Tools

[Schimms15]

Besides common house tools. Like a hammer screw drivers and sockets. What tools are nessacary to do over haul and restoation work?

[jimynick]

It all depends on the depth that you want or are able to get into. A very basic minimum would be a set of deep and shallow 3/8" and 1/2" sockets with the 3/8ths starting at 1/4" and  the 1/2" going to 1". A set of screwdrivers in flat and Philips in the common sizes. A set of combination wrenches in single and double hex from 1/4 to !". A set of pliers/cutters/vice grips. Ratchets in both sizes and different handle configurations. A set of chisels and drifts/punches in assorted sizes. A 1/4" socket/ratchet set is very handy. Hammers-plural. Pry/alignment bar sets. A box (don't go small-trust me) to put it all in, only scratches the surface. Drills, impact guns (electric or air), torches, welders, grinders, cutters etc. etc.  Start now, buy as good a quality as you can afford/justify and  be prepared to spend some dough. In the long run, its cheaper by far, but the initial hit can sting. It's taken me 40 years to amass my hoard and it still goes on-and I love it. Good luck.

[Chryco Psycho]

There are 100s of tools , Which part of the restoration ??
 Body work requires welders sanding etc
Engines require totally different tools , sockets wrenches measuring equipment .
Transmissions need special tools ,
Diffs need presses & micrometers dial guages
Wiring requires Ohm meters soldering equipment
Everything has specialized tools .

[johns cuda shop]

Check out www.custommachinecomponents.com  for your needs.

[GoodysGotaCuda]

Check out www.custommachinecomponents.com  for your needs.

Those greasible door hinge bushings are fancy. I like that!

[Gumby]

If you are looking to buy hand tools, you can save a bunch by buying brand name at a pawn shop or ebay. That aside, though, you are asking a very vague question. For overhaul and restoration, as you put it, there are countless hundreds of thousands of different tools used, and you will most likely need the knowledge to apply to those tools to get the desired results. it's not something that you can simply say, ok I got the tool, let's get 'er done type of deal. it requires a bit of mechanical background and expertise at the least. probably the VERY best tool you can own and use, is the SHOP MANUAL (yeah that 4 inch thick hundred dollar deal) NOT a cheesy manual from the parts store, specific for your year and body application that you will be attempting. Be prepared to buy thousands and thousands of dollars worth of tools to restore a car. it ain't a cheap hobby. Good Luck! (also, you might want to look into enrolling in a local community college auto body course and auto mechanic course as well as a welding course to enlighten yourself on what is involved and for learning what you need to know). People charge a lot of money for restorations for a reason. The time and tools aren't cheap, and the knowledge is expensive to come by as well. By all means, you really don't need to spend all that money - but then you really ain't gonna get very good results, and you would be light years and headaches ahead to let a qualified person do the job. if you have a rare or valuable machine PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE take it to a qualified professional instead of butchering it up yourself beyond repair. By the very nature of your question - I would highly reccomend you take the car to a professional restoration shop and let them do the work. It's not something that you simply decide to jump into as a casual deal that you can simply do on the side or a few nights and weekends here and there. It takes a lot of time money and dedication. Just trying to be truthful here. Oh, and if you STILL want to get serious about this - any good shop will charge you double to re-fix and re-restore all your goof ups and lost parts when you give up halfway through. And then it will be VERY expensive. It's not a "whim" type of thing as your question might imply. GOOD LUCK!

[BIGSHCLUNK]

Sometimes its not only the tools, its the expertise required when using/choosing them for a particular job. 

[72rtchallenger]

Minimum Tool Set Engine rebuild
   
    Engine Stand: Even if you're building just one engine, make this purchase. Having overhauled an engine or two on the garage floor, it's just not worth it. Quality stands are relatively inexpensive - key features are a weight rating of 1000lbs. and 4 wheels. And if its a Mopar motor consider the best stand money can buy  .
 
    Basic hand tools: A good set of 3/8" and 1/2" drive sockets and get both 6-pt and 12-pt,and it doesnt hurt to have some 3/4" sizes as well for those real tight ones along with a breaker bar.  - note that most ARP fasteners use 12-point nuts - along with a pretty standard collection of wrenches, pliers, etc. A center punch and inexpensive numbered punch set for marking parts for machine shop identification and re-installation in the correct location is required. A large screwdriver or prybar is needed to leverage the crank forward/aft to check end-play.
   
    Feeler gauges: A good quality feeler gauge reading approximately .0015 to .035.
   
    Torque wrench(es): The range of torque settings on the small-block mopar is about 20 - 90lbs ft; this range may require two wrenches. There is a lot of debate over "beam" type wrenches vs. dial or digital wrenches, but unless you simply cannot afford a digital wrench the beam type should be avoided.
    Fastener    Torque    Thread Size
Camshaft Lockbolt    35    7/16-14
Carburetor to Manifold Nut    7    5/16-24
Clutch Housing Bolt    30    3/8-16
Connecting Rod Nut - Plain    45    3/8-24
Crankshaft Bolt (Vibration Damper)    135    3/4-16
Cylinder Head Bolt 273-318    85    1/2-13
Cylinder Head Bolt 340-360    95    1/2-13
Flywheel Cover Bolt    100 in/lbs    1/4-20
Flywheel Housing to Block Bolt    50    
Flywheel to Crankshaft Bolt    55    7/16-20
Fuel Pump to Block    30    3/8-16
Intake Manifold Bolt    35    3/8-16
Main Bearing Cap Bolt    85    1/2-13
Oil Pan Drain Plug    20    1/2-20
Oil Pan Bolt    15    5/16-20
Oil Pump Cover Bolt    95 in/lbs    1/4-20
Oil Pump to Block Bolt    35    3/8-16
Rocker Shaft Bolt    30    3/8-16
Spark Plug    30    14mm
Timing Cover Bolt (cast)    30    3/8-16
Torque Converter to Flexplate Bolt    270 in/lbs    5/16-24
Vibration Damper Pulley Bolt    200 in/lbs    5/16-20
Water Pump to Block Bolt    30    3/8-16
   
Thread cleaning taps: It is extremely important to clean all threaded holes to prevent debris from the threads entering the engine as well as to ensure accurate torque readings. You can purchase individual cleaning taps. And buy high quality ones.
   
