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