20+ great gift ideas for car enthusiasts (with pictures & videos)

Wether it is for Christmas, birthday or any other special occasion, car fans can at times be difficult to shop for. Here are our personal best gift ideas for car enthusiasts. We hope that you will finds something ideal for your loved ones.

Dash Cam DVR Recorder

Best Christmas Holiday Season Gift Ideas For Car Enthisiasts Fans Lovers Under 50 - Dash Cam Car DVR Recorder
Every car fan will definitely appreciate a nice car DVR recorder. With constant and automated video recording when on the road, there is no limit to how useful, practical or entertaining this gift can become. It can be used for video proof of car accidents, parking fender benders or interactions with police officers. You may also document some rare or interesting situations, road rages, amazing nature scenes, natural phenomenon, etc. The main features to look for when shopping for dash cam are high video quality and resolution (1080P or higher), loop recording, large storage memory capacity, wide-angle lens, built-in battery, G-sensor, large built-in LCD display for preview, dual lens, and night vision.

Repair & Service Manual

Best gift ideas for car enthusiasts repair manual digital online how to instructions

For mechanically inclined car enthusiasts Digital Repair & Service Manual would be one of the greatest gift ideas you could think of. Repair manuals provide all the information required to repair and maintain a vehicle. You can learn about changing the spark plugs, checking tire pressure, do more in-depth projects like timing belt replacement, changing head gasket, or a complete engine overhaul. Instant digital download can also save you if you are in a time crunch. In addition, most manuals are just $10-25 per single car model.

Polarized Sunglasses

Best Birthday Christmas Holiday Season Gift Ideas For Car Enthusiasts Fans Lovers Under 50 - Polarized sun shades shade glasses UP protection protected

What could be better than driving your favorite car? Driving it in polarized shades! You might not be able to purchase Ray Bans for under $50 but there are many options for good quality sunglasses that are under $50.  With this gift you are definitely serving two purposes: you are hitting that “cool driver” status and protecting your eyes from the harmful UV rays.

OBD2 Diagnostic Tool 

For those who like DIY projects and fixing cars on his own, OBD2 diagnostic scanner tool would make a greatly appreciated gift. You can pick up a nice semi-professional level scanner in a $50 range that can read and erase diagnostic trouble codes and “Check Engine” lights, perform various systems and sensors tests, onboard diagnostics, as well as retrieve tons of other important information from vehicle’s onboard computer. The latest iterations of OBD2 scanners are very small and compact in size. They also connect wirelessly to your phone, have modern user interface via mobile apps, and can even send you notifications in case of existing or pending engine errors or trouble codes. Definitely a must-have tool in every handy man’s arsenal.

This one is a bit of a surprise…

Another great give idea that will bring a lot of joy and good memories. Watch my video about it on YouTube here:

Car Remote Start Kit

This is a great feature that will allow to start a car remotely and cool it down in summer or warm it up in the winter. Most kits are very simple and easy to install and program. Just plug it into the correct ports under the dashboard and follow the programming instructions provided in the box. Check out how it works here:

AAA Roadside Assistance Membership

Some of the gift ideas might be not as exciting or thrilling as other. Nonetheless, if your loved one frequently locks car keys inside, leaves the lights on, or runs out of gas in a middle of nowhere, then they will thank you later for a thoughtful present. Look for a flyer in the mail or search online for a new member $49 special deal for a one-year subscription.

Admission Tickets to Upcoming Car Show

Going together to a car show could be another great idea for a surprise date with your significant other. Your interest in your other half’s passions will definitely draw you closer together. You may learn and understand more about your partner, learn a lot of new and interesting information yourself, or enjoy some yummy junk foods. Lots of fun for both of you is guaranteed! Just be sure to pick the right car show event for your date: antique, brand-specific, “Stance Nation”, muscle cars, domestic, imports, exotics, etc. Most car show admission tickets are just a few bucks, and some of them even have free admission. You’ll just need to do a little bit of research online and mark the date on your calendar.

