Somehow every project vehicle I’ve gotten acquainted with has had one sacred tool I always need. I think my Integra could have been completely disassembled with a 10 millimeter socket. In my Scout, everything comes apart with a Phillips-head screwdriver. What tool does the most to keep your car alive?

The Scout is sort of a special case because it’s been so sloppily maintained and modified by previous owners it’s hard to know where the factory-work ends and the redneck improvisation begins. Though I suppose that’s a bit redundant, considering anyway.

If I’m heading out of my house to work on my truck and I only have one hand to hold tools (since the other is usually loaded with an aluminum can) I’ll grab a pair of vice grips, Phillips and flat-head screwdrivers, needle-nose pliers, a 5/8ths and a 1/2 inch wrench. And zip-ties. You always need zip ties. But I never get more than a few steps into any project without needing to unscrew something.

What’s the “master key” to working on your car?