Testarossa Road Trip Survival Kit Recommendations? | FerrariChat
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Testarossa Road Trip Survival Kit Recommendations?

Discussion in 'Boxers/TR/M' started by Chindit, Sep 17, 2025 at 2:53 PM.

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  1. Chindit

    Chindit Formula Junior
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Oct 18, 2008
    424
    Navarre, Florida
    Full Name:
    Nick P.
    #1 Chindit, Sep 17, 2025 at 2:53 PM
    Greetings Gents,
    @Veedub00 posted this thread over in the Silver forum....

    https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/driving-my-86-testarossa-from-detroit-to-west-point-for-my-reunion.710753/

    ...and it got me thinking. I learned how to work on cars by reading the popular book "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive - For The Complete Idiot" by John Muir. That book contained a section devoted to building-up a 'survival kit' of spare parts and tools that would cover most contingencies if (when?) your vintage VW breaks down during a road trip. They were common-sense suggestions that I have found really helpful over the years.

    I'm looking for similar suggestions that might be appropriate when planning to take a Testarossa on a long-ish road trip. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
     
  2. Warlock

    Warlock Karting

    Nov 24, 2013
    71
    Dallas, TX
    Full Name:
    Sunny
    #2 Warlock, Sep 18, 2025 at 12:31 AM
    Hi Nick, when I bought my TR, the plan was to drive it from Vancouver to San Fran via the Pacific Cost Hwy. I got halfway before unseasonal weather and landslides caused me to stop. To prepare in about a couple of weeks time, I did the following:
    - bought a physical WSM off ebay and familiarized myself with big picture stuff
    - started browsing and reading this forum. I came away (rightly or wrongly) with the impression that most of the roadside DIY stuff would be mostly electrical in nature, apart from minor stuff.

    On the trip I carried:
    - An extensive tool roll with metric bits
    - Multiple tire repair options (slime, mushroom patch kits, CO2 cartridges)
    - WSM and printouts of wiring diagrams, main fuse box connector pin outs
    - Multimeter, wire splicing stuff like electrical tape, misc terminals/connectors, and a small roll of 16 AWG GXL wire
    - quart of engine oil
    - compact Element fire extinguisher

    This was my first Ferrari, so new to the brand. I mostly did my own work on my older P-cars, Lotus, Jags, etc. so I could do basic stuff.

    Never had any issues on the trip, so the adage that if you bring spares you won't need it came true.

    After I got the car shipped to TX, very soon after, I did have 3 issues come up:
    - Alternator went out (could have done nothing roadside)
    - Burning smell from poor bypass of typical TR fusebox issues (the wiring stuff could have gotten me home)
    - Clutch started slipping (could have done nothing roadside)

    I suspect that the 1st two issues surfaced because I was running the AC continuously in the TX heat, whereas I did not on the trip. Who knows.
     

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