What kind of tools do you carry when you travel in your old car? I knew I didn't have a jack and a lug wrench when I bought my 54 Chevy and kept putting it off. I did, however, pump up the spare recently. Last weekend, my wife and I took a road trip to shake the Chevy down after fixing overheating problems. On the way back, about 45 minutes from home I got a flat. The valve stem broke. Oh shit, I don't have a jack and a lug wrench. I called AAA and they arrived 30 minutes later and helped me change the tire. The guy said, "Those old cars aren't made to be running up and down the interstate." I said, "This one is." and I opened the hood. You should have seen the look on his face. But I digress. So, last Friday, I went to HF and bought up stuff to change tires with plus enough tools to keep a travel tool kit. I think I spent a little around $135. Here's what I got and I can easily carry it in any car I drive. 3/8 Drive socket set in plastic box SAE combination wrenches Pliers assortment Vise Grip pliers ball peen hammer punches Screwdriver assortment Lug Wrench Scissor Jack Flashlight Electrical tape Electrical crimp on connectors and tool Nylon tool bag I beefed up the jack by welding a larger base plate on it and a flat top plate. I also greased and oiled it up good. It works and will get under the car with a flat. A bottle jack would not. What do you carry in your travel tool box?
Never hurts to be prepared, I keep an old ammo box with a small asortment of "stuff". Don't forget zip ties and bailing wire also
Ive got my junkyard bag in the back just in case I see a pick and pull. Enough tool tool ruin most any part. And a test lite and volt meter. Ron
I carry a bunch of stuff on the theory that if I have it I won't need it. Set up distributer, head gasket, Universal Joint (because the one on my car is unique) a tool kit, scissors jack, torque wrench, fan belt, oil gauge hose, fuel filters, and AAA card.
A cell phone (and the cord that charges the phone from the cigarette lighter) and a AAA card is all you actually need. Tools and spare parts are nice and what I carry depends on the car. I don't plan on "overhauling" the car on the side of the road (been there, done that, got the "T"-shirt) so I only take the stuff to do simple repairs. If the problem is beyond a simple repair I call AAA to tow the car home or to a garage or to a shady spot by a NAPA store (in that order).
Wrench set crescent wrench vicescripts Socket set cell phone charger Tow strap 9mm duct tape Wire water Oil spare points spare cap brake fluid
I have a small Craftsman box that I took to the track with me back in the stock car days. That had enough tools to change an engine or make any repair I needed to do in the pits. That's what travels with me to this day. Bob
Each car has a small tool box, no AAA or cell phone for that matter. Some things maybe not said, mechanics wire, extra nuts, bolts, washers of various size and hammer.
add a piece of wire longer than the car. can run a temperary line to headlights or tail in a pinch. also a pair of Tyvek/paper coveralls. can be found at paint stores
and the cheapest HF racing jack, handle out and is handy and with a chev v8 spare fuel pump and enough extra fittings and line to hook it up and on the chev also hei rotor cap and module or complete spare dist books from your hot rod association of people to get assistance from
Was going to say a coupe of jumper wires with alligator clips. Had to use them just recently to run a hot feed to my fan.
I just organized my tool box. I got this tool box and 3/8" drive socket wrench setup when I was 13, I've been using it and hauling it around since 1974. I've added a lot to it, mostly during my gig at the junkyard when I was in college. I also recently set up my spare parts box, which is an old toolbox my dad used when I was a kid. It has the extra fuel pump, distributor wrench, timing light, miscellaneous hardware, supplies, baling wire, etc. Since I'm heading out to the HAMB drags in a few days, I am also getting all the racing supplies loaded up. Helmet, roll bar side bar, cardboard creeper, floor jack, jack stands, racing third member, etc. My guess is I'll have the huge trunk pretty well full.
For many years I traveled near and far with a minimal amount of tools with the thought if you carry tools you will have to use them! When I traveled with my fellow club members we usually had enough spare parts and tools to do most any roadside repair. Reality up and bite me in the butt 2 years ago in Pigeon Forge when I broke a valve spring and Deuce Roadster,ratrodO and my pal Dave was able to make the repair in the motel parking lot. You can't anticipate every problem,,broken valve spring? On a long extended road trip it doesn't hurt to carry a larger assortment of tools and a few extra parts. HRP
notice the spare valve spring in my parts box, although you can't see the spring compressor in the bottom of the box. I carry them just so I won't have to use them. Murphy said something about that, didn't he?
We didn't have a spring compressor,,Deuce Roadster used a piece of rope stuffed in the spark plug hole,,he taught this old dog a new trick. HRP
I have a vintage 3 drawer flip top machinist tool box, that I've added "authorized Nash Service" stickers to... I add it to the car as part of how I set up for shows... I open the top cover that has vintage tools ( air pressure guage, thermostat tester, Nash wrenches, antique tire plug tool, flat head valve spring compressor, wood handled trim tool, 1938 boxed pin strip tool, etc. )... the drawers are full of tools I can "actually" use... 2 wrench sets ( standard & mini sizes ), screw drivers, electrical tester, flash light, spare fuzes & bulbs, black tape plus 4 colored rolls, adjustable wrench, plug & point gap tool, etc.... I also carry a roll of cloth wrapped wire, a set of jumper cables, a tow strap, vintage working jack, 4 way tire iron, & hub cap tool... a vintage 1 gallon gas can, 1/2 gallon Eagle oil can, & a vintage antifreeze gallon can, that is always full of blended coolant I'm of the mindset with my 38, that I'll need what ever I'm not carrying... so far ( knock on wood ) I've never needed the jumper cables, or tow strap for my own use... I did have to change out the original coil on the road side once, ( fortunately NAPA was open & had a 6 volt coil in stock ) after I just bought the car ( but did have my tool kit together ) & ran out of gas twice, before I got my vintage gas can filled & in the trunk gas gauge doesn't work... yet... there is also a bucket of cleaning stuff, rags, 2 fold up chairs, & an umbrella ( so the MRS doesn't get sun burned )
What kind of tools do you carry when you travel in your old car? usually every thing but the one i need
Sure, that will hold the valve up, how do you get the spring loose or better yet back on. I wanna see that
I've always had roadsters with no trunk so my tool carrying ability is pretty low. My 27 has no spot to put even a wrench, so I usually travel with my Sons and they have an assortment in their cars to cover whatever I might need. In my 23 I built two little compartments under the two seat bottoms. The one under the driver's seat held my electrical components, fuse block, etc. The one under the passenger's seat held some tools. I dug around in my spare tools and put together an assortment. I didn't want to put any pretty tools under there because I knew they would be getting wet at times, but we all have extra sockets, wrenches, etc, and those got called into service. Here is what I was able to fit under there: BTW, we were brousing in Lowes the other night and they had a lot of tools with yellow tags marked way down. They had some very complete little sets of Kobalt sockets and wrenches in zippered bags starting at $ 19.95. They would be perfect for carrying in an old car. You might want to stop by your local Lowes and check it out. Don
Old ice box contents: 2 bottles trans stop slip 4 bottles trans fluid Trans filler (Funnel, 1.5' trans hose, fuel fitting) Combo wrench set 2 sized Phillips 2 sized flatheads 2 Black RTV tubes 2 packs J.B. Weld stick 1 bottle 30 weight oil 1 bottle PS fluid Jumper cables Assorted wire and connectors Any one who's seen me at a show or gathering more then 15 miles from home has seen me dumping trans fluid into the Cadillac. Oil tanker indeed.