In the Boot

[Farvie]

What essentials do you carry in the boot for emergency
So far I have points ,condenser ,fan belt,rotor cap, Distributor Cap water, fuel can, jack, plug spanner, screw drivers, long nose pliers,spare bulbs, what else ?

[rocco]

I asked this question on here last time when I had a 700-miles journey ahead of me to get my car home.

Without searching for the responses I do remember buying a cheap fuel pump after it being recommended. Other useful items could include some top-up oil, a tow rope, foot pump, jump leads and a battery booster. The list could go on and on depending on how cautious you want to be.

[Chief]

The more you carry the more clonks you get from the back, the more worry you have a problem because the sounds aren't normal, until you realise it's all the stuff going clonk (of course if everything is really stuffed in then no clonks).

[BILLYWIZ]

I also carry a bottle of coolant, a pair of work gloves and some cable ties.
Bill.

[Classiccars]

I have plugs a belt fuel leads .Also a jack and cable ties .A pen and paper various cleaning bits and bobs.And other handy bits that may come yo be used.O yes and lots of spanners with grips and pliers and things I have forgotten.

[svenedin]

A very useful thing to have in the boot is a small supply of cable connectors. These can be kept in a little plastic bag and take next to no space. Some ring terminals, male and female spade terminals and bullets. In an emergency they can be fitted with pliers. Better than trying to twist bare ends of wire together. Bad electrical connections can stop a car and ruin your day very easily.......

Also remember a piece of wood if you need that between your jack and the car. Lots of useful stuff fits into the gap between the petrol tank and the boot shelf.

Definitely agree about cable ties in various sizes. When my heater valve exploded I got home with it strapped back together with cable ties.

Yes to clonks from tools and other junk in the boot. Can be unnerving....

Stephen

[myoldjalopy]

A very useful thing to have in the boot is a small supply of cable connectors. These can be kept in a little plastic bag and take next to no space. Some ring terminals, male and female spade terminals and bullets. In an emergency they can be fitted with pliers. Better than trying to twist bare ends of wire together. Bad electrical connections can stop a car and ruin your day very easily.......

Stephen

And some electrical wire........oh, and don't forget a big hammer!

[svenedin]

A very useful thing to have in the boot is a small supply of cable connectors. These can be kept in a little plastic bag and take next to no space. Some ring terminals, male and female spade terminals and bullets. In an emergency they can be fitted with pliers. Better than trying to twist bare ends of wire together. Bad electrical connections can stop a car and ruin your day very easily.......

Stephen

And some electrical wire........oh, and don't forget a big hammer!

Yes wire which again takes very little space.

[mike1864]

For the first forty years of ownership I kept the spare wheel with its outer side facing upwards; probably because that's how it came.
Then it occurred to me that if you put it in the other way up, you get a nice big "dish" for storing a good proportion of these parts.

[svenedin]

For the first forty years of ownership I kept the spare wheel with its outer side facing upwards; probably because that's how it came.
Then it occurred to me that if you put it in the other way up, you get a nice big "dish" for storing a good proportion of these parts.

Very good point. On long trips, space is at an absolute premium and by using space in the spare wheel there is less chance of parts getting mislaid. I seem to remember one of my modern cars, a Skoda perhaps, that had the toolkit stowed inside the spare wheel. I store gaskets, including a head gasket, on the boot shelf but there is a carpet on top. That way the gaskets stay flat and will not get bent out of shape. There is space for a foam kneeling mat between the spare wheel and the boot shelf. Of course I also have overalls and gloves in the car. I am not going to ruin good clothes!

Stephen

[Classiccars]

Forgot the tyre weld can and jump leads and wheel brace..

[Farvie]

Thank you everyone, I shall definitely be adding more now. What about fire extinguisher, would this be a must ?

[myoldjalopy]

Er......it is if your car is on fire! But, seriously, there is a balance between carrying useful spares and filling every available space available in the car.
I do have a spare accelerator cable, a spare return spring for that and the clutch linkage, and a clutch linkage rod under the back seat!

[geoberni]

Thank you everyone, I shall definitely be adding more now. What about fire extinguisher, would this be a must ?

You Minor, if well maintained and not still using a 70 year old wiring loom with rotted insulation, is far less likely to suddenly catch fire than a modern car.
There's so much electronics packed into a modern car, which are potentially a fire hazard if defective.
In the 2010s, There was a Fire Recall on Vauxhall Zavira and a Volvo model due to spontaneous fire outbreaks.

If you get one, it needs to be where it can be reached easily; inside the car, not shoved away in the boot somewhere.
I have an extinguisher in my Minor, but only because it is a 1950s one, so it's part of the car's overall appearance.

[Farvie]

Agree far less in an old car to cause fires compared to new, Mines a 50s too.

[Mr Spigot]

I found that a large (975g) tin of Cadbury's Roses fits neatly inside the spare wheel dish and is the perfect place to stow a load of spares and kit for emergencies. If wrapped in an old pillowcase, it does not rattle about and the pillowcase is useful as a rag. I also put various tools in an old army webbing haversack and keep them next to the spare wheel. Again, it stops the bits banging about in the boot.

[myoldjalopy]

Some fine emery paper......it won't take up space but ideal for cleaning failing points in dizzy and fuel pump.......

[Classiccars]

Yes also have an extinguisher.You never know.

[les]

You’re going to need a roof rack soon !

[Carpet]

I carry a fuel can, oil, brake fluid, a bottle of water, a pair of pliers, and an adjustable spanner. Covers for most things.