It started 2 weeks ago when my dad's Tahoe slipped off the jack because the lifting pad broke. Cracked the running board some but nothing noticable or important. Then my set of drill bits turned out to be urine dipped instead of titanium dipped (or whatever stuff they're supposed to use.) My impact gun wont break my lugnuts loose, I broke a 1/2" extension using a ratchet and breaker bar, and my mityvac seal was dried out so pumping it was damn near impossible. Also my torque wrench's lock has been broken for the past year or two, I think it was finished off when my dad was using it kept pushing after the click. Turns out he was waiting for the second click like when I use it, so he kept tightening

If I remember right the jack and drill bits were bought at the same vendor at a swapmeet, the extensions were bought at a different swap, and the impact gun cost $30 and came from Home Depot. I'll take blame for the mityvac since I may have gotten some coolant inside it. The torque wrench is a craftsman, with a 1 year warantee that ended years ago.

Then I found out my Auto Meter electric oil pressure gauge reads 10 psi lower than it should. At least the two non-automotive mechanical guages I tried agree to disagree with it.

When will it end? Now my shopping list includes some kind of low profile, fairly light yet strong jack, a torque wrench that doesn't fall apart (aparently it needs instructions printed on the handle too), the drill bits and extension can hold off for a while, but the oil pressure guage should be fixed soon. I have a Motive brake bleeder on the way, but a good impact gun will have to slide to the back burner again. My big brake upgrade and LT1 intake are somewhere towards the top of that list, but they're loosing ground quick.

Besides 'stop buying cheap stuff' any suggestions?

I hate to tell you this, but as long as you're wrenching your own stuff, you'll always find the "weakest link" in your tool box. After replacing the engine in my son's Integra, I discovered my 12 volt test light is broken, several sockets wandered off, one broke, and the rubber pad on my floor jack fell apart. I make at least one trip a month to replace lost, broken, or junk tools. Buy yourself a decent impact wrench, and your Dad some torque sticks. Hide your new torque wrench.

I break stuff a few time's a week, but that's normal when you use it every few min's all day long

What's you lookin to pay for a lt1 intake?

I feel your pain. All the cheap tools my mom likes to buy me for birthdays/Christmas are usually the weakest link. I don't mind having spares, but when you break all the Chinese 10/12/15mm sockets it starts to be a pain in the ass.

I've been lucky lately though *knock on wood*. I've been breaking drill bits left and right, but the set was $5 after rebate at Ace. Not worth crying over. I do have a drill bit sharpener on my Christmas list though. Haha.

I just wish I had more time before the event [Friday] to get my T5 in... and the money for the clutch/PP/flywheel

Next on the tool upgrade list is a bigger air compressor though. I was trimming my fiberglass hood today and the damn thing couldn't even keep up with a 3" cutoff wheel

Thanks for all the encouragement. I've been breaking stuff for years now, but it's been much worse lately. So much stuff has been going on this year either with the car or my schedule that I haven't made it to any autocrosses at all. I may have to join another club that has a schedule that matches mine better.

John, I have the intake already but need it machined along with some other parts to go with it.

Even decent tools are "consumables" if you use them often enough. It's another part of what makes this "hobby" proof of the laws of entropy. I try not to think about the number of tools that break or magically disappear over the course of a year. And this thread hasn't even touched on our cars' abilities to break/consume parts on a regular basis. My two favorite quotes regarding that are: "My Camaro goes through rotors like I go through potato chips." and "There isn't a part made that this car can't break!".