What do you keep in your car?
Discussion
Many thanks for that insight MGJohn!
When I had a P6 3500S many years ago a Mig welder would have been a useful addition for when the De-dion mounts pulled out of the inner wings at the back - quality control was a new concept back then! It rotted everywhere, but was great when it worked.
When I had a P6 3500S many years ago a Mig welder would have been a useful addition for when the De-dion mounts pulled out of the inner wings at the back - quality control was a new concept back then! It rotted everywhere, but was great when it worked.
I have in the front of the car an iPod a couple of iPhone chargers my iPad a victorinox Swiss champ, a leatherman surge or a wave, in the glove box I have another iPod another Swiss Army knife, a couple of yellow vests and the family passports. In the door pockets I have wet wipes and tissues.
In the boot under the floor I have a bag containing jump leads tow rope a selection of tools and torches, tyre weld and repair kit.
In the boot I have 3xblankets a coat for each of us,small crowbar, about 50 metres of rope, some screen wash and a compressor in the side panel.
I have 2xmaxpedition multi purpose bags, one containing my jetboil sumo cup plus jetboil stacking containers, then there's the jetboil frying pan and a selection of cutlery and plates, plus my jetboil flash and soon to be minimo, the other bag contains enough food and water for probably 4-5 days ruffling it.oh and there's a leatherman Rev and another torch attached to the bags as well.
Used to do 500 miles a week or so just on the school run, a mix between motorway and A roads, never wanted to be stranded. Also we like to travel abroad and it's nice to brew up whilst waiting for the boat or train.
In the boot under the floor I have a bag containing jump leads tow rope a selection of tools and torches, tyre weld and repair kit.
In the boot I have 3xblankets a coat for each of us,small crowbar, about 50 metres of rope, some screen wash and a compressor in the side panel.
I have 2xmaxpedition multi purpose bags, one containing my jetboil sumo cup plus jetboil stacking containers, then there's the jetboil frying pan and a selection of cutlery and plates, plus my jetboil flash and soon to be minimo, the other bag contains enough food and water for probably 4-5 days ruffling it.oh and there's a leatherman Rev and another torch attached to the bags as well.
Used to do 500 miles a week or so just on the school run, a mix between motorway and A roads, never wanted to be stranded. Also we like to travel abroad and it's nice to brew up whilst waiting for the boat or train.
iva cosworth said:
poing said:
iva cosworth said:
Flat Eric.
Bloody hell that brings back some memories! Does anyone still have a Flat Eric? I might go visit ebay 
I counted up and made it 6,recounted and made it 8.
MGJohn said:
With a range of 1.8 Rover K-Series engines in my family's cars it is wise to carry a spare.... engine. Good policy. These K-Series include turbocharged versions too. I'm reliably informed the Cylinder Head Gaskets are prone to so called "failure" at least once a week. Belt and braces man me. It also works on an anti-S0D'S LAW basis warding off any suggestion of failures in the twenty odd years we've had K-Series cars in the family, both new and old.
Recommended to all K-Series enthusiasts.
More seriously. I usually carry a small range of tools likely to be needed for that small hitch that sometimes occurs. These include good quality 19mm Sockets and Breaker bar which are always superior to the wheel well kit which comes with most cars. New cars bought which do not come with a spare wheel I buy a full sized spare wheel and put that in the wheel well. Since the late 1960s, most new cars came with AA membership for a year or so and my wife pays for AA cover for her car for recovery to home. She also paid for an AA card for me. I have never called out the AA in the fifty odd years I've been driving. I used to have an AA badge on the front of my cars and welcomed the salute when the AA Motor Cycle and sidecar passed in the opposite direction. Whatever happened to that ..
Fortunately I have been very lucky. Never had an unreliable car. Actually, luck plays the least part in that...
iva cosworth said:
I think changing an engine on a hard shoulder is frowned upon.
Hato would have to cone you off for hours.
