I've had quite a few questions about tools over the years, might as well make a thread with some recommendations for STARTER tools. There can be quite a few required items for basic repairs so I'm listing exact brand items that I've used that are accurate enough, last long enough, are durable enough, and that I have either personally used or know folks who use. I am only listing METRIC sockets/wrenches since this is mostly pertaining to working on an Infiniti and you won't find a single SAE bolt on the G35.

You can always step up to a better (and more expensive) brand later to replace items as they wear, but for initially diving in to your own automotive repairs I'm keeping this list as BUDGET MINDED as possible because I know most younger folks are working on a very limited budget so here we go! Most of these items can be purchased through Amazon by searching for the manufacturer and part number. For reference I am including the current Amazon price on all these items so you have an idea how much each will set you back.

Sockets, one of the most used items EVER. I prefer the Performance Tool brand, they are durable workhorse sockets that hold up to an extreme level of use, only use a 6 point socket on a 6 point bolt. NEVER use a 12 point socket on a 6 point bolt... EVER... this kit comes with a plastic blow mold case to keep everything organized and has a short and long extension.
Performance Tool W38914 - $45.41

This kit does NOT come with a shallow 12mm so you will need to buy it separately,
Performance Tool W38212 - $4.82

Wrenches, gear wrenches are great, but expensive. You will always need a standard set of non-gear wrenches so might as well get them first.
Performance Tool W1062 - $20.29

If you want to splurge and buy ratcheting wrenches, they are VASTLY superior for loosening/tightening a fastener that you cannot get a socket on and I do recommend them at some point.
Performance Tool W30642 - $87.21

Extra extensions, many times you cannot get to a bolt without adding a lot of extensions.
Performance Tool W38152 - $12.12

An item that I won't put a part number on, a smaller diameter length of pipe that will fit over the handle of your 3/8 drive ratchet to give you more leverage for breaking loose bolts, roughly 16" long. The PT ratchet can take a lot of abuse but everything has it's limit. I personally have never broken a PT ratchet and I use it for breaking loose things that are 14mm or smaller. Any round metal stock will work, a 3/4" trade size piece of electrical EMT would probably be perfect, I'm sure one of your local electrical shops throws away stuff like that all the time. I personally have an old piece of a shotgun barrel that I cut down decades ago.

At some point you will also be dealing with larger bolts typically found on the suspension/chassis. You will need 1/2" drive for those bolts because the 3/8" drive head isn't strong enough and will snap, you can get away with just using the 1/2" drive to break the initial torque and then use your 3/8 drive stuff to remove/install the fastener and finish with the 1/2" torque wrench. Thus I'm not listing a 1/2" drive ratchet or extra extensions, just know that when you get into some items like bellhousing bolts you WILL need a bunch of 1/2" drive extensions.

1/2" breaker bar, again, get an even LONGER pipe handle extension, I use an old piece of 1 1/4" fence post 24" long as my handle extension
Performance Tool W32119 - $14.15

1/2" drive metric sockets for the breaker bar I recommend getting impact rated ones since you might opt for an impact wrench as well.
Tekton 4817 - $33.95

1/2" drive short extension, a few bolts on the suspension need a couple extra inches for the breaker bar, you will also need one for your lug nuts.
Tekton 4971 - $15.43

You will also need a single 21mm 1/2" deep socket for your lug nuts, shallow doesn't quite reach onto the points of the fastener correctly, I strongly recommend keeping this socket, the 1/2" breaker bar, and the 1/2" drive short extension in your trunk with the spare tire since it's infinitely better than the factory lug wrench.
Tekton 47812 - $11.51

As important as loosening your fastener is it's also EQUALLY important to properly TORQUE your fasteners. Broken bolts are no fun and a very common mistake among less experienced mechanics, torque wrench everything. Initially you can get away with not purchasing the 1/2" drive wrench since the 3/8 drive will handle almost everything. I'm listing it though because the wheel lug nut torque is 80 ft/lbs and you never use a torque wrench at it's minimum or maximum value.
1/2" drive Tekton 10-150 ft/lbs
Tekton 24335 - $40.00

3/8 drive Tekton 10-80 ft/lbs
Tekton 24330 - $39.38

1/4 drive Tekton 20-200 INCH/lbs
Tekton 24320 - $37.95

Socket adapter set, so you can use your 1/4" drive torque wrench with your 3/8" drive sockets, this little kit has held up well and includes adapters to go from ANYTHING to ANYTHING.
Neiko 30249A - $7.99

