Firebird Restoration Tools: Harbor Freight vs. The Competition – Part 4

The Underbody

If it's going to be done right, every phase of restoring a vehicle is important. I mean, you wouldn't just rebuild or replace the carb, throw on some new paint and upholstery, and call it done (although, that's exactly what a lot of guys do). That thinking will bite you in the butt down the road-- literally. That's why the underbody gets the same attention as everything else. So... let's talk tools:

Last month I started a series illustrating how much more bang for the buck a wrencher can get from  Harbor Freight Tools than they could the competition. Using the '67 Firebird Restoration project as my example, I've been breaking it down phase by phase, comparing the prices of tools used in the project with similar (if not exact) products that the competition advertises. The competitors I chose were Sears, Northern Tool, Home Depot, Lowe's and Grainger. Exact matches weren't always found, so I substituted the closest product available. As I've said before, I don't think this compromises the test because we're only talking about differences in size and shape, not power or function.

In the first segment, we looked at Harbor Freight's tools used in the vehicle's disassembly video. In the second, we explored price differences on the engine removal phase. In the third installment, we featured the tools employed in the stripping and priming process. This time we're only featuring two tools for the underbody:

•  Pacific Hydrostar 4 HP, 2000 PSI Gas Pressure Washer $249.99   (California-only Model)

Using a heavy-duty industrial de-greaser, this powerful 2000 PSI gas pressure washer is unstoppable against old, caked-on grease, oil and dirt that's accumulated on your vehicle's underbelly. Pumping out 1.6 gallons a minute, the machine is EPA-certified and easily portable on two rubber wheels. It's got a mighty four-stroke 4 HP gas engine with a cast-iron cylinder for maximum durability, pump-overheat protection, overload protection and low-oil shutdown for extra safety.

• Sears - Craftsman 2200 PSI Gas-Powered Pressure Washer - $249.99
• Northern Tool - Wel-bilt 2500 PSI Gas-Powered Pressure Washer - $249.99
• Home Depot - Simpson MegaShot 2200 PSI Gas-Powered Pressure Washer - $269.99
• Lowe's - Simpson MegaShot 2200 PSI Gas Pressure Washer - $269.99
• Grainger - Generac #5987 2500 PSI Cold Water Gas Pressure Washer - $499.25

• Central Pneumatic Portable Abrasive Blaster Kit $34.99

You can't beat the quality and value of this great, little blaster! In the video they used it for blasting rust from the undercarriage, but that's just one of a zillion things you can use this tool on. Car restoration, firearm parts, tool cabinets, barbecues, metal beams, aluminum wheels, tools, to name a few. Use slag media, silica, walnut or pecan shells, sand, glass bead, steel grit and more. The portable abrasive blaster kit comes with a blast gun, 15-ft. material hose and a hopper than can hold up to 50 lbs. of abrasive media. Just hook it up to a 1 HP or larger compressor and easily remove paint, rust, graffiti, corrosion and scale.