“Thinking back on it, my hobby was likely a detriment to my social life but I didn’t realize it then. Nor did I care. I was focused on my car and was obsessed with it 24/7.”

My name is Matthew Durdin, Service Manager with Lextechs of Atlanta. I’ve been with LexTechs for almost 7 years and was their second employee. My background is rooted in the automotive industry as a service technician. Back in the 90’s we used the term “mechanic”.  10 years with the Lexus dealership, 6 years working on light and medium duty diesel trucks (mechanical, paint and body, welding/fabricating), 5 years working on all make/model passenger vehicles.

Previous to this professional experience, I was in to any mechanical vehicle with wheels. As a middle school aged child I had a go-cart that changed my life. At the time, it was all I ever wanted. I worked like tirelessly one summer to save up enough money to pay for half of the go-cart. My dad covered the other half. It was expensive, but well equipped. Features such as a solid rear axle, largest available engine, and fully adjustable steering linkage came on the cart. It was a big deal. Fortunately, we lived on a large piece of property. I drove that thing at the absolute edge of it’s performance envelope every time I got behind the wheel. The first thing I did to it was remove the governor from the engine. Over the years I managed to break the frame multiple times, crash it, and actually catch it on fire. The go-cart and I survived it all. I am fond of those memories and will always cherish them.

As a very young child I could be found taking things apart when my father left his tools out. Once my mother told me that she caught me removing all of the door knobs in the house. Another time she said I would occasionally put socket wrenches in my mouth, apparently because I was curious about the taste. It didn’t take long before they realized there was a budding gearhead in the house. When I was 17, I parted out an old Chevrolet truck that my dad gave me. I used the engine to build my first hot rod, which was a 1978 Datsun 280Z. It was loud and ugly, but it went fast in a straight line. My mother unaffectionately called it “Mad Max”.  I spent countless holidays and weekends working on that car. Thinking back on it, my hobby was likely a detriment to my social life but I didn’t realize it then. Nor did I care. I was focused on my car and was obsessed with it 24/7.

Hobbies/interests- Outdoor activities: Hunting, hiking, saw milling, bird watching. Indoor activities: Leather work, edged tool restoration. Current favorite activity: long intensive walks with the dog around the city.

I have been Married since 2000, have one child (age 17), dog and cat

Fun facts: Never had a cavity, Atlanta native

By Matthew Durdin