Best parts you need to drive around with, in case....

[reidyyz]

This to those whom have had a Spider on the road for some time, like years. Over the years, what do you always have, or wish you had in your trunk when your car stranded you? I'm on the cusp of my wheels being roadworthy, and am looking for personal experiences, what went wrong, what did you have to fix it? What didn't you have to fix it, but now do?

I plan on carrying a socket set, screwdrivers, pliers, wrench set (plus an extra 10mm), various hose clamps, cheapo multimeter to begin with.....

Thanks,

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Good question, and I was thinking of posting a question along the lines of, "What are the most common reasons that your car broke down by the side of the road?" but never got around to it.

By now, everything prone to failure in my cars has been replaced. Most roadside glitches that I hear about are ignition or fuel delivery related. So, in addition to the items that you listed, I would carry a few feet of 12 gauge electrical wire, wire strippers (a pocketknife will work for that), and a couple feet of fuel hose. 5/16" and 1/4" depending on that you have.

Failures of the Ignition Control Module (ICM) or its pickup coil in the distributor happen occasionally to those with electronic ignitions, so spares for those might be good to carry in the trunk or glovebox, although roadside diagnosis and repairs for those are tricky.

Duct tape or electrical tape? Some string or rope? Maybe a bungee cord or steel wire (coat hanger) in case something comes loose, like a muffler hanger mount?

I did get "stranded" once while driving at night in a deserted part of the desert southwest (Arizona or New Mexico, I think) when gravel got kicked up and managed to break both my headlights. I happened to find a Walmart and bought new bulbs, but that's a pretty unusual occurrence so I'm not suggesting that you carry an extra headlight...

-Bryan

[F16Waldo]

An Element 50 fire stick!
https://elementfire.com/products/element-e50

[kilrwail]

I carry a spare set of points and condenser plus a new alternator belt, plus a full tool kit of course.

[reidyyz]

Spare fuses

Because as it turns out, just before my first trip beyond around the block (to get it certified) the wipers died.

[dinghyguy]

Tools as described above plus a magnet on a stick to retrieve nuts
A couple of 10 and 13 mm nuts
Duct tape
Baling wire to hold up exhaust bits
Fuses and dizzy elec module
Plugs and wires
Alternator belt
Light bulbs for turn signal and brakes
Some brake fluid
Flashlight
Jumpstart battery

And of course a corkscrew which seems to get the most use in the evenings......
Cheers
Dinghyguy

[reidyyz]

I know I started this, but just in the last couple days, I've already found more to carry around. I'm starting to realize that the car came with the built in luggage rack for luggage, because.. well... the trunk is full of parts and tools to keep it going, including:

Emery cloth
Contact cleaner
Small can of WD40