Small Trunk Toolkit - What do you guys have?

"Gideon" > wrote in message
...
>
> Lawrence Glickman wrote in message ...
> On 7 Jan 2005 16:15:00 GMT, (William R.
> Watt) wrote:
>
>>
>>there must be a trade off between weight of tools and gas milage
>
> That, and the fact that if some nefarious types find out you carry a
> bunch of valuable stuff in your trunk, you can expect it to *go
> missing* sooner or later.
>
> Lg
>
>
> ================
>
> You need to put some dark tint over that window you installed in your
> trunk
> lid.
>
>
>

LOL

Brian

"Don Bruder" > wrote in message
...
> In article .com>,
> wrote:
>
>> Hey Everyone,
>>
>> Just curious what people have in their "emergency roadside repair"
>> trunk toolkits. There's the obvious jumper cables, flashlight,
>> screwdriver etc. but I'm wondering what other tools do people like to
>> have in their trunk "just in case."
>> Cheers,
>> Geoff Glave
>> Vancouver, Canada
>>
>
> Well, since I make my living driving, my "kit" isn't exactly small...
>
> My trunk holds three full-size spares, a "donut" spare, a 12 volt "Low
> volume, high pressure" mini air compressor rated for 125PSI (takes half
> an hour to blow up a tire from flat to 30 pounds, but it beats the
> alternative), a couple cans of fix-a-flat, compact floor jack, tire iron
> and lug wrench, and a full socket wrench set in metric and SAE, metric
> combination wrenches from 4mm through 22mm (Japanese car - SAE
> combination wrenches would be a waste of space/weight), plus assorted
> other tools like screwdrivers, wire cutters and pliers. Not to mention a
> complete change of brake pads/shoes and the tools to R&R 'em, tire
> plugging needle plus I-dunno-how-many plugs, a couple gallons of Delo
> 15-W40 motor oil, a jug of brake fluid, spare oil filter, a jug of
> 80-weight for the tranny and rear end, the spark plugs/wires/dist. cap
> and rotor that was last changed out, and an empty gas can. Also a set of
> fan belts to fully replace all of them under the hood, a chunk of fuel
> line sufficient to completely encircle the car (and then some!), and a
> similar amount of vacuum line. Then in the back seat/rear footwell,
> there's a spare starter (with solenoid), jumper cables, two new
> U-joints, and a new clutch disc and the spline-aligner to go with it, as
> well as a rebuilt clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder, wiper
> blades, and a rebuilt brake M/C. In the glove box can be found enough
> fuses to replace every fuse in the car - twice - a handful of bulbs, and
> a couple lengths of fusible link wire, crimp-on terminals, and the
> crimping pliers to apply them, a box of butt-splices (assorted sizes), a
> roll of insulated 12 gauge stranded wire, at least two (maybe more
> elsewhere in the car) rolls of electrical tape, and a roll of duct tape.
>
> Basically, my ride is a mobile "most likely things to break on this
> vehicle" repair shop. It sounds like a lot, but once it's all tucked in,
> it takes up surprisingly little room.
>
> But my "ultimate weapon" against breakdowns rides in my wallet: A
> paid-up AAA+ card that'll take me and the car 400 miles in any direction
> - once I get to a telephone...
>
> At one time or another, everything except the clutch disc has been
> priceless, and if I hadn't been feeling lazy the night I grenaded that
> due to a blown downshift while coming off the freeway, I could have
> swapped it in about 3 hours without needing to get the car (or myself)
> home before doing so. (it wouldn't have been anything like fun, but it
> would have at least been doable if I'd chosen that route)
>
> (It also helps that before I started driving this one, I drove the
> identical vehicle, only painted white instead of dark gray - until it
> got creamed by a PT Cruiser - LOTS of spare parts, including a
> *COMPLETE* power-train, from (freshly rebuilt) engine to rear end,
> sitting in the garage just waiting to be put in once the Triple-A truck
> drops the beast on the day the engine, tranny, driveline, or rear end
> finally goes tango-uniform...)
>
> Am I paranoid about breakdowns? You betcha!!! But that paranoia has
> saved my bacon more than once.
>
> --
> Don Bruder - - New Email policy in effect as of Feb. 21,
> 2004.
> Short form: I'm trashing EVERY E-mail that doesn't contain a password in
> the
> subject unless it comes from a "whitelisted" (pre-approved by me) address.
> See <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd/main/contact.html> for full details.

