9 replies to this topic

[miata4me]

I just bought a nice 91 Miata in Atlanta.  I'm planning to drive it home to Minneapolis in a week and a half.  I have the luxury of some time to purchase spares and will have the opportunity to give the car a tune up.  I'm looking for any constructive input on spares I should purchase for the long trip.  For example, I've heard cam sensors fail every so often on these cars.  What other parts should I have with "just in case."  This car will be used at the track so having spares would be good for that too.

 

What tools would you bring on a trip like this?  I don't know these cars well, but I bet 95% of fasteners are 1 of 4 sizes.  Why bring a huge tool kit when most of the tools would likely not get used.

 

I'm also looking for other suggestions like "make sure the spare is properly inflated."  Seems obvious, but a friend of mine was stranded for not thinking ahead on this sort of thing.

 

Thanks in advance for your input!

[callumhay]

Well I hope you have fun driving the car..I think you should do some basic inspections and safety checks and unless you find something major you are likely to be fine. Jack the car and check the play on the front wheels for bearings and maybe steering. Look for oil leaks, especially at rear of valve cover where the cam sensor o ring can leak. You could replace it if bad otherwise if mild, tighten up the valve cover bolts. Depending on mileage you're timing belt may be worn . It's not too hard to pull the valve cover and front cover over the belt. You can check the belt by manually rotating the crankshaft with a socket. ..Make sure car is in neutral. Check brake pad wear , rotors, change oil. In terms of what tools to take, a metric 3/8 drive socket set from Walmart, some open metric wrenches, screwdrivers, pliers,channel locks and wire cutters come to mind. Some spare brake fluid,oil and water. The clutch slave cylinder can be a weakness. Maybe check before you leave, a spare is cheap but a pain to change on the road. If the car overheats know how to remove thermostat to gut it or disconnect it. Maybe carry some gasket silicone and spare hose clamps. Just some thoughts. I suspect that if the car is on decent shape that you will just have to worry about whether 1100 miles is enough. Have fun .

[LarryKing]

AAA membership and a cell phone.

[Bench Racer]

Turn the friken key on and drive it.

[Diller]

I bought a 93 two years ago for a DD and have since put 50K miles on it. It has 260K miles now. Only repairs have been a clutch master and slave cylinder and some new tires. These cars are dead nuts reliable for DD. I would bring some ear buds as the NA cars with a soft top can have quite a bit of road/wind noise. A little trick is to stuff some cheap pillows in the trunk around the fuel tank. Helps kill a good bit of the road noise.

 

Like already stated, check the obvious stuff like leaks, play in the steering/suspension, and evidence of basic maintenance.

[ChrisA]

Snow or at least good all-season tires. Pack a camping shovel and a blanket. That's a long haul and who knows what weather you will see.

[Argus48]

A tire jack, a tool box and an air inflator.

[Jamz14]

Tools:

 

10,12,14, 17mm Wrench

 

Metric Allen set

 

Flat and Phillips Screw Driver

[SaulSpeedwell]

Nothing.  If it was a BMW, Audi, Porsche, VW and it was out of warranty by one mile or one day, I would suggest a chase car like this:

[SaulSpeedwell]

I forgot Mercedes! 

 

Anyway, if you are really worried:

The tools mentioned above. 

Plugs and wires.

Water pump belt.

Yes, inflate the spare, bring an inflator too if you want.  Even a tire plug kit and fix-a-flat. 

Couple quarts of oil, gallon of water.

 

Frankly, I've never seen a car as durable and easy to work on as an NA Miata.  Your new daily driver is probably more likely to strand you.