So I have a mx5 artic (Pingu) and I’m just starting out in my mechanical life I had a mk2 before but everything that went wrong on that was a specialist job. I’m just wondering if anyone has any ideas on first/most important tools to buy. Many thanks in advance 
Diagnostic and routine maintenance really.
There is a good maxim “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
These cars are usually reliable, with rust being the main problem on older cars.
It all depends on how keen you are to get your hands dirty. I tend to avoid this most of the time, and can afford to pay for the garage to do messy stuff like routine oil changes or brake fluid etc up on a lift and working under the car.
I’ve collected a vast assortment of tools over the years, but most are never used, so when starting out it is best to buy the tool for the job when that job crops up.
Inexpensive things I’ve found useful on my NC MX5 are:
- Optical Thermometer mostly for checking on brake and hub temperatures, important.
- Tyre inflater, usually part of the kit with Mk3 and Mk4, important.
- Tyre pressure gauge in addition to the one on the inflater, important.
- Smart battery charger (eg Ctek etc) if the car is not used enough, important.
- OBDII reader for if/when the fault codes begin to appear - much cheaper than a visit to the garage.
- Set of assorted basic screwdrivers - typical Halfords bumper-pack.
- Multimeter, useful for example to reassure you the battery really is OK, or the bulb that looks OK but doesn’t light is actually blown, checking wires, etc.
- LED work-light with a big battery, used today.
Luxury goods are:
- A full metric socket set, good quality is expensive, some of the cheap ones seem to be made of cheese.
- A breaker bar if the set doesn’t have one.
- A full set (or two) of ring and open spanners, 8mm to 24mm and almost all sizes in between.
- A full set of ratchet rings, used today 14mm (rare in sets, but common on Mazda) and 17mm.
- Full sets of Allen Keys metric and imperial.
- For serious work good torque wrenches. I use mine once or twice a year, the small one today for example.
- Low, low trolley Jack and Axle stands. See SGS Engineering. Standard ones don’t go under the MX5.
This is for starters and just tools, I’m sure others will have their own lists for everything else. I’ve added links for some of the items I use acquired in the last ten years, some may already be no longer available but they give an indication of what to look for. Most of the rest I’ve had for so long no links exist.
The main problem is keeping them all in a useful place where they are easy to get to and won’t go rusty.
2 Likes
Thank you given me much to think about.
Most importantly buy quality rather than quantity, Aldi used to do a cracking 1/4" drive socket set (Tool Zone) for around £10 i have three of them, one in the car, one in my garage and one on my van which will get used almost daily.
This is from somebody who has been on the spanners for well over 40 years, your knuckles are more important than a cheap spanner, and one tip for you never ever use the open end of a spanner if you can get the ring end on.
Edit just to say, i am pretty sure either Lidl or Aldi have smart chargers on sale now around £13ish.
4 Likes
Great List RichardFX My top pick would be a smart charger.
The other thing I would reiterate is buy quality not quantity.
For example anything in the Halfords pro-range is a good bet particularily thier large socket sets (be aware the smaller sets do not cover all sizes). A comprehensive 3/8 drive set will be most useful and versatile rather than a set with all 3 sizes (1/4, 3/8 1/2)
I you are planning engine or suspension rebuilds you will need 1/2 drive buy the items seperately.
Middle of the road stuff I have bought and found to be more than upto the job have been Britol and Asta spanners Facom 1/4 socket set & ratchet screwdriver.
Finally be aware there are loads of fakes, for example Sealey and Draper are good brands but you have to be VERY careful who you buy it from. They do not sell a £15 puller or £20 Torque Wrench the real ones are likely to be twice that.
Good luck and get stuck in there is nothing too complicated on these fine little cars.
2 Likes
Thanks you not a bad shout there mate
Tools you need [sizes are based on a mk3]
Oil & Filter Change
17mm Spanner for the drain bolt.
10mm Spanner to remove the rear cover [not essential but a 10mm spanner is the most used I have found in any job]
12mm Spanner to remove the front cover allowing acces to the oil filter
Oil filter wrnech. Not always required but so much easier if you have one.
Air filter
A Japanese no 2 screwdriver or a standard phillips
Plugs.
a 10mm spanner [preferably a socket] to remove coil packs
a plug spanner, preferably a socket with a 2 inch extension
fan belt.
10 and 12mm sockets/spanners to remove the battery & tray
14mm spanner to release the tensioner.
These are the absolute minimum to get these jobs done. Single tools are much more expensive than buying in sets. If I was starting again I would start with:
Be careful of Halfords socket sets sold on Ebay, the older ones had a load of imperial sockets which you don’t need so it’s money wasted
https://www.sgs-engineering.com/tjl2-2-tonne-low-profile-trolley-jack
https://www.sgs-engineering.com/jsr2-axle-stands
This will get you 90%+ of the tools you need to tackle any job on an MX5 for under £200 and they will out last you if you don’t lose them
3 Likes
I would add a pair of drive on ramps to that list above. I wouldn’t be without mine and sometimes it’s just easier to get the car up in the air if the wheels don’t need to come off.
3 Likes
I have ramps, The car tends to chase them around the garage. Good for the rear wheels though!
^^^ Add helper ramps (sturdy strips of timber😁) to get the front of the car on them.
I need the strips of timber under the wheels to get the trolley jack under the sill, I’m to mean to invest in a low jack, well not yet.
5 Likes
Got that tool kit it’s brill, plus a breaker bar, and ideally a torque wrench,
Axle stands x 2, 4 is a luxury.
The Halfords trolly jack. Never work on the car just held on a jack. If you take the wheels off stick them under the sills as extra backup.
1 Like
Agreed on Halfords Professional socket sets
Also, Halfords torque wrenches are rebranded from a top manufacturer.
Use your 10% discount as a MX5 club member
This is a great forum entry. Thank you. I was about to start new thread but glad I searched around before I did. 
Under £200? Has inflation increased that much where the Halfords tool kit alone is now £195?
Indeed it has. But they are good and have a lifetime warranty, plus they have ‘offers’ every now and then.
If you join the club you can get 8% discount so something to consider.
Joined the club a few weeks ago. Now it’s time to buy a tool kit. 
2 Likes