As you may or may not have read earlier in the week and on other forums that due to the overwhelming response to our facebook event we posted for this meet we would end up getting kicked out of the parking lot and the cops would run us off before we ever sat down to eat. Well, all I can say is after a few last minute phone calls to local authorities, store owners, and Mighty Fine Burger the entire thing went off without a hitch.  Even with a few louder cars and some super-fun light up Scions we had no issues what so ever.

The meet was the largest we have had hosted by our forum members and along with the help of the CupCakeMeet crew we had great fun meeting new car folks in our area. Our core group, Avendi, Nograde, Jetgirl, UnclePow, Adrenalinerush, etc. were all there as well as a great deal of our new friends from the CCM. It was great to meet everyone!

The weather was great and thank God it didn’t rain on us or that would have been a disaster. We all sat outside on the patio tables while we ate our burgers and talked cars. After dinner we all headed out to the parking lot to check out everyones cars. When we had arrived the lot was pretty packed with shoppers and such so parking all together was a small issue that was resolved by the time we were done eating and most simply moved their cars all into one nice group.

We had a good mix of cars show up including a handful of Subarus, Hondas and Nissans. There was a couple of Tiburons that made an appearance as well. One awesome BMW, a blacked out Audi, and most of the Nissans were 350z’s. A couple of modified Scions with custom sound systems and lighting were also present.  There was one very well done turbo 700+ turbo setup that was down right incredible. However, I think the one car that everyone was gathered around for most of the night was the GTR. I know this because out of half the pics I got off Nograde’s camera were of it, and it was awesome.

Thanks again to everyone who came out and ate with us, even more to those who stayed around to check out the cars! We really appreciate everyone who supported us and made the night a success even if it was a tiny one to them it was a big deal to us.

Sure, Round Rock is a bit of a drive but this spot has TONS of parking space and there is more than enough seating to go around at this location. Starting this meetup a tad earlier than last months, bring your buds, your friends, people you can’t stand, etc.  Not to mention RR is a hop skip and a jump from a certain limey creek type road that you could totally take on your way back home. Just sayin’.

Where?
Mighty Fine Burger, Round Rock, Tx

When?
Saturday, February 20, 6pm – 8pm

How do I get there?

Click this for Google Map

Our newyear’s resolution for 2010 is to have more meets! Unlike the like…four we had last year, 2010 brings us small meetups once a month in various places around the Austin area. We will be trying to find affordable places with large parking lots to accommodate folks, as well as places that don’t require reservations or a set-in-stone commitment from anyone to go or not. You don’t even have to eat just show up and say hi or something, the point is to bring the members together to talk and hang out.

Our first meetup is going to be at Pho Van off 183. Check the forum for more updates as they happen!

Hey everyone, just added a new photo gallery to the site. This will hold photos of events and such that members attend. Since we don’t have the man power to host our own stuff (very well) these will be pics of meets and such around Texas or wherever your from. We are all about getting all the little groups around Austin together so the more the merrier!

Also, the video JetGirl took while there:

If you have any photos of your car, meets, events, or anything you would like to share feel free to shoot it to us in an email or link or whatever austintuners@gmail.com. These photos will be public so feel free to shop out faces of your mom or shop out your plates before sending to me. If you have your own watermark please add before sending, any pics without watermarks will be given the default AT logo.

It’s that time again! Get out your best cosplay garb or larp gear, a case of beer and find a parking spot because its our second ever Halloween party!

Last year was a blast and everyone had way too much fun! Come hang out and have a turkey leg and some candy.

Real Name: Devaasheesh  How many cars do you own? 2  Current Location: Austin,TX     Age: 24    Favorite Beer: Shiner Bock

Whats your favorite car and why? Silvia (240sx), I fell in love when I saw the s14 in Trinidad and after the s15 came out, I decided I had to have an S chassis.

What is your current project car? The 240sx (but lately I find myself doing wayyy more work on the 300zx)

What got you interested in cars? I have an older cousin who was into racing and had a first gen rx7 and after I got a ride in his car…as soon as boost kicked in, I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face..that was all it took.

What is a car pet peve you have? When it’s dirty, internally and externally…I like clean cars.

