Talk Morgan Forums Community Welcome Forum Newbie -- tools?

Hello! Soon-to-be first-time Morgan (2016 Plus 4) owner here, and mechanical neophyte. Despite an appalling lack of wrenching skills for a man of my advanced years (you would have thought that somewhere along the line I would have had occasion to fix a thing or two, but no...), I have the ambition to try to dig in and try my hand. Which means I need... tools. I have now heard of the difference between imperial (which sounds rather fancy!) and metric (which sounds rather scientific!) tools, and that the Morgan requires both. Is this really true? Any advice on where to begin in terms of putting together a basic set? I've seen that Amazon sells a bewildering array of "car tool sets", some of which seem impressively comprehensive but also, well, suspiciously cheap. Are these "ok" for a rank amateur? ("Ok" is good enough for me by the way!).

Having spent the last month lurking on TalkMorgan I am so impressed by the knowledge, enthusiasm and generosity of this community. I look forward to being a member of it in the years to come.

Thank you. Adam.

I would have thought that by 2016 most stuff on your Morgan will be Metric.

There's the old adage of buy cheap, buy twice - however tools can be extortionately expensive and if you're a hobbyist then it's unlikely you're going to need top notch stuff.

I find draper/sealey/laser do good budget ranges that are more than good enough for what I need.

Welcome to TM Adam. Imperial size fixings on British cars started to fade in the early 1970's being replaced by metric which were already commonplace on European cars. Unfortunately the legacy of the sliding axle front suspension on Morgan's dictated the continued use of imperial size fixings in this and other general chassis and rear suspension areas, continuing to the very end of steel chassis Classic production in 2021. Bottom line you will need both metric for the engine/gearbox and imperial (for elsewhere) spanners and/or sockets to cover your car. There are rare exceptions but an imperial set with A/F (across flat) sizes will cover you for most front and rear suspension using UNF fixings.

Final note the replies that suggest the later Classics had switched to metric fixings exclusively is certainly not the case.

Same as the above from TBM .... you won't need snap-on and their prices but avoid the suspiciously under-priced.

One exception would to buy a decent breaker-bar ... I've never bust a socket (not even cheap ones) ... but I have broken/bent cheap breaker bars ... but a breaker bar is not usually included in a socket/toolkit so is a stand-alone purchase and can be of a better make.

Don't want to muddy the waters but some of my best and most loved tools have come from car-boot sales ... someone with a box of grandpa's old tools made back when tools were for life and just better quality (and Sweden is renowned for it's quality steel!) .... proper tools at a fraction of today's cost.

K

Thank you for these very helpful replies!

Adam

This may be sacrilege - and in fairness, I did buy the set 10-years ago - however, someone tipped me off that Halfords Advanced tool set was a good purchase.

At the time, they had a promotion and I picked a set up, which all came with a lifetime guarantee.

Honestly, the quality has surprised me and I've never had an issue with any element in the set.

Simon ... agree I have various Halfords bits and pieces amongst my tools and they've proved good quality (the chrome on them is particularly good and lasts) ... unfortunately if my local branch is anything to go by they're now a cycle shop with a few car bits. .... not sure they operate in Sweden though??

K

Good point K - I missed the OP's location; however, glad to hear that I am not alone in my experience with Halfords tools!

Welcome to TM Alan, enjoy your Plus 4

I'm sure you'll have lots of questions in the future and here at TM are some enthusiastic owners with great advice & knowledge

You will need a decent grease gun get a hand one not one of the large lever types it will become your most used tools. Also get a tyre pump and check them regularly I run my 2015 gdi on 22psi all round. Your car will generally be very reliable and easy to maintain. Plenty of advice on here and join your local morgan club. I hope you enjoy your new car I love mine don't be scared to get it wet they were built to be driven