what to carry just in case.....

[cpd427]

Does the forum have any suggestions as to the minimum that should be carried in the vehicle for emergency purposes? What tools, accessories, emergency equipment, etc., etc., etc. What have people used in the past, what has happened on the road that made them wish they would have brought that one piece of equipment or tool that would have made the difference. Obviously we have to be somewhat spartan due to the limited storage space, especially if on a weekend getaway with baggage.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Chris

[ralphscott]

AAA, tire inflator in a can, hand cleaner, paper towels, a small set of tools, credit card, burn cream/antiseptic (first aid kit), and a cell phone. If you are going to a car show, showtime prep, California duster, 100% cotton towels, windex. (Things that you may need as of a result of the drive to the car show to make your beauty shine.) Don't forget chairs and hats if you don't take an umbrella.

Ralph

[JeepSnake]

Here's what I generally have:

1) 2 jumbo cans of Fix-a-Flat (with the flexible hoses on them); tape them together side by side to keep them from rolling around in the trunk.

2) tire plug rasp & plug insertion tool, sheet of ~10 tire plugs, tube of tire plugging rubber cement

3) box of spare fuses

4) small roll of electrical tape

5) screwdriver set (I have a Craftsman with one handle and multiple shafts: 2 flats, 2 phillips, various nutdriver sizes. I like the nutdrivers because you can get hose clamps tighter with them. Also, notice that this set has multiple full shafts that go into the handle, not just different tips that magnetically go in the end of the shaft; this is stronger if you need to pry something.)

6) pair of channel locks

7) 10" crescent wrench

8) a pre-packaged tool set with ratchet, 3 or 4 deepwell sockets (1 which fits the plugs), regular pliers, phillips screwdriver, flat screwdriver, 5 or 6 combination wrenches, a couple of spare hose clamps, some cable ties, and some other odds & ends.

9) spare Wilwood master cylinder

10) 2 bottles Wilwood 570 deg brake fluid, taped together to keep them from rolling around.

11) Spare 1-wire conversion voltage regulator

Amazingly, this can all be compacted into a pretty small space. Nos. 2 - 7 and 11 go into a standard nylon shaving bag with a little persuasion. #8 is about the same size as a 1 1/2" thick 3-ring binder and zips up.

As for storage, on the 289 car, #8 gets slid onto the "shelf" in the trunk, all the way forward, and then in behind the fuel filler pipe. Then, #1 gets placed on top of #8. The shaving bag with items 2 - 7 and 11 gets nestled in between the fuel filler pipe and the passenger wheelwell. Item #10 sits in the area between the passenger wheelwell and passenger taillight. Item #9 either goes flat on the trunk shelf, or stands on edge all the way forward in the passenger footwell.

Items 9 & 10 could be cut from the kit if you know your hyraulics are all in good shape. Having bought my car used, I've had a couple of failures on the road that make me stick these in.

Additionally, keep a typed list of part numbers in the car at all times, as well as a reference vehicle for the part if you know one. For instance, on my car, I know that I need to ask for an alternator from a 1965 Mustang 289. I know that the clutch slave cylinder is Wagner part number such & such, the fan belt is Gates number XXXX, and the upper radiator hose is pieced together from Gates hose numbers YYYYY and ZZZZ. (On the hoses, it will help to draw a diagram of how you cut stock hoses and piece them together.) It also wouldn't hurt if this typed part number list were in a Ziploc bag, just in case you get caught in a rain!

Anyhow, this is just an idea of what I have carried. I'm sure others will have more suggestions.

[pgermond]

Zach,

When did you install a trailer hitch on your car?

BTW - How is my buddy Will doing? Sure miss him on the forum.

[JeepSnake]

Phil,

Dad's doing fine. He's ready for school to start so that Sandy has to go back to work and he can start keeping Catha for us again! Mom had to have two stents put in on her heart earlier this week; she seems to be recovering fine - just got back in from a baby shower for my brother & his wife (who is due in 2 weeks).

As for the trailer hitch...

Sandy may kill me for telling everything about how we pack, but, here goes.

