• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Tools to travel with

Share this page

bugedd

bugedd

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
On my recent road trip I ran into an issue that was easily resolved with wire cutters/strippers and a butt connector, but of course I didn't have that. This morning my neighbor had a bunch of stuff in front of his house he is donating, and one was a small tool box. Looks like the car gods are telling me to fill it up. Which is where this leads.....what does a fairly complete tool kit consist of? Spares?
 
This is a tool kit I put together for my MGB, and I have a very similar one for the Morris (though the Morris also includes some necessary Whitworth wrenches). I'll do the same for the Bugeye when it's back on the road.

Essentially I want to be able to do all basic tuneup/maintenance with the tools from the kit, as well as handling most things that might come up. Spridgets don't use that many bolt sizes, so I found that a fairly small set covers most everything.

Add in some tape, WD40, bailing wire (great for reattaching an exhaust system, ask me how I know), electrical wire, and spare points if needed. In the Morris and Sprite this all (other than some spare oil) fits in a smallish bag that goes in the boot. In the MGB this all fits where the second battery usually goes -- my MGB was converted to a single 12v battery from the stock pair of 6v batteries.

mgbtools1.jpg


mgbtools2.jpg


mgbbattery4.jpg
 
Very small Crescent wrench [4"] plus a bigger one [8"]. Vice grips [8"]. 4 in one screw driver. CT plier [6"]. Pocket knife. Wire.

That's what's in my tool kit. Its a pouch that fits in my hand. You can bet you won't have what you need though. It's what I had when my wife and I flew out to Vegas and drove an E-bay purchased Datsun pickup home. It saved the day when the new set of points that the DPO fitted without any lube on the cam closed up. Oil off the dipstick and readjusted and a run for home.

Kurt.
 
Nice, keep the suggestions coming!
 
Drew got me thinking....don't know if I would carry the continuity tester but definitely a wiring diagram or a good enough knowledge of the wiring to not need one.

Kurt.
 
Drew's kit is very well thought out and I guess its a matter of how much you want to carry. I think probably the best thing to have is a good knowledge of your car that you have prepared correctly. No one should be expecting trouble.

Kurt.
 
My idea was to have enough tools to cover the most likely issues on my (or a friend's) car on the road. Had to fit in a small bag or in that extra well in the MGB. Enough to be reasonably self-sufficient without taking a huge, heavy tool chest. I do have a glovebox-sized shop manual, and a small card that lists the most used specs to have them close at hand. On a longer tour I'll toss a Moss catalog in as well, great for the exploded diagrams.

Truly the best tool is to have a well-sorted car in the first place, but even then things can happen. In truth I've used the tools more to help with friend's cars than on my own. It really does help that these cars are simple, with a small variety of bolts/screws to deal with.
 
Indeed a well sorted car is the best way to go, but like my bad connection proved, a well sorted car can leave you stranded 150 miles away in a parking lot. As I was sitting there helpless, all I could think about was the wire cutters/strippers and the vast assortment of connectors at home, and that's all I needed.
 
drooartz said:
My idea was to have enough tools to cover the most likely issues on my (or a friend's) car on the road. Had to fit in a small bag or in that extra well in the MGB. Enough to be reasonably self-sufficient without taking a huge, heavy tool chest. I do have a glovebox-sized shop manual, and a small card that lists the most used specs to have them close at hand. On a longer tour I'll toss a Moss catalog in as well, great for the exploded diagrams.

Truly the best tool is to have a well-sorted car in the first place, but even then things can happen. In truth I've used the tools more to help with friend's cars than on my own. It really does help that these cars are simple, with a small variety of bolts/screws to deal with.
Click to expand...


...and I have been the beneficiary of this well-thought-out tool kit! :thumbsup:
 
Don't forget the fire extinguisher. Hopefully, you'll never have to use it, but if you ever find yourself in that situation, you'll be glad you have it.
 
I carry a spare distributor! :smile:
 
At a minimum bring along parts that would be hard to find away from home.
The only times I've been stuck in the bonnies are because of electrical problems.
I carry a spare distributor cap, capacitor, points, plenty of wire, a VOM and crimp
connectors (variety) and the tools needed to install them.

And don't laugh at duct tape and bailing wire! I've use both in the past to repair blown
hoses and clean out clogged fuel lines.
Steve
 
Back
Top