Hooniverse Asks: What's the Most Awesome "As Seen on TV" Car Accessory?


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Late night and basic cable TV is awash with crap products that are proffered to make your life easier, simpler, and gosh darn it, better. Most of them will fail to preform  as well as they do when “as seen on TV,” but on occasion (I’m looking at you Popeil Pocket Fisherman) they might just be good enough. Today we want to look at what the “As Seen on TV” industry has had to offer to the world’s auto owners, and whether any of the products are in any way worthy of our hard-earned cash, or if they’re all just utter crap. What do you think, what is the most awesome “As Seen on TV” car accessory?
Image: Pinterest

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31 responses to “Hooniverse Asks: What's the Most Awesome "As Seen on TV" Car Accessory?”

  1. P161911 Avatar
    P161911

    While not awesome, this stuff is at least somewhat effective. A decent car polish/scratch remover/rubbing compound. http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_12506.jpg

    1. P161911 Avatar
      P161911

      I wonder how bad that damages the lock mechanism when you slam the door on it. Because you WILL forget and slam the door on it.

      1. Sjalabais Avatar
        Sjalabais

        Not to forget the paint it leans on and is wriggled back and forth on. Yowza.

        1. Alff Avatar
          Alff

          This thing is a variation on one of the more random auto accessories – the Safety Hammer. In case of emergency, break glass and use razor built in to handle to cut yourself out of the seatbelt. Useful if you drive your Bugatti into the Gulf, I suppose.

          1. mdharrell Avatar

            Should I ever own a Bugatti I hope it has neither seatbelts nor glass.
            https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8294/7840565116_e55d26b91a_z.jpg

          2. Alff Avatar
            Alff

            In that case you will find the Safety Hammer marginally less useful.

          3. mdharrell Avatar

            The Car Cane’s portable handle for door latches wouldn’t be of much help, either.

          4. 0A5599 Avatar
            0A5599

            Ruff Road Ahead!
            Some students in Washington were out for a drive when a dog suddenly walked in front of the car.
            The driving instructor, fearing the student might lose control of the car by swerving to miss the dog, said, “Go ahead and hit it.”
            By then, the dog had crossed the road. But the student complied anyway, taking a hard left and chasing the petrified pooch into a pasture!
            The instructor stomped on the brake, and the car stopped less than five feet in front of the poor pup!
            “Why did you turn off the highway?” the instructor shouted.
            “Well,” said the student, “you said to hit the dog.”

  2. Wayne Moyer Avatar
    Wayne Moyer

    We’re Americans so is there anything better than this? I guess the question is who makes the best fries to put in here.
    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/80d38df46f677dbf2f94c645ce0d2dfa09abce931b5cc5f6ff85bca5125af4a8.jpg

  3. smalleyxb122 Avatar
    smalleyxb122

    As I’m getting older, my eyes don’t adjust as quickly between the glare from oncoming headlights and the road illuminated by my own headlights. The actual “As Seen On TV” version is not the highest quality version, but cars should come standard with a night driving visor like these.
    https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/412rEJaoH1L._SX355_.jpg

    1. Rover 1 Avatar
      Rover 1

      So we improve a ‘temporary limited vision situation’ by limiting vision ALL the time?

      1. smalleyxb122 Avatar
        smalleyxb122

        I can’t tell if you are joking, or have just never worn a pair of night driving glasses. They actually enhance vision at all times. The benefit is just more pronounced when there are oncoming headlights.

        1. Alan Cesar Avatar
          Alan Cesar

          I’d never heard of night driving glasses, so count me in the ignorant camp too.

        2. Rover 1 Avatar
          Rover 1

          That’s why I made it a question. I’ve reached the age, 40+, where myopia and dimming of vision have me looking for ways to improve it. The advent of better lighting since halogen has helped- I’m now running H4 LED bulbs which seem better than HID and cheaper. Much of my night driving is done on our near deserted roads in the central North Island of NZ where oncoming traffic is scarce and main beam is more important. 🙂

          1. needthatcar Avatar
            needthatcar

            I hate overpowered headlights. They are terrible for everyone but you.

  4. Kiefmo Avatar
    Kiefmo

    I have dropped my keys into the “carmuda triangle” while trying to stuff them into my pocket while still seated, and had a helluva time getting them back out. I had to resort to my magnet-onna-stick to get them out. The Drop Stop could have prevented this frustration, but I learned my lesson after that one time, and I don’t try to stuff my keys into my pocket before disembarking anymore.
    Also, I don’t eat in the car, for the most part. Not because of any compunction about cleanliness — it’s just that there are no cupholders in my 36 y.o. Benzo.
    https://www.buydropstop.com/images/fries.jpg

    1. dukeisduke Avatar
      dukeisduke

      One of the best things ever to be pitched on Shark Tank.

      1. Rover 1 Avatar
        Rover 1

        Mercedes Benz W124s,(at least) have a factory fit version of this, standard.

  5. JayP Avatar
    JayP

    I don’t have one but I do enjoy watching the middle school grade CGI in the ad.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZZoUCdA-W8

    1. dukeisduke Avatar
      dukeisduke

      I was going to post that one. Sadly (fortunately?), I don’t see that one much anymore. That woman is scary looking, like a meth addict.
      The coolest thing in the commercial? When the guy hits the Border Patrol E-350 van that ran the red light. The van’s grille flying through the air in slow motion is epic. Plus the fact that the dashcam proved that the Border Patrol van driver was lying about the red light. BOOM.

      1. JayP Avatar
        JayP

        It was on pretty heavy rotation on METV on Saturday evenings last year.
        Since I’ve gotten into the routine of spending my Saturday nites at the arcade, I’ve not watched Svenghoolie in a while.
        The kids singing… like a horror movie.

    2. smalleyxb122 Avatar
      smalleyxb122

      I have one of these. It is garbage. It was under $20 at Walmart. If you get into an accident, it might pay for itself. If it doesn’t pay for itself, it’s not worth the $20, and you really don’t want to drive around hoping someone will hit you so that you get your money’s worth.

  6. Peter Tanshanomi Avatar

    I haven’t tried it myself yet, but a buddy told me this stuff is actually a significant step up from Rain-X.
    http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0333/1301/products/6d257fae-dff8-413f-8ee8-a62132dc1ad2_1000_large.jpg

    1. onrails Avatar
      onrails

      This is on our cars… one going on 7 years and still going strong. Rain-X on steroids and using the wipers won’t wear it out. Great stuff. A pain to apply and buff out but once you’re done, it lasts. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bf4c9d0dd3fc2b701b9b3e2401f282ffd4636e9bae72aa2ff8d75e24588f13ee.jpg

      1. LeaksOil Avatar
        LeaksOil

        I don’t know about how it directly compares to RAIN-X, but I’ve used it. I’ve managed shops with it and remember having very positive opinion of it. It’s been a few years ,…

    2. Rover 1 Avatar
      Rover 1

      Tried it. It’s not any better, but it is more expensive, so you can get the reassuring expenditure effect.
      i.e. :’ I’ve spent more so it must be worth more’.

    3. salguod Avatar

      Silicone wipers have the same effect and they self apply. Plus they last 3x-4x as long.

  7. jeepjeff Avatar
    jeepjeff

    I’ve got AMC on the brain again, and I’ve seen the movie on TV before….
    https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/3f/b0/f1/3fb0f186fc0d154387dd860e1b09911f.jpg