It’s not always easy to get the right gift for Father’s Day, but there are a few key categories that are almost always a safe bet; Socks, BBQ tools and of course, car related novelty items. Being the automotive finance experts we thought we could do the nation a favor this year and collate our top five gifts for car-mad dads. Don’t worry if your dads not car-mad there are a few safety focused items here that any dad could appreciate!
RES-Q-ME
It’s probably unlikely that you’re ever going to need this tool, but if you ever did you’d be glad you had it in the car. The ResQme combines a seatbelt cutter and car window smasher into one key chain friendly device. That might sound like overkill – but anyone who has been in a car accident recently knows how tight and hard to unbuckle a seatbelt becomes after a crash. Imagine if your had crashed into a body of water, or if there was a fire after the accident. This device could literally save your life or the life of others if you ever had to assist another motorist. What Dad wouldn’t appreciate having one of these in their glove box or on their keys.
Timing Chain Wall Clock
If your dad is really car mad, this could be the perfect addition to his garage or workshop. You can never have too many clocks, so why not have one made out of reclaimed vehicle parts, in this case a timing chain and timing gears. Not only will your dad appreciate being able to tell the time, but if he knows his cars he’ll appreciate the real parts used in its hand-made construction. This isn’t a fake car wheel clock like you see at every tobacconist, this is the real deal, head over to UncommonGoods for more.
Rally Car Experience
There’s not much like getting behind the wheel of an actual race car and letting loose. While this might be pushing the price limit for Father’s Day, if you really want to get in his good books this should do the trick. There are rally schools around the country, so no matter where you live, you should be able to find one thats not too far away. Why not buy two passes so you can tag along? Your dad should appreciate the thought behind it, most old blokes know that real car control is learned on the dirt not the blacktop. Head over to RedBalloon for listing of schools near you.
Lithium Jump Starter
Nothing puts a dampener on your plans like a flat battery. With vehicles being packed with more electronic gizmos than ever before it’s not hard to run out of juice. Thankfully the rise in electric vehicles has had an unintended side effect, you can now get ‘pocket’ sized car jump starters that run on Lithium batteries (the same as you’d find in a Tesla). These can easily fit in your glovebox or boot, and most can jump a couple of large vehicles on a single charge. This unit from Kinchrome outputs 600 amps, the same as you’d find in a large car battery. So throw the jump leads out of your boot and pack one of these instead!
Autoglym Car Wash Kit
Now, if you really want to earn some brownie points we strongly recommend you give your old man's car a wash when you present him with this kit. It’s not really a gift if it’s just an invitation to do some chores. Regardless, this Autoglym smart wash system should make any car mad dads day. Literally the soap of Kings and Queens, Autoglym is renowned in the automotive world for making the world’s best mass-market car detailing products so dads' sure to be chuffed. There are multiple kits at different price levels or you could put one together yourself with individual items, whatever meets your budget!
So there you have it, our top five Father's Day gift ideas for car-mad, or just, car-owning dads. All the products we listed here can be easily purchased online, and in most cases there are plenty of similar options available in local automotive parts stores. So show up your siblings and be a hero this Father’s Day!