Emergency repair kit, what do you bring along!?
Discussion
Having finally got my old girl on the road, i'm now busily weeding out her eccentricities on short blasts around the 'hood..
For example, today the throttle linkage fell to pieces so i was forced to coast elegantly to a halt outside a busy supermarket. Fortunately a gaffa tape bodge got me to work and back perfectly adequately..
But whenever I'm contemplating a drive, i'm always torn between taking a giant toolkit and socket set and have it all rattling around in the boot all day. OR taking a more streamlined emergency kit, with a few of essential bits and bobs.
I much prefer the travelling light approach, but i want to make sure i've got most of my bases covered.
My daily kit includes:
- Adjustable spanner
- Philips and flat blade screwdrivers
- Pliers with snippability
- A mallet for the knock-offs
- Scissor jack
- Torch
- Gaffa tape
- Zip ties
- Some thin gauge garden wire
- A couple of litres of mineral water
- A penknife
- couple of old but useable spark plugs + remover
- And a set of crossed fingers..
So what's in your emergency toolkit!?
For example, today the throttle linkage fell to pieces so i was forced to coast elegantly to a halt outside a busy supermarket. Fortunately a gaffa tape bodge got me to work and back perfectly adequately..
But whenever I'm contemplating a drive, i'm always torn between taking a giant toolkit and socket set and have it all rattling around in the boot all day. OR taking a more streamlined emergency kit, with a few of essential bits and bobs.
I much prefer the travelling light approach, but i want to make sure i've got most of my bases covered.
My daily kit includes:
- Adjustable spanner
- Philips and flat blade screwdrivers
- Pliers with snippability
- A mallet for the knock-offs
- Scissor jack
- Torch
- Gaffa tape
- Zip ties
- Some thin gauge garden wire
- A couple of litres of mineral water
- A penknife
- couple of old but useable spark plugs + remover
- And a set of crossed fingers..
So what's in your emergency toolkit!?
XplusYplusZ said:
My daily kit includes:
- Adjustable spanner
- Philips and flat blade screwdrivers
- Pliers with snippability
- Scissor jack
- Torch
- Gaffa tape
- Zip ties
- Some thin gauge garden wire
- A penknife
- couple of old but useable spark plugs + remover
- And a set of crossed fingers..
all of this^^- Adjustable spanner
- Philips and flat blade screwdrivers
- Pliers with snippability
- Scissor jack
- Torch
- Gaffa tape
- Zip ties
- Some thin gauge garden wire
- A penknife
- couple of old but useable spark plugs + remover
- And a set of crossed fingers..
PLUS-
Voltage regulator
1 Litre bottle of oil
duct tape
electrical tape
tap washers
fuses
bog roll
relay
spade connectors
wd40
If i cant fix it at the roadside with all this then its either serious or really time consuming (or requires parts)
Huntsman said:
Points, condensor, rotor arm, dizzy cap, a couple of HT leads, a plug or 2, coolant, oil, fan belt, hoses, jubbly clips, wire, terminals, blubs, fuses, hope, jack, grease, spare wheel, spanners and sockets plus scredrivers and pliers etc. Hammer.
All lives in the boot permanently.
To which I'll add a spare fuel pump.All lives in the boot permanently.
ETA and of course a bloody in-line brake switch, and there's always someone who forgets to replace the oil filler cap after topping up.
Edited by lowdrag on Wednesday 6th March 07:51
The biggest emergency kit I keep is for my 1916 ford, but its probably easier to show you.
I took the photos a couple of years ago so I know what I had at a quick glance.




Plus water and a gallon of oil, but I leave the oil and water at home if I'm staying local.
I took the photos a couple of years ago so I know what I had at a quick glance.




Plus water and a gallon of oil, but I leave the oil and water at home if I'm staying local.
Edited by Major Fallout on Wednesday 6th March 10:42
Major Fallout said:
The biggest emergency kit I keep is for my 1916 ford, but its probably easier to show you.
I took the photos a couple of years ago so I know what I had at a quick glance.




Plus water and a gallon of oil, but I leave the oil and water at home if I'm staying local.
So that's what the trailer was for !I took the photos a couple of years ago so I know what I had at a quick glance.




Plus water and a gallon of oil, but I leave the oil and water at home if I'm staying local.
Edited by Major Fallout on Wednesday 6th March 10:42
The only time I broke down I didn't have a tool kit with me (I had cleared the car out because I had left it with a garage for some work)
A 7/16th spanner would have fixed it (loose alternator) roadside recovered me home (the truck had no tool kit with him) the car was fixed as soon as it was off the truck before the paperwork had been completed!!
I keep a basic kit in the boot, phone, credit card, breakdown number.
Set of spanners
3/8th socket set
Screwdrivers
Squirty tyre sealant
Duct tape
Electrical tape
Pliers
On a long trip I add multimeter plug spanner and a few more tools along with tape for fixing hoses, oil, antifreeze and bulbs.
I treat it as and insurance policy as I've never had to use any of it except the odd top up. I've not carried or needed spares and wouldn't know what to carry.
A 7/16th spanner would have fixed it (loose alternator) roadside recovered me home (the truck had no tool kit with him) the car was fixed as soon as it was off the truck before the paperwork had been completed!!
I keep a basic kit in the boot, phone, credit card, breakdown number.
Set of spanners
3/8th socket set
Screwdrivers
Squirty tyre sealant
Duct tape
Electrical tape
Pliers
On a long trip I add multimeter plug spanner and a few more tools along with tape for fixing hoses, oil, antifreeze and bulbs.
I treat it as and insurance policy as I've never had to use any of it except the odd top up. I've not carried or needed spares and wouldn't know what to carry.
DocArbathnot said:
The only time I broke down I didn't have a tool kit with me (I had cleared the car out because I had left it with a garage for some work)
A 7/16th spanner would have fixed it (loose alternator) roadside recovered me home (the truck had no tool kit with him) the car was fixed as soon as it was off the truck before the paperwork had been completed!!
I've done that, AA man arrived, I asked him for long nose pliers and a split pin, had it sorted in minutes.A 7/16th spanner would have fixed it (loose alternator) roadside recovered me home (the truck had no tool kit with him) the car was fixed as soon as it was off the truck before the paperwork had been completed!!
Tow rope.
Jump leads.
HiViz waistcoat (carried under the seat while in France).
These items shouldn't list me as a hopeless give-upper, or sponger-on-others, as I do carry several other items similar to those others have listed, but they haven't been mentioned above. The first two can get you going again, and the last is essential even in the UK for an evening or night time breakdown.
John
Jump leads.
HiViz waistcoat (carried under the seat while in France).
These items shouldn't list me as a hopeless give-upper, or sponger-on-others, as I do carry several other items similar to those others have listed, but they haven't been mentioned above. The first two can get you going again, and the last is essential even in the UK for an evening or night time breakdown.
John
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