Tips for travel, parts, tools to carry?

[mausersmth]

Warm weather is here, all the salt is off the roads, and more of us are thinking about hitting the open road in our Studebakers. Some of us have cars that are highway veterans with many long trips under their belts. Others might not have left their home towns for decades.

Twice now I made a long trip without prepping the Stude or carrying emergency supplies. Once I made it home just fine. Once I had to rely on the kindness of the club members to get moving after a breakdown.

Here's my request: Could some of you who travel with your Studes avise us who WANT to travel with them, what should we check on the car before starting out, what spare parts should be carried, and what tools?

Thanks in advance to all who give their advice! I've already learned alot from prior posts![8D]

A. Charles Eck, Jr.
Essex, MD

'57 Commander 4 door sedan
'64 Cruiser
'66 Ford F-250
'66 Ford F-100
'53 John Deere 50
'41 John Deere H All-Fuel
'41 John Deere B All-Fuel

Studebakers were made to drive! (Besides, they don't get lost as easy in the Wal-Mart parking lot!)

[sweetolbob]

AAA card and a directory of SDC members.

Bob

[jclary]

Telephone, standard set of tools, spare points, rotor, brake fluid, quart of oil,fuses, electrical tape, flash light, hand cleaner, and a roll of shop towels.

John Clary
Greer, SC

I have only two limitations ...BRAINS & ENERGY
SDC member since 1975

[jimmijim8]

Fuel pump. water pump,master cyl. belts xtra hoses, points etc. lots of stuff to be mentioned. jimmijim

[Nitram]

quote:Originally posted by jimmijim8

Fuel pump. water pump,master cyl. belts xtra hoses, points etc. lots of stuff to be mentioned. jimmijim

Jeepers...with all this you may as well tow another parts car behind you...never know what part you might need.

[jimmijim8]

Ain't nothing like breakin down in bum-f@%$ NOWHERE without a guaranteed source of help. Try it if you don't believe me. These are old cars and to be relied on takes a bit of fore thought and consideration. Sooner or later you're gonna break down and need something of the spare parts from your trunk stash if you own long enough and aren't afraid to rack up some miles. A lot of important spare parts won't overfill your trunk. If you are traveling within a group of Studes you never know who will come unprepared. Leave spare parts in your trunk as a bit of reassurance. If you doubt I know what I'm talking about then carry on without spares. jimmijim

[2R5]

I tend to agree with Jim . I carry a fuel pump , water pump , a spare distributor and what I think are the tools I need to take most of this stuff off and on. I have never had to use any of this stuff and I've had my truck and car alot of places along ways from home but I know the 1st time I leave those parts at home I'll need them



[IMG]
Home of the Fried Green Tomato
"IF YOU WANT THE SMILES YOU NEED TO DO THE MILES "

1960 Champ
1964 Daytona HT

[s2d63lark]

The trunk of my Lark contains a spare fuel pump, water pump, tune-up kit, socket set, toolbox (with basic set of wrenches, screwdrivers, vice grips, files, pliers) and a spare rad hose and length of rubber fuel line (Yes, fuel line). All that fits above the rear axle hump. Only needed two items since 1980, both on the same trip home from South Bend in 1988 - the fuel pump and the fuel line. Glad I had them since it's not easy finding parts on the side of I-69 on a late Sunday afternoon.

Doug

6E40-195 1963 Canadian Lark VY-6

Chatsworth, Ontario, Canada

[vegas paul]

The "standard set of tools" always confused me until I made a rule that for all the spare parts I carried (fuel pump, ready-to-go distributor pop-in, water pump etc.) I mentally went through the tools I would need to replace each of these. You'd be amazed at some of the non-standard tools necessary to fix these, especially when things go from bad to worse (think about rounded nuts, etc.) I carry at least two sets of vise grips along with the standard stuff, plus a pry bar or two, and either extra gaskets or a roll of gasket material & permatex. I also carry a small plastic box of electical connectors and crimp tool, tape, wire ties. On long trips I carry jack stands too! I don't trust my jack along side a dirt/gravel road-side with me underneath.