How fast have you driven in a car? 190km/h *in Trinidad in my cousin’s evo 7.

Where do you get your car parts? South Point Nissan or Autozone…or online.

What is the hardest upgrade/repair/mod you have ever done to your car? well, I’d have to say slotted rotors…but thats the only mod done to my car lol.

What do you think about hybrid or electric cars? I think people who drive hybrids are idiots…if they’re so concerned about pollution, why don’t they get a friggin horse or stop breathing or something?

How long have you lived in Austin? 2 years.

What do you like most about the city? Its Diversity…*and HOTTT chicks

What is the dumbest thing you have ever done in/on/to a car? Tried to go around a corner doing 140km/h on a wet road…

Real Name: Ashley.  Cars Owned: 4.5. Current Location: Austin,TX Age: 21 Favorite Beer: Smirnoff Ice Occupation: Student/Media Producer

Hobbies: Flying r/c airplanes and helicopters, r/c trucks, powerkiting, kiteboarding, sailing, photography, video editing, target shooting, drifting, working on cars, starting businesses, graphic design, etc.

What is your favorite car and why?:

Nissan 240sx – cheap, easy to mod, drives amazing, fits me well.

What is your current project car:

1991 Nissan 240sx w/ RB25det swap, full coilovers and adjustable suspension links, lots of bolt on engine mods, 5 lug swap, carbon fiber body parts, the list goes on and on.

What got you interested in cars?

My father was an ex-street drag racer from the country turned police officer. I spent a lot of time with him when I was young while he welded and built things and talked to me about cars. Then I met my boyfriend and he was a car guy and it just went from there.

What do you think about ricer kids and street racers?:

Hate the ricer scene and street racing. Keep the racing off the street away from innocent people who you could be taking their lives into your own incapable hands. Yes, good that people are interested in cars, but its all about the attitude and the ricer/street racing attitude is lame all the way around. If you must street race do it out in the country to limit involving other people.

Have you ever gotten a ticket after being pulled over/why?:

Yes, in 2008 I got two tickets. One towing a trailer going to Mineral Wells, TX for a drift event. It was 5am going through small town Leander, TX and nobody but me and my boyfriend in a Miata were on the road. The speed limit was 35 and I was going 35mph, light turned yellow – I could stopped the truck/trailer rig or go through. I chose to go through and it turned out the trailer hadn’t made it over the line before it was red – “failure to heed red light”. The other was in my boyfriend’s Miata in morning traffic on I-35. Drove by a cop and he flashed his lights. Pulled over and he said the inspection was out. Got a ticket for that.

What is your favorite brand of motor oil?:

Mobil 1 Synthetic, Motul.

What is the hardest upgrade/repair/mod you have ever done?:

RB25 engine swap into my Nissan 240sx

Would you rather have an awesome ragged out drift car or a clean show stopper?:

Ragged out drift car all the way. Function over form, I’d have way more fun in a drift car than I would in a car that sits around looking pretty.

How many drift events/car shows have you been in or attended?:

Drift events, hmmm, 20 or more? Hard to count, but been in the scene since early 2007. Car shows, probably around 10.

Where do you like to drive in Austin?:

Out west on 620, 360 and 2222. Extremely pretty and fun to drive the hills.

Describe your ultimate road trip:

A road trip to the salt flats, around the USA hitting up all the D1 drift events, or just to somewhere cool. I love to drive long distances, something about the hum of the road, the radio playing your favorite tunes, and driving a vehicle you love just gets me going. Its a bonus to have nice scenery and fun roads to drive.

Real Name: Coye.  Cars Owned: 3. Current Location: Mineola,TX Age: 22 Favorite Beer: Blue Moon Sometimes or Ziegen Occupation: Mechanic

What is your favorite car and why:

This is a really tough one, I always have to go back to the 1970 1/2 Camaro RS/SS Split bumper. The first time I ever saw one of these in person I was like no way people like the 69 better than this. I drool anytime I see one.

What was the first car you ever had:

1983 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, H.O. 305, 700R4 tranny until I did a service on it and it shelled. So I put in a turbo 350. Picked it up for 1250, a lot of time and work, single stage paint job, very clean. Would still take it back today if offered.

What got you interested in cars?