Roadside Assistance Emergency Kit

Best gift ideas for car enthusiasts road assistance emergency kit

This is a self-explanatory gift that becomes very useful during those bad timing emergencies.  Just make sure it is a decent quality and has a wide variety of useful tools. 

Oil Filter Cutter Tool

Oil filter cutter is a great tool for those those who like changing engine oil by themselves, to either save money, or to make sure that the job is done right. Checking condition of the oil filter regularly may prevent a lot of trouble and a catastrophic engine damage. One can save a lot of money by proactively detecting and preventing an engine failure. Check out this video on how to inspect the oil filters properly: youtu.be/Rwt1LxGTXfk. It only takes a few minutes to do and can give you a very good insight of what is circulating inside your engine.

Car Power Inverter

Best useful practical gift ideas for car enthusiast people birthday power block inverter

Car power inverter is used to convert car 12V DC current to regular 110V AC. It can be useful in a car for powering small household appliances, outdoors and camping, or charging laptop computers on the go. Most of them come with additional USB charging ports for smartphones and tablets.

Repair Tool KitBest Birthday Christmas Holiday Season Gift Ideas For Car Enthusiasts Fans Lovers Under 50 - tool tools box repair kit set toolkit DIY repair

There are several variations of repair tool kits and it will mainly depend on the car and the preferences of the person you are shopping for.  The good thing is that there are many options to choose from.  Keep in mind that this is to be kept in the car and you don’t want it too big to take up too much space.

Car Care Kit

Best Birthday Christmas Holiday Season Gift Ideas For Car Enthusiasts Fans Lovers Under 50 - car care kit set cleaning wax dry wipe gift

If your loved one loves cars, then most likely he loves taking care of his or her car (and maybe even your car).  This gift is almost a guarantee to be practical and useful. Again, make sure to focus on quality and practicality when choosing a car care kit.  It would not be smart to buy a waxing kit for someone who would never use it, to begin with. At the same time, the basic essentials are always needed, such as glass cleaner, good washing and drying rags, tire shine, dashboard wipes, etc.

Car Space OrganizersBest Birthday Christmas Holiday Season Gift Ideas For Car Enthusiasts Fans Lovers Under 50 - car space organizer organizers storage box container interior trunk

This gift will be perfect for that super organized person.  It helps keep things in place and neat.  When choosing this gift, keep in mind what the person you are shopping for prefers and needs.  Do they need something to organize the many items they need to have in the car? Do they want to have as fewer items as possible?  You may want to consider to get different organizers for trunk space, smartphone accessories, driver, passenger or kids area, CD organizer, etc. 

Car Vacuum CleanerBest Birthday Christmas Holiday Season Gift Ideas For Car Enthusiasts Fans Lovers Under 50 - car vacuum cleaner corded cordless wet dry attachments high power DIY-time

Car vacuum cleaner is a great gift for anyone whether a car enthusiast or just someone who owns a car. Some things to look for would be lightweight compact design, 12-volt DC car power connector, carrying or storage case, LED light for darker areas, hi-efficiency HEPA filtration, high power, a wide variety of attachments for hard to reach areas, wet & dry use, etc. 

Automotive Circuit Probe

 

Another gift idea for gear heads. This one is a must have for the brave ones out there who is not intimidated to tackle electrical issues in their cars. This vehicle circuit tester is very capable and will get the job done. I personally have one and I was pretty exited when I got it. I was finally equipped to fix my ABS light and broken windows switch. And whenever next problem comes up, I am ready for it! The tester comes with very nice storage case, which is always a huge plus, and it will help to keep thing organized around the garage. 

Heated Drink Mug

Best Birthday Christmas Holiday Season Gift Ideas For Car Enthusiasts Fans Lovers Under 50 - car coffe tea hot smart tech mug heated temperature controlled

If your loved ones like to drink tee or coffee on the go, they are probably going to appreciate this smart tech heated mug! It will keep drinks warmer during long winter road trips or work commutes.