I’m curious, do you carry a set of tools in your S2000 in the event of a roadside emergency? Having owned my share of English and Italian sports cars I learned a long time ago the need to be prepared for any roadside repair, and almost anything else that might come up. Out of fairness, in the 8 years and 30,000 miles that I’ve owned my S2000 I’ve never once had to do any roadside fix ups but because of my misadventures in the past, I absolutely refuse to leave home without a set of tools in the trunk. It doesn’t hurt that I love tools and I love to tinker either, but for the most part my tool bag is because of the sports cars I’ve owned in the past.

I have a blue canvas tool bag in the trunk and here’s what I keep in it:

1. A torque wrench. A 3/8 inch drive torque wrench adjustable from 10 to 80 pounds. I always torque the lug nuts when I put a wheel back onto the car. I use it for most other nuts and bolts too.
2. A 3/8 inch drive 19 millimeter deep socket. I use this to loosen and tighten the lug nuts.
3. A ½ inch drive breaker bar. I won’t use an impact wrench on my S2000, and sometimes I need the extra torque of the breaker bar to loosen the lug nuts.
4. A set of adaptors so that I can use virtually any socket with any drive. The most important one is the ½ drive to 3/8 inch drive, but I carry the entire set.
5. A set of 3/8 inch drive extensions. I believe they are 3, 5 and 7 inches long. They come in handy for loosening and tightening bolts that I can’t reach. Because I have the adaptors in #4 I can use these extensions with virtually any socket.
6. A socket set with 9 sockets sized 11 millimeters to 19 millimeters and a 3/8 inch drive ratchet wrench.
7. A set combination wrenches/spanners (open on one end, box socket on the other) sizes 10 millimeter to 19 millimeter.
8. A 23 millimeter and a 24 millimeter combination wrench (for the differential drain & fill)
9. A #2 phillips screw driver and a 3/16 flat blade screwdriver. I also carry a smaller Phillips and flat blade screwdriver.
10. A regular pair of pliers, a pair of needle nose pliers and a pair of diagonal (cutting) pliers.
11. An oil filter wrench. Not exactly a wrench, it’s more like a giant socket that goes on top of the filter and uses a 3/8 inch ratchet. I hate the band type oil filter wrenches.
12. A funnel in a plastic Ziploc bag.
13. A PCX official Honda oil filter (in a ziplock bag).
14. 1 quart of Mobil1 10W-30 (in a ziplock bag)
15. A set of plastic wheel chocks (bought at Wal-Mart for about $5.00 and maybe my most important tool)
16. A few pair of latex (examination type) gloves. Just to keep my hand clean and because used oil is carcinogenic if in contact with skin for very long.
17. A set of fuses. I don’t know how fuses know this, but they never seem to blow out when auto parts stores are open. They always blow after the stores and gas stations have closed.
18. A pair of mechanic’s gloves because engine parts are very hot after the engine’s been run.
19. A roll of electrical tape. Just in case.
20. A few zip ties (my answer to duct tape)
21. A roll of paper towels
22. A tire pressure gauge, a tire valve tool and a tire repair kit (even though I’ve never successfully repaired a flat tire with the kit)
23. A flashlight and a pocket knife.

Those are the items I deem to be essential. I also carry:

1. A ¼ in drive socket set with sockets ranging from 4 millimeters to about 11 millimeters.
2. Assorted washers such as the washers for the transmission drain and fill, the differential drain and fill and the oil drain. I have a fumoto oil valve on my S, but I carry the original oil drain bolt too, just in case.
3. I also have a portable air compressor that works off of a 12 volt battery. I find it hard to believe that it could really fill a tire, but it was on sale at Home Depot for $10 a few years ago, so I figured what the hell. I only carry it in my trunk for long trips. Otherwise it sleeps in the garage. I have a real compressor in the garage so I’ve never had the opportunity to try this one out.

I carry a few of the tools, such as the 23 and 24 millimeter combination wrenches, because I bought them specifically for the S2000 and I like to keep them together, but most of the stuff in my tool bag is there just because I believe in being prepared and because of my past sports cars.

I think I’ve included everything. If I think of anything else, I’ll add to my list.

What do you carry in your tool bag?


(Credit where credit is due. This post/thread was inspired by Bryan (Hannibal) after I responded to a question he asked me about tools that I carry in my car. He suggested that I start this thread. My hope is that those of you who also carry tools and like to tinker or "wrench" on your car will add to it in order to possibly create a guide to being prepared.)

 

Rob, if I ever have a car break down on me (other than a flat) I'd sell the son-of-a-bitch the next day.
So I carry no tools.

 

In the Honda, Rick has a small bag with a few tools, a compressor, a tire plug kit and a can of fix a flat. Not sure what is in our other vehicles.

I carry a AAA card.

 

I understand it can get pretty desolate out there in the wilderness regions of New Jersey but good god Rob, it's not a healey, it's a honda,

carry all of my tools in my wallet nowadays.
it's called visa.

 

I've got most of that stuff in the garage...somewhere. I don't even have the spare in the S. I'm a AAA guy.

 

We traveled without a spare on many trips, but Rick put it back in. He blew out a tire in the WRX and not having a spare would have been a PIA. Lesson learned. I know trying to get to a spare and finding a place for a flat tire with a trunk full of stuff in the S would also be a PIA, but it's in the trunk again.

 

 

I have the extended Warranty service from Honda as well as AAA. Both of them promise roadside service asap.

 

Rob, the ghost of Lucus must be hanging over you. I honestly don't believe there is any reason to carrry any tool in an S2000. I didn't carry half that stuff when I went to the race track. I may be from the Optimist School on this one. Those early days of sports cars must have paid your tuition to the Paranoid School. Just kidding.

Afterall, we all know about Murphy's Law but few are as well prepared as you are.

However, I might suggest carrying a spare fuel pump, water pump, generator with pully, coil, fan felt, radiator stop leak, and a veritable plethora of other essentials when you buy that old MG.

 

Dave,

Part of it is my memory of standing on the side of Interstate 87 in 25* weather waiting for the tow truck to come to pick up my Fiat X-1/9. Part of it is driving home to Brooklyn from my sister's house in south Jersey in my MGB without any brakes and part of it is that these are the tools I use on my S2000 and I keep them in one place so that I can find them when I need them. The one place just happens to be a tool bag in my trunk.

Like I said in my first post, in the 8 years and 30,000 miles that I've owned my S2000, I've never (knock wood) had to do a roadside repair. Still, it was real cold that night waiting on I-87 with my Fiat.

I do agree. If I ever get around to buying that old MG that I've been thinking about I'll need another tool bag, and probably a whole lot of spare parts. (No, I will never, ever buy another Fiat.)