Odd Things You Carry in Your Travel Tool Kit

Ohmess

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So, Doug's post here: https://e9coupe.com/forum/threads/tool-kit-auction.38990/post-335125 got me thinking. Obviously, cars that are 50 years old break down from time to time, and often in places where things that may come in handy are hard to find. I carry a lot of extra stuff, because I would like to be able to get myself out of trouble if I can, and because "carry a credit card" doesn't work very well at night or in remote places.

I'd be interested in oddball things others carry in their cars when they travel. So, in addition to more standard additions like jumper cables, here's my list:

Tools:

Multimeter
Small crow bar
Portable air compressor
Scissors jack

Spares:

Relay
Belts (old ones from prior belt change)
Voltage regulator (e9Wayne!)
Fuel pump (I bought two when I changed to the electric pump and wired them with the same pigtails because if the fuel pump goes, I'm stuck until I get another one)

Oddball stuff:

Bailing wire
Zip ties
Electrical wire
Brake fluid (surprising how hard this is to find if you need it when auto parts stores are closed)
Block of wood for jacking on soft surfaces
Wood toothpicks
Popsicle sticks
Zip ties

And, of course, if all else fails, I carry a flask of Maker's Mark.
 

vince

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You forgot a flashlight. My buddy had to borrow mine at 6:00am last Sunday when his starter was acting up before our trip home from Monterey. His iPhone light wasn't doing the trick.
 

JFENG

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Stuff which fold around the spare tire:
Silicon self-fusing tape to seal split coolant/fuel hoses. A roll of plastic to lie on when wrenching in the dirt/mud.
a 1000 lumen rechargeable work light
A small packet of mechanic’s hand wipes
A tow rope.
 

CSteve

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For all my Bavarias, 2002s and coupes the first order of business was a Water Pump! Average life of factory or aftermarket pumps, 50,000 miles. Don't forget the gasket!

Don't leave home without one.

And when I went to the track, all of the above stuff in the above posts.
 

Ohmess

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John has a couple of good ideas there. It would be easy to toss one of those disposable drop cloths in the car to lay on.

I don't carry a tow rope, but we had a discussion here about towing a few months ago (heck, it might have been a couple of years ago), and in particular about hooking tow hooks to our cars. My rear tow hook is gone (not sure why, my car came like that), so I carry a six foot tow strap with d hooks on each end. The idea is, if I need to be towed from the rear, I'll loop the strap over the differential and the rear subframe. I could also use it looped over the front subframe if I need to be towed from the front.
 

Ohmess

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So, just having returned from Legends of the Autobahn, East, I have an addition. Doug Dolan carries one of those garden kneeling pads in his car, for when you need to get down on one knee.

And, I am considering a spare alternator...
 

Mike Goble

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In an e3 there is lots of storage room under the back seat. In addition to many of the aforementioned items like baling wire and duct tape, I carry a small aluminum floor jack under there, as well as a set of hoses, belts, guibo, u-joint, thermostat, oil and radiator caps, water pump, points, two fuel pumps and a fuel sending unit. Since I use a BMW specific electric fan I carry one of those in the trunk with all the fluids and my boiler suit. I bought one of those 5-pouch tool rolls on Ebay and it's full of tools.
 

lip277

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Me too.... I'll bring the refreshments... :)
LOL

On a serious note - I don't know what I'll have in my 'toolkit' - With SFDon having had my car for over 4 years, and it hopefully being finished in the coming weeks - I shouldn't need to even have a toolkit. LOL
Then again - these are 50 year old cars, so - probably the basic tools (jumper cables, screwdrivers/wrench/pliers) and some basic spare parts (ignition probably) would be in order....
I do know the most valuable part of my toolkit will be having SFDon's number on speed dial. :)
 

Markos

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My e9 has never ventured more than one mile from home. I do have a small red screwdriver in my toolkit. :D

My commuter car is now just a ski car. I don’t even have summer tires for it. I’ve got a jump pack, coolant, and an AAA card. That and a 20’ 20,000lb snatch strap on a 2” Warn receiver shackle.

D1F13D13-6243-43C2-B712-E19100E161AC.jpeg
 

tferrer

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I'll add small first-aid kit with neosporin and band-aids for those scraped knuckles and exhaust burns....
 

JFENG

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The ultimate kneeling pad.
Those of you with daughters will understand

John
 

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Drew Gregg

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So, just having returned from Legends of the Autobahn, East, I have an addition. Doug Dolan carries one of those garden kneeling pads in his car, for when you need to get down on one knee.

And, I am considering a spare alternator...
And after my LOTA-East detour to the German shop, I plan on bringing along a flatbed trailer and a spare lead-acid battery....
 

zinz

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I used to carry a bunch of stuff in the trunk of my 2002, but as I sorted it out, I carried fewer and fewer spares. There are a few items like fan belt or Guibo that can really save a trip. We caravan so much with other vintage BMW owners that we can typically get a car going again in short order. I always bring my tool bag and my favorite flashlight. Seriously... buy one or two of these, USB charging, magnetic base, three power levels, I love mine


I bought my e28 and promptly signed up for AAA... that car left me stranded twice over 100 miles from home and AAA towed me back. That service is well worth the annual fees. That car is more sorted out now, I hope I'm done with the failures.

One tool I would add to the list is a medium sized hammer...1 or 2 pounder. Mine is a old ball-peen hammer with a short handle. Just big enough to smash your thumb, but not so big you break stuff. Other non-typical items are a pair of long, locking forceps, a telescoping mirror, and telescoping magnet....nuts and washers will ALWAYS fall where you can't get them. If you drop them in the dirt on the side of the road, use the magnetic base of my favorite flashlight to help locate them.

The list could be endless, but nothing beats good friends along the way

Ed Z
 
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