ON BOARD TOOLS AND SPARES
The list of tools and spares that could be needed to fix your classic car should it break down or should you need to check something is probably enough to fill the boot three times over. There’s no definitive checklist that will cater for every potential problem, but there are some useful and clever gadgets that can help minimise the space needed and several practical steps to be taken to ensure you have the essential tools to fix the common problems that can arise while far from home.
Modern cars have perhaps spoilt most of us into being ill-prepared for a breakdown or routine checks. Many of these modern cars are not even equipped to allow a wheel to be changed. Classic cars bear no relation to this and most need an assortment of tools and spares to keep them running and fix, for instance, a troublesome ignition timing problem, a fuel leak or a misfire. Anyone over the age of 40, who started driving during the early 1990s or before, should be able to remember the days of carrying a can of WD40. And it’s not just a case of carrying tools to fix potential problems. Tools are also needed to check tyre pressures, check fluid levels and perhaps adjust components such as the brakes when you’re on long touring trips in the UK or abroad.
KEEPING CLEAN
It’s highly likely that fixing or maintaining your classic car away from home will result in your hands being covered in oily grime and your clothes potentially getting dirty from having to lay on the ground or kneel down. Carrying a pair of work gloves is a good starting point, along with either a pair of overalls or something