After I put the tool kit in as mentioned above, our two folding chairs will fit in the remaining space on the shelf in the trunk. Detailing cloths are then rolled tightly and packed like cigars into ziploc bags; squeeze all the air out of the ziplocs to compress the cloths, seal, then stuff into all the little spaces in the trunk. Detailing products (cleaner, Armor-All, leather conditioner, etc.) are downsized into travel bottles picked up in the toiletries section of your local drug store. These lay in the little tray area behind the trunk latch.

Side glasses lay flat on top of the fuel tank along with the top bows. On top of them goes the car cover, compressed into a tight roll with three compression straps from the camping store.

Clothing is packed into two thin nylon drawstring bags that can tuck into the passenger rear aft of the wheelwell; roll all clothing items super tight. (Mike Del's LED taillight conversion ensures that the taillight runs cool and won't melt anything that accidentally touches it.) Extra shoes or shaving kit, etc. can be fit around in the dead spaces around the car cover. Sandy's makeup kit goes in the passenger footwell (boy, I'm glad she's short!).

Canvas top is then folded in quarters, keeping the window to the inside so that it is protected. It is then laid across everything in the trunk. This makes accessing the top easy if we encounter a cloud, and it does double duty of protecting everything from the leaks inherent to the LeMans hardtop's requisite split decklid.

Windbreakers for each of us are rolled up and tucked into the corners behind the seats next to the transmission tunnel.

And that's about it for a full mobilization!

Honestly, though, I'm leaving more & more of the detailing stuff at home and just driving. And, now that Catha has come along, Sandy has to drive a chase vehicle with the baby seat when we go to Homecoming or Pigeon Forge, so we wind up just putting our luggage in her car.

Right now, I keep looking for a period-looking metal box to house my tool kit. My intention is to mount in the engine compartment on top of the passenger footwell since I don't have a heater. But, I've got to find a container that looks authentic.

[diegokid]

A phone number of someone you trust with a rollback truck.

[Brent]

Dust cloth


That's all

[cpd427]

Thanks for the detailed feedback, especially JeepSnake. Great recommendations that I will take advantage of. Amazing how much you can store with careful packaging. Appreciate it!!

Chris

[arrowdriver]

I have always subscribed to the pack light idea, take two bags, a small one with change of clothes and bigger one with money! Honestly, all I have carried so far is a jack and wheel wrench along with a cell phone, but then again I haven't gone all that far from home yet and might have to add a bit in future. I am impressed by the amount of stuff some of you can cram into your cars.

[Naumoff]

+ an electric air pump, the hood and side screens and one comfortable folding chair.

Yes, you will be suprised how much stuff can fit in the boot.

[Jim Harding]

+Yes, you will be suprised how much stuff can fit in the boot.

I think I could get both my feet into one of Tony's

A cheap set of tools (the kind you can use once before they change their shape, and you won't care if you leave them on the side of the road ), A can of "fix-a-flat", Tire plugs and tool, lead hammer, safety wire and tool, coveralls, jumper cables, and all the stuff mentioned already

[Naumoff]

I think I could get both my feet into one of Tony's

A cheap set of tools (the kind you can use once before they change their shape, and you won't care if you leave them on the side of the road ), A can of "fix-a-flat", Tire plugs and tool, lead hammer, safety wire and tool, coveralls, jumper cables, and all the stuff mentioned already

Well maybe that's so since I definitely can't wear boots when driving my Cobra.

[arrowdriver]

Wow Jim, you carry a lot with you. Do you wear both a belt and suspenders too? One thing I do have that I forgot to mention is a spare fuel pump since I doubt that it has been changed since the engine was built in 91 and though few miles on it, the years seem to take their toll on these pumps regardless of miles. I know from experience that you can have a bad plug and lots of other stuff and still limp along but when the fuel pump craps out you are sitting.

[davebetts]

That's easy.
My sweetheart, a charged cell phone and an American Express card. That's all you need.
The first calms you down, the second creates a plan and the third pays for it.
Just go enjoy the sunshine and wind in your face.
PS I have a trailer too.

[eliminator]

A 40 Cal. P229 SIG, with one extra clip....loaded.

[weaver]

No car jacking you!!!

[diegokid]

Those are supposed to be concealed!