<VV> Emergency Car Care Kit (LONG)

[Bryan Blackwell]

I *have* thought about this quite a bit.  My experience is that 
carrying stuff around invites laziness in maintenance, which simply 
leads to more breakdowns.  When I stopped carrying tools on a regular 
basis, my reliability went way up.  Do the work in the driveway.  Check 
your fluids once a week.  Drive the car once a week to keep it loose.  
I have found that there are *very* few things that break with no 
warning that also leave you completely stranded.  Use that warning to 
get to a better place for the car to break.  If it still runs when you 
get there, park it anyway and fix it.

Now, on a trip that's a different matter, I do usually carry some tools 
and a fan belt especially if I'm autocrossing (I did, after all, 
collect all that info and put it on a web page).  Again, my experience 
is that I need parts anyway, so the phone, roster, and credit card get 
it done.  In the day of FedEx, why carry a bunch of parts when the one 
you may well need you'll have to buy anyway?  Stew MacLeod broke a diff 
case last year, who's going to carry one of those?  You got a spare 
yoke and halfshaft?  I've needed those.  If you are satisfied with the 
reliability of your fuel pump (for example), don't worry about it.  If 
you're not, get something better.

If the car breaks, walk to a restaurant, call a friend and invite them 
out for dinner, then get a ride back home, pick up the correct supplies 
and tools, then fix it at your leisure.  If your car is breaking more 
often than once a year, you need better maintenance.  If you don't know 
anybody who'll rescue you once a year, you need better friends :-)

One caveat to all this - I live in a densely populated metro area, so 
it's not like I'm going to be stranded 50 miles away from home in my 
regular commute.  However, I think that all the discussion of what 
needs to be carried around is somewhat self defeating.

As for terrorists and methHeads, I'd propose that a well maintained 
vehicle is your best choice.  Any other planning for them belongs on 
VV-Talk :-)

On Wednesday, July 28, 2004, at 10:11 AM, Delta Inc wrote:

> I think this is BigMistake. Please rethink this, as with the Terrorist
> hourly attacks, and MethHeads all about us, the days of the friendly 
> passing
> motorists are getting few-er and few-er.  20 lbs of tools, fuel pumps,
> vacuum/fuel  line and Ideal hose clamps, voltmeters, extra duracells, 
> fan
> belts, tie-wraps, hook-up flexy wire, springs, etc. etc. etc.   just 
> don't
> take up that much room  and " stuff" happens whether or not you 
> "schedule "
> it, or are looking for it, or ignore it.
--
Bryan Blackwell bryan@skiblack.com
http://autoxer.skiblack.com/
   Corvairs: '61 Lakewood, '64 Greenbrier, '65 Corsa, '66 Corsa
   '69 Road Runner, '97 Ford F-150, '99 Neon R/T
"Why do something if you're not going to obsess about it?"