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Gag to Great Gifts for Car and Truck Enthusiasts

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If you have a car or truck enthusiast in your life, you already know that,by your standards anyway, their passion for things on four wheels can be a little over the top. Depending on your relationship with the enthusiast, there will be times dictated by tradition or by sincere admiration when a gift is appropriate. 

The Holiday Season is an obvious gift-giving occasion, but car buffs are not picky. They will be happy to receive your gift on Valentine's, their birthday, the running of the Indy 500 (also known as Memorial Day weekend), flag day, Henry Ford's birthday, the Opening Day of most any major or minor Auto Show, or…you get the picture.

Gifts for car and truck enthusiasts generally fall into one of three categories; thanks, you shouldn't have, the decent and greatest gift possible. What follows is a sampling of gifts for car and truck buffs in each category to help you the next time you want, or feel obligated, to give a gift. 

Thanks, You Shouldn't Have (rally you shouldn't have)

Clutch & Gas Socks

If your giftee's sense of fashion includes wearing socks with sandals, these might be a hit. The left sock has "CLUTCH" printed on top, while the right sock reads "GAS." Just a friendly reminder of what foot does what.

Automotive Fluids

Specifically, blinker and headlight fluids. Packaged in familiar commercial containers, these fake fluids are handsome additions to any garage shelf where hydraulic fluid and motor oil are kept.

French Fry Holder

This one is dangerously close to being elevated to the "decent" category. This device fits in a regular cup holder but has a box-like container on top that can accommodate a large order of fast-food fries.

Handpresso Car Coffee Maker

If running late in the morning, you can have your first cup of coffee in your car with this automatic, hand-held coffee maker. Oddly enough, this thing that requires at least one hand to operate has a"don't text and drive" PSA as part of its pitch.

Decent

Gift Cards

Gift Card

When in doubt you can't go wrong with a gift card. It may sound boring, but let's be honest car guys are not always easy to buy for, and it guarantees you will get them something they will love. Most people would go straight to an Amazon gift card, a great choice, but if you're looking to stand out we would recommend:

These retailers are a great resource for auto parts, accessories, and tools and a gift card gives the giftee the chance to pick out exactly what they want.

Any High-Quality Automotive Tool

Expandable socket wrenches are always a safe bet. A socket wrench that can go where a beefy human hand can't is always welcome. The key is quality construction. Stick to brand name sets like:

  • Snap-On
  • Huskey
  • Craftsman
  • Mac Tools

These types of kits are great and if they already have a set there is no such thing as too many tools.

Car/Truck Detail Kit

Your enthusiast probably borders on fanatical when it comes to their ride. 

A gift of a professional car detail from a pro border on the "greatest gift possible" and is sure to delight even the most jaded automotive buff.

Car/Driver Portrait

Somewhere, your giftee has a favorite photo of him and his ride. Get your hands on it and then contact a local artist or character sketcher and have them create a portrait. A pen and ink, watercolor, chalk, or pencil sketch in a nice frame will appeal to your car buff's ego. If your looking for an artist we would recommend starting your search on Etsy


Greatest Gift Possible

Kart Racing Pass

Kart tracks are everywhere in America. With a gift pass, your enthusiast can channel his inner 12-year-old self, snug into a helmet, and strap into a kart, and race as fast as he can. One of the larger Kart chains equips its tracks with a "Paddock Lounge" allowing you to sip on a cold one while your giftee plays Mario Andretti.


Track Time

What's better than driving a kart on a track? Easy, driving your car buff's own ride, full out, without worrying about a speeding ticket or cross traffic. Finding a local track that lets people test their own values can be a challenge, but it doesn't get much better than this.

The Ultimate Driving Adventure

Richard Branson is a fun kind of guy, and he has added Virgin Experiences to his stable of successful companies. You name the auto fantasy and he provides it. He has packages for NASCAR ride alongs, off-road adventures, exotic car racing, and much, much more. In total, he has over 4,000 adventures located across the country. This is a gift that will not be forgotten.