Placed on the chest -- above the heart, of course -- a gear head skull tat lets everyone know exactly who you are, even if they can't see the motor oil under your fingernails. This tough looking skull design incorporates gears so it works as a pictogram. Get inked with a gear or two, a head, it just screams "gear head."
A true gear head appreciates the aesthetic value of his ride's exterior as well as its innards. For the purist, a clean and simple depiction of a spark plug or ratcheting wrench might be just right. A speed demon might be more drawn to a stylized engine that makes up the ribcage of an evil-looking monster. If it gets your motor running, there's no reason you can't design a larger industrial-styled tattoo of everything under the hood and park it on your shoulder or back.
When you pledge allegiance to a particular make of vehicle, you might be driven to brand yourself with the manufacturer's logo. Logos are crisp, basic designs and are easily placed nearly anywhere on the body. Realistic representations of favorite vintage models are artful larger-scale tattoos for mechanics with enough blank skin to spare.
Race fans and qualifying speed racers have a variety of options to take their tats across the finish line. Racing stripes might look cool as a band encircling the upper arm, and a significant car's number could be added to the shoulder above them. A checkered flag is a simple tattoo that creates a striking contrast all on its own, or as a soft, hazy background for other images.
If you're practically living in your garage, it might be time to head to the tattoo shop for some scheduled maintenance. Expand on one tat and let it evolve into an automotive tattoo collage. Collages are especially cool when they cover a portion of your arm or back, and you don't necessarily need to start with a set plan. Discuss your ideas with a tattoo artist skilled in reworking tattoos, and create an eye-grabbing mix of car-related tattoos that flow into each other across a section of skin.