[Bobalong]

Originally Posted by HWYSTR455

Those spacer kind of look like the Vette Brake Products spacers, they used to make ones to use C3, C4, and some C5 wheels on 2nd gen F bodies. They used to have a line of composite leafs, and a transverse front leaf setup (to replace coil springs), but there were issues surviving severe duty. But that's another story...

Still say you don't really need a spare. Motorcycles don't carry spares. If you wanted, you could buy an extra wheel like the ones you have, and tire, and just keep the full size at home. If you get a flat, have someone run the tire to you and swap it.

Shoot, I don't even carry a jack. Heck if I'm going to use an OE jack on my endura, and carrying a floor jack or bottle jack presents it's own problems.

When are you going to ever be more than say MAYBE 100 miles from a service station? Run all the scenarios where you might use a spare through your mind, and then figure out if the risk is worth carrying or not carrying a spare.

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You make a couple of really valid points. Flat tires on the road don't happen very often these days. Partly because of tire pressure monitors that give a heads up before total flat occurs. And tire quality.

Something I hadn't considered concerning bumper jacks.
There is no way in hell I would put that factory jack in my bumper to lift the car.
It's in the trunk cause it's part of the factory pkg.

But I have considered using a donut spare, and now a low profile scissor jack. Lighter and can be used in an emergency.

[HWYSTR455]

Yeah, the A and B body cars do have more trunk room, and makes it acceptable to carry a full size. The weight can aid in traction and balance too. I prefer the additional trunk space though, and carried a spare in the LeMans for years after I took the one out of the 'bird.

I had a flat once in the bird, it was a poor quality tire, belted, that I went over 140 with, thing shredded. It was like 2 rings of 'hair' on the bead of the wheel left, nothing else. Smelled burning rubber at speed, was like "what's that smell", realized it was a rear tire, thankfully, and let off, and stomped on the brakes once around 100. Saved the rim. Popped the trunk, spare was in there so long, it was flat. And ended up towing it.

Carried a can of air with me for a while too, and a scissor jack. Was at the beach and the retaining spring on the clutch fork broke, rod popped out of the fork divot. Slipped the scissor jack under there, and dang if it wouldn't go low enough to get it under the frame rail to jack it up. Ended up pulling on to a parking lot entry curb just far enough to get under there. (jumpered the neutral safety switch, left it in gear, and cranked until it started, you can shift once moving without a clutch).

Had a triple-A road club thing for a long time, they got smart though, ended up limiting the number of tows per year to 4. I was a plus member, so up to 100 miles towing was free. I had cars towed between shops for repairs, flatbed carcasses to body shops, strippers, you name it. They would even bring you 5 gal of gas if you ran out on the road. There's a lot of club stuff like that these days, can check with your insurance co even, they usually have some offerings.

Even if you don't have an endure bumper, you stick that hook into your chrome bumper and it's going to chip, or at least start peeling. Cost of rechorme, nah, I'll tow it. Clone too, no spare or jack in it. My daughter asked, I said just call me if you have a problem, I'll come fix it or get it towed.

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[Bobalong]

My GTO is in my garage right now, no engine. Been that way all winter. Engine issue was another thread, not going there right now. But my thoughts about insurance & towing are this. I have no insurance on the goat. If the house burns, and the goat burns, well the house is covered, the car isn't. That's the rules.
I had insurance with Hagerty. No claims. . . .until the optional "other" towing coverage was needed.
Our Parke Avenue had a major engine catastrophe. Was the optional tow coverage vehicle.
So I called the tow coverage Hagerty number.
Where are you she said ? I'm on the interstate, we just went thru the toll booth. "But where are you?" well the sign I'm looking at says the next exit is " I read the sign to her"
Well we don't know where you are.
Really ? I'm 4-5 states from Indiana, what more can I say ? Did Google map, tried all we could to give relevant info and she was clueless. . . .Somehow a tow truck finally showed up.
The moral of my story, based on another tow issue is this.
Buy tow insurance from a company (usually homeowners ins) where you pay the tow operator a non negotiated fair-acceptable amt for whatever it is, and you get reimbursed for most of it.
Tow operators who are under contract to provide service on weekends, holidays, after hours, at a "discount rate" might not be conveniently available on Sunday or Christmas eve or ??? If I am being paid what I should, then I'm showing up. End of story. So Pay the man, file your claim, get some of your money back and be glad the dude showed up in a timely manner and call it a day.

