loxxrider wrote:Is that a rhetorical question?
Nope! It was actually a bit of a tossup, since it was about 2 hours just to get to the start of the climb. I did end up going, though!
Let me say this: Unless you can plan for a time with light traffic, don't go solely for the drive. You
will get stuck behind a mom in her Suburban who's never heard of a pullout, and you
will be forced to dip the clutch in first gear, because their pace is slower than the stall speed. However, the view is absolutely incredible and well worth the trip. Plus, your thoughtful pace car will give you plenty of time to take pictures on the way up.
When/if they do get out of the way, though, it's a whole new ball game! You mash what remains of your pedal to the metal, and a slight nudge in the back signifies the onset of that ferocious high-altitude torque, before the turbo finally comes online and rockets you behind the vestiges of the Sport Quattro.
Repeat as necessary.
Unfortunately, a fog quickly rolled over after I summited, diminishing any prospect of taking epic shots of the 200 above the clouds, but since the majority of the landscape was covered, I turned my eye to the car by itself and pretended to be a photographer. The sandy, Martian ground and the lighting from an oncoming storm made for some interesting shots, of which I'll spare you the majority.
On my way down, I noticed that no car had passed in the other direction, so I flipped around and had some unrestricted fun, before the weather took a turn for the worse and I was finally forced to make my way home.
Anyways, the car flawlessly made the 3200 mile trip to CO and back again - not even a drop of oil missing!
Well, I lied. Or rather, a problem I've had for several years is finally becoming identifiable. I dunno if it's the new wheels, tires, or alignment that bring it out, but I can finally trace the source of the humming from the rear axle. It gets higher in frequency as speed increases, and, for the first time, it becomes louder on a right turn and nearly disappears on a left, which leads me to suspect a failing driver's side wheel bearing.
Additionally, there's a very odd new handling aspect, which I'm convinced is related. I'm very accustomed to the body roll about the axis that spans the length of the car, but higher-speed right turns are now accompanied by a very disconcerting feeling, as if the body rotates about the vertical axis shortly thereafter (without losing traction). The tail just feels like it steps out a bit, and it's that unpredictability that has had me taking right turns very cautiously.
I'm not really planning on having the hub fall off quite yet, so I've decided to address this immediately. Does this sound like a correct diagnosis? I've also had a clunk going over quick bumps at the same corner since the dawn of time, but that may be unrelated. I was planning on changing all four bearings when I do the suspension overhaul, but I suppose now is as good a time as any.
(Soda)
Looks sweet!
Thing is, you retain that way of thinking and going about projects. I'm better for it now... enjoying it all ya know? It's fun! I REALLY am interested to see your finding with the upcoming intake mods! I'm tuned in 
