Hot Rods Travel tools for road trips

I carry my hand tools in a roll up tool bag. When I work on the car at home, I use what's in the tool roll. If it contains everything I need for the complicated repairs I do at home, hopefully it will have all the tools needed on the road.


Phil

 

I also agree with whomever said that you won't have whatever tool you need.
That said, I carry a small tool box supplied with a few different screwdrivers, a socket set (only the sockets you need, including a breaker bar with a lug socket), basic end wrenches, pliers, a big channel lock set, a hammer, wire cutters/stripper, a 10' long 14 gauge wire, a small assortment of electrical connectors, bailing wire, zip ties, electrical tape, duct tape, rechargeable led light, a test light, small jumper cables, hand cleaner, gloves, a roll of the paper shop towels. For fluids I carry 2 quarts of oil, a can of fix a flat, a gallon of water, and a small can of brake fluid. I also carry a spare ecm for my motor, and after last year, a spare set of keys! Don't forget the AAA card and a phone charger. Everything fits in a 12" x 24" area behind my seat. Gene

 

The spare key is a darn good idea.
But what's a ecm?

 

Jim knows first hand.
Take what you need tool wise to be able to change the removable items you might change on the side of the road, in a motel parking lot or in front of a parts house.
Think about what you can change without hauling it to a shop be it a repair shop or a Hamber's shop at home or have to load it on a stretcher to haul it home. if you are on the road.
If you can change the starter, charging unit, distributor, carb or water pump with the tools you have plus trouble shoot electrical issues you are probably good.
Pulling a head, major engine repairs trans repairs, rear end repairs all usually need a shop or at least at a minimum a parking space at a motel to do. Not too many of us will do any of those or even change a clutch on the side of the road. Some will call AAA for a flat.
That said, I with the help of Bob Davis from Waco did change the extension housing and tail shaft on the 3 speed in my 48 at a gas station in Marietta OK in 1973 on the way to the Street Rod Nationals in Tulsa. It got so hot the yoke welded it's self to the tail shaft. We borrowed a jack from the gas station, jacked it up, stuck my spare under the rear tire and I pulled the trans, split the U joint to get the driveshaft off and we took off to a small wrecking yard where I bought the remains of a similar trans for 10.00 the yard owner loaned us a tub of grease to hold the needle bearings and went home to dinner. we swapped tail sections in about 30 minutes, locked the gate and went back and put the trans in. Filled it with gear oil and headed To Tulsa ending up at the Will Rogers Motel in Clairmore as the Holiday in had given our reservations away. Got a room in a small motel a half mile from the gate of the fairgrounds the next day. Trans worked flawlessly the rest of the time I had it in the truck.

 

I know you want a bought kit, but I have to add a few things to the mix like a handful of nuts and bolts...various sizes, mechanics wire, black gorilla tape, zip ties, plumbers tape, good quality multi tool and I use cheap scissor jacks from the junk yard (or second hand store).

I frequent lots of swap meets, antique malls and tool swap meets. I find good tools CHEAP, so every car has it's own box......and the fact I like old tools doesn't help either.

What about some of these auto-kit set.

 

I would put a big block of wood in the bed, 8"x8"x12", or whatever size you want. If you have to use a hydraulic jack you'll want the backup there in case it fails. If you need more height put the block on the wheel you took off or the spare. Be safe!!

 

As someone who works out of an old plumber’s tool box I got from my great grandad, I say bring all they tools you can fit in a steel 2-4 drawer tool box. Especially the specialty ones. I know I do, I keep the standard ones with my old car, and metrics in my DD

 

I carry a little tool kit made by Cresent. It has 4 or 5 most popular sizes of end wrenches and sockets [3/8ths drive], both SAE and metric with a ratchet and 2 extensions, all packed into a molded plastic case. There's just enough room in the case to accept a small pair of channel lock pliers and still get the lid closed.
Strangely enough, the kit does not have an adjustable wrench in it. Let me know, Chris if you want a photo of it and I'll send it.

 

This is true for parts and tools. The most bullet-proof obscure thing will break on you. I traveled for years with the same Crapsman tool box that I took to the track. There were enough tools in it to pull the engine if we had to and actually did once (at the track). But it is nice to be able to help someone else that is in need of something.

I carry a Harbor Fright tool bag in my Ford, filled with 3rd string tools from my big boxes at home. Spare fan belt, some lengths of wire, 3rd string crimp tool and some electrical lugs and splices. Of course a couple of good flash lights, 1 is none when it comes to those. Full size spare, lug wrench (my dad's OG Craftsman..) and a 2nd string floor jack. I need to get a HF aluminum one. Steel one is 75 lbs.

 

Lol... I picked up a real short but legal Mossberg that goes on the road with me. If 20 rounds of #1 buck and slugs can't get me out of trouble, I'm in too deep. I can hang it from my shoulder under my jacket. I have 2 lawyers phone numbers in my phone, even the cell of one and he says I can wake him up if I have to.

 

I have a flat plastic tool kit that came from Sears as part of their "companion line" of cheaper tools (I know, they are all cheap anymore). It fit nice under the seat when I had my F1 and had all the basics sizes, standard and metric, screwdrivers, and even a ball-ping hammer. Everything clipped into place and helped me out a couple times. Then I just kept any special tools needed in a small pouch.
I almost forgot it when I sold the truck and went to clean it out.

