Thirty-one years ago, your esteemed managing editor first came into this world in a Syracuse, New York hospital. Over the years, numerous half-finished projects, wires dangling from dashboards and car parts littering the homes of family and friends have stood testament to his preoccupation with all things automotive, along with piles of repair manuals, magazines and sales literature. Needless to say, few people ever saw fit to encourage such infatuation with any car-related gifts–quelle dommage!
Now you might be asking yourselves, what does this horror movie poster have to do with cars? Well, in addition to matching the title of this post, the film features cars quite prominently. One of its first scenes features a race over a drawbridge with a 240Z, an early VW Rabbit, a BMW 2002, a Harley-Davidson Sportster, a C3 ‘Vette and finally, a Trans Am which *just* makes it over the quickly widening gap. There’s also a death scene featuring a very grand looking 1974-ish Thunderbird falling into the river through the center of the same bridge. And that doesn’t include all the other excellent car spotting over its ninety-ish minutes. If ever there’s a horror flick for car lovers, it’s this campy Canadian gem from 1981, and not Christine.
Anyway, as the high-schoolers (played by thirty-year-olds) in that movie were spoiled with auto-related purchases, I would enjoy the same. I even have a very specific desire for upgraded control arms and bushings ($250) to go with the Koni Yellow shocks and Eibach springs (don’t worry, they only lower the car by about a half an inch) I bought for my 2000 Civic, named Delores, two years ago. At about $400-$600 bucks, the shocks and springs deserve fresh components to go with them (I can’t very well pair new shocks with bushings that will deform upon encountering the greater loads forced on them). Of course, nursing school got in the way of their installation.
Yes, dear readers, this is what I drive, hence her intentionally dowdy name. Speed isn’t as important to me as the ability to go around corners, and the potential for very good handling is there; the limits just need to be raised. Getting to sixty in slightly less than ten seconds and topping out at an indicated 115-ish, my car is just on the right side of being officially slow, and if I keep the little 1.6 on the boil, I fairly fly past most other sedately driven cars. Eventually, though, I get to thinking about other upgrades. A B18 engine from an Integra? A VTEC head and shorter final drive from an EX? Hey–why don’t I just get a new car??
Well, two Christmases ago, I almost replaced Delores with this grey market 230E, which had a third of its 210k miles, but even though it ran very nicely (it was surprisingly spry, even with the automatic) it was a rusty treasure which would’ve turned a wish list for upgrades into a source of resentment from loved ones who’d eventually find themselves asked to buy such exciting items as fuel-injector O-rings or brake lines just for the privilege of seeing me on my birthday. My friends and family certainly appreciate the fact that I write about cars, but when it comes to actually spending money on an old one, the understanding ceases.
In actuality, I’d never expect an expensive gift to help me upgrade my car; I’ll buy my own damn control arms! But Delores will be a part of my life even if I get another car, and any small contribution which would help me in my efforts to bring her up to snuff would make the nicest gift I could ever hope for. I suspect that for a number of you, the thought of modifying a Honda (yes, they can be tastefully modified–it’s just very rare) is unsavory. But I’ll bet a number of you would love to see family or friends go in together on a new headliner or vinyl top, or maybe a rare trim piece. Or perhaps a simple detailing of your car would mean a lot more than a day at the spa (a common gift).
The best gifts are those which express a genuine understanding of your personality and preferences, and even the most modest offering can mean the world. It is rare for many of us to receive such consideration, though, and I’ll fully admit to being very inept at choosing gifts for others–there’s a reason gag gifts are a popular phenomenon. Still, some of us get lucky from time to time. For those of you who’ve been blessed with car-related gifts in the past, which have been your favorite? And for those of you who haven’t, what currently tops your wish list?
I’ll take the new Becker Mexico for my old Mercedes W-123 ! it’s over $2,000.00 retail no way I could ever afford one .
-Nate
Happy birthday Perry; and yes, I name my cars too.
Nate, wow, it’s sad those Beckers are unobtainium. My dad’s w113 220D had a three band Becker, mono fm/am/sw. The unit had single speakers, one front and rear. They sounded surprisingly bassy, rich and full ranged on fm and could be easily heard over the diesel roaring it’s heart out at 70 mph. It could pull in am stations from all over the nation at night, and it was fun for as a kid hearing the BBC and such on sw. We should have pulled the system out when he sold her next to nothing due to a tired engine.