    Vernier Caliper: This will be your basic measuring tool for the overhaul.
   
   
   
    Ring expander: Piston rings must be expanded to fit over the piston. You can do this by hand...but the chances of breaking a ring make this inexpensive purchase worthwhile.
   
    Ring compressor: There are two basic types of ring compressors; adjustable and fixed. Adjustable compressors use a flexible steel band that is tightened around the piston to compress the rings. They will fit a wide range of bore sizes but must be used with care to avoid breaking rings. Fixed compressors are a tapered aluminum bore to a specific size. These work better...but are more expensive and fit only one size.
   
    Pre-oiler: Pre-oiling the engine before starting is critical to avoid a "dry start".
   
 
   
   Precision straight-edge: This measuring tool when used with the feeler gauge can help you determine if you need to machine your block deck or heads, and determine if the crank bore is straight.
   
    Engine cleaning brushes: Washing the block after machining is one of your most important tasks. You'd think everything would come back spotless from the machine shop, but it absolutely does not!
   
    Balancer tool: Harmonic balancers must be removed and installed correctly to avoid damage to the crankshaft or the balancer.
   
    Plastigauge: This one is likely to cause the most discussion and debate. Plastigauge is a thin plastic string that expands in a "precision" way when compressed and is used for checking bearing clearance. It is definitely not the most accurate way to check these clearances but if you are not able to invest in micrometers or a bore gauge it will deliver readings close enough for a street engines making <= 1 HP/CID if used carefully. Typically, overhaul "kits" from Sealed Power and other vendors will come with Plastigauge but it is also available at NAPA and other parts sources.
   
    Rod bolt protectors: During rod installation it's important to protect the crank rod journal from being scratched by the rod bolts. Two 4" lengths of 3/8 fuel line tubing works fine for this, but there are very cheap aftermarket solutions as well.
   

    Letter/Number Stamps: Some parts such as rod caps and main bearing caps must be kept together, and you'll want to mark everything you take to the machine shop with an identifying mark. Also, it's sometimes helpful to mark clearances, deck height, etc. on the block for future overhauls. These stamps are an easy way to do this.
   
    Lint-Free Shop Rags: In general you CANNOT use standard red shop rags during overhaul. They leave lint behind that can cause problems later. Your safest bet are the new disposable paper shop towels.


Chemicals
These are the liquid "tools" needed for assembly. Note the absence of anything alcoholic   

    Medium-strength thread-locker (Loctite "BLUE")
    High-strength thread locker (Loctite "RED)
    Thread sealant
    Anti-sieze
    Cam lube: Your cam will come with a chintzy packet of this stuff, but it is not enough
   
   
    Engine Lubricate :is needed some lithium grease will be good
    WD-40 is used to keep machined surfaces lubricated and free of rust.
    Brake Cleaner Brake cleaner is a strong solvent that evaporates quickly. This is a great cleaner when you must have "clean and dry" - for example, bearing saddles in the block, caps and rods before bearing installation.
 
 Acetylene/Oxygen: It comes in handy to have a good torch set as well . For many different reasons]

These tools increase the accuracy of your measurements, allow further checks on the tolerances and allow you to complete more operations you would otherwise need to rely on the machine shop to complete. If you can afford these tools they do allow you to build more powerful engines.

    Micrometers: Ensure you purchase a set with a vernier to allow readings to .0001.

    Depth Micrometer
    Dial indicator and magnetic base
    Telescoping or "snap" gauges: Transfers inside diameter measurements to outside micrometers. Not as accurate as the bore gauge below, but also not as expensive.
   
    Bore Gauge: This is definitely the "bling" of the overhaul tool set. Absolutely not required for the backyard re-builder, but if you plan on doing a few engines a year it's worthy of consideration as it significantly increases both the speed and accuracy of bore measurements. It should be paired with a bearing micrometer.
 
    Valve Spring compressor: This tool allows you to disassemble/assemble your own heads, and temporarily remove valve springs for checks.
   
    Crank socket: This tool makes turning the crank easier and ensures no damage to the crank which is a tremendous help considering the number of times you'll be turning the crankshaft.
   
    Camshaft degree kit: Although not required at the basic build level, this tool becomes important as lift (and HP) increases. This kit also includes a crank socket above.
   
    Cam holder: Installing the cam can be done by either temporarily installing the cam sprocket or by installing long bolts to provide a grip. There are nice handles available for this as well.

This is a pretty good start but I am sure there are a few more things I overlooked, but this should get your engine assembled .

Bodywork tools
air tools ,sanders , DA'S , Paint guns ect..
Sandpaper (from 60 to 600 grit)
Hammer
Dollys or dent-pulling tools
High-build primers
Bondo body filler
Finishing putty
Glazing compound
Metal cutting tools
Welding equipment helmet , gloves ect..
Mig welder
Grinder
Torch  Acetylene/Oxygen
Respirators
Wax and grease remover solven
Patience 

should be a good start on bodywork