First, every car guy needs to be able to drive, and common wisdom says that if the DMV has revoked your license you can’t do just that. So the car gods blessed us with the greatest tool to avoid speeding tickets: the Valentine 1 radar detector. This baby is awesome. It will detect radar emissions long before the competition as well as the police are able to see that you are speeding. On top of the normal band and strength indicators that you get with any other detector you get directional arrows to tell you where the signal is coming from as well as a signal counter to detect if you are seeing more than one radar beam. Its ability to detect laser is hotly debated but I will say this: it is, without a doubt, the best product of its kind on the market. Period.

Grab it for $399 at the Valentine 1 store.

For the wash and wax crowd there are a handful of wonderful car washing accessories for the car guy’s garage. The one most often overlooked, though, is an orbital buffer/polisher. It is a work of wonder that helps eliminate pesky paint swirls that will accumulate over time with regular hand washes. The orbital polisher is great to ensure a beautifully polished wax job and an amazing looking clear coat for years. The importance of having a quality orbital sander is due to the volatile nature of machine buffing. If you have a circular buffer that rotates too fast, you run the risk of burning the paint. Orbital polishers work in such a manner that you can buff your car with virtually no risk of damage. The name we turn to for the best in these machines is the Porter Cable 7424. It is the orbital polisher of choice for both professional detailers as well as us hobbyists.

Pick one up from Tools Plus for $109 plus shipping.

Another wonderful gift is a car cover. Simple and effective the car cover really helps keep a car clean while it sits waiting for the weekend. On top of that, it is helpful in reducing nicks from accidents in the garage. They really are very useful and many car guys will love them. I recommend California Car Cover as they have been producing quality car covers for years and have many other great implements on their site, like the water blade which Brian and I swear by.

Sort through a bunch of options for your car cover or just get a gift certificate at California Car Cover’s website.

Back to washing and waxing, if your car guy is running at all low on cleaning products or doesn’t have all of the fun specialty products, its time to give him or her the car care kit of all car care kits. Brian and I have always been Meguiar’s guys because they have the best products known to cars. Barry has given us a great kit with everything you need to cover your bases, from clay bar to tire care. The Meguiar’s Complete Car Kit is the one to have.

Get if from Amazon for $45 and get free shipping.

Another great gift is a couple of tickets to your local car museum. Good ones are located in many cities all over the world and we in Los Angeles just so happen to have one of the best: the Peterson Automotive Museum. This is a great opportunity to let your car guy delve into the history and lore that surround the car and it’s culture. On top of that, you will probably have a good time too, if you go with him.

Pick up a $60 annual membership to the Peterson for yourself and your car guy at their website.

A stocking stuffer that every car guy appreciates is a subscription or renewal to a car magazine of his or her choice. Obviously, you are going to want to find out what that magazine is by snooping around the coffee table (or, God forbid, the bathroom). If your car guy doesn’t have a subscription to any magazines you can get him a subscription to a generic one like Car and Driver, Road and Track, or Automobile Magazine (the best of the three in my opinion). If you are looking for a magazine about a specific car, you might be better off just signing your car guy up for the car club associated with it. Many car clubs happen to put out the best publications specific to their marks. Take, for instance, BMWCCA and Roundel, Porsche Club of America and Panorama, and Ferrari Owners Club and Pilota. On top of the magazine subscription for a club you also get many services and amenities that can be quite helpful.

Prices vary but you are only a short search away.

So there you have my list of good ideas for gifts for your car guy or gal. Let us know if you have something cool as well! Merry Christmas!