You do understand that’s a new Becker , it plays CD’s and everything .
I have a box full of various model old Beckers including some European Spec. ones with SW bands , even a few two knobbers because I remember dying to have a Becker , _any_ Becker in my old VW’s instead of the crappo Blaupunkt radios .
For those who don’t know , older Beckers have incredible sound quality far surpassing the cheapo Chinese ” hi end ” crap most folks replace them with .
New matched speakers are still available for your Classic/old/junker Mercedes from The Mercedes Classic Center , you won’t believe the sound until you try it .
Blaupunkt’s were O.K. as were the near indestructible Motorola radios installed by VWNA but the Becker is in a class all by it’s ownself .
-Nate
Nate, actually I though it was a reproduction head unit with the Nav, blue- tooth, etc. Though it did say Becker Mexico, but if it was Chinese, this could mean nothing. There is some outfit that makes similar repro Delco head units going way back with improved original style speakers,complete with all the modern stuff. I’m glad you still have real your old school Beckers.
My Granddad was too cheap to spring for the factory optional AM radios, always had the same Motorola, he would remove it, with the antenna and replace the radio delete lid before trading. Most cars had a speaker in the dash, despite radio deletion. The cars would keep their Montgomery Ward under dash A/C’s, however. Suddenly, in 1978, he came home with a brand new heavily optioned Seville.
As a child my Grandparents use to give me Days Gone By diecast models from the UK. I still have them all. Here is one set from the 1986 Commonwealth Games.
As an adult I don’t generally receive birthday presents but those I get aren’t usually automotive related. I am my own island car nut wise in the family.
Yes when me and my two brothers were growing up, we each would get the latest Hess truck (Hess is a gas station chain on the East Coast of the USA). These trucks had battery operated lights. Most of them wound up getting broken and these same trucks are worth mucho money(let this be a lesson to you folks, never open any toy’s box as it might be worth loads)
You were born in Syracuse!? So was Tom Cruise. I however, was born in a city about 60 miles Southwest.
Anyway, I really would like a quartet of Sport Rims for my Caravan. Occasionally pick and pull has one or two lying around, but in the end I am a cheapskate (or just don’t have the money) and come up with excuses not to buy them.
My school district cleared out their storage area and gave me some spare gauges from International S-1700s which had been retired for years as well as assorted spare keys from retired buses. Also I have some brochures, Freightliner bus Calendar, and an air freshener in the shape of a Safe-T-Liner C2 that claims to smell like new bus.
I was indeed born in Syracuse. I came home from the hospital in a ’78 Nova; the only options were an AM radio and remote mirror adjustment. Three-speed THM and 4.1 straight-six. My parents needed to drive me about inside of it to stay asleep. I LOVED the front bench which allowed me to sit next to my mother!
Syracuse has some hilly sections, one of which was the sight where the engine stalled out on my dad on a long downhill incline, losing steering and braking assist. One day when I was five, the passenger door flew open in a low speed left hand door and it was BYE BYE Nova!
From about 1988 to 2000 my folks had a 1970 Dodge Dart that had a passenger door that was dented by my great aunt (I think) before she croaked. Anyway, mama never let me shut the passenger door because it had a habit of flying open unless an adult closed it and the one time I did shut it the door came open as mama was turning out of the babysitter’s driveway. She grabbed me (not trusting the lap belt), pulled over, and it was not until the late 1990s that I was allowed to shut the door myself.
One of the family’s cars stalled on a steep hill in Central New York either going up or down I forget.
Hey, Happy Birthday to you! Back away from the computer and go get yourself some cake, you deserve it.
I enjoy discussing cars more than cake. Maybe a cheese blintz or baklava… or rice pudding, though.
You bring the baklava and rice pudding, and I will bring the dolmades, gyros, and pastisio.
Well Happy Birthday, Mr. Shoar.
The problem with getting automotive gifts from people who know less than you do about cars is that those gifts are often those things which might be of interest to the more casual auto fan, but not to the hard core car guy.
When I was still building my hand tool collection, gift certificates from Sears were always helpful, and could be very easily spent in the Craftsman Tool department on some little purpose-specific item that most people would never think of buying. Now you can tell that I am older than 31, not sure if Sears is the place for this that it once was.
A nice car detailing is always a nice gift as well.
