I think this is one of my favorite car commercials of all time. And it doesn’t even show the vehicle!
Needless to say, the Integra GS-R is all about having fun. And fun it is.
On June 8, 1999, a businessman in the motion picture industry bought an Integra GS-R with 6 miles on it for his 18-year-old son. The car had been special-ordered through Santa Monica Acura in Southern California in a rare, two-year-only color called Super Sonic Blue Pearl. Not only was the car equipped in the highest-available trim level short of the track-ready “Type R,” it was outfitted with an accessory underbody kit and fog lamps. The MSRP was $22,555.
The showroom probably looked something like this at the time (see Super Sonic Blue Integra at top right).
The Integra stayed with that original owner for over 10 years before being passed along to its next owner. Time went on, and Santa Monica Acura closed in 2015. Meanwhile the Integra continued roaming around Orange County and ultimately ended up serving as a daily driver for a resident of Burbank who commuted every weekday to Frazier Park in the Tejon Pass, about a 120-mile round-trip each weekday. Snowy weather is common there in the winter.
Well, now it’s 2019, it’s the holidays, and it’s my birthday tomorrow, so I’m as excited as that 18-year-old was. I just bought that car. And to me, it’s one of the most widely acclaimed sports coupes of the neo-classic era. It’s time to diversify and evolve the collection of cars in my garage, and while some will not be going anywhere, I’ve decided it’s time to move the 1992 Integra sedan to its next owner so that gives me a space to fill with something a little more fun and a little more modern. Introducing my latest ride:
I flew from Phoenix to Burbank on Christmas Eve to collect my latest toy. My flight got in a little after 3:00 p.m. and I was scooped up at the airport curb in a blue Jeep Wrangler by the seller and his girlfriend. We took care of business a few miles away at their home, and I was off on my way to enjoy the 8,200-RPM redline and the open road. I got home just a few minutes after midnight on Christmas Day.
As for the plan with this Integra: It will play a key role in a new YouTube series of restoration videos, much like the 8-episode playlist I’ve already put together on my 1996 SLX. Feel free to tune in for updates from time to time. The car looks decent in pictures and video, but I promise you this: I made a list of 30+ things it needs, and that’s just the beginning. First order of business was getting it registered and AZ legal which I completed on 12/26.
Things will move at a slow pace here until the 1992 sells and I have a little more financial wiggle room, so if you or anyone you know might be interested in that car, let me know! Here’s the first in my series of videos on this latest ride.
Initial odometer reading
After a quick clean up of the wheels & tires
“Grand Prix engine,” it was pronounced. It is really a rev-happy machine.
“The Second Most Fun Car on the Road.” The photo speaks for itself.
GS-Rs separated by 7 model years.
My friend Ken had a funny comment about my Christmas gift to myself.
Rare sighting of a 1995 Legend SE at my local grocery store. I left a note!
Other news – thanks to loyal reader Karna for hooking me up with a burlwood shift knob for the RL!
And check out my new garage art. This one’s for you, Josh. (See: Fantastic Fives)
And I finally got some of my RADwood posters on the wall. That room is about done!
“Hmm,” Chris said from the passenger seat as he shrugged his shoulders. “Sounds kinda scary.”
I was pretty deflated. I had just proudly pinned the accelerator to the floor in my red brick of an SLX and it did the best it could to get up to highway speed. Moments later, he gestured the making of a cross against his chest as we both collectively said our prayers that the old SUV would get us safely to Phoenix, still about 250 miles away, across the barren desert at nighttime with intermittent rain showers.
We made it. A bit of wind turbulence and poor visibility (one of my headlights is so dim it barely works at all) were about the only problems we had. We got home to Phoenix at midnight local time after an exhausting day of celebrating the totally tubular 1980s and 1990s in cars & culture. This was the third time I’ve attended the ‘RADwood’ show in Los Angeles. In 2017, I took the Legend, and in 2018, I took the Integra sedan. I always have a riot when being surrounded by such awesome people & cars.
And this time – in a perfectly orchestrated inconvenience – the event was held up a canyon with zero cell signal. So, from about 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., I spent the day doing what we all did during the 1980s and 1990s: Actually making real-life conversation with people. It was pretty freakin’ awesome.
