C4 Homer

Afternoon C4 team,

Apologize if this has been asked before, I searched but couldn't locate. What tools do you suggest I keep in the car for emergency? I bought an old school C4 bag just for this purpose but want the knowledge from the community. Looking forward to all of the feedback!

ex-x-fire

I take enough to change a battery, starter,belt, alternator, ignition module, fuel pump, ect. And I do keep some of those parts in my car especially on a long trip. Just so you know there's a mixture of sae and metric sizes on these cars. So mainly 1/4 and 3/8 drive tools, about 10 wrenchs, bits and a driver handle instead of a screw drivers, a pry bar, and a 1/2 breaker bar for the belt tensioner. A pair of vicegrips and a cresent wrench too.

C4 Homer

Thank you! When I build my bag I'll reply with exactly what is in it to see if I need anything else added.

FAUEE

I'd consider a battery operated ratchet and small.impact driver. Then you can largely bring sockets, with a small set of ratcheting wrenches for the handful of things that don't allow for anything else (ie removing the fender to get to the battery).

Lights. Lots of lights. They make some nice lithium ion rechargeable ones now that can be used as power banks for your phone as well, that's a good thing to be able to do worst case.

At the end of the day, there's a limit to what you're gonna do on the side of the road, so having towing coverage on your insurance is the biggest thing to have.

C4 Homer

@FAUEE towing coverage is a smart idea.

Railroadman

You could outfit your car with the entire contents of a Snap-On truck. When you break down, the item you need will be the ONE thing you don't have.

JD1964

If I could only carry five things they would be a multi bit screwdriver, a pair of needle nose vice grips (medium size), a razor knife, a roll of quality electrical tape and a really good compact flashlight.

dburgjohn

be sure to include a 10mm socket, but zip tie it to your ratchet. You know how they roll

JD1964

How about one of these sockets that fits a bunch of stuff?

Topduarte

There was a link years ago that someone posted on the Mopar forum that had a list of tools depending on your travel distance.

I'll find it. It was very helpful.

GRIS

.45 w/ spare mag---emergency use only

2011KLR

Wait? these things break down? Refund please!



sre

FAUEE

I don't think you've be able to get enough torque on something to be on any use with one of those. Never tested one personally, but you're not gonna have a whole lot of contact area.

C4 Homer

@Topduarte that will be cool to see

Railroadman

There's a guy on C1-C2, Steve Stone, who bought a '63 brand new and still has it. He carries more tools and spare parts than some auto parts stores - spare everything. He and his wife are constantly on the road and document the travels. As of last fall they had over 622,000 miles on it!

With the forum search problems I couldn't find the thread where he lists what he carries for tools and parts, but here's a link to one thread about him, with pics: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...rig-owner.html

JD1964

There’s a bunch of good ratings on it. Maybe I’ll put it through some tasks on the end of a torque wrench and see how it holds up. For a one size fits all it has to be bulky which might limit where you can actually use it, even if it did fit the fastener. So I admit it will have limitations. They ratings are good though

Edit. I can’t seem to get a functional link in here

solar88

If it has a L98 with stock HEI, a new ignition module, 1/4 inch ratchet with extension and a 5.5mm and 1/4” socket.

JD1964

You see, this is a better way to think about it. What kind of car are you driving and what are the most common things that would strand you unexpectedly considering everything is properly maintained?

I bet failed coolant hoses or the associated plastic fittings these days are a common failure. But these are maintenance items. If kept up properly with change outs as needed then they shouldn’t be a problem.

Ignition modules on the other hand, show me a maintenance schedule that tells you when to change it. Nonetheless, they are a common failure point on some cars

lrj975

if you happen to break down in or near an autozone parking lot and need to replace battery, starter,belt, alternator, ignition module, fuel pump, hoses then you can also buy the tools there lol

Preventative maintenance of old cars is key, replace those things in the comfort of your garage, do it right the first time, and have confidence in the ride.

I carry a tire plug kit and a small 12v air compressor, usb phone charger cable, AAA card. And jumper cables but mostly to help others. I'm not making repairs on the side of the road.

turbobuick33

For those who had their Vette towed, since it sits very low, will the front end get scrapped up when it's being pulled up to the truck bed?