I wish I could ask for some of the necessary bolts and stuff or brakeline mounts for the Konis–they don’t line up with the brackets on the original Showa units. And they’re cheap, too.
If I can get the control arms to go with the shocks and springs, and make new tie-rod ends to remove the slop, the Civic will be a fine handling machine. It’s a great platform, but in very soft tune and all the excellent control feedback washes out as all the old rubber parts deform. ALSO, all 88-01 Civics/Integras/CRVs have rear trailing arm bushings which wear out as well.
Wondering if I should keep the power steering or ditch it for a CX/DX hatch and coupe manual rack. Or swap it for a faster ration Integra rack.
Love the idea of an agile car which gets 35-40 mpg.
I’m rambling, but…
Beautiful Civic you have there, my favorite generation by far. Much more substantial than the earlier cars while keeping that classic Honda feel.
Best gift was a Motor Trend subscription when I was a pre-teen. My best friend’s parents got it for me bc they knew I was a car guy. I don’t know why but non car types always assume MT is the best magazine. Anyone else notice this?
Everyone knows I am too picky to buy me anything for one of my old cars but I do like to get automotive art. The last piece I got was a glass paperweight of a Porsche 911 I love that thing.
HBD Perry!
Thank you for reminding me why I’ve made a vow to never get involved romantically with a Leo again.
KIDDING.
Kidding.
(Slightly telling the truth).
I guess the greatest gift I’ve gotten car related was the stories that I got relatives, the old cars that managed to survive into my youth that hooked me, and like above, decades long car magazine gift subscriptions to Car & Driver, Automobile and Motor Trend. Nowadays it’s heavily Oldsmobile related trinkets and ephemera that make me want to put a ’65 Delta 88 in the yard next to Audrey.
Wait, I’m a Leo too. Pray tell, what’s the “tell” in Perry’s post?
His Birthday is today, so he’s a 10 Degree Leo Sun, given his love for motor vehicles I’d say he’s an early Gemini Moon to boot.
I didn’t realize I came across as such a DIVA, Lar!
(Wordless Reply).
Talk about the perfect gift, what a cool new avatar for Perry. It’s got a car theme and everything!
Happy Birthday.
I want a Dodge Viper. So far neither my wife or kids have come through even though I’ve told them plain as the noses on their faces. 🙂
I have been blessed with understanding women in my life . The first Christmas my late first wife and dated she bought me a tachometer. The second year she got me a pair of chrome wheels. This was in the sixties.
Mrs Mustang Rick has bought me everything from street rod patch panels , a carb and aluminum intake and Mustang restoration parts to a vintage Yamaha motorcycle and a vintage Cub Cadet garden tractor that I later restored. Of course I bought her a set of aftermarket street rod gauges for her birthday one year and helped her buy a Z28 before we were married.
Yep, I knew both girls were keepers right away. Lucky me.
I really want a second-generation Acura Legend. Preferably a ’94 or ’95 GS sedan or coupe with the “Type II” 230 horsepower 3.2L. Perfect tan leather and genuine burl walnut trim on the inside, and sparkling white paint and 16-inch alloys on the outside. It would probably have to be a gift from the mighty car gods, however, as finding a Legend without 200,000 miles, ripped leather, and faded paint is getting very difficult.
I would still be happy with a slightly less than perfect condition Legend, as it would be fun to fix it up and make a few tasteful modifications (don’t worry, no wacky paint jobs, oversized rims, or low bumpers). Of course, I’ll also need some pocket change for the restoration.
Oh good taste, dude. I LOVE those Legends; a GS sedan with six-speed would be ideal. BTW, what the hell was Honda thinking, not adding the SOHC VTEC head on the C-series V6? Was the variable intake enough?
I think if they did a VTEC head with LSD, that could’ve been a real force to reckon with.
…but shut up, Perry; they DIDN’T and now they’re a has-been. Maybe they deserve it.
Ahhh that exact car, pearl white Legend coupe, tan leather with the Type-II engine and 6-speed was one of my biggest teenage obsessions. Now I think I’d like the sedan even more, but both are still totally sweet.
I’d gladly settle for a Vigor or Integra GS-R 4-door too!
Good topic, Perry. I get anxious about trying to pick the right gift, and I also don’t think I’m very good at it. Is that the Leo flaw that Laurence is talking about?
