WHAT'S NEW @ MOTORAUSTIN

There are plenty of software options for running a website, but right or wrong, MOTOR Austin is built from scratch.

The design and code behind MOTOR Austin itself is a work of creativity and passion, along with frustration and sacrifice.

The MOTOR Austin design and applications might not look like much to some, but every square inch has been thought about, designed, coded, and redesigned. It is an ongoing process.

So what's the point? BuZz version 2 went live this morning around 6:00 AM. Yay!

Backup. BuZz 1 was pretty cool, at least I liked it. Easy to read short updates and links of interest. However, there was no way to provide feedback if a particular BuZz was interesting to someone. So we fixed that.

BuZz 2 allows any member with an account to post and/or comment on a post. Each post can also have a one or more tags, which allow you to see all BuZz posts of a similar nature such as "all BuZz about car shows" or "all BuZz that contain video". But that's not all, your BuZz posts will show up on your profile! And, you can also view BuZz posts by a specific member by clicking the link on the member's profile! I think that's cool.

We have a lot more up our sleeve, pages of hand scratched ideas on evolving MOTOR Austin's social features, and member created content. Stuff you can't get out of a box of software. Stay tuned, more will be revealed.

One more thing, the "create account" has been disabled due to frequent software updates. However, if you would like to have an account just email us and we will get you set up.

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 9-3-2010

Hehe, interesting marketing message. Humorous none the less.

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 8-22-2010

Today at a Formula 1 press conference on the University of Texas campus it was announced that Red McCombs is a major investor. Also officially revealed is the future track location in south east Austin.

For the press release and more visit the links below.

>> Formula 1 United States - official website dedicated to the local, state, national and global communities interested in the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix.

>> The Austin Grand Prix - An F1 site with some good localized information (not affiliated with F1).

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 7-27-2010

From the Buda GearHeads...This coming Saturday evening 7-10-2010 the Texas Timing Association is bring a couple of AA/FA's to fire up and do a little cacklefest for us. Come on out and smell the nitro!

Buda car night is every Saturday evening at the Cabela's parking lot. The gathering is typically from around 6:30 PM until the lights are out. Buda car night is operated by the GearHeads car club of Buda.

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 7-7-2010

My favorite Camaro is the early 1970s body style with the split bumper. In some ways it reminds me of the Shelby Cobra, how ironic. I know the original body style is the favorite of many and you see quite a few early Camaros around, but rarely do I get to see one of these beauties. So, guess what car is going to be on the cover of MOTOR Austin for July?

Thanks goes to Shelby for letting me take photos of his baby at Buda car night! See more pics in the MOTOR Austin Gallery!

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 6-28-2010

Updated 7-6-2010: Added photos to Gallery.

A few weeks ago we quietly added a new app called BuZz to MOTOR Austin. It seems to be working ok so it's time to call a bit more attention to it. Buzz is modeled after Twitter, which means it only allows for 140 characters of information in each message - just your basic short, sweet, to-the-point "what's up" information.

BuZz is available for anyone to read, however, to post, you must first create an account on MOTOR Austin (which is also in beta).

You can read a bit more about BuZz by clicking the What's this link on the BuZz page.

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 6-25-2010

I couldn't make it to Billetproof but I did make it to the pre-billetproof shindig at Austin Speed Shop. I always love taking photos of the cool rides they have over there.

I'll be posting a few more photos later...meanwhile...

If you made it to Billetproof and have photos, please, send us a link!

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 6-5-2010

It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived. - General George Patton

Have a Safe Memorial Day Weekend

Posted 5-28-2010

According to formula1.com, Austin will serve as the host city for the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix for years 2012 through 2021. The announcement also states that a brand new facility will be purpose-built to host the event, however the location has not been worked out as of yet.

Even though 2012 is not that far away, there are apparently a lot of details to work out. KXAN news quotes Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell as stating "It's still too early to disclose a possible location for the raceway in Austin. There are still deals in the works. It's still two years away. Anything could fall through."

In the late 60s and early 70s, Austin did have a permanent road racing course at Austin Raceway Park. There were also road races associated with Aquafest at that time. You can find a few pictures in the Austin Texas Hot Rod History page here.

Whether this deal succeeds, or fails, it shows that Austin is a prime location for motor sports venues and events. The publicity that this announcement generates will help spread the word!

For more information visit the links below.

>> formula1.com

>> www.kxan.com/austin-to-host-formula-1-grand-prix

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 5-25-2010

MOTOR Austin took a trip to watch the Die-Cast Drags at the Dog and Duck Pub a few weeks back. I thought I'd post a few photos to capture some of the interesting activities Austin hot rodders come up with.

There were three classes to choose from: Stock, Vintage, and HAMB. Stock was open to any 1/64 scale car that would fit on the track. Vintage was original 60's Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars. And finally, HAMB class was open to any pre-64 model hot rods and customs.

The event was friendly but competetive. It started out with registration of participating racers. After that, each racer tested out their cars on the track. Then the racing began.

If you wandered in to the pub you might not even know this event was even taking place, since it was in the far corner of the parking lot, under the orange glow of the street light.