My trip to RADwood was by way of two very special collector cars: a 1989 Dodge Lancer Shelby (Greg’s) and a 1998 Ford Contour SVT (Jason’s) – both with 3-pedal transmissions. Unfortunately for us, and for all other show-goers on Saturday, Mother Nature felt like giving us a few rain showers. While the downpours held out aside from a little trickle here and there, the mud left me wishing I’d brought my galoshes. It was so slippery, in fact, that I fell down while helping push a Honda CRX with a dead battery into its parking space. Good thing I had a spare pair of pants on-hand.
At least the 1986 Preludes owned by my friends Chris Hoffman and Chris Green looked spectacular.
The star of the show – at least for me – was a special project vehicle that I had a small role in bringing to life. It’s right here, pictured with none other than RADwood royalty Bradley Brownell himself, and my friend & automotive journalist Steve Ewing.
You’ll probably remember my old “Fir Green” 1997 Acura SLX that I picked up a year ago from a friend. It ran & drove okay, but the transmission slipped in third gear and the seats were thrashed. I enjoyed it for a few months around town as a Home Depot cruiser. Its life was about to change, however, when Andrew Quillin from Acura Public Relations asked me in late Spring if I had a lead on any SLXs for sale. I didn’t know of anything decent offhand, so I said, “You can have mine.”
And so it happened. On June 18, Acura’s fleet management representative drove away in the green beast from my house in Phoenix and I wasn’t sure if or when I’d ever see it again. Not only did I see it again, but, it had been transformed into a completely different vehicle. Over the course of the next several months, the SLX spent its summer in Marysville, Ohio, at Honda’s Research & Development facility, getting a cosmetic facelift and a full mechanical transplant. Behold:
Engineers James Robinson and Jordan Guitar led a team of people who swapped the tired, 178,000-mile 3.2 V6 with a race-tuned 2-liter turbo out of the Pikes Peak RDX racecar. But they didn’t stop there. The transmission was replaced with a push-button 10-speed automatic and the vehicle was equipped with Acura’s signature Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD), plus a fully independent rear suspension. The only subtle hint that this SLX is something a little different is the hue of Performance Red paint and the side exit exhaust forward to the left rear tire.
While official drag-race numbers have not yet been captured, I’m fairly certain the SH-AWD SLX would smoke my stock example in any performance event. I haven’t yet driven it. I only took a brief ride during a mid-November film shoot in the San Diego area. The result of that film shoot is here, brought to life with the creative mind of Acura’s Zach Vlasuk.
As RADwood pressed on, I connected with friends and colleagues from near & far. I also got to be the eyewitness (or even acting clergy?) for the official sale transaction of a white 1988 Legend coupe that changed hands from one owner to another during the course of the show. The Acura representation across the show field was in fact pretty impressive: Even the award-winning second-gen Legend sedan driven by Rob Pia was in attendance, and it won a well-deserved trophy at the conclusion of the show.
Congrats, new Legend owner Daniel!
I made it through the afternoon without any further mud-slides, and I had a great time rubbing shoulders with the leaders & engineers who brought the SLX project to life. I even had about a dozen of them sign my dashboard with a silver Sharpie, including Executive Creative Director Dave Marek who drew me a picture!
As for the project SLX SH-AWD, it’s gone on to achieve all sorts of fame by way of automotive media outlets in every corner of the country and even internationally. Here’s an example of one piece by Jalopnik. And no, I’m not getting the vehicle back, but maybe I can sweet-talk Acura into a test drive. After some race training, of course :).
Here’s my 5-minute video on this year’s RADwood, and a few photos follow.
Westbound in the SVT Contour
Barrett-Jackson is one of many sponsors & participants in the growing RADwood movement. Pictured here is Matt Ferguson from Public Relations.
If I were to cheat on Acura, it might be for one of these. Love it.
Resto-mod SLX sporting custom floor mats, wood trim, reupholstered leather, and a push-button transmission. But – don’t worry – the tape deck stuck around!
My co-pilots Jason and Chris
Acura senior executive Jon Ikeda was out enjoying the party, too.
Even the former owner of the green SLX, Wyatt, popped in to say hello.
And now – if you are interested – here are a few shots from the filming of the reveal video, and a behind-the-scenes look at some of the effort it took to produce.
Three SLXs in one place! That never happens.
That engine is more than meets the eye! And you should hear it!
