Legend Coupe 17-Year Anniversary Video & Justin’s High Mileage Accord
Odometer (1992 Integra GS-R): 251,430
I’m making the most of my time in isolation! This is just a quick “Happy Friday,” to you all.
A friend rode his bike past the window in my bedroom that looks out to the street out front. I call it my drive-thru window. I moved my desk so that I could look out of it while working from home during quarantine.
My work team held a ‘virtual’ happy hour by way of a smartphone app called House Party. Connectivity was glitchy at best with 8 people trying to stream video and chime in at the same time, but it was fun to see everyone.
Introducing, Banner Health Regulatory Team! Bunch of all-stars right here.
I snuck out of the house yesterday in the SLX for a trip to the drive-thru because I was craving Taco Bell. The safari sunroof let in a lot of fresh air which was good for my mental well-being!
Yesterday, March 26, also marked 17 years since the day I flew to San Jose and picked up my Legend coupe, and it’s hard to believe that much time has already passed. I fulfilled the wishes of one blog reader in particular (ahem – Tim!) who’d requested a current walkaround of the car in modern day. I also took the opportunity to assemble a collection of other memories from over the years including a couple clips from the Alaska trip in 2006, a few segments from National Acura Legend Meets, and an alphabetical sequence of my state line photographs.
Here’s the video link.
Along with that, Tim sent me some follow-up questions that I’ll answer here.
In some lighting it’s less noticeable than in others, but you can really see the blends from the front fenders into the doors sometimes. The roof, trunk top, and rear bumper have also been resprayed at some point (clear coat failure got the best of them).
That top one is a pretty innovative seat-access solution. It’s a switch that activates a motorized forward & back seat adjustment so you can get out from the back seat without having to put forth a ton of effort or reach for the lower one.
No, the maintenance is strictly ongoing items like mechanical service and repairs. It has some tires, but not all (since I had so many sets of aftermarket wheels & tires that I was swapping out all the time). It also does not include the cost of registration, insurance, or fuel.
It actually does burn some oil so I’ve started keeping an eye on that. Higher-mile Legends develop issues with the valve stem seals so that’s something on the checklist long-term. If I sit at a stop light or let the car idle quite a while, then take off, I’ll see some blue smoke.
Yes, as far as I know the tensioner has been changed each time I’ve had a timing belt / water pump service.
Good question – that’s where the EGR maintenance comes into play. It’s a widely accepted notion that the carbon buildup in the EGR system is what causes the timing in the C32A to be off, contributing to a lack of cooling on one of the rear cylinders where the head gasket is prone to failure. It’s a tell-tale story that we’ve heard many times on the Legend forums and Facebook groups. Of course, it goes without saying that the rest of the cooling system also has to be kept in very proper working order – radiator, hoses, fans, and relays.
I agree – the only reason I haven’t swapped the Bose back in is because I need the iPod connectivity for now. If and when the car is retired to a ‘show’ piece only, the Bose will need to go back in for originality’s sake.
I neglected to zoom in on the driver side outboard seat bolster, which is actually showing a fair amount of wear. The Katzkin kit (at least the one I used) uses vinyl on the non-seating surfaces, and it’s pretty cracked. If I were to do it all over again, I’d get a “full leather” kit.
Justin says he drives currently upwards of 100k miles per year.
Here’s the latest “spy shot” video I put together, in case you hadn’t seen it on my YouTube. Keep the submissions coming.
Have a great (and safe) weekend, all.
drivetofive 
March 27, 2020 at 8:20 am
Happy Friday and hope your quarantine time is somewhat enjoyable. Love your drive-thru window! LOL. I’ll be checking out the Legend video pronto and amazing mileage achievement for Justin. Accord looks awfully familiar. 😉 Do you know if it’s the 3.0L or 2.4L?
March 27, 2020 at 8:39 am
I know, stop by my window sometime and I’ll let you know the special of the day! It might be a pink marshmallow Peeps, but it’ll be something. I’m not sure which motor the Accord has but I’ll ask Justin to chime in.
