Austin Boswell Talks Mountain Runs, The Atlanta Car Scene And Life In North Georgia Mountains
ShiftAtlanta had a chance to sit and talk with Austin Boswell, founder of Mountain Mixup Car Community about growing up in the North Georgia Mountains, a love affair with mountain roads, how he got started in the Atlanta Car Scene and much more?
How Did You Get Into Cars?
My disabled stepfather Michael cooper had a 32×32 garage in the backyard and he taught me how to build lawnmowers, and also do bodywork-daily maintenance. When I became a little older I was a server/bartender in the small German town of Helen. I would always see car groups coming in to eat before they ran the mountain. I also love racing games such as Gran Turismo and Asseto Corsa.
If I had unlimited resources to do anything car related, I would sponsor as many builds as possible, there was no feeling like trying to build a car as a 16 year old to fit in, but as a kid coming up without a job it was very hard to do so. I would also have a detailing business, and do events full time.
What Do You Drive?
What do I drive? A 2015 bmw (F30). It has a n20 4 cylinder turbo motor paired with an 8 speed automatic transmission. I have springs on the car, a pneumatic wastegate, blow off valve, and mild exhaust system. It is a very fun daily driver and handles well on our runs.
What Is Your Favorite Georgia Mountain Drive?
My current favorite runs would have to be Russell scenic, Blood Mountain, and Helen Mountain. Russell scenic is a long windy road that goes up the mountain and back down the other side. It is great if you’re wanting to see some views with your group! There are lots of pull offs and it is great for photography.
Blood mountain is a little shorter of a run, but has nice elevation changes and twisties, it is good for a smaller group.
Helen mountain goes from Hiawassee to Helen and is very good for ending a run in Helen and having dinner. We hope to see you on the mountain!
Talk To Us About Mountain Mixup Car Community (MMCC)?
MMCC is a car community that welcomes EVERYONE with open arms. We focus on positivity equality and safety when we are on runs. We expect all of our drivers to drive to the safety of others. We just hit 300 members, and everyone is like family.
Mountain Mixup started because I had the idea to get a couple of buddies together for a ride. Then I posted in local groups on Facebook and got 30 people together as complete strangers. We had a lunch in Helen and everyone got along great. Then we took off to blood mountain and had an amazing time. And the best part is, there was no reckless driving.
So it hit me. This is the kind of mountain driving group I wanted to be a part of. So I turned it into a group on Facebook. Then I started promoting our drives into local groups and networking the name and it kinda took off from there.
Deanne Johnson helps by finding companies and locations we can host at, giving ideas, and sometimes her or her son Nathaniel will lead the pack. She’s a great Vice President to the community.
What should people expect at a MMCC Event?
We do a little bit of everything, but this is some of what we do. We do car meets, so you can expect a group of nice cars and even nicer people. Our events are kid friendly as well so you can expect children having the time of their lives. Sometimes after car meets, we do mountain runs. On mountain runs, you can expect great roads, great drivers, views, cool cars, and to be in the sky
If You Could Change Anything About The Atlanta Car Scene, What Would It Be?
If I could change one thing about the car scene, what would it be? If I could change one thing, it would be equality. For the most part everyone is good at this, but some people think they are better than others. Some people aren’t as fortunate and they deserve the same love/respect as the guy in the Lambo.
