5 Harbor Freight Tools You'll Want For Your Next Classic Car Restoration Project

Bringing a timeworn classic car back to life is a rewarding endeavor, whether you opt for a show-class original restoration or take a more flexible restomod or pro touring approach. Some classics can also give you a substantial return on your investment of time and money. Even if you don't make a profit, you'll still have a cool car to drive while most other folks are stuck in one of the many boring, all-too-similar current models. Victorian-era writer and philosopher Thomas Carlyle wrote, "Man is a tool using animal. Without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all." 

Carlyle died a few years before the world's first car hit the road, but the old Scotsman could have been talking to backyard mechanics who would come along generations after his death. Harbor Freight was founded in 1977 and has since grown to a chain of more than 1,500 stores with 28,000 employees, in part because of its comprehensive selection of tools for auto repair and maintenance. Some of the tools from the automotive section of Harbor Freight's website are especially suited to restoring or resto-modding classic cars.  

Most old cars come with at least a few dings and dents in the sheet metal. If there is significant damage, you can certainly choose to replace body panels, but it's often hard to find a donor car that doesn't have significant rust or other damage. It's also tremendously satisfying to smooth out imperfections in old metal, and for that purpose, you'll want to consider the Maddox Body And Fender Set that Harbor Freight sells for $49.99. This kit includes three hammers and four dollies to support the metal behind the hammer as you work. 

The seven tools come in a custom case that keeps them safe and organized. The hammerheads and dollies are made of carbon steel, and the hammer handles are stainless steel with rubberized non-slip grips. Harbor Freight customers give this kit an average rating of 4.8 out of five stars, and 99% of the nearly 700 buyers who left a review recommended the kit to others.

Once you've smoothed out all the creases and dents in your project car's sheet metal, it's time to remove the old paint and surface rust. The Bauer 5-inch Random Orbit Palm Sander can make quick work of these tasks and is currently on sale for $39.99, a $5 discount off the regular price. This sander has a 2.8-amp motor that makes 13,000 orbits per minute that cover just 3/32 of an inch to minimize swirling and the need for additional sanding. 

It has a rubber palm grip and a six-speed control dial for comfort and control, and the detachable dust collector helps keep your work area clean. However, you should always wear goggles, a dust mask, and hearing protection when using an electric sander. Sanding discs attach via hook-and-loop fasteners, and this sander has an average rating of 4.6 out of five stars and a 96% recommendation rate from more than 4,000 buyers.  

Once your classic car has been sanded down to bare metal, and it's time to apply fresh paint, you'll want the Avanti Handheld HVLP Paint & Stain Sprayer that Harbor Freight sells for $79.99. It has a high-volume low-pressure nozzle and variable-pressure two-finger trigger to minimize overspray and waste. The 1-1/2-quart twist-off paint cup allows you to cover up to 40 square feet between refills, and the 3.2-pound weight means you can work for long stretches without fatigue. 

The power cord is just 6 feet long, so you'll want to have an extension cord handy to get comfortably to all sides of your car. This sprayer has an average rating of 4.4 out of five stars and a recommendation rate of 89% from more than 2,400 buyers. Many customers praised the ease of use and cleanup, although a handful wished that Avanti would offer a bigger paint reservoir.

A car with the smoothest and most even paint finish is of no use if its engine is shot. When it comes time to pull the old engine for a rebuild or replacement, an engine hoist is absolutely necessary. An electric hoist makes quick work of this task while helping you save valuable energy, provided you have a sturdy garage ceiling to attach the hoist to. You might expect these important and powerful tools to be expensive, but Harbor Freight carries a Pittsburgh Electric Hoist with Remote Control for $159.99. This particular model has a maximum capacity of 1,300 pounds and a 39-foot-long, 3/16-inch thick braided steel cable with a steel pulley-style hook that allows you to double the cable up for added safety.  

The load capacity of this hoist is more than enough to handle even the heaviest car and light truck engines. The 1,200-watt, 1-5/8 horsepower motor can reel in a single strand of cable at up to 33 feet per minute (FPM), and a doubled-up line at half that rate. It's not only suitable for engine removal and replacement; you can use it to lift Jeep hardtops or any other heavy loads with the appropriate straps or rope. The Pittsburgh hoist has a rating of 4.5 out of five stars from more than 400 buyers, with many of them praising the hoist's versatility and ease of use.

Once your classic project car is freshly painted and has its new engine installed, you might need to put in new fuel, brake, or air conditioning lines. Routing these steel or copper lines usually requires putting some bends in them, and bending lines by hand can create kinks that obstruct fluid flow. The Doyle Premium Ratcheting Tube Bender Kit that Harbor Freight sells for $139.99 can help you make bends smoothly and easily. 

It can be operated with one hand for bends up to 90 degrees in both directions, and comes with seven color-coded mandrels that fit tubing from 1/4-inch to 7/8-inch. The commercial-grade steel kit comes with a latching plastic case for storage and transportation and has an average rating of 4.6 out of five stars. Many reviewers mentioned the convenience of the reverse-direction attachment and the kit's versatility for various types and sizes of tubing.