Setting up a camera mount on my Radiant Red
“For sale by owner” – come and get it!
Actress Amy McRoberts
Andrew from Acura – one of the main brains behind the operation.
Old and new in a San Diego garage
And lastly, since I’m too lazy to put these in their own blog entry, I wanted to thank and recognize a few people who have visited my house in the last few weeks including automotive journalists Clint Simone from Motor1 and Sofyan Bey from Redline Reviews.
I also hosted some fellow Acura friends including my friend Leon who was in town from Los Angeles.
I hope all my readers had a nice Thanksgiving. I spent it in southern Utah with my RDX-driving friend Shaun and with many of my family members.
Grandma
Mom (and her 2016 RLX)
And the newest member – 1-year-old Ava Mae, inside her Escalade.
Sometimes it’s when you least expect it that interesting roadside attractions pop up and call your name. I was about halfway from Phoenix to San Diego on Wednesday afternoon when I spotted a neat looking bridge off to the right side of Interstate 8 in Yuma, crossing the Colorado River. I’d been making good time on my 6-hour trip and had a few minutes of daylight left, so I figured I’d take the next exit and give it another look. As it turns out, the detour was totally worth the effort because I got to learn about a 104-year-old historic landmark.
This was also the second time I’ve found a noteworthy bridge in Yuma. The other one was the abandoned Bridge to Nowhere that I blogged about five years ago. Who would have thought that you could find such cool water crossings in a city that’s smack dab in the middle of the middle of the desert?
This bridge ended up being the “Ocean to Ocean” bridge, constructed in 1915, which crosses the Colorado River at the Arizona-California state line. It’s a narrow roadway that over time became both structurally at risk and also functionally obsolete, since it was bypassed in 1956 by a newer roadway nearby on 4th Avenue, and then again by Interstate 8 in the 1970s. Today it serves as a one-laner and carries a road called Penitentiary, named after the historic Territorial Prison State Park nearby. A railroad trestle bridge runs parallel to it.
From 1988 through 2001, the Ocean to Ocean Bridge was closed to automobile traffic because of structural deficiencies, but a $3 million restoration project allowed it to be made safe once again for automobiles. And even though my visit was short, it was fun to get to experience it.
The rest of my CA trip was action-packed with a night in San Diego and then a night in Hollywood. The LA Auto Show’s press/media days concluded Thursday and I made it to the area in time to participate in an after-party at a place called Doheny Room on Santa Monica Boulevard. The gathering was an annual reunion of about 40 auto-journalist friends of mine. It was great to see old friends and make a few new ones.
That’s a picture of me with Sofyan Bey of Redline Reviews and Aaron Bragman of Cars.com.
I stayed at the InterContinental Hotel that evening in downtown Los Angeles which, at 73 stories, is the tallest building west of the Mississippi and has 889 guest rooms. My friend Brian and I were on the 58th floor and the view was stunning. My ears popped a few times from the pressure change when going up and down the elevator. Cleverly, the lobby is actually not even on the floor/ground level. It’s on floor 70. So as a guest, you have to first go all the way upstairs to appreciate the view before you can proceed to your hotel room. I thought it was pretty cool.
In typical LA fashion, traffic on Friday was hectic and it took me 45 minutes to Uber the 8 miles to retrieve my ILX in West Hollywood. Parking the car at InterContinental would have been valet-only, and it would have cost me $46. So I opted to ditch it in a residential area for the night. Once I finally got behind the wheel again, it was a pretty straight shot to find Interstate 10 and take that all the way home to Phoenix. My only pit stop was for a brief lunch stint in Palm Springs at a terrific taco place on Palm Canyon Drive.
Thanks for coming along for the ride!
Oh, and here are the fuel stats for the trip. The ILX rolled 220,000 miles and achieved about 31 mpg overall.
San Diego night stay with my friend Ryan who has a 6-speed Accord 2.0
This was a fun way to break up the work week: My friend Chris invited me to meet up and check out / test drive his very rare model year 2000 Acura Integra Type R. The car had 48,000 miles on it and handled incredibly. Like many ‘B-Series’ powered Honda cars, the Type R loves to rev. Its tachometer goes up to a sky-high 10,000 RPM. I appreciated the opportunity!
