Well, I carry my Lucas screwdriver-cum-feeler gauge
on my keyring (thanks, Chris!) Other than that and
the wire-wheel bonking tool, I don't keep anything
in the car as a rule. And yes, this is the car I
drive to work every day. (Since it has to be reliable,
knock on wood, I try to do my work in the driveway
instead of by the side of the road.)
If I were going on a long trek, however, I'd take my
little red toolbox, which contains the tools I listed
a week or so ago. Yep, they all fit in the box, which
is about the size of a lunchpail. It's got one shelf
connected to the upper lid, and I keep the combi wrenches
and a few other necessities (pocket knife, Q-Tips) up
there. BTW, if you've ever seen one of those socket
carriers (a strip of metal with 3/8" springs on them
that you can snap the sockets onto), they're good for
keeping your toolbox organized.
And yes, I really do keep screwdrivers in the toolbox.
In fact, I keep two kinds of screwdrivers in it: a nice
set of some brand-name (Stanley? B & D? I can't recall)
for actually driving screws, and a few cheapies for use
as chisels, minor pry bars, augers, etc.
As for spares, I don't even have a spare tire in my car
right now -- I took it out to put on the parts B and
haven't returned it yet. Assuming that same long trek,
I'd also take:
- Jumper cables
- Duct tape
- 2 quarts of oil
- A bunch of shop rags
- Hand cleaner
That's about it. If you get Lucas points and tune up your
car regularly, they won't suddenly go bad on you. Don't use
the Bosch points; I had several sets fail on me before I
wised up. (The pivot shears off at the top and the moving
arm comes loose, which of course causes your car to stop
working.)
Of course, if I were really going on this long trek, I'd
also go over the car before setting out. Then again, I've
just finished doing everything that I'd do on such a checkout
anyway, and I try to do that twice a year at least, so who
knows. Maybe I'll drive to Los Angeles this weekend! :-)
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