• From: Dallas, TX
  • Registered: 2010-06-11
  • Posts: 90

Topic: Good place to break a car in around DFW

So we have a car that we hope will more or less run by the end of this up coming weekend.  It's not registered, doesn't have plates, would almost certainly fail a few points of an inspection, but we'd really like to go drive it for more than just a lap around the neighborhood to see what breaks.

The car is in the Dallas area and we have a trailer so we can take it anywhere in DFW at pretty much any time of day.  Does anyone have a good idea for where you can drive a ridiculously decorated race car around without drawing too much attention from Smokey?

I assume getting out of the city onto a country road is our best bet, but do any of the other DFW Lemoneers have a recommendation?  Also, does anyone know what would happen if we did get pulled over driving an unregistered, uninspected car on public roads?  Are we stupid to even think about doing this?  Will they impound our car if we get caught?

2 Reply by DaveH (edited by DaveH 2010-10-19 03:19 PM)

  • DaveH
  • DaveH
  • Ripened Lemon
  • Offline
  • From: Delaware
  • Registered: 2009-05-11
  • Posts: 264

Re: Good place to break a car in around DFW

http://www.autocross.com/texasregion/

Autocross - cheap and strenuous enough to unmask impending failures.  The only thing you won't test well are heat-related failures.

Dave Heinig - Schumacher Taxi Service
coROLLa - 2 time loser, RWB MR2 - 5 time loser
The Craptation - IOE WINNER! Lemons South Spring 2010
Crown Vic - Please God Don't Ever Make Me Go Through That Again

DaveH's Website

  • From: Dallas, TX
  • Registered: 2010-06-11
  • Posts: 90

Re: Good place to break a car in around DFW

That's a fantastic idea DaveH.  We will definitely check that out.

  • Troy
  • Troy
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
  • Offline
  • From: Houston, TX
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 1,634

Re: Good place to break a car in around DFW

Eagles Canyon Raceway (ECR)

Motorsports Ranch Cresson

Troy

#35 LRE
1973 Datsun 240Z
  • From: Houston (Spring) Texas
  • Registered: 2010-02-22
  • Posts: 1,624

Re: Good place to break a car in around DFW

DaveH wrote:

http://www.autocross.com/texasregion/

Autocross - cheap and strenuous enough to unmask impending failures.  The only thing you won't test well are heat-related failures.

To test heat related stuff, just throw a brick on the throttle and go to the pub.

Yee-Haw 2010 "Most Heroic Fix" & "I Got Screwed" -2 trophies for 1 lap, but I took checkered on my lap.
Gator-O-Rama 2012 "Organizers Choice" -2 laps 1 trophy, but i still finished ahead of an E30
Yee-Haw 2013 No trophy -26 laps, I think I see a pattern here
Gator-O-Rama 2014 "Waiting for the Last Minute Call from the Governor Award" -who's counting? John

Hoonatic Racing's Website

  • From: DF-Dubya
  • Registered: 2009-08-19
  • Posts: 820

Re: Good place to break a car in around DFW

We used the autocross track out at Mineral Wells on a weekday and didn't run into any problems. Directions can be found here: http://www.lscbmwcca.org/autocross-schedule.html

http://www.lscbmwcca.org/photos/MineralRingMap.gif

ECR and MSR are nice if you don't mind paying for the track time.

Summer's Eve Racing - '09 Yee-Haw; '10 Gator-O-Rama, NorDal Hooptie, Yee-Haw; '11 Gator-O-Rama, NorDal Hooptie (Winner, Class A!)
TARP Racing - '11 Yee-Haw, Heaps; '12 Gator-O-Rama (Winner, Class C ... Looking for a Class B Win to Complete the Trifecta!), Heaps; '13 NorDal Hooptie, Gator-O-Rama
  • sergio
  • Lemons Staff Stalker
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 1,185

Re: Good place to break a car in around DFW

Warning! It's probably a felony for tampering with state documents, but only if you get caught. smile

To drive on public roads do this. Take a picture of  good inspection and registration stickers. Print them. Tape to inside of windshield. Now go drive to some empty subdivision that stopped construction because of the economy. Do laps around the place til something breaks.

I have driven the race car to every race, 6 of them and have never been pulled over. It is street legal. The one time I was pulled over, driving around in town, was for speeding, got a ticket. Like you can talk your way out of a ticket with a car that looks LeMon race ready.

  • Stevo
  • Ripened Lemon
  • Offline
  • From: Indianapolis
  • Registered: 2009-05-26
  • Posts: 102

Re: Good place to break a car in around DFW

I drove our ridiculously chopped up MR2 across town from my garage to Pete's.  Cars are easy to register in Indiana as there is no inspection, but there are a set of statutes that govern their makeup, including not tapering with the factory bumper, having a windshield, e-brake, etc.  So rather than take the buffeting on the interstate in our topless car, I chose a route that took me DIRECTLY by the Indiana State Fair. 

By the time I realize my error it is too late.  I pull up into pole position at a red light in front of no less than 4 cops directing traffic at the front gate.  One looks over the car and we share a smile before he shouts over 2 lanes.

"That might not be street legal."
"Oh, yeah?"
"Where you goin?"
"I'm just trying to get it over to a garage near Speedway.  I'm driving straight there."
"Be safe."
{light turns green}
"Will do!"

  • From: DF-Dubya
  • Registered: 2009-08-19
  • Posts: 820

Re: Good place to break a car in around DFW

Speaking of BMWCCA Auto-X, there's one this weekend @ TMS.

http://www.metroplexmini.org/forum/show … hp?t=30172

Summer's Eve Racing - '09 Yee-Haw; '10 Gator-O-Rama, NorDal Hooptie, Yee-Haw; '11 Gator-O-Rama, NorDal Hooptie (Winner, Class A!)
TARP Racing - '11 Yee-Haw, Heaps; '12 Gator-O-Rama (Winner, Class C ... Looking for a Class B Win to Complete the Trifecta!), Heaps; '13 NorDal Hooptie, Gator-O-Rama
  • Dave
  • Dave
  • Effluent
  • Offline
  • From: PGH PA
  • Registered: 2009-10-09
  • Posts: 993

Re: Good place to break a car in around DFW

We test ours at the track, usually at test & tune day before the race. That almost gives us the time we need to fix it before the race ends. smile

It Ain't My Fault

Dave's Website