Just another example of the cool stuff that goes on in Austin. And if you happen to stop by the Dog and Duck on some Monday night, say, May 31st, you might just stumble upon the next Die-Cast Drags.

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 5-24-2010

We finally got some of our rods at Riley's 2010 photos uploaded for your viewing pleasure!

>> Gallery: Rods at Riley's 2010

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 5-12-2010

Here's a few Camaro shots from Buda cruise night last weekend. Thanks goes to Christian, the owner of this fine Camaro SS, for helping out with the lighting.

For more pics you can visit the MOTOR Austin Gallery.

>> Gallery

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 4-28-2010

We finally got some of our Lonestar Roundup 2010 photos uploaded for your viewing pleasure!

Send us an email or post in the forum if you have pics that you want to share!

>> Gallery: Lonestar Roundup 2010

Oh, this just in "The dates for the 10th Annual Lonestar Round Up are April 15-17th, 2011! Be here to celebrate the first decade of the Round Up!"
- twitter.com/lonestarroundup

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 4-20-2010

What do you do when you have one (and only one) great burnout video clip from the Lonestar Roundup? Make a freaking movie out of it!

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 4-12-2010

Whew. The 9th Annual Lonestar Rod and Kustom Roundup is over and we have a ton of photos and a few videos to go through and edit. What a great event!

Until we get the photos posted, please take time to watch this great video of Junior Brown jamming while cruising with Mercury Charlie in Nadine. Priceless!

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 4-11-2010

Time is short. The world famous Lonestar Rod and Kustom Roundup is almost here! So, here's a little Lonestar Link Roundup for ya!

Enthusiasts and gawkers are welcome on south Congress Saturday night around the Continental Club. Get there early with some lawn chairs and stake your claim to some curbside real estate and watch the cruisin!

>> Lonestar Roundup - The Official site. Gates open at 10:00 AM Friday April 9 at the Travis County Expo Center.

>> Luther's - Friday, House Industries decends on Austin Speed Shop and Luther's!

>> Austin Speed Shop Party 2010 - Saturday night at Austin Speed Shop! Austin Speed Shop will be handing out passes at their booth during the Lone Star Roundup car show weekend.

>> Skishores Cruise - The Sunday morning cruise is on!

>> Hot Rods and Honeys - Finish the weekend at Mercury Charlie's! Junior Brown is playing around 2:30. All for free!

Did we miss anything?

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 4-7-2010

I couldn't resist this shot at Buda Cruise Night last weekend. Just something about a slammed ride. Especailly two, side by side.

NASCAR at car night? Certainly! Bill Demos has a pretty cool gig cruising the country and showing off a NASCAR Sprint Cup race car. This particular car is the Geico sponsored number 13 driven by "Mad" Max Papas. Bill was showing the car at Cabela's in Buda and heard there was a car night taking place Saturday night in the parking lot. Knowing a great opportunity when he sees it, Bill decided to put in a little overtime and let the car out for some socializing.

By the way, you still have an opportunity to check out the #13 car at Cabela's through April 8th. Hat tip to Bill for bringing the car out and hanging with the locals at Buda car night! You can check out the #13 fan page on Facebook for more details!

>> NASCAR Show Car #13

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 4-5-2010

2010 Cruise Night kickoff finally cranks over in Buda on the second Saturday of spring! As you may recall, the first Saturday, winter exerted its reluctance to leave by giving us 30 degree temps, rain, and bitter winds. Good bye winter!

If you have never been to Buda car night at Cabella's, it is the largest weekly cruise night in South Austin. There is a good mix of hot rods, muscle cars, sports cars and classics. It is also a good family event as the GearHeads car club, the sponsors, keep things in order.

Buda cruise night is my regular hangout and a great place for me to practice my photography skills. So check out some of the photos in the 2010 car night gallery. And if you see me, say hello. You just might get a MOTOR Austin t-shirt.

>> 2010 Buda Cruise Night Photos

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 3-30-2010

SXSW is the trigger event that brings Local Motors to Austin, Texas to show their first production vehicle, the Rally Fighter. You have an opportunity to see for yourself, so read on.

For me, it is hard to focus at times. I have a lot of ideas and interests that can lead me away from what I choose to focus on. So it is cool when a topic from another interest aligns with my primary focus (MOTOR Austin).

I became interested in Local Motors at about the same time I became disinterested (disappointed, disillusioned, disgusted) in the domestic auto manufacturers. I was in the process of writing an article for MOTORFOOT about the need for new auto design thinking. In the process I stumbled upon Local Motors. Local Motors is a new automobile company from the ground up. So, there is hope.

If you would like to see the Rally Fighter and meet the Local Motors team then simply click on this invitation and sign up. The meetup event is Sunday March 14, 12:00 - 3:00 pm.

For more information visit the links below.

>> Local Motors

>> Rally Fighter

>> Invitation for Rally Fighter Meetup

>> MOTORFOOT Article: The Open Car Platform

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 3-12-2010

February is almost done. March will be gone before you know it. So start preparing for April 9-11, 2010 because the 9th Annual Lonestar Rod and Kustom Roundup is gearing up! Check out the cool artwork by Jeff Norwell above! This is the official Roundup artwork and it will be available at the show. The print size is 18 x 24" on heavy stock. Now check out the links below to get up to speed! Can I use more exclamation points?!

