Testarossa Road Trip Survival Kit Recommendations? | FerrariChat
Buy

Testarossa Road Trip Survival Kit Recommendations?

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

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. Chindit

    Chindit Formula Junior
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Oct 18, 2008
    425
    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.
     
  3. boxertt

    boxertt Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 2, 2018
    21
    Switzerland
    Full Name:
    Stefan
    #3 boxertt, Sep 18, 2025 at 1:02 PM
    I put about 7000km on my Testarossa this summer over two week+ roadtrips and a number of day outings, in temps ranging from the low 10s to high 30s, bone dry to sheeting rain. I also had the electrical repair kit, oil bottles, and fire extinguisher on board, and used a liter of oil a couple of times when the pressure started to drop (confirmed by the dipstick of course).

    The only thing that went wonky was that at the end of one 8hr drive, despite the blower motor running there was no air coming out of the vents. No clue why, but it was back to normal the next morning.
     

Share This Page