19 replies to this topic

[Bluemini]

Here is a list of what you should have in your toolbox. With these, you can strip and rebuild your car...

Spanners
6mm
7mm
8mm
10mm
11mm
12mm
13mm
14mm
15mm
17mm
19mm

3/8"
11/16"
1/2"
Adjustable
Break adjusting spanner

I also have an 11mm and a 13mm ratchet spanner for awkward nuts like manifolds and stuff.

Socket set with both metric and imperial sizes from around 8mm - 24mm and the imperial equivalent.

Flat head and phillips head screw driver, make sure they can withstand a few irate hammer blows too!

Pliers
Wire strippers / crimpers
Stanley knife
Ball joint splitter
Selection of files
Small chisel
Electrical tape
Exhaust and gasket paste
Stillsons / mole grips
Hammer
Wire brush
Extension / breaker bar for socket set
1 1/2" dia. deep socket for ball joints
Torque wrench

I get all my tools from Halfords, their prices are excellent and the quallity is too. All their 'Pro' tools come with a lifetime guarantee (I haven't broken anything yet so they must be good).
If you are going to buy a new tool set, I recomend that you get a complete socket set from Halfords, mine was around £55, then buy the spanners individually. Dont get a set because you'll never use half the sizes. Use my list as a guide of what to buy, spanner prices start from around £2, and the ratchet spanners are around £6. Their torque wrenches are outstanding too, from around the £50 mark, but a must for any serious mini enthusiast.

When buying tools, try and go for quallity, pay that bit extra then you'll only have to buy it once. If you buy cheap rubbish, it's going to break straight away.

[Mini Me]

i got some of that!

need a decent socket set and a decent set of spanners!

[marksmini]

lmao

i would hope i got all that lol..

[Pickup]

I thought most Minis used imperial sizes for nuts & bolts.....

[Woody]

As Iceman and Madman will tell you , You also cant do without a flywheel puller, well you can by hammering throgh the starter hole but SO much easier with one .

[ukcooper]

12v circuit tester is most handy .

Tip if your just starting out ask the family what they have in garages might save you a fortune!!

[OllieTheWelder]

Forgot the Cone compressor :)

[myredmini]

You need imperial spanners/sockets not metric (mm)

[ANON]

this has got to be one of the oldest thread resurrections i've ever seen!!

[bcjames]

And given the list is biased toward metric, probably best left in 2003!

[DannyTip]

Bin the metric (well don't just don't use them on the mini) and get a proper set of imperial spanners.

Most bolts are 7/16", 1/2" not 11/13mm

[mini-luke]

The later Mini's do have an irritating mix of metric and imperial. It's downright confusing!

[PhilipGCaldwell]

I pretty much have the whole lot in the mini boot, its come in handy more than once, saved me calling the AA!

[Cooperman]

You need 3/8", 7/16", 1/2", 9/16", 5/8", 11/16", 3/4", 13/16", 7/8", 15/16" and 1" AF spanners, not those metric ones.
Very bad workshop practice to use metric spanners on imperial size nuts & bolts.

[Ivor Badger]

You need imperial spanners/sockets not metric (mm)

Quite, all those metric spanners to dismantle an AF car. No wonder there is an adjustable included. So what about the cold chisel and 2lb hammer to remove ruined nuts and bolts?