Top 10 Car Gift Ideas for Father's Day 2010
This time of year, shoppers can get pretty lax after remembering a gift for your significant other on Valentine's Day and then something special for mothers on Mother's Day, but June brings another holiday you shouldn't forget, Father's Day. Coming up this Sunday (June 20, 2010), Autotropolis.com offers up a list of presents for dad ranging from expensive to absolutely free with all providing a perfect gift for any dad who loves cars. Tools and ties may be great gifts for any car lover, but get dad a thoughtful, memorable gift by checking out the Autotropolis Top 10 Car Gift Ideas for Father's Day.
Driving School
For the dad who has everything, blow his socks off this year by sending him off to a high-performance driving school. This is no cheap gift with prices ranging from several hundred dollars up past several thousand, but the experience and the memories for dad will be priceless. There are probably countless driving schools across the country teaching various driving skills in cars that range from normal performance cars up to open-wheel race cars. Two of the most reputable schools are Skip Barber Racing School and the Bondurant Driving School.
Race Tickets
A little more affordable than a driving school, why not send or take dad to a car race to let him see first hand how the professionals drive. There are numerous racing series to choose from, but you'll probably get a great price these days on any of the individual NASCAR events including the Camping World, Nationwide and Sprint Cup series. With the economy down and races not selling to capacity, NASCAR has been offering some great deals to some of its more prestigious events including the summer races at the Daytona International Speedway.
Car Rental
Many mainstream car rental companies such as Enterprise Rent-a-Car and Hertz have a performance lineup that can include the Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Corvette, but some cities even have places where you can rent a Lamborghini Gallardo, Aston Martin V8 Vantage or even a Rolls Royce Ghost. Depending on the car and the company, this could sometimes be rather expensive, but the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to drive some of the industry's most beautiful and powerful vehicles could be a lasting memory.
Project Car
This one you may want to run by mom first, but there are always great deals to be had on Craigslist and eBay when it comes to old cars to restore. From barn finds to restored beauties, there are many deals to be found on these sites with the only real limiting factor being time, money, know-how and, of course, space. Getting a classic car to tinker on is also a great way to spend quality time with dad for years to come.
Car Gadget
Countless gadgets are available for car fanatics from trick stereo units to navigation systems, but one of the coolest on the market right now might be a car performance meter. These gadgets can record and calculate important car data including ¼ mile times and speeds, zero to 60 mile per hour times, g-force and more. Prices for such meters start in the $100 range and quickly go up from there based on the technology and brand name. While performance meters are imperative for dads who own racecars, they are also a fun gift for just about anyone.
Automotive Apparel
When most people think apparel for dad on Father's Day, the idea of a tacky tie should go right out the window, but why not spice things up and get you car dad a great gift he can wear like a pair of racing shoes or driving gloves. Driving gloves would probably only work best for a dad who actually does track events, but it seems that racing shoes have become more of a fashion statement lately including those made by Piloti.
Automotive Book
There are plenty of car-related books out right now ranging from coffee table picture books to interesting automotive insider books, but for dads who spend more time driving, how about an audio book? The best part of audio books is they are usually cheaper than a regular book, but if you go to http://www.audiblepodcast.com/roundaboutshow, you can download one of more than 75,000 audio books and podcasts for free. Audio books can be downloaded onto a computer, MP3 player or smartphone.
Car Magazine Subscription
With an abundance of car magazines out there, it is practically impossible not finding a publication that meets the desires of a car dad whether it be a niche tuner market or a mainstream publication like Motor Trend. The best part of a gift magazine subscription is the fact that it will last for a whole year and he can be reminded of his gift every time the magazine hits the mail box.
Car Calendar
Car calendars are a go-to gift for any automotive enthusiast, so just find dad's favorite car and give him 12 months worth of pictures to hang on the wall. Better yet, take your own pictures and have a custom calendar made at a local photo shop or even most chain drug stores. This is also a great way to add in special dates so he doesn't forget his anniversary (a worthwhile gift in itself).
Car Show
Short on cash but want to hang out with dad anyway? Spend a little one-on-one time with your dad and take him to a local car show. In most big cities, there are various shows just about every weekend so let dad check out cars he grew up with by taking him to one for Father's Day. Whether organized or just a parking lot full of old cars, this is a nice and easy way to get dad out of the house and checking out some old cars that maybe he once owned and regrets selling all those years ago.