<VV> Fw: Re: Tools & Spares (why????)

[Chris & Bill Strickland]

I admit that Smitty's list looks more like a good place to start 
stocking a Corvair repair business instead of your trunk, but my 
personal optomistic karma (and history) with automobiles is somewhat 
diferent than Smitty's, and perhaps others.  I rarely do not get to 
where I am going, whether it is the local gas station or New Orleans (I 
live in Oregon).  If the plastic and aluminum radiator in my Isuzu 
Trooper hadn't blown apart recently, I would have finished that trip, 
too -- partly a Corvair club event in central Oregon with additional  
plans on my part.

And, I don't carry a lot of tools and spares -- a $3 disposable socket 
set from Wally World, a bigger pair of channel locks, a small pair of 
real Vice-Grips, jack, lug wrench and spare tire and fanbelt (and wrench 
to fit), a can of Insta-Flat Repair and tire plugging tools and a gallon 
can of gas, food, and a blanket, and I'm generally ready to go.  And 
spare sparking, if I have electronic spark control.

One can always order up a tool set from Sears and have it delivered to 
your location, and our vendors ship parts  for those dire circumstances 
that do occur ...

I did take one trip on a known to be bad Corvair clutch that I didn't 
have time to change beforehand -- carried a floor jack, new clutch and a 
pile of tools (car was a bit heavy in the front end), but made it there 
and back just fine before changing said clutch.  It would have been 
foolish for Smitty to have done that, but for me, it worked out fine.

YMMV, but hopefully, y'all have similar trouble free future travels -- 
Godspeed!

Bill Strickland