[HWYSTR455]

Hm. Are you sure the car wouldn't be covered if the house burns down with it in the garage? My home owners covers that. If that's the case, you may want to shop for new home owners. It would have to specifically state exceptions, like the auto itself. I could see if it was some 3 million dollar Bugatti or something, it would require additional clause/rider, but usually items within the house are covered.

I went into classic car insurance before, somewhere else on this site, and gave my take on that whole scenario. In short, if you want to drive the car and not get raped on insurance, don't get classic car insurance. If you have a car you want to keep as an investment, and maybe occasionally drive around the block, then get classic car insurance.

As for auto clubs, get like AAA, or Allstate or something, not some cut-rate cheap stuff. That IMO is better spent money than classic car insurance.

My driver, the LeMans, has provided me so much use, especially for the money I have in it, that even if it was a total loss, I would be ahead. Average cost of ownership on a new car over a 5 year period is $40k. So look at it that way. I've driven it since '92 or so, which is like just shy of 200k, and no way do I have 200k in it. I'm attached to it yeah, but if it were totaled tomorrow, I could find another. And the risk is worth it. Driving it that is.

I bet if I were to have an accident in the LeMans, and it wasn't my fault, I would get reimbursed for at least 15k. If it's not your fault, and you don't live in a no-fault state, it doesn't matter what insurance YOU have, it's what the other guy has. My state requires a minimum of 25k property damage coverage on everything, most companies require 50k. Even if the other party doesn't have any insurance, the state will cover up to 250k personal/property.

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[2002Z4CSS]

My son has a 1979 Camaro LS6 454 with a 1979 Anniversary Trans AM disc brake posi rear end. The factory spare would not clear the rear calipers so we used either a 16" or 17" factory mini spare that came out of a 80.s full size Olds. GM even used a very tall similar spare in the 1994-2003 S10s that has the correct lug pattern as the Camaro. We even had to use two of these S10 spares to get ground clearance after installing that LS6 454 that used to have a deep Milodon oil pan until we did something with the front springs. Some of the same spares were drillled for the 5x4 3/4" and 5x5 patterns.

[rohrt]

Originally Posted by Bobalong

My GTO is in my garage right now, no engine. Been that way all winter. Engine issue was another thread, not going there right now. But my thoughts about insurance & towing are this. I have no insurance on the goat. If the house burns, and the goat burns, well the house is covered, the car isn't. That's the rules.

IMO that nuts. I at least carry storage insurance on all cars for that rare just in case moment. It only cost under $5 a month per car.


My road trip last year with the wife kids, I carried a big tool box with few spares pieces in the event of a break down. I picked up one of those green cans of fix a flat. I have free tow with my insurance too. My trunk in the 64 can hold a Prius but with the wife and kids we had thing packed. No room for a spare anyway. Drove a 1000 miles never had a problem.

[HWYSTR455]

Was on the power tour with the clone, did like 1800 miles or something, I had a tool bag with a handful of primary tools, a spare alt, spare dizzy & coil, thermostat, couple jugs of water, only the stuff that wouldn't be readily available at a local auto parts store along the way.

I did hit the Holley tent for some jets, going over the mountains (Cumberland Gap) it ran lean, started running hot, needed to go up 3 jet sizes. Also swapped to a later opening PV. Was fine going the other way after that.

There was only 2 of us in the car, and the trunk wasn't packed...until the way back home! Picked up all kinds of stuff to bring back. Think I had at least 40 t-shirts, bunch of other souvenirs.

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[uneasyrider]

Originally Posted by i82much

if 16 otherwise makes more sense, maybe you could swap a rear to front and run the 16 on the rear if you got a flat up front. more work, but how often do you get flats?

I have 8" wide 17's on the front and 10" wide 17's on the back.

[uneasyrider]

I think I found one. The 1990 Corvette was 17" rims with 5 x 4.75.

[KO]

Yes, 90s Corvette had 17" space saver spare, will clear 13" rotors and is aluminum and very light. I have 4 of the on my 80 Trans Am to roll it around

[uneasyrider]

Originally Posted by KO

Yes, 90s Corvette had 17" space saver spare, will clear 13" rotors and is aluminum and very light. I have 4 of the on my 80 Trans Am to roll it around

Thanks for the info KO. I'll pick one of those up for the TA.

[jonmachota78]

I dont carry a spare either, but carry a plug kit and sometimes i throw my little air pump in the trunk. You know, those little annoying things that sound like a blender full of margaritas? I cut the cigarette plug in off of it and rigged it so i can clamp it right to the battery. Not pretty but works. Unless its a sidewall cut it's not hard to plug a tire on the road with the kit and little annoying pump. It's small light and No jack required. It doesn't help with traction, though..