Most of all, carry extra time, an understanding wife, and a sense of humor...

Las Vegas, NV - Stop by, coffee's on!
'51 Champion Business Coupe G899965 10G-Q4-1434

[Thomas63R2]

Although virtually everything you may need to repair your Stude is available - do you really want to be stranded somewhere while you wait for 2nd day delivery? Devote two cubic feet to spares and tools for any long distance adventures.

My Avanti has never let me down, but I've never taken it more than 400 miles from home. Usually I travel light, with just a couple of tools and supplies - and I really look the car over before I hit the road. If I were going on a really long multi day drive, then I would be packing spares of common parts and hoping that I never need them.

When I was a kid I can remember dad packing up all sorts of tools, spare parts, and coveralls when we went on family vacations - and our car was a common Chevy. Dad was practical that way. He didn't want to be in need of a part - and be miles away from a parts supply or dealership. He also had unkind words for the pirate mechanics that would try to take advantage of a family out on vacation with a broken car.

What I would have for a big road trip.
Tools:
Regular tire changing tools already in car
One small jackstand
Two 6" long pieces of a 2 x 4
Cellphone
Flashlight
Dropcloth and work clothes
#1 and #2 Phillips and straight blade
Two sizes of pliers
Side cutters
Common wrenches and sockets
Small to medium hammer
Dinky 12v air compressor that can still pump up a tire
Mechanix gloves and a couple of disposable gloves

I generally skip on the spare oil, brake fluid, and anti-freeze because nearly every gas station and supermarket now seem to have some. But if you are going into the outback then you need to pack these items.

Supplies:
electrical tape
electrical wire and a couple of crimp connectors
fan belts
radiator hoses amd clamps
water puump
gasket cement
fuel pump
alternator and voltage regulator
1157 and 1156 bulbs
fuses
tubeless tire plugs

Of course, do not forget road flares and a first aid kit.

If you are traveling through Death Valley, remember to bring plenty of water - for you, not for the car!

Thomas

Long time hot rodder
Packrat junk collector
'63 Avanti R2 4 speed

[jimmijim8]

Coil . jimmijim

[DEEPNHOCK]

Without adding to the list.....
(and trying not to jinx myself)...
All the extra stuff I have carried has almost exclusively been used to help those that did not carry anything.....
Is that a good thing? Or a bad thing?
Beats me.....
But my towback/haulback record is pretty darned good...
Jeff[8D]

[jclary]

Not a tool to carry, but one of the most neglected things about our original Studebakers, is failure to take out the little 1/8" plug and install a Zerk fitting to lube the real wheel bearings. About every two or three years, I hear of someone having a rear wheel bearing fail. I have replaced water pumps, and fuel pumps on the road. Once, I replaced a master cylinder on my Hawk at a picnic table after turning into a lot with a few Avantis and other high priced cars and finding no brakes. I sure was glad that my hand brakes were in great shape and adjusted properly!

John Clary
Greer, SC

I have only two limitations ...BRAINS & ENERGY
SDC member since 1975

[mausersmth]

Lots of good advice here! And if the parts and tools get used for your own car or to help another get going, they still served their purpose!

Some things I'd like to add:
Shop manual
Recent parts interchange list
Emergency funds for towing/lodging/airfare! (That came in handy for me, sending Nikki and the kids home!)

Prep before the trip:
Put some miles on the car! Lots of them![8D]
Bugs don't show up all the time when you make your weekly trip to Dairy Queen!

A. Charles Eck, Jr.
Essex, MD

'57 Commander 4 door sedan
'64 Cruiser
'66 Ford F-250
'66 Ford F-100
'53 John Deere 50
'41 John Deere H All-Fuel
'41 John Deere B All-Fuel

Studebakers were made to drive! (Besides, they don't get lost as easy in the Wal-Mart parking lot!)

[4961Studebaker]

Forgive me if I missed it. But did we ever see a photo of the car you drove back from KC?

And how are those bruise's doing?....

ChopStu

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1927...253197,00.html ChopStu Stew