Haha! Yes and being the M1 they probably would of closed two lanes of traffic and put an average speed check in place just incase! Hato would have to cone you off for hours.
I was quite lucky seeing as it happened in the outside lane, I managed to get across the lanes and coast in to Watford Gap services where someone helped me push it into a parking space pouring with smoke... It is one of the best handling cars I've ever had I was gutted!
Reasonable breakdown kit £5 (Reduced from £20) in B&Q at the moment...
"This RAC breakdown kit includes a warning triangle, hi vis vest, emergency bulb kit, torch, wrench and a first aid kit."
http://www.diy.com/departments/rac-breakdown-kit/1...
"This RAC breakdown kit includes a warning triangle, hi vis vest, emergency bulb kit, torch, wrench and a first aid kit."
http://www.diy.com/departments/rac-breakdown-kit/1...
Having cleared out both cars yesterday.......
Freelander:
Dog box,
Cooler with water bottles in
Wellies - his and hers.
Tarpaulin - an old car cover handy for putting in the boot for dump trips.
iPod
£1.20 = 2 Tyne Tunnel tolls.
Swiss Army Knife
Torch
Plug in map reading light (Dunno why it's never been used )
Pens
Notebook
Ice scraper
De-icer
First Aid kit
Fire extinguisher.
A couple of coats
Tyre compressor and gunk. I have a spare wheel.
Hi Viz
MGF
A big bottle of pre-mixed OAT coolant
Several bottles of water.
Foot punp
Proper wheel brace
Triangle
Hi-Viz
Sun cream
CDs
Swiss Army Knife
Torch
Sunglasses
Wooly hat
Coats
Phone holder.
Tom Tom (Loaned by my FIL and not returned yet)
£1.20 = 2 Tyne Tunnel Tolls.
Ice scraper
De icer
Tonneau cover
Hood cover
Old car cover to use as a thing to wrap the above in if we break down and have to leave the car - as we did earlier this month.
Dear me, that is a lot of stuff! And that's after I cleared out the cars.
Freelander:
Dog box,
Cooler with water bottles in
Wellies - his and hers.
Tarpaulin - an old car cover handy for putting in the boot for dump trips.
iPod
£1.20 = 2 Tyne Tunnel tolls.
Swiss Army Knife
Torch
Plug in map reading light (Dunno why it's never been used )
Pens
Notebook
Ice scraper
De-icer
First Aid kit
Fire extinguisher.
A couple of coats
Tyre compressor and gunk. I have a spare wheel.
Hi Viz
MGF
A big bottle of pre-mixed OAT coolant
Several bottles of water.
Foot punp
Proper wheel brace
Triangle
Hi-Viz
Sun cream
CDs
Swiss Army Knife
Torch
Sunglasses
Wooly hat
Coats
Phone holder.
Tom Tom (Loaned by my FIL and not returned yet)
£1.20 = 2 Tyne Tunnel Tolls.
Ice scraper
De icer
Tonneau cover
Hood cover
Old car cover to use as a thing to wrap the above in if we break down and have to leave the car - as we did earlier this month.
Dear me, that is a lot of stuff! And that's after I cleared out the cars.
Edited by wildcat45 on Sunday 30th August 11:27
Very little that isn't actually part of the car. At the moment I think I have:
A tyre pressure and tread depth gauge
A bluetooth OBD dongle (which lives plugged into the OBD port)
A plastic holder and charger for my phone when using it as a sat-nav.
A couple of small bags of silica gel
Sunglasses
Possibly some jump leads, I'm not sure whether they're in there at the moment or not
And that's about it.
A tyre pressure and tread depth gauge
A bluetooth OBD dongle (which lives plugged into the OBD port)
A plastic holder and charger for my phone when using it as a sat-nav.
A couple of small bags of silica gel
Sunglasses
Possibly some jump leads, I'm not sure whether they're in there at the moment or not
And that's about it.
