news

Father’s Day 2017: A CarAdvice Gift Guide

Father's Day is nearing again, and as a newly minted papa myself, I'm as stoked as every other first-time dad to suddenly have another day of the year for gadgets and doohickeys I very probably don't need.


Below, you'll find a list of goodies I reckon are pretty neat - things I'd be pretty keen to unwrap right after breakfast in bed and a dose of Saturday morning cartoons. #manchild

Got ideas of your own? Let us known in the comments below!

Now, let's do this. And, yes, I know not all of these will make it to Australia in time if ordered today, but keep 'em on your list!


Of course: LEGO

You simply can't go wrong with Lego. It's science. And the more technical the kit is, the better - because if it's actually a mental challenge to put it together, you'll get the same sense of accomplishment you enjoyed as a kid. Unless, like me, you ended up just throwing it all across the floor for your own papa to step on at midnight.

I reckon the Caterham 620R is a cracking good get, or the Creator Series Volkswagen Beetle. I know our Mandy Turner would love that, but she's not a dad, so, whatever. This one's mine. Actually, scratch that, I want the T1 Camper Van.

Last year's Porsche 911 GT3 RS Technic set would also be a good buy, even if - and this is just my opinion, of course - the final result looks like a reject from Michael Bay's already hideous Transformers designs.


For the travelling petrolhead, Lonely Planet's Epic Drives of the World would surely be a good pickup. Especially if, as much as you love 'em, you really need to escape the kids for… a few months.


Before you head off, though, you might want to make sure you've got the skills to handle unexpected situations. Our friends at Driver Dynamics are a solid option.


And look, while you're gone, you might as well ask the kids for one of these GoFar units. We spoke with the gadget's creator on the CarAdvice podcast, and it sounds like a great idea no matter how old or new your car (so long as you have an OBD2 port, that is).


Need to decorate the #mancave a bit? These super affordable and stylishly simple prints from 10and2 get my seal of approval.


If it's your own bod that could do with some presentation work, ImportBible has a sweet range of tees, stickers and other merch inspired by the Japanese and European car scenes.


I'm obsessed with multi-purpose tools, and this Spare Me rescue thingy definitely fits the bill. It's an ice scraper, tyre lift, traction plate, lever and shovel. Keep it in the boot, yeah?


Daniel Simon's Cosmic Motors. I actually already own this book, but I can't get enough of it and I'm known to recommend it to just about anybody into the art of cars. He's done a few more books since this one, and, side note, he's the guy that designed the whacky new RoboRace car!


Here's another book, but one that brings things back to reality in the best possible way: exploring the icon that is the Land Rover Defender. So the book is suitably named, of course. And, with the legend about to be replaced by an as-yet unseen successor, this book could be a smart get.


It's a Nerf gun that shoots cars instead of darts. I mean, what more do you need to know?


Personalised number plate… cufflinks? If your old man's got a vanity plate on his pride-and-joy, he might like to suit up with these little cuff counterparts.


The ol' socks-and-jocks gift is a bit of a joke these days, but here's the thing… socks are trendy now. The more outgoing the design, the better! So these BMW M-Tech socks are a pretty classy way to step into that world, I reckon.


Leatherman tools are an obvious go-to for any bloke, and the multi-purpose Tread bracelet - although a bit over-the-top - would be a very handy buy for any dad that gets stuff done on the go.


GoPro's Hero Session camera would be a welcome gift for the trackday dad that wants to memorialise his efforts on the blacktop, especially with the piece-of-cake Quik Stories movie app included. There are more expensive options from GoPro, but at $220, this one's a really affordable get.


Priceless?

Want to get dad something that wont break the bank at all? Then why not hang out together at one of the great ‘car-guy’ venues – like Duttons or Shannons in Melbourne or Classic Throttle Shop in Sydney.

A few hours, a good coffee and a great chat – it’s  possibly the best thing you could do for dad, or as dad, this September.

From all of us here at CarAdvice – have a happy Father’s Day this coming weekend.

Chat with us!







Chat with Agent