I’m starting to become a ‘regular’ at some of the Southern California car scene activities each year. The Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS), now in its 15th year, has been a tradition of mine since I started going in 2014. Back then, none of my cars were eligible because the cutoff for model year eligibility was in the 1980s. It’s since been modified, and anything up through the mid-1990s is permissible.
The Key Lime del Sol made the trip this time. This was the first time it’s made an out-of-town voyage since I brought it to Phoenix from Salt Lake City back in May. I’m happy to report that the car did great. Here are write-ups from my prior trips to JCCS. With the momentum behind the event (growing so much that it had to change venues last year) I’m confident it will be a “thing” for many years to come.
I had a special guest at the house last Thursday afternoon: My friend Ken from Pennsylvania rolled into town in his vintage 1981 Honda Accord. His dedication to the event was impressive – even in the face of a breakdown somewhere in Wisconsin, he was able to put a spare fuel pump to use the following day and be back on the road without much time lost. Driving with an old car in adventure to say the least. It’s best to live by the Boy Scout motto: “Be Prepared.”
By the time Ken and I made it out of Phoenix during rush hour, then completed our trek across the desert, our arrival in Torrance at the Holiday Inn was a little before midnight. The next day, we toured the Honda Collection open house (which I’d visited just recently in July). I enjoyed a night out with a few local friends before tidying up the del Sol and calling it a night. My wake-up call on the show day itself always comes very early – in this case it was 5:40 a.m. so I could be at a meeting point in Long Beach by 6:45.
(Why they had this sign up for the “14th” annual 2018 event from last year, I’m not sure.)
This was the largest JCCS in the event’s 15-year history. Over 400 vehicles were displayed in organized fashion at Marina Green along Shoreline Drive. The Honda section, as in prior years, was headquartered on the west end of the park. Luckily I rolled in around the same time as some of my closest colleagues so I got to park near them.
A few particularly cool vehicles caught my eye throughout the day. I enjoyed my friend Chris’ 1988 Dodge Ram 50 pickup truck. A Dodge at a Japanese car show? Yes. That’s because his Dodge was technically just a rebadged Mitsubishi Mighty Max. Which reminds me, speaking of rebadges, I think the SLX will make a JCCS debut next year.
At the conclusion of the show, some friends and I dined nearby at the Islands Burger restaurant and hydrated after a day in the sun. The del Sol got me home safe and sound to Phoenix later that evening. Until next year!
Rolling 88,888 miles at 88 miles per hour. I pictured Doc Emmett Brown from Back to the Future: “When this thing hits 88 miles per hour, you’re going to see some serious shit.” Well, I didn’t see any of that, but it was still fun to celebrate.
Visit to the American Honda main office
Inside the museum with David and David
Lineup awaiting in staging lanes
Running into friends from all over
My friend Ryan’s 1988 Daihatsu Charade – love it
My buddy Logan
Dave Heath from Honda who works with Auto Shows & Exhibits
The Honda display was nicely laid out
Ever seen a lifted Lexus LS400 on mud tires?
Primary colors? I think we were just missing blue
Dinner group before my return trip to Phoenix
Last but definitely not least: The automotive journalist community is pretty small, and is better described as a close-knit family. Recently, a colleague of mine named Miles Branman in the Southern California region was injured in an accident.
One of the media organizations (similar to PAPA, that we have here in Phoenix) called MPG (Motor Press Guild) has launched a series of auctions in fundraising support of Miles. Among the items up for grabs are some some exclusive collector items donated by Acura. Check these out:
Every week for me is a “car week,” right? As I motored along Highway 101 near San Jose, California last Thursday afternoon in my rental Dodge Caravan, I spotted this beauty:
It was meant to be. That Alabaster Silver 2007-08 TL Type-S (and my formerly-owned blue one) was the last of its kind. When the TL was redesigned for the 2009 model year (its “fourth generation”), the Type-S nameplate was retired. Now a decade later in 2019, it’s about to make a comeback. And the event I was headed to was specifically to celebrate the rebirth and to showcase what the Type-S of the future will look like.
The Carmel Valley Lodge just outside Monterey is an exquisite country club that hosted a private reception for Acura senior leaders, designers, and invited guests for the unveil of the “Type S Concept” – a highly talked about model that reflects the brand’s return to an emphasis on sportiness and performance.