Edited by kambites on Sunday 30th August 11:26
Oil
Screenwash
Coolant
Sleeping bag
A few car magazines so I have something to read if I have to wait somewhere
A load of McDonalds free paper serviettes
A load of empty plastic water bottles in the rear footwell which are periodically bagged for recycling
Spare wheel & associated tools
Old cassette tapes
Rennie
AA batteries
Prescription sunglasses
Binoculars
Spare bulbs
500ml bottles of water
Road atlas
Screenwash
Coolant
Sleeping bag
A few car magazines so I have something to read if I have to wait somewhere
A load of McDonalds free paper serviettes
A load of empty plastic water bottles in the rear footwell which are periodically bagged for recycling
Spare wheel & associated tools
Old cassette tapes
Rennie
AA batteries
Prescription sunglasses
Binoculars
Spare bulbs
500ml bottles of water
Road atlas
Amusing and informative thread this... Keep it up.
....Too true ... the spoilsports. Whatever happened to roadside repair skills. Legislated away ... Long time ago now, but twice I have changed a flat tyre on the hard shoulder... not nice and not recommended for obvious reasons. I often have a two ton trolley jack in the boot and can swap a wheel quite sharpish... not in the Red Bull F1 Class ... yet ..
Have seen my car mad son change a 1.8 VVC K-Series engine on his Rover 200vi on a Saturday afternoon ... working single handed and only borrowing my engine crane and a few other tools. When he told me what he planned to do my thoughts were ... yeah right ... I looked on in near disbelief. Can be done if you know what you're doing. He does. That was over ten years ago and he has repeated the progress once or twice since.
I can do a similar job but, the old bones and muscles are not what they were and so working at a leisurely pace, same job would take me a weekend. I am thorough though even cleaning stuff on the way as I work. . My next project is putting and MG6 1.8 Turbocharged engine in a project MG ZT 1.8 Turbo. Will get stuck in just as soon as I feel up to it following very extensive dental work.
For that reason, over the years, for all my cars I do this. OK a little extra weight but advantages far outweigh that ... hey nearly a pun... :~
iva cosworth said:
I think changing an engine on a hard shoulder is frowned upon.
Hato would have to cone you off for hours.
.. Hato would have to cone you off for hours.
....Too true ... the spoilsports. Whatever happened to roadside repair skills. Legislated away ... Long time ago now, but twice I have changed a flat tyre on the hard shoulder... not nice and not recommended for obvious reasons. I often have a two ton trolley jack in the boot and can swap a wheel quite sharpish... not in the Red Bull F1 Class ... yet .. Have seen my car mad son change a 1.8 VVC K-Series engine on his Rover 200vi on a Saturday afternoon ... working single handed and only borrowing my engine crane and a few other tools. When he told me what he planned to do my thoughts were ... yeah right ...
I looked on in near disbelief. Can be done if you know what you're doing. He does. That was over ten years ago and he has repeated the progress once or twice since. I can do a similar job but, the old bones and muscles are not what they were and so working at a leisurely pace, same job would take me a weekend. I am thorough though even cleaning stuff on the way as I work. . My next project is putting and MG6 1.8 Turbocharged engine in a project MG ZT 1.8 Turbo. Will get stuck in just as soon as I feel up to it following very extensive dental work.
daveofedinburgh said:
-Locking wheelnut (was a trained tyre fitter many years ago- gobsmacked at how many otherwise switched-on human beings were missing theirs)
>> Much snipped <<
Haha!>> Much snipped <<
For that reason, over the years, for all my cars I do this. OK a little extra weight but advantages far outweigh that ... hey nearly a pun...
:~
Reasonable breakdown kit £5 (Reduced from £20) in B&Q at the moment...
"This RAC breakdown kit includes a warning triangle, hi vis vest, emergency bulb kit, torch, wrench and a first aid kit."
http://www.diy.com/departments/rac-breakdown-kit/1...
"This RAC breakdown kit includes a warning triangle, hi vis vest, emergency bulb kit, torch, wrench and a first aid kit."
http://www.diy.com/departments/rac-breakdown-kit/1...
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