Wouldn't it be easier to tow a small spare car in the rear? ;-)

Brian

In article >,
"el Diablo" > wrote:


> Wouldn't it be easier to tow a small spare car in the rear? ;-)

On some other vehicles I've used for the job, I've considered the
concept...

But in comparison to some of the hoopties I've used for the job in the
past, the one I'm driving now is a fresh-off-the-showroom-floor 2005
creampuff.

--
Don Bruder - - New Email policy in effect as of Feb. 21, 2004.
Short form: I'm trashing EVERY E-mail that doesn't contain a password in the
subject unless it comes from a "whitelisted" (pre-approved by me) address.
See <http://www.sonic.net/~dakidd/main/contact.html> for full details.

On Fri, 07 Jan 2005 22:16:42 GMT, "Gideon" > wrote:

>
>Lawrence Glickman wrote in message ...
>On 7 Jan 2005 16:15:00 GMT, (William R.
>Watt) wrote:
>
>>
>>there must be a trade off between weight of tools and gas milage
>
>That, and the fact that if some nefarious types find out you carry a
>bunch of valuable stuff in your trunk, you can expect it to *go
>missing* sooner or later.
>
>Lg
>
>
>================
>
>You need to put some dark tint over that window you installed in your trunk
>lid.
>
>
>
>

My dad had =all= his trunk tools ripped off while the car was in a
YMCA parking lot. Just like that, gone. That was out of a new Buick
LeSabre. Now I carry just *essentials.* I leave the good stuff at
home.

AND, I know of someone in another n/g that had more than $10,000 worth
of tools stolen out of his van.

I don't take any more than I need to get home, and for damn sure, an
O2 sensor isn't one of those items!

Lg

It's all a matter of luck and caution. A neighbor accidentally left his car
unlocked overnight and it was broken into and ransacked. But the kids (most
likely) didn't bother to pop open the trunk using the passanger compartment
latch. So, he just lost a bit of loose change and a couple of CDs instead of
loosing hundreds of dollars in parts and tools.

Personally, I carry a large assortment of tools and spare parts in all 4
vehicles. But nobody except my family is aware of that fact. Also, I've got
the trunk latches set so that they are disabled without the use of the
secondary
key.

We are just a low visability target and I've had 4 decades without a loss.
We leave nothing visible in a vehicle which might tempt a lowlife. My
wife has learned that she will get a reprimand if she leaves her spare shoes
in a Kohl's bag - how can a passerby tell that it isn't a recent purchase from
Kohls? We use clear recycle bags for boots, shoes, and other assorted
worthless crap in the passenger compartment just so that thieves won't think
that there is something valuable. CDs, cellphones, loose change, and other
goodies are always out of sight.

Once again, I'm certain that it is a combination of caution and good fortune.

============================

Lawrence Glickman wrote in message ...
On Fri, 07 Jan 2005 22:16:42 GMT, "Gideon" > wrote:

>
>Lawrence Glickman wrote in message ...
>On 7 Jan 2005 16:15:00 GMT, (William R.
>Watt) wrote:
>
>>
>>there must be a trade off between weight of tools and gas milage
>
>That, and the fact that if some nefarious types find out you carry a
>bunch of valuable stuff in your trunk, you can expect it to *go
>missing* sooner or later.
>
>Lg
>
>
>================
>
>You need to put some dark tint over that window you installed in your trunk
>lid.
>
>
>
>

My dad had =all= his trunk tools ripped off while the car was in a
YMCA parking lot. Just like that, gone. That was out of a new Buick
LeSabre. Now I carry just *essentials.* I leave the good stuff at
home.

AND, I know of someone in another n/g that had more than $10,000 worth
of tools stolen out of his van.

I don't take any more than I need to get home, and for damn sure, an
O2 sensor isn't one of those items!

