Get Out Of Jail (GOOJ) kit
Discussion
After an interesting variety of breakdowns down the years, I've accumulated a bag of bits and pieces I keep in the boot. The idea is that they should give me the basic tools to make a 30+ year old car keep moving in the event of a breakdown.
My kit includes:
- All the fluids (brake, ATF, oil, coolant, power steering).
- basic tool set, jack, tow rope.
- 2 cans of emergency tire inflator.
- instant gasket.
- radiator weld.
- Ezy Start (known by another name in Australia - see here)
- WD 40.
- Cable ties, jubilee clips, duct tape, string.
- Set of bulbs, fuses, couple of relays, set of plugs.
- Fuel filter.
- Torch / Jump pack.
Does anybody else do this, or is it just my mix of apocalypse planning / habit of driving knackered old cars? If you do, what's in your kit?
My kit includes:
- All the fluids (brake, ATF, oil, coolant, power steering).
- basic tool set, jack, tow rope.
- 2 cans of emergency tire inflator.
- instant gasket.
- radiator weld.
- Ezy Start (known by another name in Australia - see here)
- WD 40.
- Cable ties, jubilee clips, duct tape, string.
- Set of bulbs, fuses, couple of relays, set of plugs.
- Fuel filter.
- Torch / Jump pack.
Does anybody else do this, or is it just my mix of apocalypse planning / habit of driving knackered old cars? If you do, what's in your kit?
Over half my Riley's boot is filled with boxes of spares, a tool box, jack, 10 litre can of petrol, oil, water/anti-freeze, tow rope, jump starter etc., etc. Every winter I get them all out, bring them to the house, check everything over then put them all back.
At the moment they're spread all over the conservatory floor and as it's unheated that's where they can stay until the weather changes.
On the two occasions the Riley has failed to proceed this year, one was due to hitting a pothole damaging the front suspension and the other to running out of fuel (unfortunately after I'd used the reserve supply) so none of the boot's contents were any use.
At the moment they're spread all over the conservatory floor and as it's unheated that's where they can stay until the weather changes.
On the two occasions the Riley has failed to proceed this year, one was due to hitting a pothole damaging the front suspension and the other to running out of fuel (unfortunately after I'd used the reserve supply) so none of the boot's contents were any use.
^ Similarly, I have quite a lot of stuff because I don't want to wait around for a breakdown service. I've only recently started carrying petrol, because someone else ran out on a recent trip, and after a mate had a pipe come undone due to a faulty clip, I've started carrying some spare clips. I probably have too much, but I'd rather lug it around and be able to fix the problem and get going than have to hang about for someone else to come out.
Used to do this in the 1970's when my cars were "current" models
MG Midget boot full of a big heavy tool box, petrol, rope, jump leads etc.
Was met at one filling station by a rep from (IIRC) the RAC suggesting a joined their breakdown cover. "Nah, if it breaks I'll fix it" was the cocky reply of a spotty youth..
Nowerdays, jumper back, tyre inflater, and on a long journey, couple of screwdrivers and some duct tape. And my AA card.
MG Midget boot full of a big heavy tool box, petrol, rope, jump leads etc.
Was met at one filling station by a rep from (IIRC) the RAC suggesting a joined their breakdown cover. "Nah, if it breaks I'll fix it" was the cocky reply of a spotty youth..
Nowerdays, jumper back, tyre inflater, and on a long journey, couple of screwdrivers and some duct tape. And my AA card.
Turbobanana said:
Be careful, OP. I commented along similar lines on another thread once, about a similar list of essential spares and equipment I carry, and was ridiculed. Most people seem content to rely on a breakdown service theses days.
I do get mocked for this, albeit good-natured! The only thing is, I'm currently missing the Rad Weld and coolant after lending them to... somebody who didn't have a GOOJ kit, and had to get a lift to come and borrow them from me!spitsfire said:
Turbobanana said:
Be careful, OP. I commented along similar lines on another thread once, about a similar list of essential spares and equipment I carry, and was ridiculed. Most people seem content to rely on a breakdown service theses days.
I do get mocked for this, albeit good-natured! The only thing is, I'm currently missing the Rad Weld and coolant after lending them to... somebody who didn't have a GOOJ kit, and had to get a lift to come and borrow them from me!My wife has a slimmed-down GOOJ kit in her car that includes an OBD II reader for resetting warning lights as they come up (caveat: it's a crappy 12 year old Fiesta diesel that protests at her short daily commute and regularly throws up messages relating to gunked-up emissions equipment).
I have a can of that Australian starting fluid. It was effective last time I used it!
I have a bottle of anti freeze filled with water, a pair of workman's gloves, a rain jacket, a bottle of XCP that I was using for something once and never removed and a breakdown subscription. My car did come with a bottle of tyre bogeys but I think it has well expired.
I have a bottle of anti freeze filled with water, a pair of workman's gloves, a rain jacket, a bottle of XCP that I was using for something once and never removed and a breakdown subscription. My car did come with a bottle of tyre bogeys but I think it has well expired.
All Morris Minor & Series 1 Land Rover owners need a large hammer and a spare SU AUA66 fuel pump in the boot.
When the repeated blows with a hammer don’t revive the failed pump just slot in the new one.
