus gas. Its WD40 on acid!!!

but decent spanner set - normal and swan neck.

Sockets and wrenches 1/4" and 1/2". selection of sockets.

Breaker bar

Torque wrench

trolley jack

axle stands

multimeter

haynes manual

patience!

get yourself a halfords professional kit, i think they are all half price at moment as well.

150 piece kit for £100. lifetime warranty.

And a trolley jack.

And a hammer.

Oh, and finally, join autoaid, because you will break down.

8 10 and 13 mm spanner. Patience. And the ability to hit your head on something on a daily basis.

My mk3 never breaks

*edit* Theres always something to fix though for some reason......

Edited 28 May, 200917 yr by Olly S