Don’t Forget Dad: Our 2012 Father’s Day Gift Guide
Father’s Day is June 17th, and if you’re like most guys, you haven’t even thought about it. But not to fear! We’ve assembled a great list of gifts for the Mopar-loving Dad. From battery chargers to keep his toys ready to rock, to holsters to keep his sporting gear in check, to a movie that’ll make him smile, to a car rental that’ll–probably at least–make him crap his pants, we’ve got you covered. Hit the jump to check out our picks!
Mopar OEM Dodge Ram RamBox Holster
$274.95
Gun racks are cool–for those who feel they need to advertise. But this official Mopar RamBox holster is perfect for keeping rifles and fishing reels organized and away from prying eyes. The unit’s form-fitting cradles and elastic retention straps will keep two rifles or shotguns or up to six fishing reels safely in place regardless of the terrain, and adds a finished feel to the the Ram’s unique storage compartments.
$355-692
It’s popular to bemoan how modern vehicles are becoming giant rolling computers–we do it all the time. But all that hardware can facilitate making sweet changes if you’ve got the right tuner. Superchips’ units allow drivers to get the most out of their vehicles–from power to MPGs to resetting irritating TPMS codes–all at the touch of a button.
$269.99
With a dizzying array of available attachments, Inventive Products make the Swiss Army Knifes of hitches–but these super-cool mudflaps jumped out at us. The Quick Mount attachment allows the flaps to be secured with a single pin, and keep road debris from hitting your trailer. Seems like a winner to us!
$29.99
Cars are meant to driven, and when they’re driven, there are all kinds of ways the paint can get chipped. But when it does, Genicolor’s touch-up pens make fixing little nicks a snap. The site has a huge index of paint colors, and has instructions on where to find your if you’re unsure. Give him one for the glovebox.
$936 and Up
There’s lots to love about these bed covers from Ranch. They give the bed a finished look, and they also keep cargo locked away from prying eyes. One other nice benefit? The aerodynamic qualities increase in MPGs on the freeway, plus they’re available for nearly every Dodge truck.
$199
If your Pop loves going out into the middle of nowhere to hunt or fish, he should already have a Spot Satellite GPS Messenger. If he doesn’t? You should get him one. In the event he’s hurt, disabled, or just wants to check in and let you know he’s A-OK, the peace of mind Spot provides is worth every penny.
There’s something to be said for subtlety–but you can’t hear it over a train horn! The HornBlasters site is loaded with descriptions about how its horns will “wake the dead” and are “completely insane.” Come on, a horn that comes with a “hearing protection required” warning? Awesome.
We actually saw this cool new charger when it debuted at SEMA last year, and have wanted to pick one up ever since. The folks at Optima know batteries better than anyone else, and when they developed this charger, they were determined to make the best one on the market. An automotive-inspired gauge lets you see exactly where a battery is in the charging cycle, it can also serve as a battery tender for weekend cars, and even has a USB port so Dad can charge his iPod when he’s out wrenching in the garage.
$119
If your Pop loves going out into the middle of nowhere to hunt or fish, he should already have a Spot Satellite GPS Messenger. If he doesn’t? You should get him one. In the event he’s hurt, disabled, or just wants to check in and let you know he’s A-OK, the peace of mind Spot provides is worth every penny.$6.85-$11.97
If you don’t know where the phrase “It takes a Mopar to catch a Mopar” comes from, then you need to see Vanishing Point. This is quite simply one of the coolest car movies of all time, and stars some of Ma Mopar’s most legendary machines, like the 1970 Challenger and the 1968 Charger. At under $12 bucks for the Blu-ray, this movie is an absolute steal, and even if some of the subject matter seems a little dated, your Dad is sure to have a good time watching this cross-country odyssey unfold.
$289-$1749.99
There’s something to be said for subtlety–but you can’t hear it over a train horn! The HornBlasters site is loaded with descriptions about how its horns will “wake the dead” and are “completely insane.” Come on, a horn that comes with a “hearing protection required” warning? Awesome.$23.95-$26.95
If your Dad still insists on changing his own oil, this cool product will make the chore way easier. After initially marketing the drain valve to commercial trucking companies, Fumato decided to offer it to consumers. Honestly, this is such a simple solution that it’s surprising we haven’t seen it before–check out the video above to see how easy it is to install and use. Every 3000 to 5000 miles your Dad will remember how much you care. QuikValve
$15-$160
Here’s a perfect addition to the old man cave! TheFind has tons of styles of Mopar-themed wall clocks, from a classic 1969 Dart hubcap model, to a decidedly fancier “Grab Life By the Horns” neon model. There are even some old-west themed models. in case he wants his den to look like the kind of joint where even the piano player isn’t safe.
$160-$400
A good watch is will last the test of time while being an enduring symbol of class and good taste. Meister’s watches fulfill both these qualities while catering to the exacting taste of the auto enthusiast. They’re ruggedly constructed with stainless steel bezels and scratch resistant mineral crystal lenses, meaning they’re more likely to leave scuff marks than be scuffed up themselves.
The also feature extensive use of carbon fiber both in the face of the watch and on the bands. Aside from being handsome watch building material, carbon fiber is used extensively in sports cars and exotics thanks to it’s light weight and immense strength. It’s the type of thing an auto enthusiast would notice and love.
$399
Whether your Dad is hauling gravel home from the quarry, or groceries home from the Costco, a quality bedliner is one of the things he’ll appreciate every time he loads up. Along with their reputation for toughness DuaLliner’s bed protection systems are specifically molded to fit truck beds perfectly, so they’ll are as good looking as they are functional. Check out this segment from Stylin’ Trucks to see how easy it is to install!
$225-$1500
Sure, the latest incarnation of Ma Mopar’s–excuse me, SRT’s–Vicious Snake might come with bells and whistles like traction control and ABS. But the original Vipers are pure sports cars which deliver mind-bending performance and don’t bother with any of the electronic nannies designed to make new performance cars as safe as kindergarden scissors. And you can rent them!
So if your Dad is always telling you about the good ol’ days, why not rent him something that combinds the acceleration of a fighter jet with the safety technolgy of a ’50s farm tractor? If he stuffs it into the wall, he’ll forgive you. And if he doesn’t wreck it? He might actually stop giving you a hard time about getting a haircut and real job. Maybe.