In car Spares?

So I'm an idiot, (big surprise) and I decided to run up to Jacksonville last week in the TR-6. (80 miles or so) I'm an idiot because I did this knowing that the car had been missing at highish RPMs, and I attempted the trip without bringing a spare set of points, a rotor, or .....well anything. Of course the car died and needed to be towed home. (thanks AAA!)

As it turns out it was the rotor, and now the car is running sweetly. This did bring up a question though.

What spares do you usually keep in your car for the unexpected failure?

Cell phone. And if you haven't done it already, slap an electronic ignition on that puppy.

It depends how far I am going and which vehicle. At minimum: -Points -Rotor -Cap -Plugs (2) -Fluids -All tools needed to change above (except fluids) -Duck tape -Wire -Fuses -A couple of bits of primary wire -A few different sizes of nuts and bolts

If I am going off road in the Land Rover the list keeps growing all the way to spare half shafts. Beauty of having a diesel is I can do without the ignition stuff. But when I had a gasser I always carried spares.

I run with a Pertronix ignitor but carry a working set of points/condenser as a backup. After 18k miles I haven't had to touch the Pertronix, and it is less sensitive to a worn distributor. I always carry an extra belt, carb diaphragm, spool of electrical wire, an assortment of crimp-on spade and bullet connectors, and an extra spark plug/wire. For longer trips, I usually toss a u-joint, clutch slave cylinder (only thing to ever actually fail), and a bag of various Lucas demon-spawn (coil, relays, taillight sockets, voltage regulator, etc.). The TR6 differential pinion and rear hubs are prone to sudden failure, but spare diffs are a bit heavy.

Peter Egan commented somewhere that British cars seem to know what you're carrying with you and fail in some other way.

I usually carry belts, an oil filter, and the usual fluids in the trunk of my MGB. However I'm planning on storing a spare distribuitor in there just in case, I'd rather store it there than in the basement.

on a side note: When I was in high school I drove a 71 Dodge Dart that my dad gave me. My uncle worked for a dodge dealership, and gave me a box of parts he once had for his valiant, and I just dumped them in the trunk.

once when the car wouldn't start we got it up to the dealer, and the service guy called and said I'd need a new starter and it would take a day or so to get, I told him, look in the trunk I think I have 3 new ones still in the mopar boxes. The repair guy was beside himself..

Old Mopar guys carry ballast resistors ... except for those of us running GM HEI, that is.

I keep a critical collection in my Crown Vic, and as long as you prepare for it, it'll never actually break down.....knocks on wood

Tire, TFI module (spark control), stator pickup, coil, couple relays, and belts at all time. And obviously a small tool kit because what good would parts be with no tools to install them. Never had to use anything except the spare belt in the past 120,000miles.

A friend who's an editor at another car magazine recently asked me the same question: What should people carry in case they break down. My answer: AAA card and a cell phone.

Seriously, I keep a tool kit in the Mini. I figure it helps ward off the demons.

In putting together a "survival" kit for the TR-6 here's what I'm going to gather:

Rotor (duh!) Points/condensor, Dist. Cap, Extra plug wire, belt, duct tape (duh again!), electrical tape, small tool kit (screwdriver, needlenose, couple wrenches, flashlight), fuel filter (clear plastic kind), extra hose (coolant + fuel)

any other ideas?

Rags. I didn't have any rags with me when the Mini overheated and had to sacrifice a good ball cap.

In a convertible, I carry an extra ball cap. A small tool kit, spare tire, fuses/bulbs, Tape/wire, Rag, Oil,

Belt, I keep the old one and used it once.

Phone Sunblock Spare key (hidden)

I like to drive a lot (daily for a week) before a trip to test it. Parking an older car for a month and jumping in for a long trip is tempting fate.

Cheers Ron

Actually, some of that Castrol waterless hand wash stuff could be handy if you end up with gunk on your hands. I usually take some to an autocross.

Yeah, I learned about rear wheels falling off TR6s almost 20 years ago (not first hand, fortunately). That's why our autocross car has Corvair hubs, Uncle Jack's stub axles, and billet aluminum front hubs. You just have to do something when current tires are so much more capable that they were in 1973.

As David said, AAA card and a cell phone. But you also want to consider bumpering your AAA membership up to the premium. It's worth it.