Meandering through the Spares Debate Again

[Charles Levien]

Speaking from experience, the best preparation for a long trip is to clock up a good few miles from frequent usage, not necessarily long journeys but taking advantage of nice weather and getting the Seven out instead of the modern. That way
any weaknesses should reveal themselves and you will have greater confidence when starting out on the big one.

[Colin Morgan]

I don't think 'confidence' is the word that applies when driving a late Ruby with the crank ground to -40 thou. However, that is a separate issue.

It does make sense that if the car is happy over a run of fifty miles, it should go further. Test runs for cars that don't usually venture out would appear to be essential before a longer run?

What I was thinking in particular was - if the engine stopped - what would be the likely problem and what could be carried and to allow a practical roadside fix? So, a fuel pump (and gasket) and distributor are not too heavy and can be swapped - but a dynamo is heavy and harder to change - so where to draw the line? Are there other options? - a battery charger is lighter.

Over the years I tend to find that spares accumulate in a vehicle - when I sold an old VW one time, I took out over half a hundred weight of bits and pieces that had somehow been stashed away in various locations. Had definitely dimmed the performance and reduced the MPG.

[David Stepney]

"Over the years I tend to find that spares accumulate in a vehicle - when I sold an old VW one time, I took out over half a hundred weight of bits and pieces that had somehow been stashed away in various locations. Had definitely dimmed the performance and reduced the MPG."

But I bet it kept the front end down!