Austin Texas - The New Mecca of Hot Roddin'

I had to move there to find REAL friends, oh and a wife too. I love and miss it.

 

I love Austin... I've only been once... to sample the music scene and party on 6th street.

Got to oogle over the Black Dahlia out front of the Continental Club... but other than that didn't see too much in the way of hot rods. (we went in July of 03 I believe... yeah... Austin in July isn't a good idea)

But I loved the city even without the car scene... so I can't imagine being immersed in it as well.

Gimme Junior Brown on stage at the Continental Club and some hot rods out front and I'd live there...

 

I live close to "the shit hole of America" and there is not a lot of stuff happening. Starting in April and ending in November every year there is the cruise in at Steak & Shake on the first Saturday of the month where you see the same cars and the same group of guys in almost the same parking places every year. There are some small local shows where all the trophy whores show up anp bitch if they don't win a trophy because their car was better than the guy that won. This year was the first Round Up that I have been to and I really enjoyed it. I am sure I would have enjoyed it more if I had known where I was and where all the stuff was happening. Not knowing any one or anything about how to get around in the town is a huge drawback. But I learned and hopefully will do better next time. We had an awesome time in spite of our ignorance. From Austin we went on to San Antonio and then west Texas and damn you guys have got a BIG state.
The deal about people being friendly is certainly true. No matter where we were we were treated very well.
Thanks for having us!
Later,
Dick

 

Being Cali born and raised, just wanted to chime in on my experience, not so much with Austin but more with, Texas in general. The thing with cali is as stated before a lot of "look at me ima tuffguy cholobilly" posers and a fast paced vibe, although you could still find those small towns they are slowly starting to disappear. Being stationed in El Paso i got to feel that small town laid back vibe again and the people that make it happen, and it was awesome just going to a show meeting cool people and just chilling out. It seems with a vibe like that people make stronger bonds and theres less drama. I think that is a big appeal of austin. In cali it seems like the bigger or more mainstream the show the lighter you have to tread cause you never know what tacobillyrolleyes is feeling. That isnt the case with the smaller more laid back more hot rods and custom shows, which are still held in cali but just seem like they're harder to find. A show can have just an awesome turn out of cool cars but be ruined by a couple of dumbasses that feel they got something to prove. Hot roddin will always have its roots in Socal but that doesnt mean it cant spread out to different cities and towns after all isnt that why we're here to "spread the gospel of traditional hot rods and kustoms to hoodlums world wide"

 

The city has always treated Austin hotrodders as outsiders and looked at it as a menace to society from the very get go until now. To (some) of the old skool Austin underground racers & builders almost every new kid in town gets this type of invitation until you prove yourself. lol! Just mean fun everyone gets this on the first outing. Know one should take it serious just bring a fast car. Peace to everyone!

 

Austin has a couple of hip streets, some clubs and some galleries and thinks its all artsy, hip and weird.

Compared to when I lived there in the 70's? Yep.

Compared to Santa Cruz, San Fran, Venice, or LA? Not even close.
Those places got weird and hip in spades.

Austin is a LOT like Sacramento. Just big enough to have more than a "small town" identity, has a few hip areas, a college to keep the nightlife young, a couple of waterways near by.... A good sized hot rod scene, more than a few known builders near by.

The people make Austin and the hot rod scene there cool. Very open, not a ton of attitude, just out to have fun with their cars.

 

Have friends who told us about Austin way back when Jerry Jeff moved there in the 70's, went to Continental club to see Dale Watson, James Mcmurtry, Billy Joe Shaver etc.etc. Always been a gearhead, but never knew about the car scene 'till lately. Was pretty well hidden, just like it is in most places. Nice to think everyone is doing it, but that's not really the case. Probably a good thing.

 

been to austin once for a week, really dug it, but i don't think i saw anything i'd call a hot rod the whole time. couple old stock-ish trucks and a taxi with a flowmaster is all. seemed like it has all the earmarks of a good hot rodding town. was i on the wrong side of the river?

what austin definitely has over la is affordable bars and clubs. you could drink yourself to death on $20 at most of the places i stopped into down there, whereas you're lucky if you can get past the doorman on a single jackson most places out here.

alright, that's a slight exaggeration and no, i don't pay a cover where i drink. but i am paying like $8 for a beer and a shot and it feels like a relative bargain. shiners and lone stars for a buck? not bloody likely.

i don't know where i'm going with this.

 

The one event that I forgot to mention that pretty makes it all worthwhile living close to "the shithole of America" is that I only have to drive 1 hour to get to THE HAMB DRAGS. Makes it all worthwhile.
Ryan, thanks for the offer and by the way it was good to finally meet you.
Later,
Dick

 

Austin is great ,but it really isn't the mecca of anything..... thats what makes it neat. Everyone is so layed back it kind of pisses me off.... haha

Its the same thing where ever you are, things are what you make of it.