Matt Sloustcher, Public Relations, and Jon Ikeda, Vice President, kicked off the commentary from the podium next to the concept car which had a sheet over it at the time. At 7:00, the dramatic unveil was carried out and the crowd responded with a hearty applause.
Ikeda described this type of reveal being “Like having a designer’s pants pulled off; all of a sudden everyone sees everything and it causes anxiety about what kind of reaction they’ll have.” I liked that analogy. Ben Davidson, lead designer for the Type S, shared a few insights over the mic about what inspired him during the development process. (Ben is pictured at far left below).
I was honored to be among the attendees to get a first in-person glimpse of the car which had been revealed in electronic media form just a day prior. It had a nice presence – new signature “chicane” headlamp and taillamp design, a grille inspired from the Precision concept car, and of course the Type S badging on both front and rear. I’ll be anxious to see when and how the Type S concept is transformed into a production car in the coming months and years.
This was our group from the NSXCA along with some of the Acura leadership team.
The Type S was on display the following day at the Quail. I didn’t make it out for that, but it looked like an impressive display!
Another highlight of my weekend was getting to attend the second-annual “Japanese Automotive Invitational” in Pebble Beach. The Infiniti and Lexus brands are turning 30 years old this year, and Motor Trend partnered with Infiniti to celebrate and recognize the milestone by bringing together a carefully curated field of vehicles for spectator enjoyment. Last year my Integra GS-R was there. One of the vehicles on display this year was my 1994 Legend GS sedan that I’ve had for 11 years now. It looked good out there.
On the final day of my Monterey visit, I made my first visit to the WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca. I’d heard of Laguna Seca many times before, but this time – thanks to an “alumni” event sponsored by Bring a Trailer – I had a reason to pay a visit. My minivan was definitely the lamest vehicle in the spectator parking lot, but that was okay. I got to see & shake hands with some of my heroes from the BaT community including Zac Beatty who has been with the site since its early days.
All too soon, it was time to work my way to the San Jose airport but before boarding my flight, I made one more visit. I stopped by the home of my friend Kevin who’s a die-hard 2G Integra fan. Kevin currently has two of them. He and his wife (and pets!) were extremely hospitable for my drop-in.
The “Car Week” festivities never seem to disappoint. It was rewarding to get to reconnect with old friends, make a few new ones, and witness firsthand what the future holds for automotive design. Thanks for coming along for the adventure!
Acura-themed bevvies!
Hanging with Andrew from Acura Public Relations, and his wife Katie
Type S looking mean and muscular
My coworker said the headlights reminded her of Knight Rider
I was pulling up to the emissions check station for the 2-year smog check in the 1994 Vigor this morning when the odometer turned exactly 114,000.0 miles. Small miracles like that have a way of making my day.
Then I extended my arm to rest my elbow on the window sill while waiting for my turn. I’m pretty sure I got a second-degree burn from the temperature of the surface. This Phoenix heat doesn’t mess around: It’s like opening up the clothes dryer, crawling inside, and setting the timer for 40 minutes of permanent press. But that’s OK. We have the refuge of various refreshing beaches within a half-day’s drive.
My friend Dillon was paying us a visit from the east coast, all the way from North Carolina. Dillon is a long-time friend and fellow automotive enthusiast, so he was a great road-trip companion for the roughly 900-mile weekend trip to Southern California.
Our trip took us first to the exclusive and private Honda Collection Hall, located just a block from the American Honda corporate office in Torrance. I’d heard that it would be open for an informal open house / reception, and since Dillon and our other accompanying friend Joseph had never been inside, we decided to check it out.
My favorite artifact in the museum was the Laurel Blue Metallic 1990 Accord LX on display with over 1 million miles on it. That’s right – we were in the presence of high-mileage royalty: “Million Mile Joe’s” car, which made it that distance on its original engine and transmission. Joe was recognized with a parade and a free car, but unfortunately has since passed away. His Accord lives on under the caretaking hands of the curators of the museum.
Here is a video on the MMJ Accord.
No trip to CA is complete without its share of traffic, and we were dealt a hefty serving of it. It took us about 4 hours to go the < 200 miles from Los Angeles to San Diego where we’d be spending the remainder of our weekend. But the company was enjoyable and the cooler temps made for a prime opportunity to put the windows down and enjoy the scenery as we rolled southbound, with occasional views of the Pacific Ocean from Interstate 5.
