Re: Emergency Tools & spares
If you car has the HD8 carbs then I would carry a spare carb float. Those metal floats do not last so well with the ethanol in fuel, in the US. If you drive an automatic long distances from Rover parts suppliers, then I would also carry a spare drive plate. I had the drive plate fail once in Canberra years ago. Took a week to get a replacement, then 4 hours to fit. It would of been easier if I had a spare drive plate with me. One now lives in the boot. If you have a spare of something then you will probably not needed.
I also carry wine glasses and a corkscrew. It makes it easier to drown your sorrows when you get stuck in a hotel somewhere, while waiting for the car to get fixed. Hopefully there is a liquor store near the hotel you get stuck at. I also like to carry a swag to sleep in when space permits, however if carrying passengers they tend to request that we carry suitcases in the boot, and leave the swag at home. Sleeping under a tree is less expensive, than the hotel if the weather permits.
If driving in hot weather I would carry some extra coolant for the car, and water for the passengers, especially if driving across the less inhabited parts of Australia.
A hammer is also useful in case your generator or starter motor plays up. Hit them and they start to work for a while if your generator of starter motor brushes are on the way out. I went to do a pre-purchase inspection of a Rover 2000 TC once. Just before I departed home I grabbed the hammer. Got there and the lady who was trying to sell it to me could not get the starter motor to engage. She told me to get under it and "do something to it." So out came the hammer, and bang bang, it then cranked over nicely. I have also had generator problems, and a hit with the hammer got me home, although I did almost run out of electricity.
As for hoses you should inspect them regularly and replace them every 10 years, whether they need it or not. Hoses are not like fine wine, they do not improve with age. I also carry my laptop, which has a spreadsheet with Rover part numbers of parts which are generic, such as bearings and universal joints. It can be quite amazing how the value of a hardy spicer uni joint goes up when it becomes a Rover uni joint, and the same thing happens with a Timken bearing. If you can give a generic part number to a mechanic when you need to get something fixed then you are less likely to get shafted.
The last thing you need to carry is a Rover shop manual, and parts manual. When you meet other Rover owners, you will find these useful, and if you need to fix anything, they are also useful.
I think that pretty much covers all I can think of.
James.