I'm starting to put the stuff together for our trip, trying to keep everything as compact as possible because ,well because my wife is going and I'll be lucky if there will be room for me let alone my stuff. Here is what I've put together for an emergency tool kit anything small that I should be taking?

So far I have

Basic tool box open/ box wrenches, extensions, sockets, ratchets screwdrivers, vice grips, pliers etc.

Tape both electrical paper and duct.

Bailing wire (about 6 feet) and electrical (12 gauge)

Small length of 1/4 inch of nylon rope.

Jumpers, hose clamps, extra oil and transmission fluid

What else obvious I'm I missing....Tedd

 

Fire Extinguisher .Im sure you have that already, but just didnt list it.

 

Multimeter

Tach/Dwell meter

Timing Light

Points and Condenser

Cap and rotor, if you're extra-cautious

Set of functional spark plugs (used is fine)

Ballast resistor (used is fine)

Radiator hoses (old ones are fine)

A few feet of fuel line hose

Water/Coolant mix

Oil

Brake Fluid

Bottle Jack

12v air compressor

Bunch o' Nuts 'n' Bolts



You don't need to be like MacGyver, but you do want to be like the guy in the Viagra ads.

- Eric

 

Belts?

 

Right. Duh. I totally forgot those.

You should always have the belts you most recently took off tucked in a corner of the trunk.

- Eric

 

Coil, used spark plug wire or two in case one dies. Lube your zircs a couple weeks before you go and then don't worry about a grease gun. A couple rolls of blue paper towels and a bottle of windex and your favorite quick detailer for the bugs.

A word about theft deterrents. Some people like The Club, some people like disabling the vehicle when parked at night, some people have their other hobby being firearms and bring along an arsenal of concentrated freedom. I do all three.

 

I'm usually always 2ed amendment covered and I do have a few detail oriented products already in the car just incase I run into a car show, old points/ condenser are always in the glove box, car was lubed last week .I'll probably pull the coil wire at night. I didn't think about plugs and wires so I will add them to the pile.....Thanks Tedd

 

You mean the naked guy who is setting in the bath tub next to his wife/girl friend or is that Cialis?

I didn't think about the ballast resistor in all my years I have never had one go bad but I should buy a extra new fan belt, both are new now but if the inside belt breaks which I have had happen it will take the outboard belt with it. They are both the same size so I can limp in with only one belt if I had one.The rest of the stuff I have covered or it would take up a quite a bit of space that I don't have....Thanks for the thoughts....Tedd

 

Your credit/debit card is probably the most crucial item.

For theft deterrent, you should have both a disabler [ign +/or fuel] and a noisemaker to alert you and/or get others' attention.

 

new set of wiper blades and a fresh coating of rain-x on the windshield.

 

I charged up the debit card last week and rainX is always in the car, I also have new wiper blades, got to try them out last friday in a downpour, they worked fine for a change. Made me happy I converted to electric last year...Tedd

 

Cell phone? AAA membership card? A list of the names, addresses, phone numbers, and hours of operation of auto parts stores along your route. And a GPS to program those addresses into?

You would want to bring along any might-fail parts that wouldn't be in stock at a parts store, but why bring tools (other than the basics like wrenches and screwdrivers) that you could probably borrow or rent if you need them?

You can't hope to cover every eventuality in what you bring, so bring the basics and assume you'll have to purchase what you need along the way if something goes wrong. But there's no reason to bring things like, for example, oil or coolant or spark plugs. You can buy those anywhere, and if you break down in the middle of nowhere, that's what your cell phone and AAA membership card are for, right?

You DO have a cell phone and an AAA membership, don't you? Those would be the FIRST things I'd be bringing along before any tools or parts if I were attempting a trip like you're contemplating in a nearly 60-year-old car.

 

This is about $90 from the Matco man. We have one at work we just got. It will jump start a car 5 times and is only 14 oz. Will also charge cell phones and computers.

 

I have one of those little chineseum tool sets that is in a plastic case. It has most everything you would need and it fits in the plastic case. You can get them at Harbor Freight. I just leave it in the car. It does not take up much space. I have an old clam shell trailer that I will get around to redoing sometimes this year. I have one of those small receiver hitches I can fit to the 54. It will be perfect for trips and car shows. I can put my canopy, ice chest, chairs, tools and even one of those portable grills in it. It will be painted to match the car. Of course I will post pictures when it is done.