To compare the Hot Rod scene in Austin to California is completely insane.

There are alot nice people and cars here but there is no real history of hot rodding here..... even compared to Milwaukee or the Midwest, this is a very young scene.

Sure there are some old stories and some old timers (Norm is my Hero!), but compared to California it is almost non existent.

Dudes is the 40's 50's and 60's from California were bred with cars..... it was a lifestyle....... Here they were bred with guitars....... Its true.


Anyway its funny how even the little Austin Hot Rod world has some BITCHES in it.

Rumble, Rumble tough guys.

 

Man, Austin does sound cool and I hope to get there before TX decides to go ahead with those plans to succeed from the union.

 

Nailed it for me. And we do have our little groups of like minded people that we run with. If I could change on thing is the summer of 115 that is a pain in the ass.

 

Ya know, Austin has the Asylum Street Spankers. Ya gotta love any town that could spawn a bunch like that!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OPmJVAH3-c&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADSijJeO3E0&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOQ2yBoDOVs&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCPqqGUWLvQ&feature=related

Note please that the Spankers do not mess with Demon Electricity. No amps. mikes or effects. How's that for traditional? Talk about keeping Austin weird....

 

So-Cal will always be the launching pad for Hotrodding..... nothing will ever change that!

But, I do love Austin.... I'd move there in a heartbeat, if I could. But, since I can't, I'll just have to make my way to the Roundup every year!

 

Let's all just hope it doesn't end up like St. Louis...

 

ive never been to austin but i have been to houston. and the houstatonian girls are. as for the cars that come out of there are just breath taking as well.

 

speaking of reliablity runs whens the next one??? spill the beans ryan

 

Hahahaha! Seems we are making each other laugh today!

I have not been in Austin, but I will at some point since I have met so many of you (and more to meet). I have known of it as a cool town for 20 years from my time in radio and the South by Southwest music fest. Plus you know I dig good food.

Kudos to Steve, Reggie and all the others that have made the town a place many rodders want to move to.

I'm fine with visiting, my little slice of heaven is called the Black Hills

 

Dog and Duck is next Monday. Come on out and I'll buy you a Shiner. I'll introduce you to some of the guys you may not know. I know most of their names, all of their rides, but I don't have a clue how much any of them make or what most of them do for a living. They are car guys and that's good enough for me. There are a few douchebags in every town, but the overwhelming majority of the guys and gals around here are really good people. Some of the rides that show up there are completley bad ass. Most are cool drivers with "character" and imperfections. Some need some help, IMO.

I have a primer black '31 coupe with red suspension, greasy hair and I'll most likely be wearing cuffed jeans and a black t-shirt. Ask somebody there and they'll find me. Hopefully, you don't stereotype me as a scenester in a bad way because of what I drive and the way I look.

You're into old cars, we're into old cars. That's about it, right?

 

Gotta bump this thread to expound on the guy from the Queen Citys' observation. The powers that be in Austin deserve a lot of credit. Because of their experience with multiple huge events going on simultaneously throughout the year they almost always use just the right amount of control to let people enjoy themselves.
Anyone else see the little confrontation Saturday nite between some rodder and a young Hispanic guy in a late model Town Car on South Congress?? Don't know what the deal was but the hot rod was going down the turn lane all the way down the hill just bumping the heck out of the Lincoln 'til the kid finally stopped and got out---road rage incident? I don't know. But before anyone could take two steps the police appeared on foot from out of the crowd and took control. An ugly situation? In my beloved home town of Dallas, some cops and some kids get shot, and those that can still breathe go to Jail. In Austin, the cops cooled everyone down, cleared the cars from the street, no sobriety test bs, a good talking to, and after a few minutes the cops and the involved parties were laughing and backslapping--situation OVER. Doesn't happen like that too many places. Just one of the stories that make Austin...Austin!

 

Threads like this remind me why I cant find anything good on CL.... too many of these folks stealing the old tin!

 

What Buzzard said... I'll buy the second round.

 

It is because Norm Jones(#70) is here!!!!
Skot[/QUOTE]


Willie and the Boys !

 

Yea, the liberal police force is a nice touch for sure. Reggaefest was the same w/e as lonestar this year... and that was 2 miles from SoCo and I would be tempted to say most lonestar attendees would never even know it. This place KNOWS how to run crowd control.

 

Tell me about it!
I've been looking for almost 6 months. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places.?
Seems to me prices of cars in general are more $$$$$ in Austin than elsewhere, even other parts of Texas.
Don't have a big budget so that may be a problem too.....
Still a great place to live.

 

I haven't had the chance to make it to the Lonestar to hang out with most of the guys and gals, but I will say that they are one of the reasons I make the HAMB Drags every year. Some of the most down to earth and cool people around. I've been to Austin on a few occasions and really like it, it has a lot in common with the Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill area here in NC. I like it.

 

ZMAN gives good beer.