 

Now that sockets/wrenches are covered it's time to dive into other hand tools. First however lets talk about something to protect YOUR HANDS, GLOVES. I've had great success with these, they come in a 15 pack, are thin enough to not impede dexterity at all while still protecting you from scrapes.
Grease Monkey Gorilla Grip - $30

Pry bar kit, most components won't just fall off when they're unbolted, they get wedged into place and will require a little prying to dislodge, don't waste your time on anything but a hardened steel prybar kit or you're just going to be annoyed bending your prybar back into shape.
Titan TIT17101 - $24.24

Next is my Most Used Tool™ according to other guys at the shop, a 45 degree angle head set of needle nose pliers. It's hard to describe how handy these things are, I use them for removing nearly EVERY wire harness (squeeze the clip with your pliers instead of your fingers) as well as nearly every squeeze hose clamp, as well as popping various hoses off by gently prying against the back of it on it's hose nipple, removing random clips. Super handy.
South Bend SBLN8BNP - $12.37

Channel lock pliers, you will probably need these to grab onto larger hoses to twist them off of the hose nipple, things like radiator hoses and such.
Channellock GS3 - $39.95

Few screwdrivers, I recommend a smaller flat, a larger flat, a mid sized shaft #2 phillips. The Craftsman multi screwdriver set has been around for probably as long as I have and is probably the most widely used screwdriver set in the world. It's not GREAT, certainly not Klein or anything like that but they're workhorses and will get the job done for the cost of a single Klein screwdriver.
Craftsman CMHT65044 - $16.98

A hammer, doesn't need to be fancy, not going to list a manufacturer or price, there's a good chance you know someone that will give you one for free...

Last couple items I'll throw on here, service jack and jackstands. Since these are the two most expensive items I suggest you try to find someone locally that has a used service jack you can purchase, people sell them ALL THE TIME because they don't know how to bleed air out of the hydraulic and think it "stopped working". Look up a youtube video on bleeding a service jack, it takes a flat blade screwdriver to push the rubber air purge plug to the side to let the air out and sometimes you have to add a little more hydraulic oil. Usually super easy to fix. If you want to purchase them new Big Red Torin is a decent budget brand, I've used many of their service jacks. Make sure to get the 3ton, don't get a light duty service jack if you can help it.
Big Red T83002 - $144.19

Jackstands... regardless of the brand INSPECT THE WELDS and always TEST THEM FIRST before you crawl under the car on a new set of stands. Once the car is planted try to rock it around make sure you have good stands. Don't ever store your jackstands outside and let them get rusty or YOU WILL DIE when your car falls on you and crushes you... also don't be afraid to just leave the hydraulic jack under the car lightly resting on the jack point as an extra point of insurance.
Again, Big Red Torin makes some decent stands, if you're only going to own one set (4 total so you can get the whole car off the ground) I recommend getting 6 ton stands, the main reason is you can get the car HIGHER to comfortably crawl around under it with 6 ton stands. 3 ton stands just don't work well for automotive use in my opinion, at least nothing that requires you to actually be under the vehicle. If you were just doing brakes then yeah 3 ton stands would be fine... first set should always be 6 ton though.
Big Red T46202 - $60 per pair, for major repairs you will need two pairs so the entire vehicle is supported.

If you own a G35 COUPE you will not be able to fit a service jack under the front lift point, you will need a set of low profile ramps. These work perfectly, you will need 2 pairs, set them in front of all 4 wheels, back up a tad to get a bit of a running start at the ramps, drive onto all 4 simultaneously. The front stops are pretty aggressive so you would need to really screw up to drive the car off these ramps. If you don't have ramps you can drive the front tires onto some lengths of 2x6 wood, that gives JUST enough room to jack up the front to set a second piece of 2x6 under the tires, then jack up the rear and set those tires on a double set of 2x6, then go back to the front and jack up the front and place it on jackstands, then go to the rear and jack it up to put it on jackstands. It works, it's $100 cheaper than buying these ramps, but it is a little time consuming...
Discount Ramps Low Profile Plastic Car Service Ramps 2 Pack - $49.48, you will need two sets for a total of 4 ramps.

A couple optional items that can really improve the quality of life but aren't NECESSARY for most repairs.

