If you've decided to tackle the body chores of your current project, orare even considering it, you've probably been overwhelmed by theassortment of tools that are available. And chances are you've beenoverwhelmed with the cost of some of them too! There's an amazing arrayof specialized body tools, and costs can get out of hand quickly; butyou still need to have the right tools for the job. So where do youstart? There's a big difference between collision and restoration repairso the first order is to figure out what your goals are. Someone with aMIG welder and some basic metalworking skills can install a set offloorpans in their vintage Ford without a fully stocked body shop, butif you have a car with the front bumper wrapped under the footwell froma banzai encounter with an unsuspecting light pole, you'll probably needto enlist the help of some professionals. Either way, you're stillgoing to need a basic set of body tools to start off with. A great placeto shop is The Eastwood Company. The company has been providingspecialty tools to the automotive hobbyist for over 25 years, and itsselection and value are second to none.
We've put together a list of what I think are "must haves" in the bodyshop. Many of them are multipurpose, making them economical purchasesthat cross over to other repair areas, and some of them arespecific-duty. All of them will save you time and energy when you reachfor the right tool for the job!