HOA Complaint Turns Austin Car Wash Into Dino Landmark

When your homeowners association complains about your yard decorations, most people take them down. John Borek bought a car wash and turned them into a business.

The self-described "weird South Austin guy" had decorated his yard with dinosaurs for Halloween 2014. When neighbors and the HOA pressured him to remove them months later, he saw an opportunity instead of a problem.

Borek had just bought an ordinary car wash on South Congress Avenue. He moved the dinosaurs there and transformed the business into something Austin had never seen before.

Today, Jurassic Car Wash welcomes customers with a pterodactyl at the entrance. A T-rex spits water on windshields before cars enter the tunnel. A dilophosaurus poses for constant photo ops around the lot.

The car wash operates 24 hours with four self-service bays and an automatic tunnel. For a few quarters, animatronic dinosaurs behind the building perform short shows. There's even a pet wash for ten dollars that includes oatmeal shampoo.

"I didn't want to just have a typical car wash," Borek told Community Impact newspaper. "I thought people would like a few dinosaurs here."

He kept adding to the attraction over the years, using mechanical skills from his former auto body shop. Kids who visit know every species by name, even though Borek admits he's not a dinosaur expert himself.

After eight years of operation, Borek sold the business to Vincent Korth and Gavin Greenblum, both in their thirties. Now 60, Borek was ready to slow down, and the buyers made a generous offer.

The Ripple Effect

The new owners have zero plans to change the dinosaur theme. They see themselves as caretakers of an Austin treasure.

"It's kind of a generational thing," Korth said. "We're younger guys in our 30s. John is kind of like passing the torch to us. We're keeping little jewels in Austin that have always been there."

What started as an HOA complaint became a community landmark that brings joy to families and has now secured its future with owners who understand its value.