what spares / tools do you carry?

[outdoorjoe]

Hi all

today was a special day, after MUCH 'playing' with my spitfire 1500 I bought 6 months ago I finally got her mechanically good enough and reliable to drive the 10 miles to work for the first time wooohooo!

Driving round at the weekend locally it didnt really spring to mind as i have a few tools / spares but driving to work in rush hour I thought firstly if this sets on fire theres nowt i can do so first on list buy an extinguisher! second was I forgot to put the spare wheel back in (must put spare wheel back in!)

so .... what spares and tools do we all carry?

Ill start..

spanners 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8.
screwdriver large & small flat and phillips/posidrive.
water
petrol can
mobile phone
various spares eg screws/bolts, rad cap etc.

any advance?

Joe

[TerryG]

I carry:
1/4" socket set
philips and flat screwdivers
adjustable spanner
electrical tape
1 spark plug wire, rotor arm and cap.

If it can't be fixed with those then full RAC cover will do the trick!

I never carry spare water as i don't fancy having to mop out my boot when it leeks, i do check it before setting off.

[Martin Evans]

It would depend on where I am going. I have a tool roll, that has AF & BSW spanners, a testing light, pliers, Stanley knife, screw drivers, plug brush; I think there's a wire crimper and feeler gauges (Luckilly I don't have to use if very often) and I have a spare fan belt and wiper blades etc. If I was going on a longer trip, I might take plug leads and distributor cap and condenser. The tool roll goes between cars and I usually remember to grab it when I go out (When I forget it will be when I need it ).

[OneCarefulOwner]

I find that I carry more spares in the cars with suitable locations to store them in; my Allegro saloon has the bare minimum as they just rattle around in the boot otherwise, whereas the estates have a lovely "hidden cavern" under the boot floor next to the spare. One of my Allegro estates came with a fitted toolbox built by the former keeper, and that has plugs, points, fanbelt (which I've been very grateful for & already replaced once through necessity!), various spanners, plug spanner, hammer... Needs some screwdrivers though, as discovered when trying to swap solenoids at Peterborough. Both estates carry blankets, bottles of water, and one also has a jerrycan as its fuel sender is playing up - not had to use it yet, but it'll stay as that's going to be my daily car anyway once it's fully sorted.

The Lexus is missing one of its original toolkit's spanners but the torch still works with the original Duracells! It also has 1 litre bottles of various fluids in one side of the spare wheel protector, a tow rope & jump leads to offer assistance in the other side, and a reflective vest & heavy working gloves in the pocket designed for the dealer-option first-aid kit. And of course, all my cars carry serviceable spare wheels, jacks, & suitable wrenches for swapping wheels, and my insurance includes breakdown cover - a fact I've been thankful for multiple times, although never in the same car twice.

Having seen how fast car fires can take hold, I see little point in carrying an extinguisher; IMO the chance of it doing some good are very slight while the chance it'll encourage me to do something foolhardy & lose more than just the car is too great. However even writing this has caused me to begin reviewing this decision... Perhaps those few circumstances are worth it too.

[suffolkpete]

When I'm taking the Matra abroad I carry screwdrivers flat and pozidriv, spanners, small socket set, hose clips, full set of bulbs, fuses, solderless nipples, ignition module, coil, alternator, caburettor, multimeterand a few odd nuts, bolts and washers.

[Dave3066]

I use my Rover every day so the RAC membership card is a must have

I also carry a 1/4" socket set, adjustable spanner, flat and philips screwdriver, test bulb, crimps and a crimping tool for quick electrical repairs, stanley knife, cable ties, torch, hi-viz vest, foot pump, magnetic telescopic pick up thingy, multimeter, disposable gloves, blue roll, Haynes (or equivalent) manual, fuel additive, spare bulbs, spare fuses and a can of GT85. All kept in a small holdall in the boot.

Dave

[JPB]

Fuel additive. Why?

[Dave3066]

Fuel additive. Why?

She's a 1966 2000SC which I run on 95RON unleaded. I use the car every day and have put an average of 1300 miles on her every month. She gets filled up once a week so I always keep a bottle of additive in the boot

Dave

[JPB]

I got that bit, but would running the car on 98RON not be more cost-effective than additive in a car where the valve seat metallurgy is such that no lead or alternative is required?

95 costs around £1.29 per litre, 98 or 99 around £1.38 per litre, that's a difference of 40p per gallon so assuming you get 25-30mpg, then you'd spend a further £104 per month running on the high octane fuel whereas enough octane booster to last 1300 miles would cost, based on a typical two point octane hike at 1 litre per £18 at 3% of the tank contents.....

Oh wait, that's cheaper! Damn!

[suffolkpete]

I got that bit, but would running the car on 98RON not be more cost-effective than additive in a car where the valve seat metallurgy is such that no lead or alternative is required?

I'm new to this Rover business, but the general opinion seems to be that the four-cylinder cars need an additive.