We met up with another Vigor owner, Ryan, for lunch on Saturday as well as Mike with a Mustang and Jason with a Civic. It was a rare sight to see the 3 Acura Vigors in one parking lot together, and in fact, during some photos at the stadium next door after lunch, we even (unintentionally) parked them in proper order, from model years 1992, 1993, and 1994.
All said and done, the trip was just what the doctor ordered to cool us down a bit. Here is a 9-minute video celebrating the 4 years I’ve owned my Vigor (since 4th of July, 2015) as well as highlights fro the California adventure with Dillon and others. And below are some other news updates from in and around the garage.
In other car updates, the RL got a wax job and is looking great for 210,000 miles.
Recent visit from a few friends.
Supporting my friend Ethan from Hello Road with a T-shirt. Give his channel a look!
I loved this del Sol ad that I found on Facebook.
Cruising the ‘Sol with my buddy Kurt.
Musical cars.
RL at a housing development called “The New Legend.” Fitting.
Tail end of Joe’s car
A couple great cars in the museum
Beach time near Belmont Park
Dropping off Dillon at Sky Harbor on Monday night
The ‘new’ (red) SLX is coming along. I’m getting mixed reactions from followers who have kept up with the progress so far. A few have said that the vehicle would be better suited as fire kindling in the backyard given its condition.
Others are 100% supportive of continuing with restoration efforts to see what I can make of it. I don’t intend to go all-in with effort & expense. At this point the objective is just to ensure roadworthiness and make it look decent enough for a Radwood car show. I’m pretty much there. I showed it for its first time two Saturdays ago, at the Scottsdale Pavilions show on July 6.
Dining out while at the show.
Here are 2 more episodes from my YouTube if you haven’t seen them already.
Engine detail
Nice results!
New wheels
12+ new hoses thanks to Hon-Man
Should I have gone this direction with the rebuild?
The last time we talked, I was just getting ready for the third-annual WestFest NSX meet-up in Las Vegas, Nevada. I had a great time interacting with my friends and seeing some of the sights and sounds of the area. Friday, Findlay Acura in Henderson hosted us for an open house. That night, I met up with a few local friends for dinner. On Saturday, we went to Valley of Fire State Park. I explored the Strip with Chris Tobias from AcuraConnected who had flown in from Edmonton, Alberta for the occasion.
Now, are you ready for a serving of alphabet soup? Then come along for an NSX ride from NV to CA for the NTT-sponsored, IMSA-sanctioned, AGPLB. Because, YOLO! If that all flew over your head, it’s okay. I’m new to the IndyCar thing, so I still have my training wheels on.
As the successful WestFest was winding down, my 1,000-mile, 3-state weekend road trip adventure was ready to move to the next chapter. Accompanied by Chris, we saddled up in my trusty 1992 NSX and headed out on Interstate 15 to southern California bright and early on Sunday morning, April 14th. We laughed as we passed a billboard near the Nevada-California state line that read: “Get even before you get out.” Unfortunately for both of us, we left Las Vegas a little bit poorer than when we’d arrived.
Our first destination was the world’s tallest thermometer in Baker, at the gateway to Death Valley. But the real target was about 300 miles ahead: the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, an IndyCar race that’s been around since 1975 which holds an important place in the IndyCar Series as well as in southern California car culture in general. From the moment Andrew Quillin from Acura Public Relations greeted us at the entrance, the need for speed was resonating in the air, and the Acura presence was strong.
When designer Jon Ikeda took the driver’s seat of the entire Acura brand as General Manager in August 2015, he made it clear that he was looking to return the brand to a lineup worthy of its “Precision Crafted Performance” slogan from the early days in the 1980s and 1990s. Now about 4 years later, Ikeda’s influence is evident in the return of A-Spec nomenclature, a performance focus that’s derived from the NSX halo car to other vehicles in the lineup, and most importantly a revitalization and expansion of the brand’s presence in the racing industry.
My trip to Long Beach for its 45th annual Grand Prix race has solidified my conviction that Ikeda was the right man for the job. I was surrounded by the pride and innovation of the brand everywhere I looked. Acura took over title sponsorship for the event from Toyota with a 3-year commitment just earlier this year. Aside from the obvious branding and signage, there was an entire conference show hall filled with heritage Acura performance cars from over the years – preserved and displayed as a way to showcase the brand’s achievements. And that’s before Chris and I even got to see the view from the Pit Suites.
