What to put in a tool box...

What are the most important things to put in a tool box to have in the trunk for our cars? All I needed one time was a 1/2" wrench and the other time I wish I had a voltmeter.

 

A BFH, first thing.

I am assuming you are talking about a Maverick tool box. Which would be different than what I put in my seadoo boat.

Full set of standard wrenches. Spark plug socket and gapper.

I keep my old points in there, in case my pertronix goes out.

Fuses, screwdrivers (for carb adjustments).

The centerfold from the May 1974 Playboy calendar. (inherited from my dad's standup toolbox).

A dirty red rag.

 

3/8",7/16",1/2",9/16",5/8" wrenches
1/4",5/16" Nut Drivers
A Phillips, and Flat screw driver
Zip ties, Electrical Tape, Mechanics wire, Assorted fuses, bulbs....test light...

 

You can fix anything with duct tape.

 

The MacGyver list...

Bubble gum (chewed or unchewed, doesn't matter)
coat hanger
potassium nitrate (salt peter, which they feed to guys in jail to keep them...under control. Also very flammable when mixed with the right ingredients, including sugar, see Bubble Gum)
Ping Pong Balls
Crystal Drano
Good old fashioned m-80s or at least lady fingers that you can take apart and use their constituent ingredients.
Black Powder
Pipe, about 32" long. I find the best comes from the doors of old schools. Just loosen the allen bolts at each end, and shove them down your pants leg.
16 guage wire
Spare car battery, unless you want to use the one under the hood (or trunk).

Let me think a bit. This list just might get interesting...

 

Just read this recently,

Empty can of any cambells soup.
insert fuse in bottom after drilling a small hole
1 tsp black powder in bottom
cover with circle of tissue paper wadding.
Fill can with Cremora non-dairy powdered creamer
Light fuse and run back at least 25 feet.

Stolen from WIRED magazine, jul 2009, p 038.

I gotta try this

 

Sorry Mashori. I tend to get carried away when I think about what I might need in my toolbox

 

I thought only Chevy guys needed to carry tools around with them...

 

Craftsman has several "basic" sets that are good. Having a toolbox is smart. Don't leave out the jack for it tho lol.

Lets see... Playboy calendar AND a dirty rag...hmmmm.

 

Getting back to being serious, the thing I have in the trunk of EVERY car is a decent set of Jumper Cables. Not the cheapies either, those don't last long and tend to cause more hassles than they are worth.

For tools on trips (unless it's a rental car) I have a pair of vice grips, an adjustable wrench, a claw hammer (can also be used as a small pry bar), and a small tool kit in a folding plastic case from sears with wrenches and sockets in it (both metric and standard).

-Scott H.

 

Notice that most of my tools aren't for fixing the car. but for making the stops more fun!

 

You have Anna's bday circled in that calendar?

 

Now that...is classic.

 

just have the snap on truck follow you.

 

I'll second vise-grips ... not even necessarily expensive ones ... Harbor Freight three pack of different sizes for $10.

The first time you are by the side of the road, beating on a vise-grip with your BFH to move some impossibly broken/stuck part, you'll thank me. They are good for temporarily holding broken stuff together to limp home, too.

Duct tape ... maybe ... but I think the "new duct tape" is cable ties. I can put together some amazing stuff with them and there is no tape residue.