It’s a bit misleading, because some of these steps have nothing to do with maintaining a car. But…it is a worthy subject to think about. My experience has been that anything mechanical cannot be trusted. If it’s got more than a couple moving parts to it, something can and will go wrong.
Best way to maintain your car in the apocalypse? Maintain your car before the apocalypse, and have the materials and information to continue that maintenance.
H/T: Thanks to the person who emailed me about this.
I want a rail car so much!! I never thought to have it as extra add-on kit…but that idea of holding what you have in a dealership shop? Epic.
tires, belts and hoses will go first. no road crews will be out fixing potholes. good to have a spare or two laying around. then some oil, not to change but to add. there won’t be fuel enough to rack up 3000 miles for a change, plus its just wasteful. oil doesn’t wear out it just gets contaminated. changing the filter often and adding back the lost oil is just as good but not as profitable for the jiffy lubes.stock fuel additives like sea foam and octane boost to help poor quality gas run. think mad max, how would he keep his super charger running. maybe stash a headlamp , though it could be improvised. all others are optional as are wipers and even windshields. spark plugs, wires and distro cap if equipped, that’s all i can think of.
I spoke with a fellow who had been in areas hit by tornadoes and asked him what he had noticed.
He noted that everybody carries ONE spare tire, a few carry two and almost no one carries more than that.
He said the road were littered with nail laden pieces of wood framing, pieces of shingle with nails still in them, broken glass, etc.
I’m thinking that run flat tires would be great. Those are hard to find so I’m thinking a tire repair/plug kit and a halfway decent air compressor.
Two tire plug kits, with extra plugs. (plugs are worthless if you don’t have the installation tools) Patch kits, maybe plug/patches.
Old style tire change levers.
Wheels that handle common size tires. NO low profile tires. You want lots of air/rubber between the road and the rims.
Air pumps. Electric and backup manuals.
Perhaps tubes for your tires. For when you get holes that can’t be patched. (Unfortunately, most people have never learned how to install tubes without pinching them.)
I’m thinking that for the nail/refuse strewn roads, maybe some sort of tire shield that would deploy in front of each tire, angled to sweep debris to the side. A heavy rubber panel, perhaps. Basically a tiny plow. Would probably only work at slow speed.