Preparation for BG road trip

[Fully Vetted]

I'm not sure if this is needed but someone mentioned to me on the phone the other day about taking a 20 year old vehicle on a road trip and some of the things that might be encountered so I thought I would start a thread on it.

Some of you guys have made this trek to BG many times and have dealt with a lot of unexpected situations. There are several new owners (me, for one) that this will be their first long road trip in their Z. (I drove mine to Dallas from Boulder 6 months ago when I bought it but I also had my brother pulling a trailer behind me so I wasn't too worried about it).

Please make suggestions on things that should be brought along. Off the top of my head I would think:

1. Fuel injector cleaner/Fuel additive - in case you pick up some bad gas
2. Tire plug kit
3. Tow hooks
4. Small portable air compressor/jump starter

If you're coming as a group I would suggest spreading the responsibility around and one guy bring the air pump and tire plug kit, another guy bring the fuel additive, etc, etc...

Maybe I'm over thinking this but the last thing I want to see happen is someones trip be ruined because they didn't think to bring something along.

[tomtom72]

I like your list Dave! The spare is my biggest worry, darn things are too old.

I joined AAA when I got my car. I know most people are members, I never was, but the towing was my main reason for joining. I carry my cell with me too!


My "Go Bag" has all the tools & condiments needed to do a plenum pull. In the compartment behind the passenger seat is an extra F/P, water pump w/hose & gasket, and a preped slave cylinder. I suit my 'spare parts' parcel to where my car is in it's maintenance cycle. This isn't a fool proof list, but it gives me peace of mind.... okay, maybe just a little bit!


Tom

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by tomtom72

I like your list Dave! The spare is my biggest worry, darn things are too old.

I joined AAA when I got my car. I know most people are members, I never was, but the towing was my main reason for joining. I carry my cell with me too!


My "Go Bag" has all the tools & condiments needed to do a plenum pull. In the compartment behind the passenger seat is an extra F/P, water pump w/hose & gasket, and a preped slave cylinder. I suit my 'spare parts' parcel to where my car is in it's maintenance cycle. This isn't a fool proof list, but it gives me peace of mind.... okay, maybe just a little bit!


Tom

Yep, a "GO BAG" should be SOP for any road trip; type of vehicle not withstanding! Don't forget the fix all: aka "Vise Grips", "Duct Tape", and "WD-40".

Same here, Tom. Also, I carry my digital VOM and my scanner. Maybe a new surpentine belt too? At some point spare parts gets silly, but a car club w/ towing is a good thing too.

I like the tire plug idea, although a high performance tire is usually "toast", once it is repaired - far as "spirited driving" goes...

[XfireZ51]

I used to carry lots of tools but decided that if something went wrong the likelihood of my fixing it on the road was pretty small. I do bring my scantool and laptop. With the Z06 calipers, the spare tire issue has become a bit more complicated. Looking at the ContiComfort Kit. Might get a plug kit as well but that doesn't help w a sidewall failure. The spare alternative is a CTS-V spare but try finding one. I'll bring tool kit that allows me to work on some of the sensors like MAP, TPS ETC.

[tomtom72]

You're proly right Dominic! I suffer from delusions, sometimes, about how much one can do on the side of the road for sure, specially on an LT5.


Oh yea Paul, I forgot that I do have WD40, no duct tape though & my Gordon K jumper kit and a DVOM. I have so much stuff in my go bag that I forget what all is in there! LOL


Tom

[Fully Vetted]

That's all good stuff, guys. My AutoXray 6000 scanner just arrived so I'll be including that in also along with a roll of shop towels and hand cleaner.

Since I've only had my car a limited amount of time (it's been at Corey's 5 of the 6 months I've had it) I have limited knowledge of the tools needed to do even the simple repairs that are specific to the LT5. If I wanted to throw together a quick tool kit what "special" tools like torx bits and such would I want to include besides the normal screw drivers, pliers and duct tape? For instance, what does it take to do a plenum pull?

Also, one thing I thought of would be a spare set of keys. I locked my keys in the car on the way down to Corey's at a Cracker Barrell in Waco, Tx. I was able to use a hanger since they were sitting right on the seat but I couldn't save my weatherstrip. Lesson learned.

[Fully Vetted]

What about fluids, too? A quart of oil, some tranny fluid and maybe some coolant? It would def be easy to go crazy with a list and end up filling your rear hatch, that's for sure. That's kind of the reason for the thread. What is reasonable to bring?

[DaveK]

Credit card, CAA, small bag of general tools, patch-it tapes. inflation kit. The first one is the only real essential

Dave

[Blue Flame Restorations]

Full tank and a hope and prayer I don't get a flat. I do have AAA though. Oh, and my Old People's card. LOL

[LancePearson]

On my 76 I used to carry a 9/16" socket wrench with the screwdriver, vise grips but everything on the Z seems to be metric. I can't fix much en route so credit card and phone are probably the best plus an extra quart of oil and a set of jumper cables. I've never even taken the jack out of the back much less deal with one of these huge wheels...I just keep really new ones on the car. Some towels, soft ones to wash it and check the fluids before leaving. For new guys, the instructions on oil checking tell you to wait an hour or two when the engine is off for oil to settle to its true level but you can keep an eye on general levels. You can't bring your entire garage with and you wonder who would work on such a complex car in the middle of Podunk, State anyway.

I do things proactively for these reasons. For instance, leaving Friday for Carlisle, Pa and the Miller day then to B.G. which together is about 2,000 miles of driving so I have had the oil changed, the serpentine belt(and the pulley which was squeaklng and had some minor vibration in it..probably original) which I did not know it's lineage since I got no maint. records and all the fluids are checked and topped. I'll check in Pa and I'll check some things as I go but the gauges are pretty good indicators as well. I try and prevent big issues to the degree I can.