Some of the comments regarding safety are well taken, however I have few
other safety tips that I feel are in the top 5.
1. Check the wheel studs regularly or better yet replace them with 7/16th
studs. When I purchased my car 11 years ago it had a total of 7 broken
wheel studs on the car (with a good inspection sticker) and I drove it
unknowingly for several hundred miles. This was with stock rims and stock
Michelin XZX tires! After I replaced them, I still occasionally broke a
stud until I went with really high quality 7/16" studs. Also, wider rims
and stickier, modern tires place a great deal more stress on these
undersized parts. I consider the stock studs an accident waiting to happen
unless they are regularly inspected.
2. Electrical things: Carry a few spare fuses, some electrical connectors,
electrical tape, and some wire for those moon-less evenings when the lights
decide to flicker and go out. Oh yeah, a good, bright flashlight is another
thing that no self-respecting LBC owner should be without. A spare set of
points is also very high on the list.
3. Something that I have not done, and am ashamed at myself for not doing,
is install an emergency blinker on the car. Even if you did pack the items
listed above, you will still need some time for repairs. Doing it on the
side of the road without blinkers in the middle of the night is not that
great of an idea. Flares also work, but blinkers are useful in more
situations.
Another member listed wheel chocks as a requirement and I could not agree
more, since I started carrying one it has come in handy a surprising number
of times! Now having said all this, my car has only required roadside
repair 3 times in 11 years of ownership (all three were electrical in nature
and fixed on the road, gosh I really should replace the harness).
Jackson Zimmermann
jzimmerm@albemarle.org
'64 A-H Sprite
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