My birthday happens to be in a couple days. The barge is thirsty and I’m not rolling in it at the moment, so I asked my Mom for a gas gift card. She happens to have different local brands than I do. I got a modest check with “gas money” as the memo, and that’s that. Couldn’t be happier. 🙂
Happy Birthday, Perry!
The best auto-related gift ever was a continuous subscription to auto, motor und sport from my godfather. That started in 1969, after I visited him in Austria, and ended a few years back, shortly before he died. By that time, I was ready to be done with it anyway.
But all those decades, I read it religiously, which helped helped keep my German alive. It was an excellent publication (until recent years), very Germanic in its approach: thorough, objective (mostly), lots of technical and engineering insight. But also a nice variety of coverage, from racing, nostalgia, travel, etc… A great magazine, which was quite different than the American approach: entertainment. That’s valid too, but it’s nice to have some of both. Road and Track was rather like that back in the day.
That was the best gift ever…
Can’t say I had THAT amazing of an auto experience in Austria, but I spent a month there at age nine, nearly ten, in 1993. I bought a die-cast NSX and rode around in my cousin’s GTI. I had to hide of the floor because I guess the cops there were REALLY zealous about five passengers in a four passenger car. Vienna. Is. Gorgeous.
Also, if only there were a good Iranian auto magazine to read (maybe transliterated into Latin script, though Farsi script isn’t that hard), maybe my Farsi would be better today.
The best gift I got, I suppose, may have been my trips (not cheap) in the ’90s to Iran, where i got exposure to French hatches, disgusting Rootes cars, and other non-US models.
Something like this ? Although it might as well be a fashion-magazine. Who knows what’s behind that cover….can’t even tell if it’s a magazine anyway.
A bit late, but Happy Birthday !
or this….
Happy Birthday, Perry!
I would suggest something that I would like but probably not buy myself. I.e. driving gloves and a driver’s cap, or a bomber jacket if that’s your taste.
By the way ‘Auto Motor und Sport’ is the pillar of my automotive education too, but I dropped out of class earlier than Paul. I go online to Autobild Klassik and Motorklassik to slow the loss of my mother language.
Cash. You know, for gas.
Happy Birthday, Mr. Shoar.
Favorite car-related gift? I’ve received many, but I’ll have to go with the subscription to Hot Rod that Mom got me when I was a wee lad.
Regarding fantasy gifts:
1) A 12-pack of De-Fartcan-izers. This is a device that you attach to the tailpipe of you neighbor’s son’s car. It acts as a muffler, but also has tendrils that attach to every major system in the car, making it impossible to remove without rendering the car undrivable.
2) A remote control that I can use to shut off the boom-boom look-at-me bass speaker in the car sitting next to me at the stoplight. Automobile subwoofers are an abomination, brethren!
I want these. A. Lot.
Failsafe birthday present system:
Predetermine budget of giver or do a lowball estimate.
Visit favourite automotive bookshop/parts shop/toyshop.
Buy within budget.
Don’t read/use/pay with it yet.
Give it to giver.
Giver pays you back.
Giver wraps present and hands you a gift you’re sure to love.
Takes emotion out of the game, but there’s nothing worse than a car-related gift you don’t want, or even worse, don’t like. I’m cold like that.
Happy Birthday, Perry.
Happy birthday Perry!
My AOTD is the Lego Mini Cooper I got for my birthday earlier this year for my July 19 birthday. My parents were able to get it pre-release (thank you Lego VIP). It combined two of my passions (Lego and cars). I love it!
Neat! I have seen the Lego VW bus but didn’t know about the Mini.
My most recent birthday gift is one of my favorites, a 1/18-scale 1959 Dodge Custom Royal convertible in gunmetal gray with black and white interior. It is by Sun Star Platinum and is amazingly detailed.
However, I did request it. We Klockaus are a pragmatic bunch and suggestions for Christmas or birthday gifts are welcomed. But this Dodge was extra special as I have been waiting for a really nice model of a ’59 Dodge for years, as a Custom Royal coupe was Mom’s first car.
Oh, and happy birthday Perry! Hope you get something nice for the Civic!
My wife has bought me several Danbury Mint Diecast cars over the years. (I am heartbroken to hear they are discontinuing them). She almost surprised me with a 66 Ford Mustang a few years ago but it had a 6 cyl and she backed away from it.
Happy Birthday Perry! You share a birthday with my Dad and several very special friends.
