As you may have guessed, the holidays are right on top us, vigorously shaking us down for our hard-earned duckets. But you don't have to bleed your bank account dry to get into the good graces of your resident car guy or gal. We're tossing you a holiday life vest here - a collection of gift ideas that're guaranteed to be hits with individuals who have 10w30 following through their veins.
By Brad Iger
The following article does not represent the opinions of Spike TV or its affiliates.
10. Leatherman Tool
Any gearhead worth their salt has a little bit of MacGyver in them, and a solid Leatherman multi-tool is a must-have item when you're in a bind. Whether you need a bottle opener, a screwdriver, a pocket knife or a pair of vice grips, this handy little gadget will save their bacon, and make an awesome stocking stuffer. Get one here. [Leatherman]
9. Digital Tire Gauge
When Obama started touting the virtues of keeping one's tire pressure in check, many people scoffed at him. In reality, he was spot on, as low tire pressure not only causes a poor ride quality, but also cut into gas mileage by as much as 10%, not to mention premature wear on tires and a greater chance for a blowout. That means this keychain tire gauge will pay for itself in about.. five minutes. Amazon is selling these things for next to nothing.
8. Dynolicious
If your resident gearhead has an iPod Touch or an iPhone, this is an absolute must have application. Utilizing the device's built-in accelerometer, Dynolicious gives the user all sorts of performance data, including peak horsepower, quarter mile times, reaction times - the works. But how accurate is it? This thing's accuracy bested a standalone performance meter costing several hundred dollars! Pick it up from the iTunes store for under fifteen bucks.
7. K&N Air Cleaner replacement/CAI
While it may not be the sexiest gift of the bunch, it is one of the most immediately useful and cost-effective ones. All vehicles use air filters, but the stock ones are typically cheaper paper-type filters that restrict air flow and thus cut into both mileage and horsepower. Advanced air filters like those from K&N are re-usable for the lifetime of your car, yield better gas mileage, and actually provide a noticeable boost in power as well. These should be in every car. If you feel like really splurging, go the Cold Air Intake route from K&N for even more improvement, albeit at a steeper price. [K&N]
6. DC Power Supply
Perhaps your gearhead is sick of looking around for car charger adaptors for cell phones. Maybe he or she takes a laptop on long road trips, or needs to use, say, powered flood lights on occasion? Well, with this DC power converter, anything you can plug into a wall socket can now be powered/charged right in your car. Incredibly useful and dirt cheap. [Amazon]
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