Wah... wah... wah...

"Driving_Impaired" (drivingimpaired)
02/09/2014 at 10:58 • Filed to: None

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! Thanks to the incompetence of Hertz, I am typing this post instead.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Background... reserved Camaro with hand controls via Hertz website Wednesday, called Friday to ensure hand controls were getting installed. Hand control install guy calls me back mid afternoon and says, "Sorry bud, we can only put hand controls on Impalas and Suburbans". Then he proceeds to tell me it has something to do with airbag sensors or some other BS.

WHAT?! Not only was I furious about that but I was actually more mad about the fact that no one had called me up until that point. What if I never called? Would there be an Impala sitting there instead of a Camaro? Would there be a Camaro with no hand controls? I'm not going to get too worked up over this yet because I wrote a pretty scathing email to them and am waiting for a response.

Needless to say I was so upset I cancelled my reservation with them because I sure as hell didn't want a POS Impala, even if I was going to rally the shit out of it.

So now it's Friday evening and I am torn between driving my DD (e92 335) or not doing the event at all. Since I had also ordered a helmet earlier this week (both for the rally and a hpde next weekend) and decided to let fate make my decision for me. If the helmet arrived Saturday then fuck it, I'm rallying the Bimmer....

The helmet did not arrive. I don't tempt fate folks, that's how I got in my wheelchair!

But this sad and depressing weekend has opened my eyes to potentially getting a fun and cheap rallyx car. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ... what do you guys think? It's affordable, light, near 50/50, seems like it would be a shitload of fun, and because it even has a little rally lineage, if I really get into this sport it could be a fun project car to slowly modify.

Also open to other suggestions. Requirements <$2500, Auto trans (remember, hand controls), has rally potential but is something different (ie, not a subaru)

DISCUSSION (16)

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Driving_Impaired
02/09/2014 at 11:20

Sorry to hear that man. For future reference, SCCA events usually have loaner helmets.
Miata is pretty decent at Rallycross, you just have to find a hard top for it

Driving_Impaired > Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
02/09/2014 at 11:23

I appreciate that, yes this event had loaners as well. But since my helmet was supposed to be delivered Saturday I figured that was the best way to help me decide whether it would be a good idea to drive my car or not. Yes, I'm weird and illogical I know!

cbell04 > Driving_Impaired
02/09/2014 at 13:07

Buy this and beat the shit out of it and document it for us! http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/npocp-cheap-bi…

Know it's no rocket ship but would be fun for the price.

Kinja'd!!!

ithinkthatsit > Driving_Impaired
02/09/2014 at 13:17

http://www.motorsportreg.com/index.cfm/even…

Feb 22 Gordon GA. Should be less than 2 hour drive from ATL. It's my first time attending one. I'm not driving just watching. I'm new to the area so I'm going to check it out and see if need to search CL for a car.

Driving_Impaired > ithinkthatsit
02/09/2014 at 13:52

i saw this too... hoping to make it also! closer to 3 hours though...

Driving_Impaired > cbell04
02/09/2014 at 13:54

wow, that's a damn good deal. i wish i still lived in ny, i would jump all over this. even has an LSD!

cbell04 > Driving_Impaired
02/09/2014 at 15:14

Rally like a mid nineties sir :)

ithinkthatsit > Driving_Impaired
02/09/2014 at 18:31

Hope you make it.

CantStopTheSignal > Driving_Impaired
02/10/2014 at 07:48

Well if that aint some crap

SteyrTMP > Driving_Impaired
02/20/2014 at 04:23

You find something you want to convert, and if you're in my area (Ohio), give me an idea what you need to have it converted and I'll see what I can do. I have welders, mill, lathe...

Driving_Impaired > ithinkthatsit
02/26/2014 at 11:21

Did you end up making it to this event? I had another rental car fiasco and didn't go but since I had registered I received an email from the organizer apologizing to everyone because the event didn't go down due to some controversy over the land. Anyway, long story short, I am glad I didn't make the 2 hour drive for nothing!

ithinkthatsit > Driving_Impaired
02/26/2014 at 13:44

I did. I drove my 540i not knowing the road to the event was unpaved. I parked half way down and immediately knew I fucked up. Of course I parked in Georgia clay. I was stuck. Yay. Walked down to the event, meet some nice people. Right before the first car started security showed up and the event was on hold. Ten minutes later the event is canceled. An awesome guy that I didn't get his name and I now owe a favor pulled me out with a tractor.

I don't know the facts but after getting home I googled the area and found it to be a kaolin mine. The EPA doesn't like you to disturb the ground around these things. I will probably try an Atlanta region event next

Driving_Impaired > ithinkthatsit
02/26/2014 at 14:10

Wow, first off sorry you got stuck! I wrote on the facebook event page the night before the event (and before my rental fell through) asking for specific directions because the gps coords on the registration page gave a location in the middle of nowhere. The person replied that yeah, it was pretty much correct.... go past a cemetery, and then turn on a dirt road. Ha. I guess that's not completely unexpected for an event of it's kind but still... seemed a little sketchy.

Even after the rental fell through, I contemplated going down to watch like you were but after seeing the dirt road I ultimately decided against it due to my 335 sitting pretty low anyway. After seeing what went down AND now hearing your experience I am very glad I didn't make the 2 hour trip because Mr. Tractor guy would've been pulling two cars and a wheelchair out of the clay!

Are you on the ATLBimmers Facebook page by chance?

Here's the message the event coord. sent to everyone:

I wanted to take a minute to again apologize to everyone who made it out to this past weekend's RallyCross event. We know there was a lot of money and effort spent on getting there and getting ready to race.

As I'm sure most of you knew or figured out, the land we were using is owned by a MGASCCA member but has been used for Kaolin mining. The owner had been told that the plot of land we were using had been reclaimed; however, unbeknowst to him it not been cleared by the EPA and was not yet released back to him. Because of that, the land could not be used for any other purpose yet or the company which was still leasing it could face Federal charges. This was an honest mistake by the owner. There are other plots of land on his property that are suitable for Rallycross use and that have been cleared for use by the EPA. We will be personally getting clerification from the mining company about before attempting to use any of those plots for the program. We are also in talks with another land owner in Byron about using their site. The RallyCross program will continue to push on in Middle Georgia and even though we've gotten off to a bumpy start, I believe we should be able to have a successful program.

Thanks again for your support and participation,

Chris Ealer

ithinkthatsit > Driving_Impaired
02/26/2014 at 16:06

Kinja'd!!!

Getting stuck is completely my fault. I should have paid a little more attention to the ground. I don't use Facebook. I do hope the MGASCCA gets everthing squared away for the next one as it would be my local region. I need to meet people down here some way. We moved down here in August for my wife's job and I've not meet anyone to hang out with.

Driving_Impaired > ithinkthatsit
02/28/2014 at 18:00

Wow! Yeah that is IN THERE! Haha woops.

I'm thinking I might attend this event next weekend. Kind of a haul for you but let me know if you go!

ithinkthatsit > Driving_Impaired
02/28/2014 at 18:54

I might go, it's only an hour away. I'm just north of Macon. I'll let you know.