Touring in a TVR

Some useful tips should you want to go further afield in your TVR.

Things to take

This question seems to come up quite often, here's a list which I've put together which is probably over-kill. However I'm trying to cover most eventualities in the hope that I won't need any of it.

Believe it or not most of the stuff will fit into a modest bag, here's my kit:

General

Spares
These are generally useful items which often don't take up much space and may make life easier in the event of a problem.
  • Spare Wheel*
  • Scissor Jack
  • Wheel Brace
  • Wheel lock key
  • Tyre-weld
  • Oil
  • Octane Boost
  • Water bottle
  • WD40
  • Super Glue
  • Jubilee Clips
  • Mobile Phone Car Charger
  • Cable Ties
  • Duct Tape
  • Electrical Tape
  • A copy of (Steve Heath's) Bible
  • Latex gloves
  • Some string

Legal Requirements

  • Bulbs
  • First Aid Kit
  • Warning Triangle
  • Fuel can
  • Hi-vis Jacket
  • Fire Extinguisher
  • Beam Deflectors
  • 'GB' Sticker

Documents

  • Proof of insurance (Green card if your insurer supplies one)
  • Copy of the V5
  • Breakdown cover details (eg. AA European cover, RAC etc.)
There are lots of items on here, you probably won't need any of these but it might be worth making sure that the items on the car are in good condition.
  • Fan Belt (plus a diagram of how it's fitted as it's not obvious and varies depending on the engine)
  • Throttle cable
  • Fuses (including 40 and 100amp)
  • Keyfob batteries
  • HT Lead (longest)
  • Rotor arm
  • Fuel Pump Relays
  • Various Electrical Connectors
  • Wire
  • Terminal block (useful for repairing throttle cable)
  • Top and bottom radiator hoses
  • Otter Switch
  • Blue coolant Cap

Tools

  • Small Socket Set
  • Multimeter
  • Various Screwdrivers
  • Various Spanners (metric and AP)
  • Tyre pressure gauge
  • 12v tyre pump
  • Set of allen keys
  • Stanley Knife
  • Small Hacksaw
  • Pliers
  • Cable snips
  • Torch
  • Jump Leads
  • Spark plug brush
  • Spark plug gap gauge
  • Tyre depth gauge

Common failures

These are the most common failures which appear on the various forums. The parts above should cover most of them.
  • Fan Belt Failure
  • 40 amp fan fuse blows or otter-switch gives up
  • 100 amp alternator fuse goes
  • Coil or HT Lead degrades
  • Throttle cable snaps

* I've highlighed spare tyre because some people prefer to leave it at home to free up boot space. Tyre-weld and a tyre pump should get you going again after most punctures. However if the tyre is shreaded then tyre-weld won't help. That said, apparently driving on the space-saver spare isn't a pleasant experience either, and thats before you have t consider where to put the great big dirty full size wheel you have just taken off.