Restomod projects, like most other automotive projects, can be made much easier or much harder by the tools you have on hand. With the wrong tools, you can end up spending far too long on something that should have been an easy fix. Worse still, you could end up damaging a delicate or costly component, adding another entry to the inevitably long list of headaches associated with getting a project car on the road.
If you’re looking to take on a restomod project for the first time, it’s especially vital to have the necessary tools before you start. It’s also worth making sure that any tools you need later down the line — to do unforeseen jobs or replace part of your existing tool collection — don’t break the bank. This is where Ryobi comes in particularly useful: With the brand’s interchangeable battery packs, you can buy extra tools without having to buy more batteries than you need — even if they’re from Ryobi tools you got for a different job. We’ve rounded up the brand’s top-rated products that might come in handy for your next car project.
Ryobi 18V One+ HP Compact Brushless ⅜-inch High Speed Ratchet Kit
Ratchets are a garage essential, and the Ryobi 18V One+ HP Compact Brushless ⅜-inch High Speed Ratchet Kit is a solid choice for project car builders looking to upgrade their core tool arsenal. It runs on the brand’s interchangeable 18V battery, which is included in the kit’s $179.00 MSRP. Buyers already knee-deep in the Ryobi ecosystem might already have a suitable battery, and so can save their pennies and buy the tool only for $129.000.
The High Speed Ratchet lives up to its name with a maximum speed of 460 rpm, while the 40 ft-lb of torque on offer should make it a versatile companion for a variety of jobs. A recent redesign of the tool resulted in a ratchet head that was 20% smaller than its predecessor, increasing its usefulness in areas where space is at a premium — like a car’s engine bay. Two built-in LED lights also provide extra illumination to make it easier to position the tool in hard-to-see spaces. All things considered, this is an excellent Ryobi tool to add to your garage.
Ryobi USB Lithium Multi-Head Screwdriver
Ryobi’s new USB Lithium tool range is a fairly recent addition to the brand’s lineup, but it includes several interesting tools. Among them is the USB Lithium Multi-Head Screwdriver, which can be found for $49.00 on Ryobi’s website. It comes as a kit with a choice of three heads available, each of which can be switched between easily. The ¼-inch hex will be the most frequently used option for most people, but there are also offset and right-angle heads.
At maximum speed, the screwdriver achieves 200 rpm, although even small amounts of resistance will notably decrease that figure. The device is chargeable through a USB power cable and features an LED indicator light that displays power levels. A green light indicates there’s plenty of power left, while a red light indicates it’s time to plug the screwdriver in for extra juice. To ensure you don’t lose either the charging cable or the extra heads, the kit includes a protective case.
Ryobi 18V One+ 4½-inch Angle Grinder
A good angle grinder is another essential for all kinds of automotive projects, not just restomods, and you can get Ryobi’s for under $100. The 18V One+ 4-½-inch Angle Grinder offers speeds up to 9,000 rpm and brings a host of ease-of-use features. Among those features is the adjustable side handle, which can be attached in three distinct positions to ensure the grinder remains comfortable to hold at all angles. The guard is also adjustable without needing to use tools, and the grinder features built-in wrench storage, with the wrench hidden in the side handle.
The Angle Grinder can be bought as a standalone tool for $59.97, but anyone who doesn’t have an appropriate battery to hand will want to buy the tool and battery set. Adding a 4Ah battery and the corresponding charger pushes the price up to a still-enticing $109. Like most of Ryobi’s power tools, the angle grinder is covered by a three-year limited warranty.
Ryobi 18V One+ Cordless 4.75 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum
Restoring and modifying a car is an inevitably messy process, and so to keep your workshop clean, you’ll need a suitably powerful vacuum. The Cordless 4.75 Gallon Wet/Dry Vacuum should tick all the right boxes, with up to 40 cubic feet per minute of suction. The vacuum runs on Ryobi’s 18V One+ battery, but unlike many of the other products here, the vacuum isn’t sold with a battery. So, you’ll have to buy one separately or use a battery pack from your existing collection of Ryobi tools.
It can be very annoying to misplace vacuum accessories, but the Ryobi vacuum features built-in accessory storage so that shouldn’t happen. A floor nozzle, crevice tool, and dust brush are all included in the accessory package. The vacuum hose itself is 5 feet long, which should be more than long enough for getting to those hard-to-reach places inside the car or behind your Ryobi Speed Bench (Why not keep your accessories on brand too?). The vacuum retails for $99.97, but as of this writing, is on sale for $79.00 on Ryobi’s website.
Ryobi 18V One+ ⅜-inch Impact Wrench
The 18V One+ ⅜-inch Impact Wrench could be just the kind of Ryobi tool you’d want for working your project car. It runs on Ryobi’s interchangeable 18V battery, with the tool available for $99.00 and a battery and charger kit bringing the total up to $129.00. The wrench produces up to 220 ft-lb of torque, making it a versatile companion for all types of jobs. At its maximum potency, it will deliver 3,400 impacts per minute. That’s an impressive figure given the compact size of the tool, and enough to thoroughly convince previous customers — customer reviews give the impact wrench an average 4.9 out of five stars on Ryobi’s website. Many reviews specifically praise the tool’s power, with some claiming it was even more powerful than they expected.