Lg

On Mon, 10 Jan 2005 04:31:10 GMT, "Gideon" > wrote:

>It's all a matter of luck and caution. A neighbor accidentally left his car
>unlocked overnight and it was broken into and ransacked. But the kids (most
>likely) didn't bother to pop open the trunk using the passanger compartment
>latch. So, he just lost a bit of loose change and a couple of CDs instead of
>loosing hundreds of dollars in parts and tools.
>
>Personally, I carry a large assortment of tools and spare parts in all 4
>vehicles. But nobody except my family is aware of that fact. Also, I've got
>the trunk latches set so that they are disabled without the use of the
>secondary
>key.
>
>We are just a low visability target and I've had 4 decades without a loss.
>We leave nothing visible in a vehicle which might tempt a lowlife. My
>wife has learned that she will get a reprimand if she leaves her spare shoes
>in a Kohl's bag - how can a passerby tell that it isn't a recent purchase from
>Kohls? We use clear recycle bags for boots, shoes, and other assorted
>worthless crap in the passenger compartment just so that thieves won't think
>that there is something valuable. CDs, cellphones, loose change, and other
>goodies are always out of sight.
>
>Once again, I'm certain that it is a combination of caution and good fortune.

My idea is that it has a lot to do with what kind of driving you do.
If you're driving cross-country a lot, you want a more comprehensive
*kit* than if you just mostly drive around town and regionally.

And if you do routine maintenance on your vehicle, chances are good
that you won't need to do much in the way or repairs while out on the
road. My tools are very heavy and very expensive, and I don't see why
I would want to move my workshop into the trunk of my auto when the
chances of needing anything from it are minimal. Otoh, if I was
headed for California, I would be sure to include more *stuff* and
squirrel it out of sight, lock it up good. But even then, you can be
caught short. I broke a stub axle in Canada and there was nothing in
my tool kit to replace one of those. So I abandoned the vehicle and
later recovered it at a service shop in London Ontario. You can't
prepare for _everything_.

Lg

In article .com>,
says...
>
>
>Hey Everyone,
>
>Just curious what people have in their "emergency roadside repair"
>trunk toolkits. There's the obvious jumper cables, flashlight,
>screwdriver etc. but I'm wondering what other tools do people like to
>have in their trunk "just in case."

Rubber gloves. Reflective triangle. Fire extinguisher. Assorted clamps.
Bailing wire. Short sections of heater and fuel hoses. Sharp blade.
Cheap socket set. WD-40.
--------------
Alex

In article >,
says...
>
>
>In article .com>,
says...
>>
>>
>>Hey Everyone,
>>
>>Just curious what people have in their "emergency roadside repair"
>>trunk toolkits. There's the obvious jumper cables, flashlight,
>>screwdriver etc. but I'm wondering what other tools do people like to
>>have in their trunk "just in case."
>
>Rubber gloves. Reflective triangle. Fire extinguisher. Assorted clamps.
>Bailing wire. Short sections of heater and fuel hoses. Sharp blade.
>Cheap socket set. WD-40.

OOps, I almost forgot one of the most important items, duct tape. It has
saved me having to get my car towed on more than one occasion.
------------
Alex

In article >,
Alex Rodriguez > wrote:

> In article >,
> says...
> >
> >
> >In article .com>,
> says...
> >>
> >>
> >>Hey Everyone,
> >>
> >>Just curious what people have in their "emergency roadside repair"
> >>trunk toolkits. There's the obvious jumper cables, flashlight,
> >>screwdriver etc. but I'm wondering what other tools do people like to
> >>have in their trunk "just in case."
> >
> >Rubber gloves. Reflective triangle. Fire extinguisher. Assorted clamps.
> >Bailing wire. Short sections of heater and fuel hoses. Sharp blade.
> >Cheap socket set. WD-40.
>
> OOps, I almost forgot one of the most important items, duct tape. It has
> saved me having to get my car towed on more than one occasion.
> ------------
> Alex

I keep a pair of 10" curved jaw wire cutting Vise Grips in my car tool
box... you'd be amazed what you can do with a pair if you have to. And
for things other than the car too... a wonderful improvisation tool if
there ever was one. I've heard they even send the 7" version up in the
on board space shuttle tool box for the same reason.

Erik

> Just curious what people have in their "emergency roadside repair" trunk
> toolkits. There's the obvious jumper cables, flashlight, screwdriver
> etc. but I'm wondering what other tools do people like to have in their
> trunk "just in case."

I carry a fairly complete selection of tools and parts in my trunk. It's a
magical tool/parts kit, which contains:

* Every tool except for the one I need at any given time.
* Every spare part except the one that has just failed.
* Every nut, bolt, screw and washer except the one that fits.