Electric impact wrench, yes pneumatic is better and cooler, but you need a compressor big enough to handle it and you can easily end up spending $1000 on a compressor and $250 for an impact wrench. Electric will get the job done, I'm not going to recommend any particular brand, something 1/2" drive to break loose the bigger/heftier bolts though. Fortunately the G35 is mostly light-duty as far as bolts are concerned and the only ones that have any big torque applied to them are the CV axle main bolt and the engine pulley main bolt. Everything else is 120lbs or less and pretty much any cheap 1/2" electric impact wrench will handle that. For the sake of price lets just say I randomly picked this one from Amazon that has good reviews, never used it before, this is simply for a price.
Porter Cable 1/2" drive hog ring impact wrench PCE211 - $74.21

1/4" drive impact driver, super handy for all your bolts 12mm or smaller, quickly zip bolts off without having to spend so much time on the wrench. Battery impact drivers are a lot more convenient but will always have a tool that will inevitably be obsolete one day when it's batteries are toast and aren't available. You will only find impact drivers as a cordless battery operated tool and thus will be more expensive, DeWalt makes a great kit for $100 but for budget you can get by with a cheap set, never used this one but it will probably function as needed.
Forte ID20B - $50

Pairs well with this adapter kit so you can use 1/4, 3/8 drive sockets/extensions.
Lexivon impact grade socket adapter set LX-101 - $7.97

 

Other items that I didn't list.
-Plastic funnel for lubricants
-Rags, LOTS AND LOTS OF RAGS. Don't bother with those blue paper towel things, just buy shop towels they're far more versatile and won't rip. Feel free to use old garments that have holes or don't fit, a rag is a rag and you'll use a LOT of rags.
-3M #35 electrical tape in ORANGE, unplug a hose or wire, wrap tape around and write on it with a sharpie to label where it goes. This tape is the industry standard, it holds up to being oily, sticks great, sharpie stays put and doesn't smear once it's dried.
-LED flashlights/shop lights, a few of them, gotta have light to work.
-Not really pertinent to the G35 but anytime you're working on a truck it helps to have a plastic step stool (doubles as something to sit on while doing brakes) like the Rubbermaid RM-P2 for $32
-Retractable razor knife with those brake-off blades
-Cardboard, more comfortable than laying on gravel or concrete and when it gets dirty/oily throw it away. You can also use a large old rug but it's more expensive.
-Safety glasses, when under a car you will oftentimes dislodge grime that can get in your eyes, just throw the glasses on anytime you're doing something that might get debris in them.
-Orange hand cleaner and a nylon dishes scrub brush, the guys may think oily hands is cool but the girls typically don't. Maybe you're into guys though, I'm not judging, just be happy, with clean hands. Plus petroleum based products and other chemicals cause cancer, skin is the largest organ of your body, keep your hands clean.

Don't bother with a toolbox, just keep all your stuff in a few of the cardboard boxes that Amazon delivered them in, toolboxes are expensive and most of your stuff is going to be in it's own plastic blow mold case anyways. Cardboard boxes are easy to transport if you need to keep your tools in a closet or stacked in the corner or something.

If you purchased all the recommended hand tools it's almost exactly $400 (excluding the $80 for the ratcheting wrenches)
The service jack, jackstands, and ramps are an additional $375
Impact wrenches in 1/2 and 1/4hex will be an additional $125 and those are completely optional, they just make things happen faster.

That will get you pretty much everything you need to do any auto repair aside from specialty tools/pullers/etc. Buy those only when you actually need them.

At some point you will want to pick up a 1/4" drive set of sockets, ratchet, extension. Same goes for hex sockets, torx sockets, etc. Basically treat all this stuff the same as you would any other specialty tools and purchase them when you actually NEED THEM.

Most of the items on this list can be purchased for FAR FAR less money, those prices I listed were brand new items on Amazon. Don't be afraid to spread the word to friends' parents, facebook, etc that you're looking to pick up various tools (heck print off this list and pass it around, I don't care). You'll find a lot of situations where people are upgrading their existing tools to something newer/better and will part with their previous stuff for a fraction of the price. There are also great used deals on facebook marketplace and craigslist where people purchase an item for a single job then sell it used when they're done with it rather than storing things like service jacks, jackstands, engine stands, cherry pickers, etc.

I'll finish by throwing out recommendations for various lubricants and greases and such.

