Dad's Day 2025: Here are some gifts I'D like, how about you?
My wife, err I mean my kids, usually does the sensible thing and asks me for a list of things I'd like to have – rather than hope and pray that I'll like what they get me.
They know better than to chance it...
So, while I'm at it, you can have the list too. Well, mostly car adjacent stuff. You don't want the rest, right? (I'm not here to link you to the usual shit like cleaning kits and tool sets.)
Let me know what you like from the below wishlist, and what you'd add!
Literally any tee or hoody from Ikigai Garage
🦘SHOP LOCAL: These guys are an Aussie outfit and they do a hot trade in JDM/anime-inspired gear, along with a range of less Japaneezy designs.
I love their tees and hoodies, but you'll also find a broad line-up of hats, stickers, air fresheners, floor mats (very JDM designs), keyrings, and so on.
I'm particularly into this ace tribute to classic SSR wheels, but it's sold out fam. 😞 Maybe get me this shiba mascot hoody instead?
Goodr's BFG sunnies for big fuggin' globes
I already have a couple of sweet pairs of oversized Ray-Ban 4147 for my huge melon, but the range of colours available in the Goodr line is pretty compellin'.
They have more conventional sizes too, of course, a something like a dozen different styles. Check 'em out!
Art: Ricardo Santos
I featured this fella's work last month and it bears repeating: I could do with more than a few of his prints on my walls.
I think some of them might even get approval to appear on walls inside the house, let alone in the garage.
His work isn't cheap, especially as you'll also want to have it framed right after you extract it from its postal tube, but it looks sweet.
Mike Stevens
The Palmer knife from James
This thing is hideously expensive for what's literally just a fancy box cutter, but I admit I have two already and... and I want another.
They come in a range of colours, and the transparent plastic ones are a little cheaper and look very cool, but the anodised aluminium bodies are the god tier option.
The James Brand, in general, has a line of very cool knives if you're into that stuff, and while a lot of it is on the pricey side, there are some affordable and very nice blades to choose from.
Kaido★House 1:64 cars
When you're ready to graduate from the Hot Wheels toys on the shelf at Coles, Kaido House (part of the Mini GT biz) have some of the nicest 1:64 offerings I've ever seen.
They're not cheap, at around $35-38 each, but you'll pay the same for any of the extra-special 'Red Line Club' options from Hot Wheels – and you don't need a stupid annual membership or offensive shipping costs to get your hands on them.
(Okay yes I've fallen for the Red Line Club scam a few too many times...)
I've got a handful of Kaido cars, mostly the classics (the jacked-up 510 wagon with surf boards on the roof is super cool and available in a range of liveries), and I have a hard time resisting a wander into my local Games World to check out the latest options. I picked up the below Hakosuka just this week! 😂
EXTRA: I also dig the look of these Inno64 models, but I haven't picked any up yet. The Pandem R33 GT-R looks sick.
Almond Surfboards' Porsche tribute
There's no chance this 1972 911 Carrera RS 2.7 tribute board would ever spend time anywhere beyond my wall, but damn it looks good.
I posted about it back in July; check it out here.
CONSIDER: If you love the idea but not the price tag, this 'Single Fin - Air Cooled' sweater from the Almond x Porsche collection would also be rad.
Cheap! This Toyota AE86 key hook with popup lights
Love this. I don't own a 'hachi roku' but I was into Initial D as much as the next late '90s / early 2000s JDM head.
I dig that the headlights pop up when you drop your keys on the hook. Yeah it's a silly little novelty, but so am I.
Lego: Williams Racing FW14B & Nigel Mansell
I'm not really into motorsport (I know, what sort of psycho am I?), but I do love the classics – and this is a helluva one.
Lego already does plenty of annual F1 kits, but I'm especially drawn to this more history-focused option. And it comes with a little Mansell minifig!
ALSO: I really like to recommend the Lego Botanicals range, especially the Asian plants and flowers. If you've got a Japanese car in the garage, having a few of these on the shelves can make for a really cool vibe.
Leatherman Wave Plus
Honestly I just don't know where my Leatherman Skeletool has gone, so I might as well request an upgrade while I'm trying my luck...
🙏 Please, kids, papa needs his MacGyver kit.
OutIn Nano Portable Electric Espresso Machine
Usually when I'm at a cars & coffee meet, I'm there to take photos and I hate to miss a single moment's opportunity – so the long lines for a coffee can be pretty off-putting.
That gets me to thinking... maybe I should carry one of these jiggers in my camera bag? It seems to review well on both Amazon and various coffee blogs.
That said...
I'm also not much of a coffee afficianado, so I'll probably stick with my little beloved Kinto Travel Tumbler.
This thing has fallen off more than a few car tops when I've absentmindedly driven off without it, and lived to sip another day!
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