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Okay, we all know it's the christmas season, and we all know everyone wants their X-mas lewt. Here's my problem, no one in my family will give me a remotely good idea of what they want. It's all the same boring stuff.

Dad wants slippers or chocolate
Brother wants drawing stuff
Mom wants.... "oh, I don't know whatever."

So I'm coming here and begging you guys for help. What sort of stuff did you give as gifts? What are you hoping for (non-biker I'm the only rider in my immediate family)? Any suggestions? Help me please.

I spent yesterday installing a remote starter in the Wife's truck(it used to be mine... ). I don't recommend this route.

Electricity sucks!!! And big, tangled handfuls of loose wires SUCK even more!!!!!

Dad...... a bottle of his favorite hooch. Even better combined with chocolate....... so a box of chocolate liqueurs is perfect.

Mom..... gift certificate for some kinda girly manicure or spa treatment or such.

Bro..... a note promising to stop beating the tar out of him for a certain timeframe. Unless he is the one beating tar. Then give him a free day of pummelling without crying or whineing.

All for under $100......

BuzZz wrote:I spent yesterday installing a remote starter in the Wife's truck(it used to be mine... ). I don't recommend this route.

Electricity sucks!!! And big, tangled handfuls of loose wires SUCK even more!!!!!

D'oh! If only you lived close to me. I used to install those professionally and have had one on just about every automatic-equipped vehicle I've ever owned. I am very ana about my wiring and I doubt you could spot it after I was done.

As or gift ideas...

I bought my mom the usual...a giant gift basket from Bath & Body Works filled with all her favorite lotions, candles, body sprays, scrunchies...you know...girlie junk. I dunno if B&BW is available in Canada but if not there is certainly an equivelent somewhere.

Dad usually gets an upgrade for his computer, but since I just recently gutted his Dell and built him a Sempron 64-powered beast he won't be needing anything real soon. So, this year I got him the VIP box from Krema Nuts with one pound each of giant cashews, chocolate almonds, mixed nuts, giant pasticcios, and candied peanuts. I also managed to find him a favorite from his youth that isn't around any more called "nonpareils". I dunno what's so special about 'em, but he thinks they're the bee's knees so who am I to judge?!

I don't have a brother, but if I did I imagine it'd be easy to buy for him. Just get him something you really want and you'll be fine. If he doesn't like it...well...score!

If you were close enough, you coulda had the job, believe me. I'da gladly passed that buck and sat back to watch someone else poke and prod wires while I gave them (those?Al?) a hard time.

ZooTech wrote:

BuzZz wrote:I spent yesterday installing a remote starter in the Wife's truck(it used to be mine... ). I don't recommend this route.

Electricity sucks!!! And big, tangled handfuls of loose wires SUCK even more!!!!!

D'oh! If only you lived close to me. I used to install those professionally and have had one on just about every automatic-equipped vehicle I've ever owned.

From my experiences with car wiring, you arms must be crosshatched with scars aplenty. I'm sure the people who make the cars make as many pointy ends as possible, under the dash.

ZooTech wrote: I dunno what's so special about 'em, but he thinks they're the bee's knees so who am I to judge?!

10 points for using "bee's knees."

(Sorry for the uninformative post, I am having the same problem with my parents and sister... so ties for everyone!)

Skier wrote:From my experiences with car wiring, you arms must be crosshatched with scars aplenty. I'm sure the people who make the cars make as many pointy ends as possible, under the dash.

How right you are! My hands are riddled with under-dash scars, razor blade scars (carpeting speaker boxes and door panels), and motorcycle exhaust burns (and one really big one from that belt sander I ran over my hand!).

GM takes the prize for the most treacherous under-dash setups. I swear they haven't changed much from the 70's, so you'd better be up on your tetanus shots before reaching into one of those rusty hand shredders. Chrysler takes the cake for most screwed-up wiring, and Ford walks away with first place for most difficult alarm/starter install for its Econoline vans. The ignition harness is routed so high it's just underneath the gauge cluster and you only have a couple inches of usable wire to tap into. Japanese cars are textbook cake walks, and German cars are as confusing and pointless as they come.

Now Jaguars......well......sorry......too painful to talk about........

GMs are trecherous under the dash, but some are pretty simple despite the pointy arm gougers under there. My S10 is the model of simplicity for routing and has lots of accessory plugs to tap into on the fuse block.

My 79 caddy was another story. Id swear there was more wiring under the dash of that thing than in the space shuttle.

Japanese cars really are pretty simple under the dash though hondas can be a pain with their "O Ring" backward grounding arrangment.

Older cars are NOT nesscessarily simpler than modern cars. Any 70s vintage road boat has a mess of wiring rivaling a spacecraft under the dash. Most computer controlled cars are much simpler.

On the other hand my 73 VW has about the simplest electrical system ever devised.

Oh and beware ANY british vehicle that has a Lucas Electrical system (most Jags, MGs, Triumphs, and land rovers) these are nightmares to behold and devised by a sadistic 5 year old

Thanks for jacking the thread guys...

I still need ideas here.

Sevulturus wrote:Thanks for jacking the thread guys...

I still need ideas here.

Your welcome.

I think the message here is make sure you get and install yourself, a remote starter for somebody on your list.

Sevulturus wrote:Thanks for jacking the thread guys...

I still need ideas here.

Hey Sev, Mom is easy, look for anything that is old and shabby and needs replacing. (I could not stand to see you in that old thing any longer Mom) the Goose said that fluffy bath robes will never go wrong but forget kitchen appliances, it has to be personal.

Dad's like anything to do with their hobby's. One xmas I asked the Gooses Dad what to get him, all he wanted was was weights for his fishing rod. Every bodyelse bought him all kinds of expensive stuff and you could see that he was not thankfull, old farts get like that. But the fishing weights, he was really happy and it cost me next to nothing.

Brother" Anything that makes it look like he is one up on you, something you never had like an mp3 player.

Good luck