March 27, 2020 at 9:25 am
Tyson – Thanks for including our Accord in your blog. My wife, Lisa, bought this from Pensacola Honda back in Aug ’03. It was her daily driver for years before I started driving it.
This was the first year of the 7th gen and the first year Honda offered a 6-spd manual. Our car has the 3.0L V6 with the 6-spd and leather interior.
Jason – I don’t have a separate blog for our car, but I did create a thread about it over on DriveAccord.net in the 7th gen photo gallery.
March 27, 2020 at 9:52 am
Justin, very nice! I’ll head over to DA.net and check it out. I used to have an 04 Silver V-6, 6-spd coupe as well. Amazing motor and power.
March 27, 2020 at 11:33 am
My name is Ahem Tim, and I approve of this post! 😀
Really enjoyed the video and the Q&A! Glad the coupe is holding up so well, overall. And I think that after seventeen years of mostly trouble-free service, a valve job would be an appropriate anniversary gift for the car. Interesting about the vinyl inserts into the Katzkin kit. I’ll also make sure to steer toward the all-leather option if that purchase becomes necessary.
Nice feature of Justin’s Accord. I’m looking forward to seeing him take a run at a million miles!
March 27, 2020 at 11:36 am
Awesome! Thanks again for inspiring this post because I enjoyed the walk down Memory Lane while assembling the video.
March 27, 2020 at 4:37 pm
Hi Tyson,
Happy 17th year’s anniversary to your Legend coupe! It looks like brand new and always clean. Also great maintenance too. I did watch this video, it was awesome memories! I hope you are doing well and have a great weekend!
March 27, 2020 at 4:50 pm
Thank you Josh! I appreciate you always watching & reading. I hope you are doing well and enjoy your weekend.
March 27, 2020 at 8:53 pm
That Legend looks great inside and out. I love the analog tach and speedometer. This car beats everything in the current Acura lineup in my opinion.
March 28, 2020 at 7:14 am
I’m a little bit partial, too! I’m glad I got to introduce the Legend to you back in October. Have a good weekend!
March 28, 2020 at 1:32 am
The Coupe still looks like it’s in superb condition, it really goes to show if you look after a car that it’ll look after you. I think I need to be the person to encourage you to line up your forthcoming 20 year anniversary with a 600,000 milestone, eh!?! We’re a few days into lockdown here, but are only allowed out for essential supplies – i.e. supermarket. The police busted a few people yesterday, one had drive 30 minutes to “give his dog a walk” and another had driven 50kms to “get to a supermarket”. Crazy times, but will hopefully give me a bit of time to work on my blog and finally post an update. Stay safe!
March 28, 2020 at 7:15 am
We haven’t hit “full” lockdown yet – people are still moving about the community for leisure purposes because everything is “voluntary.” But I think in short time, we are headed the same direction you are. Stay safe out there my friend!
March 29, 2020 at 4:55 am
Such a great read, and such a great car…. truly a member of the family. I love the ‘drive’thru’ photo. Oh, and your face looks… thinner. Are you sure you’re eating, now that restaurants have shuttered (aside from their drive-thru option)? Keep those cards and letters coming!
March 29, 2020 at 6:51 am
It’s the trick of the photograph. I did lose 3 lbs in quarantine, though.
April 1, 2020 at 9:23 am
Happy anniversary to the Coupe! Looks like both it and you are doing well in these bizarre times. Exile in Illinois has been extended to 4/30, but hopefully things will normalize after that. Stay safe!
April 1, 2020 at 9:25 am
Yeah, same here. Our full lockdown went into effect yesterday evening at 5:00 p.m. So my list of projects is in full swing. Last night I tore apart the Vigor center console to pull the radio head unit and get the serial number, so I could find out the unlock code since I had to change the battery and it reset. Mission accomplished. That’s one project down, 30 to go. Haha.