 

meow gusta!

 

I agree with the tools and a meter, but I'm with Jaunty, the other stuff can be bought after a tow back to civilization. Part of having towing for your insurance is they will come out and jump you so why tote a jump box.


Now for the how to keep it from being stolen, I remove the rotor at night and have yet to see a thief carry one with them. Then just put it back in the morning. There is not a lot you can do to prevent them from just towing it off.

 

First aid kit, blankets, spare wheel nuts ,snacks and water....

 

Well we have AAA long distance towing plus Grundy long distance on our policy. I have the basic tools in one of those plastic cases, at one time I was a rep for Crescent/ Nicholson tools and samples often made my tool box.

I should get a first aid kit though, the last accident kit I liberated from my previous employer and carried for years thinking it was a medical kit turned out to be a camera clipboard and forms telling how to report an accident to the law, there wasn't even a band aid in there....Thanks all I'm getting close to no more room. The rest I will have to fix with a credit card...Tedd

 

All good ideas, decide what's important to you without having to tow a trailer. Whatever you bring, also throw is some dispoable nitrile gloves and handi-wipes for cleaning up when you are done.

 

Where are you going?.
If your trip is along American highways you should only need to carry parts you can't obtain from a car parts store, if you are crossing deserts take lots of drinking water and blankets.
Have a close look at your tires before you leave, are they old, showing signs of abnormal wear or not inflated correctly?. Don't forget the spare!.


Don't get paranoid about what could go wrong, you maintain your car to a high standard, so you have gone a long way to avoiding unexpected trouble.


Enjoy your trip!.


Roger.

 

You have many good suggestions. Here are a couple more which many will consider overkill. When I take a trip in my '55 I always carry a spare water pump and spare fuel pump. The fuel pump is usually harder to find, and I suppose that an electric one can be substituted, but there is no better situation than having a spare "original" ready for installation. I must admit that I've never needed them (or anything else). After all, a well maintained Oldsmobile is usually a very reliable vehicle.

 

For the Power Tour I'll take a well packed tool box, small hydraulic jack, jumper cables, flashlights, spare electric pump. There usually is at least one opportunity to help out a fellow long hauler.

 

Roger, tires are new and about one month old and have enough miles on them (about 600) and I trust them at this point, spare is older but in fine condition. I will be going through a lot of desert (Nevada is almost all desert) and I'm thinking of putting a jug of water that can be used both for us and the car if it's needed.

The trip will start in northern California(Forest Ranch) and the destination is Mount Rushmore South Dakota. We are not taking a direct route but are going north to Spokane Washington then east for awhile , down through Yellowstone Wyoming and on to South Dakota where we hope we have time to visit Sturgis, Deadwood, Mount Rushmore,Crazy Horse Monument, Custer's last stand and Wounded Knee site. All this could change if we get interested in whatever comes up on the trip and spend to much time in one spot, after all it's not the destination but the journey. This should amount to about 3500-4000 miles total....Tedd

 

AAA Card for sure. Sounds like a great trip, enjoy.

 

I doubt that you will have the need of being towed, but if it should happen, and you have a Hydramatic, be sure that it's done properly, so as to not damage the transmission. Some wrecker operators are not knowledgeable on this subject.

 

I try to carry stuff to fix what's there instead of carrying spares ... where possible. Instead of spare hoses, there's that funky tape that self vulcanizes you find in the plumbing section of the hardware store. A few quick wraps of that gets you mobile again a lot quicker than trying to replace a hose in the middle of nowhere. They used to sell a universal fan belt that was about as useful as a compact spare tire .. but it did get you to the next town. Sure beat trying to explain the panty hose in your trunk. A can of WD-40 will dry out a soaked ignition and get you back mobile in conditions that don't encourage spending the time to swap plug wires. A radial tire plug kit and high capacity 12V pump have kept me from having to remove a tire more than once.

As with everything, knowledge is your best tool.

 

Not to derail .. but are there still a lot of drag behind tow trucks out there? I honestly can't remember the last time I saw one up here. They're all roll backs.

 

X2......Tedd