Well, it didn't work out at ICAR

The Civic looks at home in a paddock

I got to the trrack there super early, despite heavy traffic. I prepped the car as usual for the track and headed out in the green session (the third group, after red and yellow, so after 6pm) and after two laps, the temperature started to climb (although slowly). I could see some white smoke in the mirror (less than at Tremblant). I decided to keep driving until the temperature was really high, since my plan is simply to replace the motor now that I know it's not reliable on track, but I was shown a meatball flag after three laps and had to pit it. I figured it was because of the white smoke, but the attendant told me it was because I was wearing a seatbelt and harness at the same time (I have to choose one or the other) and because my brake lights were not working... what? The session was a bust, again. I didn't even get any reliable data, as my external GPS was not working (since fixed, I think, bad contact to the battery) and even my video shut off before the end of the shortened session! I wasn't that surprised about the overheating. I hadn't even began to push the car. I was lapping at about 1:30, so over 15 seconds (!) slower than my best times last year. 

After my session, I rode as a passenger with JS in his 7th-generation Civic sedan, the cleanest track car you will ever see. He ordered every nut and bolt under the hood new, from Honda... intense! Anyway, his car is quick, only a couple or seconds slower than my old Civic was, despite still having the 1.7 liter engine. After that, I packed up and left. On my way home, I stopped at Canadian Tire to figure out what was wrong with the brake lights. I checked online what fuse to check and sure enough, that was the only issue. I replaced the fuse and now I have brake lights. The temperature never budged on the way home, so whatever leak there is in the cooling system, it's not a major one. 

The plan now is to buy a used engine and have JS install it as soon as possible, so I can attend a few events before the end of the season. To be continued...

There were four FC RX7's at ICAR, including this 1987 Turbo II like the one I used to own

Note the puddle from where I added water to the rad

Totally stripped out EK coupe

Nice first-gen Impreza

These two FC's hit the track

Looks good, sounds even better

The same NB Miata I saw in my neighbourhood a few days ago!

First visit to ICAR tomorrow with the yellow Civic

The gold Civic is on the road!

Here is the weird story of the yellow Civic's head gasket. At Calabogie at our race school in May, the car overheated on the track after only a few minutes. The bottom of the radiator was soaking wet, so I ordered a new radiator and installed it. A couple of weeks later, I went to instruct at Tremblant and the car overheated after only a few minutes on track. I observed symptoms (like white smoke in the exhaust) that clearly indicated a head gasket leak. I put in some leak-stop product to be able to make it home, but I had to stop twice on the way home to add water to the system. 

I was then faced with a decision: have someone change the head gasket, or buy a whole used engine. I wanted an engine, but I couldn't fine an affordable one: the two that were advertised for 800 $ were unavailable. I asked my mechanic friends if they would be willing to change the head gasket, and Pat said yes. I drove the car to Pat's in June before my trip and the temperature needle never moved... Weird. When I got back from my five-week trip, he still had not had time to do it. I put a bit of pressure on him and he looked at it. He changed the lower hose clamp, but there was no headgasket leak. I had to see this for myself, so I went to pick up the car and drive it on the highway, hard. I tried to simulate laps on a track, redlining second gear on the highway, then flooring it in third, coasting, flooring it, etc., for 15 minutes. Again, the temperature never moved. The only explanation I can think of is that the leak-sealing product eventually did its job and the leak is plugged, for now. 

I've decided to take it out to ICAR tomorrow to see if this temporary repair will last. My guess is that it won't, but hopefully I can get in at least a full session before it overheats again. Even if it seems reliable, I think I will opt for a used engine before Mosport. I don't want to travel that far and risk getting few or no laps... Mosport is hard on an engine! To be continued...

Prowler!

Beach weather in Deschaillons

An electric Piaggio!

New AMG GT55

New M5

Clean 930

Oscar asked Alex to photograph this Ferrari for me

FF = Family Ferrari

Why is there a version of the Taycan that looks like an SUV?

Nice condition chrome-bumpered MGB

This is my new Noco lithium battery: less than 3 pounds!

I hope the new front lip stays on!

Cool Laguna Seca Blue NB Miata with roll bar

M2 and Leonard Cohen on Crescent street

Nice silver F8

Rare dark green M3 with a bit of rust

Clean early 944 at the Garage on Clark and Laurier

Ferrari 296 on Laurier

"Iconic" Porsche 356 cabriolet

I've seen the SWB Land Cruiser before, but not with these cool wheels

Camel Trophy replica Discovery

G87 M2

This is what the rich kids drove when I was in high school

Lovely vantage

Spider Quadrifoglio

Two modern VW's

Nice 8-series photographed by Jules

Nice spec 992 Turbo

Gotta respect how clean this Cavalier is

One of my favourite Porsches: the 992 GT3 Touring

Euro Trip 2025

We spent a month in Genova fixing up our future AirBnB apartment. The car-spotting is not great in Genova, because it's much more a motorbike and scooter-filled city. There are very few classics or sports cars. Still, there were a few interesting cars around. In Copenhagen, we also saw a few classic and semi-classic cars on the road. Here are the ones I managed to photograph. 

Copenhagen:

Clean and cool 190e 2.3-16

Nice wide-body SL

Not sure if I like this electric Lotus SUV

E39 M5-clone

Very clean early 90's Audi 90

Old XK-R and Panda 4x4 in the background

I've never seen a convertible 2002 or 1602

I still can't believe these are road-legal in Europe

Nice E36 hatch

Nice Aston Martin

Rome:

We had one night in Rome, stayed very clode to the Colosseum

Convertible Fiat 500

Great condition Renault 4

Aston Martin Cygnet

The only common sporty car in Italy

Genova:

Is there a less Italian car than a BRG Aston-Martin

The new Lancia Ypsilon is so much nicer than the old one

I think I photographed this exact same MX3 in February

Strange 3-wheeled truck

Not many Ferraris in Genova

A lot of the nicer cars were from Switzerland

Bad photo of a cool Fiat 133

Hard to get a good photo from the bus

An old Fiat 112 Abarth

... it had a "70 hp" decal

Not a GTi, still nice

These Fiat 124 Spyders are surprisingly uncommon in Italy

Strange wrap on this 5-series

I had never seen a Fiat 128 Sport L...

Nice colour RS3 hatch

Alfa Romeo Brera I saw a bunch if times

I'd never seen an A3 convertible like this

Cool 2-door Pajero

Clean 90's Jag

Same Esso, different M-car

My rental Opel Crossland, useful for moving unwanted furniture to the Eco-van

MSC has some really big cruise ships!

These Renault Espace vans are so cool

One of many Abarth 500's

I like these wheels on the E46

Lovely bay near Portofino

Rally-liveried Opel Kadett

The new electric Renault 5

Very cool Iveco SUV

Neat little Fiat at the hardware store

I still really like the styling oft the Peugeot 106

GR Yaris from Monaco

Looks awesome in this colour

The boys enjoying the beach at the Lido

Cool decal package on this cool BMW scooter

Another M2

I'm a sucker for the Repsol livery on a Honda bike

Another day, another beach