Five Car Gifts For Dad

If Dad is a gearhead, these gifts may be for him.

W

ith Father's Day coming up this weekend, we figured we'd take a look at five car-related gifts for Dad.

1. A Radar Detector: Does dear old Dad have a lead foot? Maybe you can keep him from dipping into the retirement fund to pay for speeding tickets by dropping some cash on a radar detector. Sure, these devices have been around forever, but they're still worth their salt (the good ones are, anyway.). Not only that, but most of the popular models are able to fight against laser and other law-enforcement speed-detection tools, and the popular Valentine One even promises to identify which direction the radar is coming from. Speeders still have at least one line of defense.

Radar detectors make good gifts for dads who like to speed.

2. A Bluetooth headset: We know, we know, it's impossible to look cool while wearing one of these things, but if your Dad has an older car (many newer cars have Bluetooth connections) and conducts a lot of business while on the road, this could keep him from getting a ticket (many jurisdictions now ban non-hands-free cell-phone use) while also keeping his eyes on the road, thus reducing the chance of an accident.

3. A Tool Set: OK, so, it's a predictable gift, but one that might make sense if your father likes to turn a wrench or two in his spare time. Even if he already has a good set, there's a chance that some of his tools need replacing, either due to damage or to wear and tear. Or perhaps there's something missing from the set. Either way, if your dad is a gearhead, this is a safe bet.

4. An iPod/MP3 hook-up: Many newer cars have USB or auxiliary ports for iPod/MP3 player connectivity, but few older rides do. For fathers that like good tunes on the road, electronics stores sell devices that allow them to play their iPods through the radio. We'll admit some of these devices don’t work as well as they should, but it might still be worth looking into.

5. A GPS: OK, so your Dad doesn't own a smartphone and his car doesn't have a navigation system. And he doesn't like to stop for directions. Well, a portable GPS system could be the way to go. Now Dad won't get lost on the way to the sports bar ever again.