11.12.09
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PROVIDENCE — If you are stumped for a present for a loved one with a yen for all things automotive, here are some ideas ranging from stocking stuffers to big box items that would look good under the Christmas Tree.
Some are for the armchair motorist, others are for the elbow grease motorist while others are for the nitty-gritty motorist.
Books and magazines feature strongly on the wish list of the armchair dreamer and the holiday season always brings out a number of coffee-table size tomes, full of gorgeous photos and reflective text.
And speaking of great photos, there are auto calendars galore featuring all manner of cars and trucks, old and new; certainly more family friendly than one with Tiger Woods’ wholesome girlfriends waving from the wall.
Talking about walls, local artist Frank Galasso has produced a spectacular 22 inch x 28 inch color poster featuring local car-related icons from days gone by.
Rendered in a style known as sports cartooning, “Remember When …,” it includes hand-painted images of such car hops and drive-in theaters as Howdy Beef Burgers, Jolly Cholly, Pink Elephant Drive-In, Steak n’ Shake and Wein-O-Rama.
Mixed in are paintings of such classics as a 1957 Chevy Bel Air, a 1959 Chevy Impala, a 1967 Pontiac GTO an 1970 Olds Cutlass 442 (all convertibles) and more. Check out his Web site listed below.
And subscriptions to magazines are always a hit that can be renewed year after year. Can’t beat that for shopping ease, right?
Car and Driver is probably the most popular magazine, with Hot Rod, Motor Trends and Automobiles other top mags. Indeed, car-stuff.com lists about 175 magazines including Car Salesman Secrets, Consumer Reports, Hemmings Motor News, Mopar Muscle Magazine and Speed Trap Magazine.
For the more active gearhead, various accessories always appeal, including performance and cosmetic tuner kits — set of rims, perhaps — bodacious audio systems and radar detectors. Then there portable — and increasingly indispensable — GPS navigation devices.
Electronics are readily available from electronic stores while tuner kits are more likely to be found in specialty stores.
Cleaning supplies are always a hit for the car lover who likes nothing better than lavishing the object of his or her affections with TLC. Supplies are readily available from auto stores such as Advance Auto Parts, AutoZone and NAPA Auto Parts. AutoZone is offering gift ideas for Him and Her.
Hers include steering wheel covers, trunk organizers, keyless entry systems, DVD player, air fresheners and alarm systems. For him, gear shift knobs, GPS systems, wrench sets, toolboxes, seat covers, power and performance readouts, workshop equipment and repair manuals.
However, Lex Morales, assistant store manager at Advance Auto Parts on Smith Street, had a practical suggestion.
“Gift cards [to the store] are huge,” he said, adding that an AAA membership “is a real good gift.”
Or how about a video game?
Forza Motorsport 3 features more than 400 cars and more than 100 tracks rendered in great detail while Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City offers fun that is less clean but still keen. Both for Xbox 360.
Then there are the toys, both regular cars and racers, with fabulous 1/43, 1/18, 1/24 and 1/8 scale models out there from such manufacturers as Bburago, ERTL, Jada, Maisto and Welly let alone Corgi, Hot Wheels and Matchbox.
Model cars that have to be assembled also fit the bill with certain auto fans with a wide variety of kits available from Apple Valley Hobbies in Smithfield and Apponaug Color and Hobby Shop in Warwick. The latter also carries Scalextric slot racing cars, tracks sets and accessories.
In a more practical vein, how about a work shed or temporary garage to house your collector car? Or work accessories such as tools, tool boxes or even a car lift for the garage? Manuals on how to strip and repair pretty much every car are also available at most auto stores.
Race Ramps makes a great line of lightweight building blocks that can be configured into any arrangement to allow the mechanic in the family to get under his car in perfect safety and comfort.
Or how about advance tickets to local race tracks? Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn., for example, is offering holiday gift certificates for any of the four big race weekends next year, or a season pass for all four. Or about signing up your gearhead to racing course at the Skip Barber school at Lime Rock?
Other practical gifts include roof racks, perhaps dedicated to some sport like skiing, kayaking or bicycling. Or an emergency kit for the trunk that includes reflective triangles, a first aid kit and some tools. (Actually, the best emergency tools nowadays are a cell phone and an AAA card.)
Other ideas include clothing, especially if your loved one is a motorcyclist, memorabilia — including vintage leather jackets and restored gas pumps — as well as grille guards, bull bars or exhaust systems.
However, the prize for the ultimate gearhead present has to go to the six 1/18 scale resin car engine Christmas Tree ornaments from autosportcatalog.com. They include a Ford Single Overhead Cam (SOHC) 427 V8 engine, a Chrysler-based Hemi Top Fuel Dragster engine and a Chevy I89 Tri-Power engine.
Tidings of comfort and joy indeed!
For more information, go to:
Autoanything.com
autosportcatalog.com
autozone.com
awesometoy.com
bburago.com
car-stuff.com/carlinks/pub.htm
diecastmodelswholesale.com
frankgalasso.com
hobbyri.com
libertyclassics.com
limerock.com
raceramps.com
skipbarber.com
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