old school car stuff i should get

Back in my teens, if I needed something for the car, the only choices to get things were the local Kmart and mail order through the JC Whitney mail order catalog. I only did the mail order thing once and then said screw that and got whatever I needed at Kmart.

Auto parts stores were always around, but the same is true now just like it was then where everything always costs more there. Since I'm not wasting my money at those places, I buy online.

There is some stuff that's tough to find unless you specifically know what it's called. These are a few of them:

Lace-on steering wheel cover. This is not a brand but a cover type.

The lace-on type is, without question, the most annoying type of steering wheel cover to install. Once installed however, it fits best, feels the best, and most importantly does not shift around once it starts to age. Other covers get loose after they've been on the wheel for a while, but the lace-on doesn't if installed properly. The worst thing that happens with one of these is it starts falling apart when it gets really old, but again, it doesn't shift. All you get with one of these is a box with the the wrap and tie, which is all you need. If you're really good at installing one of these, you don't need to cut excess tie when done and can just tuck it in.

Vent trim decoration strips. Serves no purpose other than to look cool, but I like these because it has a luxury sport appearance to it.

These things size to fit and press on. They don't damage vent flaps and can be removed easily. There are two types of car brands this works on more than any other. Any BMW owner who wants the sky/blue/red "M" stripes on their vents, and Toyota truck owners who want the vintage style yellow/orange/red stripes on theirs. For others, you just get the color that matches the paint color of the car.

Magnetic dome lamp. I don't need this for the interior but rather the trunk.

I've owned hatchbacks, SUVs and sedans, and not a single one of them ever had truly good lighting back there. This is where modern super-bright LED really saves the day. They even have motion sensor type for cheap. RV guys use these for interior closets but they also work in trunks and the rear storage area of SUVs.

Mini MagLite. I can use my phone's camera flash bulb like a flashlight just like everyone else can, but it's nothing compared to a real deal MagLite.

If it's night, I'm sitting in the car, drop something and it either goes between the seats or worse yet under the seat, the phone's light isn't good enough to find the whatever-it-was I dropped. If there's anything that needs to be seen at night in the engine bay or at the tires, same thing, the phone light isn't good enough. Even if it's to find something in the center console or glove box, again, the phone won't cut it. A mini MagLite however, specifically a red one (easier to see when going to retrieve it compared to black), will blast enough light. Two AA batteries is all it needs. No recharging crap required. If it gets wet, it still works. If it's even dropped on concrete, again, still works.

Waterproof memo pad with Rite in the Rain pencil. I qualify this as necessary car stuff.

I've been meaning to buy some of these for a while now. For me, the sole purpose of having this is to jot notes for extra long term storage. Specifically, car info (ex: fuse info, windshield wiper length, maybe insurance policy #, etc.) that I might need later. If the info goes in the phone, it would be the way of things that the one time I really need to bring up those digital notes, I won't be able to. If I use a regular memo pad, that paper over time may become unreadable even just sitting in a glove box. All the paper on a waterproof memo pad is treated and therefore lasts longer. The Rite in the Rain pencil is what that pad should be complemented with because it never needs ink and always works.