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I have decided I need to have s bag or box of basic tools in my 1968 coupe 327ci. I have already been left on the side of the road once for a simple thing. AAA is good, but some tools is the decision. so far, $4 harbor freight soft bag, two types of screwdrivers, medium adjustable wrench, electrical tape, cheap multimeter, multitool, knife. any suggestions would be appreciated. Atlanta
I like to keep a small jump box in case of any electrical issues. It also works as a phone charger or flashlight.
Every classic car should have a small tool bag as well as a fire extinguisher that’s easily accessible. The only other thing I like to have is some detail spray and a microfiber.
and for me add: zip ties, mini tire inflator with a tire plug kit and slime, wrench set, small channel locks, a roll of heavy nylon string and only one screwdriver with a set of bits
I carry a leatherman, a small roll of duct tape and some black electrical tape. A short chunk of mechanics wire. And an assortment of fuses.
After that there is a cell phone. But I've never needed a tow.
After rebuilding my restomod I included EVERY tool I used for the rebuild INCLUDING a bearing puller and Digital Calipers for the rear spindles (got that repair down pat thanks to members advice)
The satchel weighs about 30 lbs. which is worth it's weight in Gold on a backroad highway
A fire extinguisher and tire patch kit among other items also.
I have a amazon tool roll bag that i filled with the basics, screwdrivers, pliers, couple size shifters, fuses, electrical test light or meter, electrical tape, knife etc.
Also carry a set of ratcheting spanners in their roll.
Pack all of this so it fits in the rim of the spare tyre in the tub on long cross country trips.
Also have a jump starter in behind the seats, fire extinguisher mounted to the drivers seat.
And an old towel/rug to lay on the ground to access the spare tyre, work under the car.
while i play the odds, the most important thing in the bag i carry is a tire plug setup with all the necessary tools and lubricants to make it as easy as possible and a portable air pump. i figure a nail in the road is probably (but certainly not definitely) more of a chance than other things. in addition the usual standard screw divers and wrenches etc i also keep a fully charged digital jumper box. the last "stranded on the side of the road" experience i had was the failure of the electronic distributor module, so i have one of those just to be safe, lol.
Distributor wrench, and the tools to change the HEI module, if needed.
Portable air compressor (I like the DeWalt 20V one)
Anything else, AAA, or self-rescue with my car trailer.
2025 c3 ('74-'82) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
When the coil failed on our '78 a couple of years ago I soon realised that the breakdown/recovery cover that we pay for is pretty much useless here in France, or in Europe in general, and nothing like the rather excellent service we had with the RAC in the UK! It is just something that doesn't happen here!
So I had a quick programme of making the car as "breakdown-proof" as possible and changed spare tyre and jack for items that were operative(!) and uprated the collection of tools and spares that I carry quite a bit. It means I now cannot get everything I carry into and under the cubby hole above the jack, so need to carry a small box of "stuff" in the car. I changed the bottle type fire extinguisher a few years ago to a "firestick" item, which saves a lot of space!
Unfortunately, it has knocked our confidence in doing long trips a bit - we never thjought twice about a two day run down to the south of France for a Corvette Club France event or doing 2000 miles over a long weekend, but now we're getting a bit less keen on that, knowing that should we not be able to fix the car on the raodside, it may mean a recovery that would last a few days or more and the car deposited at various garages along the way!
In-Car Tool box/bag
I changed the bottle type fire extinguisher a few years ago to a "firestick" item, which saves a lot of space!
