5 More Harbor Freight Tools Perfect For Working On Your Project Car

Even if you buy a cool, cheap project car, if you're not careful you can still end up spending a fortune on the tools you'll need to work on it. Most novice wrenchers will already have the basics handy, but over the course of any project, you'll almost certainly need to add to your toolkit at some point. If you're strapped for cash, this can pose a problem, but there are several ways to keep your equipment costs down.

One of the easiest is simply to buy your tools somewhere cheap, like Harbor Freight. Despite its low prices, many of the store's tools will be more than up to the task for at-home car projects, making the retailer a great place to stock up on additional gear. We previously picked out five must-have tools from Harbor Freight's wide range of automotive products, but since then, the retailer has launched a number of new products and improved tools that are also well worth considering if you're working on a project car. We think these five are among the best of that bunch.

Icon's G1 line of ratchets already racked up plenty of fans, but the recently launched G2 line improves on what was already a winning formula. There are a few important differences between the G1 and G2 ratchets, including that the G2 now has sealed heads and a redesigned locking mechanism. Several other, smaller quality improvements have also been made, but the G2 line still remains affordably priced, like all of Harbor Freight's best tools are.

A range of sizes are available within the G2 line, including the Icon G2 ⅜-Inch Drive, 14-Inch Long Locking Flex Ratchet. It retails for $69.99 and, like other G2 flex ratchets, features 132 degrees of flex range across nine locking positions. It's one of a trio of G2 flex ratchets that Icon currently offers, with a ¼-inch drive, 9-inch ratchet and a ½-inch drive, 26-inch ratchet also available for $54.99 and $119.99, respectively.

Whether you're sanding down panels, polishing paint, or restoring your car's headlights, there are many reasons you might need a polisher/sander when you're working on a project car. The Bauer 12-Amp, 7-Inch Variable-Speed Rotary Polisher/Sander is a wired tool and so doesn't rely on costly cordless battery packs to function, plus it's compatible with a variety of pads and bonnets that can be bought at Harbor Freight for a few extra bucks apiece.

It retails for $99.99 and offers eight speed settings ranging between 600 rpm and 3,500 rpm, so it's suitable for a wide variety of jobs. It features a locking trigger for improved comfort on longer jobs and weighs 7.5 pounds, making it easy to handle for less mobile wrenchers. The tool ships with a 10-foot power cord, which should cut down the times you'll need to find an extension lead. As well as the tool itself, Bauer also includes a wrench, a socket screw, a seven-inch backing pad, and two extra brushes.

Plastic trim can be found in almost all modern cars to some degree, as well as plenty of older cars. If you're working on an older car with faded plastic trim, there are various DIY methods to restore the trim yourself. However, in order to work on the trim, you'll need to be able to remove it from the car. That's where Harbor Freight's Maddox 12-Piece Trim Panel Scraper Set comes in — for $24.99, it includes all the common types of trim scraper you'll need including a heavy duty steel panel clip remover.

The set comes with a nylon carry case to keep all of the scraper tools in, so you shouldn't have to worry about losing the tools in a crowded toolbox. Aside from the metal clip remover, all of the tools are made from glass-filled nylon, which ensures that they can remove trim pieces without causing damage to the surrounding fittings.

Most project cars either start off partly broken or will end up with something breaking during the course of the project, and that means you'll need a way to work out what's gone wrong. The $79.99 Cen-Tech Digital Inspection Camera lets you take a look inside components or in awkward spaces you wouldn't otherwise be able to see, and can potentially save you lots of time and effort by ensuring you don't disassemble anything unnecessarily.

The tool features a 2.4-inch screen attached to a waterproof camera on a 38-inch long cable. The tool's 320 x 240 resolution screen isn't ideal, but it should still be enough to give you a good impression of which parts needs further investigation. The images can also be viewed on a larger external monitor if you want a clearer image. In order to use the tool, you'll need four AA batteries, which aren't included with the camera.

If you're a keen wrencher, you might already have a cordless impact wrench from a major brand. If not, the Bauer 20V Brushless Cordless, ½-Inch High-Torque Impact Wrench Kit is an affordable, capable alternative to those big-name brands. As well as the wrench itself, the kit also includes a Bauer 20V 5.0Ah battery and a charger, with both the battery and charger being compatible with other cordless Bauer 20V tools. The impact wrench packs plenty of power, with a maximum output of 650 lb-ft of fastening torque and 1,000 lb-ft of breakaway torque.

It also features a built-in LED light, which helps illuminate dimly lit workspaces. It might also come in handy if you need to change a tire in bad light conditions when you're out on the road, and since it's compact and weighs only 5.8 pounds, it won't take up much space in a travel tool kit. The impact wrench kit retails for $159.99, making it the priciest purchase here. However, since it's both a useful tool and a great entry point into Bauer's cordless tool range, it's arguably well worth the money.