If it calls for "lithium grease or moly grease" Valvoline VV986
"Silicone grease" for plastic and such AGS Sil-Glyde
Disc brake slide pins Permatex 24110
Non-permanent blue threadlocker Loctite 242/243, same thing one is mil-spec
Permanent red threadlocker Loctite 272
Gasket maker for oil pans, valve covers, etc, Permatex Ultra Grey

I'm sure many other folks will chime in with recommendations as well as their own experiences. Please keep it civil, this thread is a BEGINNER RECOMMENDATION for someone just starting out, there are obviously going to be better options, there are probably also many things I forgot to mention. I'll add to this post if needed.

 

Feel it's necessary to clarify this mostly applies only to sockets. Most of your closed end wrenches will be 12 point.

Other random thoughts.

​​​​​​-Never use your torque wrench as a breaker bar, you should probably never even touch the fwd/reverse lever on the torque wrench... It's for tightening up bolts and nothing else. Use your 1/2" drive breaker bar.

-Always zero out the torque wrench to it's lowest calibrated value when your finished using it. Don't store it all wound up to a higher torque. Also, don't unwind your torque wrench past the lowest value. Zero is zero is zero.

-To convert INCH/lbs to ft/lbs divide the number by 12.

-Don't try to get bolts tight with your impact wrench or impact driver, it's far too easy to accidentally overtorque fasteners and break the head off or strip out the threads. Stop when the fastener is screwed down all the way. Use your torque wrench.

-Carcinogens and YOU! Yes these various oils, grease, fuel, and fluids are carcinogenic. This means you should make every attempt to keep them off your skin and out of your eyes and mouth. Wash your hands thoroughly with the orange hand cleaner when you're done working. Do NOT clean your hands with Brake cleaner! Solvents are terrible for your skin and can rapidly transport those toxic chemicals directly through your skin because that's what solvents do...

-Dispose of your chemical fluid waste (oil, gasoline, coolant) in a safe and legal manner. Most auto supply houses will have oil recycling as well as coolant and other fluids. If you need containers use milk jugs or another HDPE container because they are chemical resistant. You can also contact your local waste management if you're having a hard time find a way to dispose of stuff. Do NOT dig a hole in your backyard and fill it up with toxic waste! I will hex you, no bullsh!t, I will make an effigy in your likeness and curse you for this life and the next.

 

The heroes over at Nicoclub are gracious enough to leave the factory service manuals on their website for anyone to use for free with no account needed. I STRONGLY recommend everyone to download the entire FSM for your specific car.

The document starts at FWD-Forward. Save it on your PC or in your Google drive if you have a Gmail account.

Sometimes Nissan North America gets dickish and threatens Nico with legalities about those FSM's, don't just expect that they'll be on that site forever because lawyers are real.

https://www.nicoclub.com/infiniti-service-manuals

 

reserved4me

 

Great list, and high quality post as always!

2nd for the awesomeness of ratcheting gear wrenches. If you can't stomach the price yourself, it may be in a good price range for a b-day/xmas suggestion to close family.. ask me how I got my set!

To add to your LED light suggestion, small magnetic lights are really handy any time you're working under the car or in the wheel wells.

Just to add a few things that are a little more specific for 'beginner mechanic projects':
Spark Plug Socket - $6 - These are often included in larger socket sets, but they fit nicely in the plug wells and have a rubber doughnut at the bottom to capture the spark plug and drag it back out.
Telescoping Magnet - $10 - You're gunna drop bolts/nuts, and when you hear the dreaded silence of that lil bastard not hitting the ground, you'll be glad you have one. Pricier ones even come with an LED light for extra findyness!
Multimeter - $12 - Helps diagnose battery/alternator issues, plus tons of other uses for wiring/troubleshooting.
Digital Measurement Calipers - $12 - Measure bolt heads/threads, figure out what size o-ring you need, easier and more accurate than a tape measure for small stuff. Just don't get the cheap ones wet!

And lastly, if you're of age - an ice cold beer.

 

Magnetic spark plug socket is even better than the ones with the rubber boot.

And magnetic tool trays to hold your nuts/bolts.

 

Good stuff.

I know we can't have this huge list of everything since this is intended for the budget-minded new mechanic, but I'd definitely suggest a can of PB Blaster or equivalent penetrating spray (not WD-40). Especially for those working on cars that have been used on snow/salt covered roads.