I have not kept tabs on the MotoGP, nor Valentino Rossi over the years, unfortunately, but if you think Rossi has one more year in him for a world title, it might be worth checking out. If I enjoy the TT Races in Isle of Man, I can't imagine why I wouldn't like watching MotoGP. Major props for Rossi in making a bit of a comeback by the end of the season. The guy is also in his late thirties, which in professional motorcycle racing terms is getting up there. I'll be sure to tune in next season for that.
That is cool your EvilMini has been treating you well lately. I know I think last year you mentioned there were a couple issues that did get sorted, and now it appears things are looking ok. As far as your water pump goes, and you mentioning about coolant levels, coolant levels are always supposed to be checked when the car is cold, so if it's low when its cold, you'll need more. I ran into the same issue last year when I went to go visit
@mattavelle1 . Coolant level when cold was quite low, almost too low, so I bought some coolant, and filled it back up. If I had air in the system, I would've known by now, so I imagine things have been sorted thus far. For you, Mike, maybe just get yourself some coolant, check the level when your car is cold, and if it's below its marker, I'd fill it up.
As far as my clutch is concerned, I still have not tackled that, and this is mostly because I was too busy driving it this year off and on during the weekends. I figured the clutch was overall ok if I wasn't too hard on it, so I continued to drive it throughout this year, and this winter is for sure when I'm going to change it. My plan though is not simply to change the clutch. This is my initial list of stuff to do:
-Clutch Replacement (Likely to get a Stage 1 kit for the extra HP, plus just having a heavier duty clutch)
-Rear Main Seal
-Limited-Slip Differential upgrade
-Supercharger service (includes all new gaskets/seals, plus reduction pulley)
-Cooling fan resistor replacement (small part that regulates the fan speed, which I suspect has not been working right)
-Clutch Slave, and Master Cylinder replacements
-Colder Spark Plugs (recommended with reduction pulley)
-Replace Bypass valve (I have a spare one that I accidentally got years ago, so I just kept it if I ever wanted to replace it)
-Replace Intake Manifold gasket (have one lying around that I bought years ago)
I also plan on getting an oil sample, and getting that analyzed by BlackStone Labs to see if there's anything else that I should be concerned about.
These are the major things I plan to do over the course of this winter, plus anything else (i.e. seal or gasket) that I feel would be nice since I'll have the access to practically everything.
Suspension is another area that I would like to tackle, but that will come sometime next year I figure. I reckon I'll want to get Egan back to perfect working order, drive it for a little bit, and then do suspension stuff, which also won't be that cheap. For suspension components, that includes ball joints, bushings, springs/shocks, tie rods, etc.
The big conundrum I still face is whether or not it'll all be worth it for me in the end, because it is both a labor intensive, and expensive job for me to tackle. On the other hand, given how many miles I have on Egan now ( almost 162k), and its age, I wouldn't get more than maybe 4 grand if I sold it right now, plus you figure the extra couple grand I'll spend on parts for the engine and drivetrain, I don't see many vehicles that'll give me quite the excitement for the price. It's been my pride and joy for over a decade, and I still feel I cannot part ways with it. I sometimes worry if I'll only grow more attached to it after all is said and done. lol
Here's the one thing though, and I believe I brought it up to Matt last year after my trip through the mountains, I said to myself that I could not sell it. It was just that good. Maybe when I eventually pick up my next dream car, a pre-996 Porsche 911, I might be ready to part ways, but not now.