 

I carry one similar to this, has enough in it to handle most things I need to handle. Also have another small box for pliers, bail wire, tire patches, elec tape, epoxy, fuel filters, flashlight, rolling papers, brake spoon ect... anything I might need on a road trip. Being prepared serves me well as Im driving junk

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I picked up the cool tool roll from Filson. Will hold all the basic hand tools needed once the coupes on the road. I’ll be running a Chevy engine so won’t really need to worry about breaking down...



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ecm = extra computer magic, some of us don't have carbs or point ignition. I had an extra one that makes the car run, so rather then waiting for 3 days for a parts store to come up with one if I ever needed it, I carry one. I don't ever expect to need it.

If my car had an auto trans, I would also carry a couple quarts of ATF and a funnel. Gene

 

I was coming home from a local show a few weeks ago and off the shoulder on my ramp were four cars from the show and the hood was up on a 54 Chevy. I stopped behind everyone as my house was only two miles away. Thought I'd offer to bring back a tool if needed. The Chevy dude had a runaway motor and put it into neutral and coasted off the exit ramp. He did not have any tools in the car as he had just gone through the car and had been driving it recently while having it for sale. I offered up my tool box and was surprised at how poorly equipped it had become. We did get the one barrel carb pulled and found the screws had dropped off of the butterfly. Chevy dude decided to call AAA and was going to get a tow. Funny, he introduced himself as a mechanic and handed me his business card.

 

It's scary how many modern mechanics are lost when asked to look at non-computerized cars. It's almost got to the point of if they don't have a computer to tell them what to fix, they don't know what to do.

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I lined and ammo box with that padded toolbox drawer liner and filled it with all the needed tools it would fit. Looks cool too.


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Picking the right partner is the ultimate way to plan.

 

Along with my tools, I carry two or three large, lawn and leaf bags. They don't take up any room and if you need to get under your car, you don't get as dirty as laying on your back on the blacktop.

 

Ready to go

 

Don't forget to pack your brain (and a good sharp pocket knife)! Between the two, you can fix most anything...

 

This is the box I throw behind the seat for trips and junkyard excursions. I had a Sears blow-molded tool box that I finally got tired of fighting and hearing rattle so I made this.

The box is a knock-off Pelican from HF - 6"x9". The trays are EVA foam on aluminum trays I bent up out of scrap
Sockets on the bottom level-

Next two trays are metric and SAE open-box wrenches

Those tools that work when nothing else does- the finger holes in the corners are used to lift the trays out of the box.

The top tray is screwdriver and TORX bits and a cheap HF calipers-

Inside the top of the box are the tools I use the most - a Leatherman, dykes, some razor blades, half a roll of quarters and a wand-style LED light

All the trays are held tight in the box with a piece of soft foam

 

I also keep an old laptop bag behind the seat in the truck. Contains jumper cables, hundred feet of mule tape, chain, a lock, bailing wire, a couple of two by four blocks, plastic garbage bags, a few rags and a small hydraulic jack. Usually have a can of Fixaflat and some tire plugs in there too

 

You asked for a kit ,i know. I have one that i won at a show. I don't carry it. I have a tool pouch that i put GASP!!! Harbor Freight tools in. 2 sets of sockets, a set of vice grips/plier/cutters.Open end wrech set. I do use good screw drivers. I also carry one of the H F aluminum Jacks. May be the best purchase i have ever made. I also carry a small 18 volt impact wrench that will fit in pouch.Also the blue tarps that H F gives away. to lay under car. really sounds like a lot, Most of it fits in pouch.If i need more than that I'm pretty much screwed, anyway. Oh and waterless hand cleaner/blue roll of paper towls.

 

test light

 

No one has mentioned the 12 volt air compressor. I keep one with me 24/7. Has saved me a ton of work and time over the years. Bones

 

Keep your handgun in one of these.

The zipper has a lock on it. You can keep it unzipped with the pistol accessible. You then can zip it closed if you get stopped and it's locked. I have one like it. It works great.

 

I pick up the plastic ammo boxes at Cabellas every time they have them on for half price. they have an O ring seal and you can keep just about any small stuff orgainized in them.
I picked up a little 12 V air compresser at HF a while back when the tire on the wife's car was low in the parking lot. The little bugger isn't fast but will air up a tire and was well under 10 bucks.

 

My top choices are while I'm out traveling for a road trip.
Cordless Impact Wrench,
A Compact Jump Pack
Multi Tool pack
A tire-pressure gauge should be in kit as well, especially if driving through different weather.

 

I carry my tools in a Harbor Freight tool bag. It holds a lot and I have every size combination wrench, pliers, dykes, a couple of each screwdriver, allen keys, hammer, hacksaw, of course thread tape, duct take, safety wire. A 2-ton floor jack, a couple of old car mats if I have to go under the car, a block of 4" x 4" cedar, a 4-way lug wrench, a couple of flashlights (1 = none...). Also have a small box of cotter pins, spare fan belt, brake fluid, roll of blue shop towels, a funnel, engine oil. I need to add a tire plug kit and a 12V compressor. I have no working lighter, so it will have to clip to the battery. I could carry a tank of air, I have room for it.