Well, it's that time of year again. Another holiday season has come upon us in less time than it takes a Top Fuel dragster to go a quarter-mile, and we believe gift ideas for your loved ones are always appreciated and needed. Besides, giving out socks and underwear for the past 24 years (hint-hint, Mom!) can get a bit tiring. Thanks to this year's all-inclusive holiday gift guide, consider the MM&FF staff your gift-idea specialists.
We flipped through magazines and catalogs, searched the Internet, and sent out a few private investigators to hunt down the coolest, baddest, raddest, and all-around best gifts we could find. Whether they serve a function or simply add to your already expansive collections, grab a couple of biscottis, maybe a cup of spiked eggnog or some espresso with a little bit of Sambuca, and enjoy quality reading time by the fire. Oh yeah, have your telephone and credit card handy-you might need them.
Whether in your garage, basement, or somewhere in between, one of Holley's retro metal shop signs will add flavor to any room. The signs are a throwback to the old speed shop and service station style of the '60s, but with new spice. The Hooker Headers sign goes for $25, while other metal signs offered are $30.
Holley Performance Products
270/781-9741
www.holley.com
Do you get stressed out when it's time to go to your company holiday party because you know your significant other will inevitably make you late? While you're sitting on the couch fuming, you can watch the nitrous pressure rise on the NOS wall clock from Jeg's. Priced at $36.99, the clock requires one AA battery to run. The nighttime hours are marked in red, and while personally we think they should have marked off happy-hour times, it's all good.
JEG'S High Performance
800/345-4545
www.jegs.com
Winter is a great time to upgrade your safety equipment before the start of the next racing season. One of the best things to ask for is a new helmet. If your significant other really loved you, they'd not only spend the $394.99 for a helmet like this Simpson Voyager, but the $14.99 for the helmet visor blinder, too. The visor comes in either smoked, amber, or clear, and why you're at it, don't forget the Jeg's helmet bag to protect your new skid lid. The bag is available in black or yellow and costs $19.99.
JEG'S High Performance
800/345-4545
www.jegs.com
Instead of coal, how about a bone for Christmas? C'mon, get your mind out of the gutter-we're talking about the Bone Creeper from Jeg's. Made from high-strength plastic, the creeper provides easy rolling resistance and is designed to give you additional room under the car, along with increased back support and reduced fatigue. The creeper will set you back only $99.99.
JEG'S High Performance
800/345-4545
www.jegs.com
Don't lie down on that dirty asphalt driveway while working on your Mustang or fast Ford. Instead, ask for Summit's pit mat. Measuring 49 inches by 18 inches, the mat is nonabsorbent, flame-resistant, and comfy. It's also well priced at $17.95.
Summit Racing Equipment
800/230-3030
www.summitracing.com
If like us you'd rather change your car's oil than take it to the local joint, then Summit's aluminum hydraulic floor jack with wheel chocks is right up your alley. Capable of lifting 3,000 pounds, the jack is small and light but able to handle the weight of your Mustang. The included chocks are made of black composite and will make sure the car doesn't move while you have it jacked up. This floor jack is a steal at $79.95.
Summit Racing Equipment
800/230-3030
www.summitracing.com
Summit's Pro Blower is an awesome gift that will really help out when working on the car in the summer, or, for all of the bracket racers out there, cooling down the car between rounds. The blower pushes 300 cfm of air with two different speed choices and is super-quiet. The blowers run for $89.95.
Summit Racing Equipment
800/230-3030
www.summitracing.com
Here are some nifty items that are great gift ideas. Instead of using your thumb to spray the water from the hose onto your Mustang, have Santa stuff the S.M. Arnold spray nozzle from Summit into your stocking. At $5.99, the nozzle has seven different patterns to suit your car-washing needs. It also has a heavy-duty trigger and rubber-grip handle.
The first thing you probably imagine when you hear the words safety glasses are those geeky, oversized ones you had to wear in high-school science class. The teacher was right in that the glasses are there for your safety, but for us image-conscious people, the solution to combining eye protection and looks are the MSA Safety Work custom-fit safety glasses. The special UV 400 lens protects your eyes from harmful ultraviolet rays, while the plastic material keeps out debris. You can pick up the glasses for $9.95.
Summit also offers Speedtech Instruments' Skymaster weather meter for $159.95. It makes a great gift for the bracket racer in your life. The weather meter is designed to measure wind speed, temperature, wind chill and heat index, relative humidity with dew point, altitude, and barometric pressure.
Summit Racing Equipment
800/230-3030
www.summitracing.com
OK, so these next few items may not fit in the stocking, but they would be awesome wrapped and placed under the tree. To make sure you don't scratch the paint of the fender while working on your Ford, grab one of Summit's fender covers. Complete with either the Summit or Summit Racing Equipment logos, the fender covers are made from durable leather-grain vinyl and stuffed with heavy-duty foam. At only $8.95, the covers are a great investment.
Keep the floor of your garage clean with Summit's carpet absorber. Measuring 18x24 inches, the absorber is coated on the bottom with a non-slip material, and prevents those fluid drips from staining the floor. The absorber runs $9.95.
Next up is the Clarke Power Products 500-watt halogen light. Easy to carry around, it will illuminate the garage or undercarriage of your car like it's high noon. The light will lighten up your wallet only $13.95.
Summit's hand riveter set has everything needed to fasten together just about anything you can come up with. The rivet gun is a heavy-duty model with vinyl grip handles that hold the rivet nozzles and nozzle wrench, along with rivets. The rivet gun is priced at $8.95.
Summit Racing Equipment
800/230-3030
www.summitracing.com