With the holiday season quickly approaching, I figured I would share a few holiday gift ideas for the car enthusiast in your life — or, let's face it, probably for yourself. (Note that some links may be affiliate links, which means I will earn a commission if you purchase a product at no extra cost to you.)
LED Garage Lights
The first thing on this list are LED garage lights. A set of two is only about $22 on Amazon. The 200-watt lights are super bright and easy to install; you just screw them into your normal light bulb socket, so there’s no rewiring required. You can even adjust the panels so you can better illuminate your garage or work area. We have two in our windowless garage, and it’s almost like daylight in there with them on.
Drip Pans
Next up is something that any classic car owner would love to have, especially if they have multiple cars in their collection. Automotive drip pans tend to be expensive — about $25 to $30 each — and that cost can add up if you have a few chronically leaking four-wheeled children in the garage. This package of 12 sheet pans from Webstaurantstore is about $85, and including ground shipping, that works out to just about $10 each. They measure 18 inches by 26 inches and have a decent lip around the edge, so they hold plenty of fluids. We use these in the storage unit, and they keep the floor dry. And you can't beat the price.
Chemical Guys 14-Piece Detailing Kit
Another thing that all car enthusiasts need is detailing products. We have several in our stash, but this 14-piece Chemical Guys set is about $82 on Amazon right now and includes everything you need to get the exterior of your car spotless. It includes a bucket with a grit guard to trip dirt and contaminants so that they don’t end up causing swirls and scratches on your car’s paint, as well as a microfiber wash mitt and a foam spray gun. It also comes with a snow foam wash fluid, wax, wheel cleaner and brush, window cleaner, a tire shine protectant spray and applicator, and towels.
Windshield Wow
Next up is something that we use for all the cars in our fleet, and its name almost sounds like some gimmicky As Seen On TV product (remember ShamWow?). The Windshield Wow Pro Kit is about $130 with free shipping, and I think it is worth every penny. It makes cleaning both the inside and outside of your windshield easy, especially down at the bottom of the windshield where it meets the dashboard. Simply attach a couple of microfiber cloths (which can be tossed into the washing machine after for reuse) to the strong magnets and place them on either side of the windshield glass. Then, you just slide the Windshield Wow back and forth, cleaning both sides of the windshield at the same time. This kit also includes a small can of Sprayway glass cleaner, which is an excellent foaming cleaner that does run and drip onto your dashboard or anything like that.
So, that’s it, my list of a few holiday gift ideas for the car enthusiast in your life or, let’s face it, probably yourself.