As the holiday season is approaching even faster as the retail companies tell us...Does anyone know of a good car kit that can be easily modified? I have a lot of family that have young children so I would like to purchase car kits as Christmas presents. I am looking for a good car kit (cables, tow rope, mini tool kit, flares, etc.). I would add the extras.

Not sure just how detailed a kit your looking for, WalMart and Target both sell car kits somewhere around $20.00. Heres a site with a lot of different size kits and they offer volume discount pricing.
http://www.safetykitsplus.com/?gclid=CKbgofWkzY4CFRqWGgodCm-pBA

http://www.survival-supply.com/emergencycarkits-c-95.html?gclid=CJbekLmmzY4CFSasGgod20OVBQ

Both sites seem to have kits in a wide price range.I made my own but if your planning on giving them as gifts then the volume pricing might help.

Hope this helps.

Shadow out !!!

PS: The second site has a kit listed under promotional called Safe-T-Tire which would be suited for younger people.Actually there are quite a few under promotional that would be nice Xmas gifts.
They also offer kits with Annual Roadside Assistance Program - Upto 3 Service Calls! Towing, Jump Start, Tire Change, Fluid Delivery and Lockout Assistance!

I think car kits, with updgrades, are an excellent gift idea.

The pre-assembled kits I've seen are a mixed bag, quality-wise. Some components are okay, others are not up to snuff. But I'm sure there are deluxe versions that are decent.

If cost is an issue, you can probably source the components and assemble them for less than the cost of a commercial kit.

I find it more satisfying to buy or make the individual components and assemble the kits myself. I think of it as a handmade gift that shows more "caring" than just whipping out the ol' Visa. But that's me.

I generally build my own.
can post a contents list if you are interested.

teacher

I wonder how usefull the air compressor is.

Personally I think a small air compressor is a pretty good addition to any car kit. Off the top of my head, I can think of several uses for a compressor in a passenger car:

You go to change a tire just to find out your spare has deflated over time (I've seen this happen on a few occasions) the air compressor can re-inflate the spare and your good to go.

If you don't have a spare, or you cann't remove it from its carrier, you can inflate your flat tire and limp to a service station. I saw this happen on a truck once, the owner had installed a tow hitch that interfered with the tire carrier making it impossible to remove the spare tire.

In low traction situations like snow or mud it can be very adventageous to air down your tires for added traction. Of course you wouldn't want to drive like that on dry pavement, so you'd use the compressor to air your tires back up. I do this all the time when I go Jeep'n, and I've even done it on a few of my friends's cars, and it works great.

Once I was traveling through the snow with my friend in his rear wheel drive volvo station wagon. The back was pretty loaded down, so when we went to put the tire chains on, we didn't have enough room between the fender and the tire to fit our hands to install the chains. luckily he had a small compressor with him, so we deflated his tires, installed the chains, and then partially re-inflated his tires. Worked like a charm.

Teacher -

Could we get that list of contents? Someone always has something I have forgotten on their list.

Yes that would be great. It might helpful if you could include where to purchase any items that might not be found at the local store. Thanks.

Ditto what Rio said about low traction situations. Most "all-season" tires are in fact 3-season tires. But drop the tire pressure to about 17 lbs, and drive slower, and you have a lot of extra 'grab'. Did this a lot when I was younger and poorer. Now that I'm a bit older and a bit less poor, I buy first-class ice/snow tires on separate rims; worth every penny, never looked back. But then there's the rental car scenario, in that sudden ice storm, and if you wish to stay alive ...

I often tuck a 12VDC compressor into a vehicle on a road trip. Especially older, more temperamental vehicles. Inflates tires, spares, and air mattresses (with electrical tape and a Bic pen adapter). When I forget to pack the compressor, I feel a bit naked; you can't improvise an item like this.

That said, with my everyday commute vehicles, I have one of those "inflate and seal" cans in the trunk. When you're half an hour from home, and wearing dress duds from a meeting, that $5 can of goo seems like the easy choice.

thanks I see the use of such a compressor. How is the quality of such small devices ?

Like most things, you get what you pay for. I've used the small compressors before, but have recently installed a belt driven compressor (in my Jeep) that runs off of my engine. Oh man is that thing fast! The smaller compressors will be slower, and probably will have a short duty cycle, however, they won't cost much, or take up much space. For the uses stated above, I think a smaller compressor would do quite nicely. Your tires probably aren't huge, so having a slow compressor won't be quite as annoying as it is in an offroad rig with over sized tires that would take forever to inflate on a slower compressor. A small compressor won't be able to run air tools, re-seat a tire bead, inflate a big tire really fast, etc, but you probably won't have to worry about any of that stuff in a regular vehicle

My $0.02,
Rio