TheDNO tweets…

New owners of “LexTechs” readying old Relics & Rarities space. To open in about a month. #decaturga http://twitpic.com/2gj1kn

The LexTechs website states that they are “your quality alternative to dealership pricing for service, maintenance, repair, and parts of Lexus and Toyota vehicles here in Atlanta, Georgia. Our shop is headed by an ASE certified Lexus factory trained Senior Technician with over 8 years of Lexus dealership experience.”

Someone mentioned this in a comment a couple weeks back, but Dennis at Next Stop…Decatur has the scoop (pun intended).

The Decatur location was very good to him but he wanted more customers to see his unique collection. [Owner Warren Pickard] hates to leave Decatur, but business is business and with an offer he could not resist, he will be moving to Underground Atlanta soon.

Warren said: “After the CNN story, Relics and Rarities got a lot of interest from all over the country. In fact 97% of Relics and Rarities customers over the last year did not reside in Decatur.

Best of luck Warren!

Here’s the video!  [h/t: Next Stop…Decatur]

Looking for some early morning TV exposure?  Warren at Relics & Rarities writes in…

Wanted to let you know FOX 5 will be shooting live from Relics on September 11 starting at 630 am. I’m inviting all Decatur to stop by. It should be fun.

Stepping across the threshold into Decatur’s newest sweet-spot, Relics & Rarities – which opens today at noon – is like entering a nostalgia playground.

Owner and proprietor, Warren Pickard, has single-handedly transformed this once fully operational auto repair shop on North McDonough Road into a land of cars and ice cream.  And when I say “single-handedly” please don’t think I’m being overly general.  Pickard, an Atlanta Police Officer with a life-long eclectic affinity for cars, took on the unenviable task of turning a once-functioning auto garage into an ice cream parlor and car museum.  That means taking on challenges much less enjoyable than slapping Sponge-Bob decals on a sportscar or deciding which of his 35 classic autos to display in his showroom.  We’re talking unenviable chores like sealing the concrete floors, building a retro ice cream parlor, and installing the handicap restroom (which pushed back his opening date).  BTW, Pickard got a “100” on his health inspection.

The shop is broken up into three areas.  You enter through the ice cream parlor that’s Coca-Cola stools and black-and-white checkerboard floor hearken back to the parlors of the 1950s (or to younger generations, a Johnny Rockets).  The modestly priced 8-flavors of ice cream come in small and regular sizes.  There’s also a $5 banana split, which was not available upon our visit last night, but which Pickard noted would include fresh bananas and strawberries…and who knows what else.

To the right of the ice cream parlor, kids and adults alike can enter a giant playroom of cars and other larger than life attractions.  In here, all the cars and toys are fully interactive.  Kids can play in a Spiderman truck or with an old pinball machine until their parents pull them away, kicking and screaming.

But it’s to the left side of the shop where Pickard keeps his most prized possessions.  A 1965 Mercury Monterey Convertible, 1952 Dodge Powerwagon from the Korean War, a 1974 Bricklin that served as the precursor to the Dolorian, an early 1970s red Mustang convertible, and even a replica of a 1901Oldsmobile Curve Dash Runabout sit comfortably amongst other knick-knacks that Pickard has collected over the years.

And in case you’re wondering, all of these cars are still operational.  That includes the 1901 Oldsmobile that looked more like a horse cart than a car.  (When I showed astonishment that the Olds actually ran, Pickard fired it up and took my wife and I on a loop around N. McDonough, much to the distraction of a passing MARTA bus driver.)

I must apologize for the lengthy introduction, but Relics & Rarities really defies description.  There are no comparables I know of in the entire Atlanta area.  It’s the culmination of one man’s passion for cars (his advice for novice car collectors is “Always have your checkbook with you.”) and his insistence that ice cream “should be an event.”

Pickard has certainly accomplished that.

We finally have a month nailed down for the Relics & Rarities opening!

Warren writes in…

In early September 2009, Relics and Rarities Ice Cream Parlor and Car Gallery will open its doors. We are prepared to take the youth of Decatur, and the entire metropolitan area on a wonderful journey. The Gallery is full of American automobile history and the culture in which it is surrounded. Just about every item in the gallery has a Relics and Rarities information plaque associated with it. These plaques provide interesting and educational comments. Our motto is “learn something cool and have a cool scoop of ice cream while you’re at it.”

The pic on the right can be found on the site and gives hours and prices.

Yesterday, Parker Cross wrote in wondering when Decatur’s car garage/ice cream parlor, Relics & Rarities would be opening.  For most of the summer we’ve frequently heard it would be “Opening Soon”, but we’ve not yet been able to walk down McDonough, check out progress on the new DHS auditorium and gym, and then pick up an ice cream cone.

But luckily, Warren at Relics promises DM that the end (of the wait) is nigh…

The doors of Relics and Rarities will swing open soon. It’s been an exhausting adventure.  We chose this older structure to compliment the uniqueness of our concept.  However, in doing so we have encountered obstacle after obstacle….the building is over 80 years  old.  Although we have two existing restrooms, they are not handicap accessible ( no grandfather) .  So one has to be constructed.  I’ve been advised this could take a week.  The residents of Decatur have been great, I have talked with so many.  Thanks for keeping them all informed.

So reports Dennis over at Next Stop.

The owner, Warren Pickard, also let Dennis take a couple interior pics.  After seeing them, I must say that I’m now officially intrigued by this place.

Can’t wait to try it out!