Like your Civic my Citroen isnt fast but its cornering ability is brilliant once youve upgraded your car it still wont be close to my Xsaras stock turn in ability and coupled with the passive rear steer it came with, I can do a Uturn at 35mph in 3 lanes try that in the Honda, its quite easy to see why it became the most successful WRC car ever taking the first 5 places at Monte Carlo on debut. ( Actually the first time I ever heard of them). Good luck with the mods they will improve your car immensely. Happy birthday I had to buy my green toy but it was worth it.
For Father’s Day this past year I sent my wife and my two oldest daughters each a link to a different floor pan section for my ’64 Falcon Wagon. Sure enough, they came through and she has a solid floor again! Isn’t the internet great? (I, um, bought myself the 4th one….)
Perry you share a birthday with my mother, who turned 91 today. And my niece who turned 19. I am totally ignorant when it comes to Astrology so maybe some of you could tell me more about 10 degree Leos.
Happy Birthday
Happy birthday! I think the best gifts are usually those you give yourself (or your car.) I hope you and Delores get what you always wanted.
I, too, was born 31 years ago, in New York and came home from the hospital in a Disco Nova with a straight six, automatic and bench seat which my mom drove until I was 5 years old!
I beat you by a few months (March), it was the southeast corner of the state (Hempstead, Long Island) and the Nova was a little older too (’76). But I did grow up to share your appreciation of campy horror flicks and love of Hondas! Never had a 6th-gen Civic myself, but I dated a girl who had one (a silver DX coupe) and put lots of miles on it. Loved driving that car and thought it was just about perfect for what it was; light, nimble and somewhat stealthy, sipped fuel, supremely practical and well-built. Not fast, but also not gutless and perfectly content being revved off its 7k limiter all day.
For my birthday next year I wouldn’t mind a ’00 Civic Si in pristine, unmolested condition (yeah right!) but really, I’m just happy to get anything.
So happy birthday old sport, and many happy more! Your writing and behind the scenes work on the site has been a gift to all of us, really. I’m constantly amazed at how you and Paul even manage to pull off so much work here, at such a consistently high level of quality, with so many other real life commitments. I find it hard to get as many comments in as I’d like, so I’m really in awe of you guys – and speaking of which, I didn’t get a chance to chime in there, but I thought the recent Citroen CX article you did was your best work yet – great stuff, keep em coming!
Scalextric……Still good after 40 years.
August 3rd is a good day for a birthday. I spent the evening driving up to northern Indiana. Usually I see something interesting, but being dark and all, nothing much was seen. I did spot the shape of a ’70’s Lincoln in a front yard near Peru. I’ll be on the lookout on the way back during the daylight hours.
Happy Birthday! I’ll be celebrating #34 not too long from now, myself.
Best automotive gift? Hmmm. Well I did have an impressive matchbox collection as a kid, the vast majority of which were gifts of one form or another. (Having helped my parents clean out the attic and a closet this weekend, remembered I still have most of them. Those weren’t going in the trash bin, nosir, and are safely re-boxed.) But the best one was the Hot Wheels ’65 Vette convertible hanging on a branch of the Christmas tree in 2000. Why would a 20 year old want a garden-variety Hot Wheels? Because of the check for $500 attached to the back of it with “car fund” in the margin. During 2000 it had become evident that the old Malibu wasn’t going to last forever so the check was my parents’ contribution to its eventual replacement.
The timing was presicent as the last time the Malibu moved under its own power was about a week later. And in March, a 1991 Crown Vic appeard to replace it, thanks in large part to that “seed money” from my parents. Making it an excellent gift indeed. My wife’s willingness to let me buy the Volvo recently can also be seen as a “gift” and is worth noting as well….
The best auto-related gift I have ever rec’d was a pair of retreaded snow tires for my 1970 VW Beetle, for Christmas 1983. Brogan & Folz Firestone in Cincinnati sold lots of retreads at that time…one of them used a carcass that had a white sidewall stripe, which the retreaders just painted over with some black goop, so the tires would both be blacksidewall. The tires outlasted the car…
Best car-related gift (or gift of any kind) I received, by far, was my Sentra SE-R, which I still have over 20 years later.
I would regularly receive birthday and Christmas gifts of promo models, beginning about 1956 and continuing until I was into college, about 1966-1970. I proudly displayed all of them through the years on my bedroom bookshelves. They were, and still are, treasures, I still have almost all of them.