I guess I just grew up around it mostly, my dad has been into cars since he was very little and it just came into my life. His first car was a 1970 Chevelle 400HP small block, and has had very many since then including his current 1969 Corvette Stingray. Helped him pull a motor for the first time when I was about 11, and rebuilt my first motor when I was 14. We started to restore a 1950 GMC truck while I was in High School, which is where the Z motor came from. Cars are almost all I think about.

What would be your dream build/car?

This is another hard one, so many crazy builds go through my head. Datsun 510 with an RB, with A/C, power windows, all the nice options. Late 70’s short wide chevy with LS2, tubbed with a 4 link, sittin on its balls. 93ish Supra twin turbo, you know the list.

What is a car pet peeve you have?

Cold air intakes that make you lose power over the factory setup that gets even colder air. Guys that rig their civic to slam it on the ground, and then never get it aligned. Your steering wheel vibrates from a tire problem.. NOT alignment! I could do this for a while..

How long have you been driving?

Got to start driving my dads One Ton Chevy around the job sites when I was about 12. Plenty of Tractor Skills. Otherwise Student driving when I was 15.

How fast have you driven in a car? (legal or otherwise)

Went 150 in my 92 Z28 on Hoard Bottom in high school.

Whats your favorite brand of motor oil?

Castrol Synthetic for anything 85ish and up. Valvoline 20w50 VR1 Racing Oil for engines that require Zinc.

When do you change your oil?

Every 3K like my life depends on it. Its like I literally have this voice in the back of my head saying, “Your engine is going to blow up if you go 50 miles past.”

What is the hardest upgrade/repair/modification you have ever done to your car?

Hands down when I had to R&R a V-10 from a MRS. Bairds box truck. Everything on the front of that thing had to come off, bumper, grill, condensor, radiator, core support, and then you could barely squeeze an engine hoist in there, once you got it in there you could only lift it up about an inch to get it off the motor mounts. Fun stuff.

What do you think about hybrid or electric cars?

Meh, Just don’t touch the Orange cable. We watched this video when I was in college of a guy that wasn’t wearing the special gloves and his right foot was in water as he leaned across the bumper to unhook the high voltage battery. It blew his hand to pieces, very disgusting, but it stuck with me.

What is the craziest thing that has happened to you in a car?

When I was going to school in Waco I was getting onto I-35 in the SVT Focus that I had at the time, and there was an 18-wheeler re-tread laying in the middle of the road, so I swerved really hard to miss it and broke into about a 55 MPH Drift across 3 Lanes. I almost did a complete 180 across the lanes in piled up traffic somehow not hitting anyone and smashing a guardrail to total out the car.

Have you taken your car to the track? If so whats its best time?

I was supposed to go a little while ago, but it got rained out. I should be running mid 13’s or so based on my calculations.

You can check out more about Kingnothing616 and his Project Z car on our forums.

Hey everyone, just wanted to let you all know that you need to update your bookmarks, links, etc to point to the updated forum! http://austintuners.com/phpbb3/index.php or even easier just change the 2 to a 3 in the link!

It is up and running, all users and posts as of 9pm were spared. Please feel free to test out everything and make sure your posts, etc. are all there. I have backups ready to go.

We just want to welcome everyone to our new homepage and give you a gist of what all is going on here. The forums are still up and running  as they are the main part of the site so don’t worry we aren’t moving them again. This newsletter/update blog is your one-stop shop for everything relating to the group itself. Links to the forum are located all over this place, in the menus, the header image up above, etc.

As of this second the main index redirects to the forums so clicking on any links here will do just that or give you a 404 error. Once the redirect is turned off (when this place is 100% ready to go) you will be able to navigate everything, comment, etc.

We will begin with two authors on the site, Nograde and Avendi, who will post regular updates involving the site, the group, meet ups, events, etc. As the site and members grow I’m sure more authors will be added and the quality of the posts will vastly improve and become much more relevant to the community.

Summer is soon approaching and beginning in June you should see much more activity on this site as well as the forums as members begin their summer work on their cars. We will be sure to post videos, photos, and interviews for any event we attend or (eventually) throw.

Any questions or comments for now can be sent to austintuners@gmail.com.