Restoring a car can be simultaneously one of the most frustrating and rewarding things a person can do. It’s not an intuitive job and in some cases can take years to complete. However, that doesn’t stop car enthusiasts from taking on the task. It’s truly a labor of love. While it’s far from easy, having the right tools on hand can make it easier.
Unfortunately, many specialized tools for automotive work can be quite expensive. However, Chicago Electric tools available at Harbor Freight do offer a bit of relief in terms of some of these tools. When talking about specialized tools, its best to dive all the way in. When it comes to a car restoration, in a lot of cases it comes down to bare metal, quite literally. If you’re going to get into cutting, dent repair, custom fabrication, and full-blown restoration, here are a handful of Chicago Electric tools that will help get your project car to your dream condition.
Chicago Electric Stud Welder Dent Repair Kit
Sometimes body damage is outside the realm of paintless dent repair. If that’s the case, you’ve got to break out the serious tools to get your project car’s body looking fresh and new. The ultimate way to re-shape and refine damage to a car’s body is via a stud welder. Fortunately, Chicago Electric offers this Stud Welder Dent Repair Kit that’s available for a reasonable price of $99.99 via Harbor Freight.
A stud welder works by tack-welding a series of studs to your car’s damaged body areas. After aligning and securing the studs, a slide hammer is used to pull out the dents and damage. It’s a tedious process that is truly a learned art form. When done right, though, you’d never even know it happened. While the tool certainly doesn’t come with the skill, the 4.2-star user rating on this stud welder kit tells us it’s a great and affordable way to start learning.
Do keep in mind, though, that you’ll have to grind down the paint to bare metal for this to work. This is a great tool for project car restoration, but you’ve got to be willing to dive in head first to use it properly.
Chicago Electric 120V Spot Welder
Oftentimes, an in-depth project car restoration can involve replacing corroded and rusting metal components of a vehicle’s body. You’re likely to find that many components on a vehicle come from the factory spot-welded together. In addition, if you’re cutting out pieces of the bodywork and welding new pieces in, a spot welder is a great option for securing new pieces before grinding and finishing the piece. Enter this Chicago Electric 120-volt Spot Welder available for $179.99 at Harbor Freight.
The 120-volt spot welder comes with six-inch tongs with standard tips and has a welding capability of up to 1/8-inch combined thickness for mild steel or two pieces of 20-gauge galvanized steel. In addition, this spot welder can bond stainless sheet steel. So, whether you’re repairing factory pieces or fabbing up your custom replacements, this spot welder is a great way to get everything bonded together. It sure beats taking the time to meticulously weld a ton of dots with a standard MIG welder. Just remember that you should still be wearing a welding helmet or goggles when using it.
Chicago Electric 7 Amp, 1/2 in. Impact Wrench with Rocker Switch
Restoring your project car starts with disassembly and having a good impact wrench on your side can make disassembly a breeze. This is especially true for pesky nuts and bolts that have sat idle for years through all sorts of weather, corrosion, and heat cycling. This corded 1/2-inch Impact Wrench from Chicago Electric is available for $44.99 at Harbor Freight and it offers plenty of grunt for the price point.
With a bolt breakaway torque capability of 600 pound-feet and a total maximum torque output of 230 pound-feet, using this impact gun to disassemble and reassemble components is a no-brainer. It’s corded, so you need not worry about a dying battery reducing its effectiveness. Whether you’re just removing the car’s wheels to get the party started or you’re blasting off old suspension components, this thing is going to make your restoration project just a bit easier. Pairing it with a good set of impact-grade sockets and a solid penetrating fluid will put a smile on your face.
Chicago Electric 7-Inch Digital Variable Speed Polisher/Sander
This tool, in particular, is useful to car enthusiasts as a whole, as it is applicable for maintaining your cars just as much as it is for restoration projects. Whether you’re preparing for paint or buffing it to perfection, this variable speed polisher and sander from Chicago Electric will help you get the job done right.
The Chicago Electric Seven-Inch Polisher/Sander has an LCD that’s easy to read and ranges from 1,000 to 3,500 RPM to dial in what you’re working on. It uses standard seven-inch sanding and polishing hook and loop pads. So, if you’re at the stage where it’s time to prep your project car for paint, throwing a sanding disc on this tool allows for consistent and easy work. Moreover, if your car is painted and finished and you’re cutting, buffing, or polishing, standard seven-inch foam pads also fit up to it to make quick, easy work of shining your paint to perfection. It’s got a textured-grip side handle for extended use without losing comfort and robust ball and needle-bearing construction for a long working life. For only $39.97, it’s a no-brainer to add one to your tool collection.