Time for a Lonestar Roundup link fest...

>> drawnandquarrtered.blogspot.com

>> jeffnorwell.com

>> lonestarroundup.com

>> facebook.com/LonestarRoundUp

In addition, please check out these other resources on MOTOR Austin:

>> 2009 Roundup album

>> Event Art Archive album

And finally, check out the post below about our new event page, now with a mobile friendly version!

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 2-25-2010

MOTOR Austin just launched a new Car Shows page today. It might look similar to the old page but it is a bit smarter.

What's different?

1) Only current and future events are be displayed. The first event in the list is the current or next event!

2) Gone mobile! There is even a mobile version for your smart phone!

Coming soon...

1) Add your own event!

2) Event RSS Feed (for those in to RSS feed readers).

Please send comments, suggestions, feedback, ideas, or issues to motoraustin(at)gmail.com. If you have a Blackberry, Palm, or other Internet capable device please let us know how the mobile page looks.

All the Best!
motoraustin(at)gmail.com

Posted 2-22-2010

Did anyone go to the 50th Dallas Autorama? With this cold gloomy weather we have had, I'm about ready for a car show!

Got pics? Send us a link! motoraustin(at)gmail.com

...meanwhile, here's a few pics.

kingvoodoo.blogspot.com

Posted 2-20-2010

Sights and sounds of the Cars and Coffee kick-off event in Leander, Texas on Jan 31, 2010.

The mercury never made it to the upper 40s as predicted. As a matter of fact, the clouds refused to break and the temperature hovered at 32 degrees during most of the event. Even so, there were more cars and people than expected. The 'show car' parking areas were pretty much full when the MOTOR Austin crew got there at around noon. It is not a great location for a large car show due to parking constraints, but it will probably be a nice little gathering that folks can count on once a month.

The Cars and Coffee event was organized by John Eagle European of Austin, in cooperation with the city of Leander. Acccording to the Leander Ledger, the show will have a monthly format, currently planned for the last Sunday of the month, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Posted 2-5-2010

As I was doing research on an Austin Raceway Park 1968 NHRA Event, I stumbled across a strange fact that has to do with the University of Texas shooting back in 1966. Check out the new article on the Austin Texas hot rod history page.

Posted 1-26-2010

Austin Speed Shop from Rachael Schroeder on Vimeo.

This is an Austin Speed Shop documentary created by a group of University of Texas students for an Introduction to Documentary class. I say they all get A+ for this wonderful work! The group members involved in the documentary are Rachael Schroeder, Austin Culp, Tyler Williams, and Adam Yourist.

Each of the team members participated in filming and editing the entire production. Rachael was the sole photographer for the group. "One of our favorite parts were the interviews" said Rachael, "because the Speed Shop crew really showed their passion for their work through their answers. They were very excited to have us there and loved taking us around the shop to show us all the cool things they do with their cars."

No doubt that Piero De Luca, the shop manager of the Speed Shop at the time, got a kick out of participating in the student documentary. Piero is the owner of the Mad Fabricators Society Productions and has produced many independent hot rod videos such as the multiple volumes of "Mad Fabricators" and "The Kustom Photography of George Barris".

You can find out more information on Rachael and her other projects on her website here.

Posted 1-18-2010

While we are on the subject of nostalgia, we ran across this t-shirt on ebay. It is a great artifact for the Austin Speed Shop chronicles, harkening to the time when Mercury Charlie worked out of the shop. For reference, the current logo is the inset image at bottom right. Of course, things happen and Charlie now has his shop in north Austin. Anyway, the t-shirt now belongs to MOTOR Austin!

Posted 1-17-2010

It was 1968. The relatively new Austin Raceway Park had its largest attendance ever. Over 10,000 fans showed up under the threat of rain.

The photo above is from the October 1968 issue of Hot Rod magazine. The remainder of the photos and story lines will be added as an article soon. This is so cool.

As the MOTOR Austin mission states, not only are we about what is going on in the Austin area today, but also about uncovering Austin's hot rodding past. I think this is a worthwhile endeavor, but MOTOR Austin needs your help. We need your pictures, stories and leads on anything hot rod and Austin, Texas. Engage!

New for 2010 is an additional link in the navigation menu titled History. It is just a beginning, but already wonderfully interesting! We also updated the MOTOR Austin header image to reflect today and the past. Who is the driver of the Chevy in the black and white image?

Posted 1-6-2010

Any other hot rod oriented businesses or websites want a banner? If you fit with the Mission of MOTOR Austin, then link to us and it's yours! But hurry, space is limited!

If you know of a car club, business, car night, etc, that is not listed here, then send me the info and I'll get it posted. We also, want to celebrate Austin's past! If you have been around Austin for a while and have any pictures from your hot rodding youth days, then please email a few to me with a description and I will post them in a special Austin Hot Rodding Past section. Please join this effort and share your love of Austin and autos with us all!