Happy holidays, fellow Autopians! I hope this post finds you basking in the spirit of the season, and not sliding around your street on insufficient tires or wondering why the special someone in your life got you socks instead of what you really wanted. (Don’t get me wrong, you can’t knock a good pair of socks, especially with the sort of extreme cold snaps we saw this past weekend.)
The insatiable machine that is American capitalism depends on the end-of-year festivities for retail success, so in a lot of cases, it’s a great time to ask for the car stuff you really wanted—or to gift it to yourself at a steep discount. All of this is to ask: What did you get for the holidays?
Did you get the car parts you wanted? Did you get some tools to finally finish that project that’s been sitting in your driveway for years, the one you said you’d devote all that pandemic-related free time to? Were you surprised with one of those new luxury cars with a red bow on top? Did you gift one to your partner without asking about it first? Is that person still talking to you today, or do you have some things to figure out this week? Let us know what’s going on in your automotive journey.
As for me, I didn’t get a specific car gift, per se—I got the gift of electricity. Our tiny house in rural upstate New York has a small garage out back, and soon it should be finally wired up. I’ve been trying to get this done since I moved in almost two years ago. Soon, I’ll be able to use the miracle of electric power to set up some lights, my tools, a workbench, a space heater, and ultimately, a fast charger for EVs or plug-in hybrids. Eventually, I hope my next new-ish car purchase will be electric (or at least electrified) and now, finally, home charging is about to be an option. I’m quite excited about it.
And yes, I also bought myself some socks. Warm, wool socks. I’ll need those for the winter wrenching. You have to take care of your feet!
Your turn. Tell us what car stuff made your Christmas, Hannukkah or end-of-year Harbor Freight clearance event a magical one this year.
I got a Lamborghini Miura in Mango. (Hot Wheels.)
While I didn’t get much in the way of car gifts…. I did however get my fiance’ a 1942 Chevy AK series truck! It’s rough but buildable, she saw the truck well over a year ago and me and it’s owner had been working on a deal. She had given up hope of ever seeing it in our driveway. Well little did she know I had already gotten it and had it hidden in plain sight for a week at my shop ( consequently is right behind my house lol). So early Christmas day I pushed it up in front of the house on our drive in plain sight from the kitchen window, layed a Christmas tree in the bed and piled the rest of her presents on back like it was a delivery just for her.
She got up groggy but excited ( she turns into a 7 year old little girl on Christmas and I love it.. I sat at our bar only turning for a Second when she passed by the kitchen window and gave out a big YELP. And crashed to her knees! Lmao she saw it!
She ran outside in 20 degree weather barefoot in pj’s and was jumping up and down all around her new truck.
She’s been yammering non stop about it since and pouring over groups and pages for parts and other info.
Me being a kustom shop owner and operator I go all year buying me whatever I want…. She’s a Gearhead too, but very picky on what she wants, it’s the best feeling ever obliging her..even better watching her transform into a 7 year old.
That’s what I got, was a gearheads greatest wish…. To be able to keep other gearheads happy.
Very cool!
Well we are working on a 1952 Dodge M37, I got some Michelin XZL tires and the long delayed disk brake conversion parts have finally shipped. An engine swap is coming up!
I got a large DeWalt socket and ratchet set in a nice portable case.
I have a similar 30 year old tool set of another brand in a blow molded case, and the case hinges and latches have given way. This has made it almost completely non-portable without a lot of additional trouble. I’m tired of using a ratchet strap to hold it closed and keep my sockets organized.
A Porsche! Well, actually it’s the LEGO Technic “Formula E Porsche 99X Electric” but it has Porsche stickers on it.
Got my wife a Vespa! It’s also a LEGO product, but the stickers!
I got new window sweeps for my 79 El Camino. It has needed them desperately for a while and my lovely wife hooked me up with new parts from MikesMontes.com. 🙂
Can’t show it, but got a pre-paid HPDE day at mid-Ohio. Just need to wait until they open up scheduling and fix that damn coolant leak!
4 car things for me this year and countless more for my newborn (won’t go into all the toys lol)
– Lego F150 Raptor
– Early Bronco shirt
– Toyotas of War Land Cruiser shirt
– Saleen Fox shirt from Blipshift (got my son a matching onesie)
Was appreciating the shirts and realized that as a kid you proudly display your passions on your clothes (cars, dinosaurs, etc.), then tone it back in your teenage years to conform, and now as an adult, go full swing back into your passions bc you don’t care what anyone else thinks. Interesting how it goes full circle
For my VW Polo 6N I got two used side mirrors, a cheap car stereo, a set of fuses (last minute gift to replace the 15A fuse I blew installing the stereo) and a tri-star shaped 8/10/12 wrench. I’ll be getting a new distributor cap for my Renault 4 as a belated (and unexpectedly necessary) Christmas gift, but the good stuff won’t come until January 23rd, for its 32nd birthday inspection. I hope.