Power isn’t the only metric to define a great tool by, however — it also needs to be easy to operate. The Ryobi ⅜-inch Impact Wrench has things covered there too, with a non-slip handle for maximum grip and a built-in LED light to ensure you can see even when working in areas where standard shop lighting doesn’t reach.
Ryobi 18V One+ LED Light
Even in the best lit shop or garage, there will always be some places where it’s tricky to see what you’re doing. Be that underneath the car or in the depths of the engine bay, it’s always useful to have a portable and adjustable light around. The 18V One+ LED Light offers plenty of lighting versatility without breaking the bank, retailing for $29.97 on Ryobi’s website. That price excludes a battery pack and charger, both of which are sold separately. Although, given that the light runs on Ryobi’s 18V One+ battery, most buyers will be able to simply swap out an existing battery pack from another tool.
Depending on the battery pack, the LED light offers up to 22 hours of illumination between charges, with a maximum output of 280 lumens. The light can be rotated up to 130 degrees and reaches up to 500 feet, meaning it can double up as an everyday torch if needed too.
Ryobi 18V One+ Variable Speed Detail Polisher/Sander
Ryobi’s 18V One+ Variable Speed Detail Polisher/Sander will help ensure a restored car is looking its best, with a retail price of $129.00 on the toolmaker’s website. A switch lets users swap between two speeds — the slower polishing mode, reaching up to 2,800 rpm, and the faster sanding mode, reaching up to 7,800 rpm. A spindle lock ensures that switching between accessories for polishing and sanding is just as straightforward.
The tool comes with a variety of accessories, consisting of three sanding discs, a foam correcting pad, a foam finishing pad, and a wool pad. A further range of accessories, including a 16-piece detail sanding set, is listed as “coming soon” on Ryobi’s website as of this writing. Ryobi claims the polisher/sander should get as much as 60 minutes of runtime between charges, although only with a 9Ah 18V high-capacity battery pack.
Ryobi 18V One+ Jump Starter Kit
When doing any kind of project involving older cars, it’s always useful to keep jump leads handy. Relying on juice from the battery of your truck or personal car is one option, but a safer bet is to use the 18V One+ Jump Starter Kit. It delivers up to 1600 Amps, with a 2Ah 18V battery enough to provide up to 20 jump starts. The kit is capable of jump-starting even larger engines, with Ryobi claiming engines up to 6.0L shouldn’t be an issue.
It’s capable in all weathers too, being rated for operation in temperatures as low as -4 degrees Fahrenheit. Like many of Ryobi’s products, the jump starter kit includes a built-in LED light. It seems a little less useful here than in some of Ryobi’s other products unless your shop lights mysteriously cut out, but it’s never a bad thing to have extra features, even if you’re unlikely to use them.
Ryobi USB Lithium Rotary Tool Kit
Alongside the 3-in-1 screwdriver mentioned above, another useful workshop addition powered by Ryobi’s USB lithium technology is the USB Lithium Rotary Tool Kit. The kit includes a 2Ah battery and 15 accessories for a variety of both automotive and non-automotive tasks. As such, this is one of those tools you might find yourself reaching for even away from the demands of a restomod project.
The motor is powerful enough to reach up to 25,000 rpm, with five speeds available. The range of accessories mean the tool can be used for sanding, sharpening, or cleaning smaller components, making it useful at all stages of the restoration process. Anyone looking to add some extra flair to their build can also use the tool for carving and engraving, with the accessories needed to do all of the above included within the tool’s $59.97 retail price. To keep all those accessories in one place, the kit includes a carry case as well as a USB cable to keep the power topped up.
Ryobi 18V One+ 6-inch Two Speed Orbital Buffer
With enough power to buff a mid-size vehicle in one charge, the 18V One+ 6-inch Two Speed Orbital Buffer ensures that going cordless doesn’t have to mean compromising on convenience. Although, it’s not like changing the battery pack is so inconvenient anyway, especially if you already have several at your disposal. If you don’t, you can buy the tool as part of a set that includes a 2Ah battery and charger for $99.00. If you’re already kitted out with plenty of Ryobi 18V battery packs and don’t need another, the tool alone costs $44.97. The buffer’s two speeds can be toggled between using a simple switch, while the D-shaped handle offers extra precision even in harder-to-reach areas.
Its lower speed setting provides 3,000 orbits per minute, while the faster setting reaches 4,600 orbits per minute. The tool comes with a buffing bonnet included, but for repeated uses, additional buffing bonnets can be purchased for less than ten bucks apiece through Ryobi’s website.
