What is the ideal emergency kit?

[nthomas1]

Projecting forward to the day when my Fulvia S2 Coupe will be back on the road (trains of thought like this keep me sane during the rebuild process, and my time in Spain when I’m unable to work on the car) I’ve been wondering what the ideal emergency kit would be to carry in the boot of the car.  My aspirations are for local driving and trips to events within an approximately 150 mile radius - such as the AGM, and historic racing events at Oulton Park, Donington, Silverstone etc.

I’m not planning any continental trips, at least not yet, though I do have a dream of driving my car from Almeria to Monte Carlo following the route that Munari and Mannucci took in 1972.  And I’m certainly not planning any Paris to Peking trips!

So, for the up-to-150 mile trips what do forum readers recommend, from their own experiences, to be the ideal combination of tools, spare parts and materials to carry in the car in order to cope with minor problems and breakdowns?  For anything major I’ll have to resort to breakdown recovery.

[lancialulu]

In Uk the basics to change a wheel. And AA cover or somesuch!!

For longer trips you need to be a bit more self sufficient so spare coil, distrubutor (as I run luminition and if it played up I can simply switch to a standard distributor, and alternator, fan belt, plugs, bulbs, tow rope, jump leads, tool kit, small multi meter (invaluable), rocker gasket set, silicon gasket sealant, rubber gloves, bits of wire, cable ties in various sizes (got me out of a hole on the trip to Italy when one of my bonnet pins did a disappearing act while en route to Dover).

[simonandjuliet]

A mobile phone .....

[Justin McArdle]

...spare clutch cable?

[nthomas1]

Do clutch cables often fail, and is replacement a roadside job?

[lancialulu]

Do clutch cables often fail, and is replacement a roadside job?

I have a spare clutch cable and a mobile phone. But are they in the kit. Sometimes. I heard a guy who went on his honeymoon with his new wife and the flutch cable went and had no other so jury rigged a wire coat hanger from madam's wardrobe to the clutch lever and some how through the bulk head to be HAND operated.....not recommended past 40 years of age....but needs must!

[stanley sweet]

I'm almost scared to tempt fate but my clutch cable has broken once in 23 years. It was a couple of years after I bought it and it happened in Borley (most haunted village) on the way to Ixworth (Ickworth?) House for an Italian car day. So I put it down to the car being frightened to death. It had frayed and snapped just where it exits its cover into the engine bay. Now I give it a check every so often. It's probably one of the easiest clutch cables to change. From memory a circlip keeps it in place on the pedal, then run it up the outer casing into the engine bay. Good old Lancia placed all the adjustment etc at the top of the engine bay so just adjust it to 5mm of free play. It can be done by the roadside. I keep meaning to buy a spare curved nylon insert that sits up against the actuation lever as that had disappeared but luckily got caught up somewhere down in the engine. I found them the other day on one of the Italian specialists like Ricambirossocorsa but probably Omicron would have them. I must admit I chuck all sorts of old rubbish in my tool box, electrical connectors, odd bits of old wire, nuts, bolts etc. Tank tape is always handy too.

[fay66]

Do clutch cables often fail, and is replacement a roadside job?

Norman I've been carrying one around for 17 years & 30K miles and never needed it so far , just I hope I haven't jinxed myself now.
I'd go along with Tim & Simon's list but I'd add a tow rope.

Brian
8227

[lancialulu]

Do clutch cables often fail, and is replacement a roadside job?

Norman I've been carrying one around for 17 years & 30K miles and never needed it so far , just I hope I haven't jinxed myself now.
I'd go along with Tim & Simon's list but I'd add a tow rope.

Brian
8227

Brian what good is 2 tow ropes unless you have drifted off the road and into a deep ditch....

[the.cern]

Clutch cables ...... 49 years of driving
 
Volvo 145                       2 cables
Beta Berlina                    1 cable
Beta HPE                        1 cable

Both the Volvo cables were replaced on the driveway at home, the Berlina cable was replaced roadside in Brighton whilst visiting my daughter's friend's degree final show, whilst the  HPE cable was replaced roadside about 10m from my then place of employment!

So yes, a clutch cable is a good spare to carry!!

Usually there is a little notice of an impending clutch cable failure, unusual pedal feel, if the break is near the bulkhead maybe some noise as the frayed cable moves against something and poor disengagement as the failing cable stretches. However, that is not always the case, hence the need to carry a spare.

                                       Andy

                                      

[fay66]

Do clutch cables often fail, and is replacement a roadside job?

Norman I've been carrying one around for 17 years & 30K miles and never needed it so far , just I hope I haven't jinxed myself now.
I'd go along with Tim & Simon's list but I'd add a tow rope.

Brian
8227

Brian what good is 2 tow ropes unless you have drifted off the road and into a deep ditch....

Sorry Tim,
I missed it in your Exhaustive list, but then again ytou never know

Brian
8227

[frankxhv773t]

I'd add a small tin of WD40 and the fag end of a kitchen roll.

[stanley sweet]

An obvious one that I forgot I carry - spare fuses.

[John B]

In the "old days" when I was a member of the Reliant Sabre and Scimitar Owners Club (RSSOC) and mobile phones were not yet common place I carried with me a list of SCIMARITANS. This was a list of names, addresses and home/work phone numbers of other RSSOC members who had volunteered their services in the event of any other club member finding themselves needing roadside assistance. In the 18 years of Scimitar ownership I never needed to call anyone or received any distress calls but it was very reassuring knowing that if need be there was help out there somewhere......as long as I could find a phone box.

[bobhenry999]

Chaps,

The obvious thing you must have is a roll of Gaffer Tape !

Back in 1984, I was travelling from Hornchurch Essex to a friends wedding in Basingstoke Hampshire, in my lovely (£900 !) 820 2000 Coupe, when the throttle cable snapped 30 miles from the church.

I managed to tape the 2 ends together with Gaffer Tape, drove on to the wedding, and then drove the 90 miles back home without any problem. I even drove the car around for the rest of the week as it was my everyday car, until I got a replacement cable from Omicron, and all along it performed perfectly.

Gaffer Tape can be used for a multitude of things, and must be one of the most versatile things to have in the boot, as it can be used for so many things.

Bob