I once donated my spare to a Minor owner in need on the road to Le Mans. Gave him my address to send the unit back to me on his return to blighty - never heard another thing.
Sometimes RAK’s / being the caped crusader just don’t pay off…
When the repeated blows with a hammer don’t revive the failed pump just slot in the new one.
I once donated my spare to a Minor owner in need on the road to Le Mans. Gave him my address to send the unit back to me on his return to blighty - never heard another thing.
Sometimes RAK’s / being the caped crusader just don’t pay off…
Depends on the car and destination.
Lexus. Nothing, unless going abroad, and then only jump leads in case of a brain dead moment and allowing something to be left switched on.
Evo. I tend to keep a fairly full kit of stuff in this, as it tends to be the IOM / Spa classic mode of transport. So, 150 piece socket set, screwdrivers, jump leads, bulbs, oil, several hi-vis, tyre inflator, wheelbrace. Overkill, and I've never needed them, but you can bet if I didn't have them I'd regret it.
The rest of my stuff rarely goes far enough to warrant the effort. The van is up and down the country now and then, but it's fairly new and I don't worry about it.
Lexus. Nothing, unless going abroad, and then only jump leads in case of a brain dead moment and allowing something to be left switched on.
Evo. I tend to keep a fairly full kit of stuff in this, as it tends to be the IOM / Spa classic mode of transport. So, 150 piece socket set, screwdrivers, jump leads, bulbs, oil, several hi-vis, tyre inflator, wheelbrace. Overkill, and I've never needed them, but you can bet if I didn't have them I'd regret it.
The rest of my stuff rarely goes far enough to warrant the effort. The van is up and down the country now and then, but it's fairly new and I don't worry about it.
There's a scene in Kelly's Heroes where Big Joe is berating Oddball for sitting and relaxing whilst Moriarty is trying to fix the tank and Oddball replies, "Hey man, I just drive them, I don't know how to fix them."
And this is where I am at. There is no point having a fuel pump and a bag of tools in the boot if you have no idea where the fuel pump is or how to remove it.
I have the tools the car came with (unused and pristine) and an AA Relay card.
And this is where I am at. There is no point having a fuel pump and a bag of tools in the boot if you have no idea where the fuel pump is or how to remove it.
I have the tools the car came with (unused and pristine) and an AA Relay card.
This thread covered something similar: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Like me most of my vintage car owning friends also carry a spare magneto.
If a vintage car fails to start a long way from home it's almost always the magneto.
My spare magneto already has HT leads and plug caps on it as well as being marked up so I can just swap it out in about 5 minutes without worrying about setting the timing.
My most embarrassing get out of jail failure was when we had a flat tire. Luckily we had a spare wheel and a jack. Stupidly the jack handle was back in the garage and the spare wheel was also deflated!
If a vintage car fails to start a long way from home it's almost always the magneto.
My spare magneto already has HT leads and plug caps on it as well as being marked up so I can just swap it out in about 5 minutes without worrying about setting the timing.
My most embarrassing get out of jail failure was when we had a flat tire. Luckily we had a spare wheel and a jack. Stupidly the jack handle was back in the garage and the spare wheel was also deflated!
My TVR boot used to hold a variety of things for temporary hose and cable fixes, and a spare throttle cable. And there was the usual collection of bulbs, fuses, relays, jump leads, 10mm spanner, various nuts, bolts and washers. And gaffer tape. It was enough to deal with some minor fails and embuggerances like windows not working, door release not working ... and it gave you something to play with while waiting for the AA to turn up to deal with more serious fails.
Fuel? Brake fluid? ATF? Coolant?
If you are offroading, traversing the Kalahari or otherwise really going off grid, fair enough, but you must have noticed that every few miles there is a thing called a petrol station that sells all these things! And plain water is a perfectly good coolant in an emergency. Just top up with antifreeze/anticorrosion when you get home.
Club Triumph organises annually either the Round Britain Reliability Run or the Ten Countries (of Europe) run, and this is a regular discussion point on their forum, EG: https://www.clubtriumph.co.uk/forums/topic/13853-w...
JOhn
If you are offroading, traversing the Kalahari or otherwise really going off grid, fair enough, but you must have noticed that every few miles there is a thing called a petrol station that sells all these things! And plain water is a perfectly good coolant in an emergency. Just top up with antifreeze/anticorrosion when you get home.
Club Triumph organises annually either the Round Britain Reliability Run or the Ten Countries (of Europe) run, and this is a regular discussion point on their forum, EG: https://www.clubtriumph.co.uk/forums/topic/13853-w...
JOhn
I have a large boot so I have a good supply of bits n pieces - as someone mentioned, yes, you can buy oil etc from a service station but if you already have it in the garage why not take it and save any faff in the western isle on a Sunday or similar. Also if you have water etc you can assist fellow travelers, which I have done and others have done for me.
I remember years ago when I was daily driving an old dunger, after some repair or other the tool kit would be on the front floor, then it would go on the the rear floor a few days later and then eventually back in the boot.
I remember years ago when I was daily driving an old dunger, after some repair or other the tool kit would be on the front floor, then it would go on the the rear floor a few days later and then eventually back in the boot.
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