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It's not related to secret santa and might bear more discussion than the "stupid questions" threads are designed for, but I can move this to either of those if this is too off-topic. I need an idea for a gift for my brother in law. He's a professional auto mechanic at a dealership and spends his off-time working on cars, but in particular Subarus of all variety of ages. I, on the other hand, went to college in the middle of nowhere, then joined the military and was overseas for 6 years, and now live in a major east coast city. I've owned like 3 cars in my life, all of which I bought for <$2000 and just drove until they died without putting any effort or care into them. So, needless to say, I don't really know very much about what car-obsessed people would like, since I don't really hang out with my inlaws all the time either. As I understand it, professional mechanics are very particular and specific about their tools, and since the only thing I know about his current collection is "he has a LOT of tools," I'm kind of loathe to head down that direction. My sister doesn't know jack poo poo about that either so asking her is not helpful. My price range is probably in the $20-50 range but can go slightly above that for a good idea. I'm fine with this becoming a general gift idea thread for car people, whether or not I get any useful answers.
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Dec 12, 2015 20:59
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 04:26 |
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If he's a flat-rate mechanic, I suggest alcohol. Or whatever mind-numbing substances are available though your local suppliers. If he's interested in cars/engineering, one or more of Carroll Smith's books might go down well?
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Dec 12, 2015 23:02
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I bet he doesn't have screw pliers, and he'll be happy when he needs them and has them on hand.
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Dec 13, 2015 06:36
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Dash cam, bluetooth OBD2 reader, or just a nice pair of shades.
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Dec 13, 2015 08:08
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NoWake posted:Dash cam, bluetooth OBD2 reader, or just a nice pair of shades. I'd imagine he already has a tuner or scanner if he is into performance Subarus at all. I'd go with just some car related toy or something. Gift Cards work as well, car guys can be particular as to what they buy, and project cars are a money hole. Dash cam is a cool idea if he doesn't have one. My list is : Money As many cans of brake cleaner and degreaser as possible Turbo kit. Laranzu fucked around with this message at 08:18 on Dec 13, 2015 |
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Dec 13, 2015 08:16
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Big assed coffee table books on cars are my fav
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Dec 13, 2015 09:30
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Find out what brand of tools he has, and give him a gift card towards that brand. Matco, Mac, Snap-On, "Craftsman Professional" (hahahaha)
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Dec 13, 2015 20:05
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Agreed on the gift card if he's particular, there's always a new tool he needs and you will have no idea what it is without ruining the surprise. My former in-laws tried to get me tools for christmas when I was first married, they got a generic starter kit from loving wal mart or rite aid or some poo poo, it was garbage quality duplicates of stuff I already had. Then they acted like I was the rear end in a top hat when I wasn't thrilled.
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Dec 14, 2015 00:58
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I dunno. You'll have to be a bit more specific. One of the things I got for my other half for this xmas is a dual band handheld CB. I told her I'd get her one a while back. Tools are just setting you up for a fall. Really thinking about it if he's a mechanic possibly something in no way related to cars or repairing things in any way, shape or form.
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Dec 14, 2015 21:00
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Seat Safety Switch posted:I bet he doesn't have screw pliers, and he'll be happy when he needs them and has them on hand. These and the Stanley locking wrench are tools that are not all that common, and aren't needed often, but are absolutely lifesavers when you need them. I have that exact pair of screw pliers, they're loving awesome when you have a corroded / trashed screw to remove (that isn't countersunk). LloydDobler posted:My former in-laws tried to get me tools for christmas when I was first married, they got a generic starter kit from loving wal mart or rite aid or some poo poo, it was garbage quality duplicates of stuff I already had. Then they acted like I was the rear end in a top hat when I wasn't thrilled. Also seconding this, any sort of "all inclusive" set is a waste for anyone already with an established toolset, unless they specifically want a separate toolset to keep in a car or something like that.
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Dec 14, 2015 21:15
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IOwnCalculus posted:These and the Stanley locking wrench are tools that are not all that common, and aren't needed often, but are absolutely lifesavers when you need them. Good idea! I'd just about shank someone for one of them! That would be a gift that would be appreciated.
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Dec 14, 2015 22:54
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Aerokroil. At $20ish for a decent size can it's expensive enough to be a pain to buy but cheap enough to be a reasonable present.
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Dec 14, 2015 23:44
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The biggest loving hammer you can squeeze into your budget.
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Dec 14, 2015 23:51
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TheQuietWilds posted:but in particular Subarus of all variety of ages See if the local self serve junkyard has gift certificates. Failing that, you can't go wrong with a set of the right head gaskets for his favorite model/year/engine. Seriously though - those locking adjustable wrenches are badass, as are these babies.
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Dec 15, 2015 00:05
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TheQuietWilds posted:I need an idea for a gift for my brother in law. He's a professional auto mechanic at a dealership and spends his off-time working on cars, but in particular Subarus of all variety of ages. Subaru head gasket holiday variety set. InitialDave posted:If he's a flat-rate mechanic, I suggest alcohol. Or whatever mind-numbing substances are available though your local suppliers. Serious answer, this.
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Dec 15, 2015 01:17
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leica posted:Subaru head gasket holiday variety set. Spoiler its just a bunch of SOHC gaskets and a bottle of coolant conditioner
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Dec 15, 2015 08:03
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I've always thought gift cards are kind of crappy, you might as well just put some cash in an envelope and not be limited.
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Dec 15, 2015 08:23
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Like it's already been covered, it's hard to buy for someone who's likely to have everything he needs already, but if you can hit something that is a really, REALLY nice version of something he already has, maybe it'll be a success. Perhaps ask one of his buddies/coworkers whether he already has the gift you're considering. These Wera Joker ratchet wrenches are nice as gently caress (and not cheap!) Additionally, so are their screw drivers (and most of their other stuff, to be honest.) A small one man outfit called Reverse Logic makes very nice little specialty tools for primarily German cars (like jack point adapters, lug guide pins etc.) But yeah, if you've been working with any kind of professional level tools for even a little bit, getting something from Walmart or the likes is somewhere between a joke and an insult. It's basically a waste of money. Either it'll break on the third use, or it'll never be used because the recipient has a pro version of the same tool that's literally ten times the quality. If in doubt, just gift fifty bucks along with instructions to get something nice.
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Dec 15, 2015 08:35
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General_Failure posted:Really thinking about it if he's a mechanic possibly something in no way related to cars or repairing things in any way, shape or form. I'm changing my answer to this. slidebite posted:I've always thought gift cards are kind of crappy, you might as well just put some cash in an envelope and not be limited. For me, it's an excuse to spend money somewhere specific where I might not normally, and I like 'em because I'm hard to buy for and have a terrible game face when I'm disappointed. Basically I'm an rear end in a top hat and I know it but don't know how to fix it, so gift cards let people off the hook.
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Dec 15, 2015 12:10
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Yeah find out what his other hobbies are, he probably has every tool he needs. Get him a fishing pole or something.
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Dec 15, 2015 16:35
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Thanks for the advice guys, ended up taking the booze advice and getting him a bottle of Glenlivet 12.
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Dec 15, 2015 17:09
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An excellent choice.
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Dec 15, 2015 17:15
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I'd take that in a heartbeat.
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Dec 15, 2015 17:24
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 04:26 |
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Relevant to toolchat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMK1qe_8Tdg I have the digital version of that Astro Pneumatic inflator, it's loving awesome.
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Dec 16, 2015 19:07
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