Automotive in Lockhart

Brothers Jason and Mike Baxter grew up with an intense love for muscle cars, leading them to accumulate a few over the years. But enjoying these cars wasn't enough. They wanted to share the romance of motoring down open highways inside V8-powered rolling Detroit iron with others. And most importantly, they wanted to make that experience affordable. From out of these simple guidelines, they started American Muscle Car Rentals.

Sporting a fleet of muscle cars that combine modern amenities with bygone-era flair, Jason and Mike outfit drivers with rides such as Dodge Challengers, Shelby Cobras, and Chevy Camaros. The cars contain up to 580 horsepower and enough clout to upgrade Pluto’s status back to planet. A convenient person-and-vehicle dropoff removes legwork and unites man and machine at predetermined locations.

From 1927 until 2009, the Piper Aircraft company produced 144,000 airplanes. Of those, 90,000 are still flying. One is a 1978 single-engine Saratoga that can often be seen soaring over the hills and lakes of the Texas landscape.

Inside that Saratoga, the Air Tours Texas pilots lead up to five passengers on scenic tours and adventures, sharing scenic aerial views of Lake Travis, Canyon Lake, Austin, San Antonio, and Enchanted Rock with their awestruck human cargo. The group of pilots also offers sunset flights, stunningly romantic marriage-proposal flights, and copilot experiences that introduce aspiring pilots to flight basics.

Heartland Jiffy Lubes enjoy the benefits of being under the Heartland Automotive Services umbrella, putting them in good company along with more than 435 Jiffy Lubes nationwide that service more than five million customers each year. They specialize in the Jiffy Lube Signature Service Oil Change, which comes standard with a fresh-from-the-box oil filter and up to 5 quarts of quality motor oil, plus a comprehensive lineup of other vehicle maintenance checkups. Highly trained technicians also perform cosmetic and mechanical services including inspections, emissions testing, transmission service, and counseling for 1960s Corvettes that are going through a mid-life crisis.

University of Texas alumnus, husband, and father of two, Steve Takamatsu took up the reins at long-standing Lawson Tire & Automotive to better accommodate his growing family and to provide local drivers with the services of ASE-certified technicians. Steve and his crew keep cars running with the help of AC Delco parts and Mobil motor oils, brandishing AAA approval, a Blue Seal of Excellence from the Automotive Standards of Excellence, and three gold star stickers on the staff refrigerator. The team offers an expansive list of services that tends to almost all makes and models, and a specialized Fast Brake mobile brake-repair service that fixes or replaces faulty brakes at customers’ locations. Inside the shop, a comfortable waiting area helps drivers pass the time with amenities including DSL Internet access, TV, vending machines, and complimentary coffee.

Channeling Austin's spirit of community, honesty, and music through the doors of its service garage, the two mechanics who founded Groovy Automotive stand by their services with a one-year or 12,000-mile guarantee that is honored at a nationwide network of certified shops. At all four locations, Automotive Service Excellence–certified technicians leap into action to remedy ill vehicles with repairs or foster peak road prowess with upkeep and maintenance. The care they show cars also extends to the community. They donate to organizations such as the Helping Hand Home for Children, and recycle oil, tires, and coolant to relieve the environment of toxins and prevent disgruntled car-part protests outside junkyards. As an additional gesture of goodwill, Groovy Automotive's courtesy-car service lets clients keep on trucking while their own rides are down for the count.

ith more than 175 locations nationwide and more than 35 years in the business, Car-X Auto Service has earned a prime spot in the parking garage of quality car care and customer service. Started in 1971 by a team of seasoned muffler-shop owners, the service centers have blossomed from their beginnings as specialty exhaust shops to providers of nearly any repair or maintenance service imaginable, from installing performance-enhancing accessories to treating cars to therapeutic trust falls. In addition to promoting safety and long, healthy engine life with brake services and speedy oil changes, Car-X Auto Service reaches out to the surrounding community with regular philanthropic activities, such as recycling drives and participation in the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk.