If you have an auto repair newbie around the house, we've got a few great gift ideas for you. Whether you're dealing with an ambitious do-it-yourselfer or a lazier version that needs a little nudge in the right direction, one of these quick and easy gift solutions should get things going. Every home mechanic needs the essentials taken care of, but all too often the basics are forgotten only to see the price paid later in the form of busted knuckles and stripped bolts. You can even buy these gifts directly from one of About.com's trusted retailers. What are you waiting for? Shop!

I can remember my grandfather going outside 10 minutes or so before he left for work to start the car. He'd crank it up, then come back inside and eat a banana or something while he let his bright yellow Lincoln warm up. Back in the day, this wasteful ritual was practiced regularly by drivers around the world. It was rooted in practicality. Old carbureted engines functioned much better warm than cold. They ran more smoothly and efficiently once warmed up. So letting an engine warm up at idle was actually not a bad idea at all.

Fast forward to this millennium and we've got a very different story. Carbs are history, our engines use fuel injection systems that carefully monitor efficiency both in engine power and fuel delivery. These systems employ subsystems that compensate for things like temperature by making minute external adjustments to fueling. This means it will operate at optimum efficiency regardless of engine temperatures. First thing in the morning, it's adding a little extra to the mix to get things warmed up. It's also making sure that when you step on the gas there's enough oomph to get you up to speed quickly. This means that any amount of time you let your car sit in the driveway idling you're wasting gas. You're also not doing the environment any favors because your emission control devices (like the catalytic converter) only function properly hot, and they heat up much faster by driving than sitting still in the driveway. So even if you're a grandpa, don't watch your car warm up through the kitchen window, get going!

Boy oh boy do we see a lot of miracle fixes on parts store shelves. There's a never-ending stream of products making empty promises. Some have been around for decades, others come and go like moon phases. Most products that have lots of big writing and fanfare on the package are just that - fanfare. Usually they aren't more than an old product relabeled or a new product that was pumped out of China for the week. We like to grab a few of these every time we're at the parts store just to see what they're all about. This one actually came from Wal-Mart, a haven for useless auto gadgets. It came in a silver foil pack sort of like a Pop Tart, and it claimed to be able to repair scratched plastic headlight lenses (and similar plastics). It was pretty funny to see how it turned out.

It's not every day that a repair shop goes the extra mile to spread some holiday cheer. Thanksgiving is a time for (obviously) giving thanks, but part of truly giving thanks is passing some of what you're thankful for to others who may need it. Ray Sands Glass in Rochester, New York gives back regularly. Starting in 2007, Ray and co-owner Dave Burns have offered free glass repair to anyone who donates food or warm clothing to the Open Door Mission in Rochester. How great is that? If more of us would give up just a little of our time and resources imagine how much more good will could be spread around for the holidays?

_{Learn more about the program from Rochester's Homepage.}