The Long Beach Grand Prix is the 4th of 17 “IndyCar Series” races during the 2019 program year. It is carried out on a series of public roads that are transformed temporarily into a racetrack for the occasion. They are the same streets, in fact, that I drive when I attend the Japanese Classic Car Show each year – hardly recognizable among all the concrete barricades and bleachers. Our perspective from the Acura Media Suite #21 faced south across Shoreline Drive – a stretch straight enough that the IndyCars are flying by at upwards of 175 miles per hour. If it weren’t for the roar of a 12,000-RPM, twin-turbocharged engine, you could blink and never know a car went by.
Just two days prior to the “official” race, NSXCA President and awarded race driver Peter Cunningham blazed around the same 1.96-mile circuit in a production-spec Thermal Orange 2019 NSX, setting a lap record and making the rest of us all feel a little more inadequate about our skills behind the wheel. The course itself has changed just slightly a few times since the 1975 inaugural year, but has been the same since 2000. There are 11 turns with little margin for error – this is a lot more high stakes than the go-kart track I used as a kid.
Chris and I joined journalists from Motor Trend, Kelley Blue Book, and The Drive, along with a handful of senior leaders and their families. It was the perfect perspective above the pits, especially being able to watch the speedy work of pit crews. A Curva Red NSX Pace Car led the way through the course initially, and then 23 drivers put the pedal to the metal IndyCars right on time at the 1:42 planned start. Luckily for us in the pit suites, we had visibility to bird’s eye and first-person camera angles on TV screens, along with live updates about the leaderboard for the 85 laps that were underway. And they went by quickly! In fact, the race took fewer than 2 hours from start to finish.
Alexander Rossi, 27, won the race with 20 second margin, his second consecutive win for the event. This wasn’t his first impressive racing feat: As a rookie in 2016, he won the Indianapolis 500. And his time behind the wheel started many years prior to that: Before he raced IndyCars, he got his childhood start championing go-karts. Rossi was up against some stiff competition, including Marco Andretti – grandson of famous racing legend Mario Andretti. It seems that an appetite for speed runs in the Andretti family.
The sights and sounds of an IndyCar race gave me a glimpse of why the racing lifestyle can be so addicting. The culture and community around the entire atmosphere provide endless entertainment even if you’re not a race fan. If you’ve never been to an event like this, I highly recommend it! Now, if only Acura had let me throw my 115,000 mile, 27-year-old NA1 NSX around the curves for a couple of laps!
Below is a 5-minute video and a series of photos from the conclusion of WestFest and the AGPLB.
Group shot from WestFest on Friday
I met up with Brad, who drove down from Boise, Idaho with his wife Linda in their immaculate Formula Red. Pictured here also is my local friend Brandon, who has a Legend and a TL-S.
Long Beach Blue is still my favorite color. Fitting that I left this event to go directly to Long Beach.
With some lovely ladies inside the dealership.
Evening meet-up at my friend Jeff’s place in North Las Vegas, with Romeo and his Legend.
Here’s Jeff, who went from a 1989 Legend to a 1993 Legend to a 2003 CL-S to a 2008 TL-S. I’ve known him for over 15 years now.
Best fajitas in town, thanks to Michoacan restaurant.
Jeff, Tyson, Nick, Brandon, Romeo
Saturday morning on the escalator with Chris and Nick
Valley of Fire drive
Group shot – I actually didn’t make it into this one!
Banquet dinner back at Gold Coast
The Bellagio casino’s fountain show was set to the Game of Thrones theme song.
Rolling 115,000 in the NSX on Sunday morning. I bought the car with 80,000 on it in 2011.
Arriving at the Acura Long Beach Grand Prix with Andrew.
Headed to the Pit Suites
Woot woot!
Andrew and his wife Katie
Marco – grandson of Mario – Andretti was one of the drivers.
Acura head of Public Relations, Matt Sloustcher, with his wife and son.
Display booth inside the convention center, complete with a 1986 Legend and 2001 Integra Type-R
Some things just get better with time. And other things, even though not “good” by many definitions, still deserve a chance for recognition and appreciation. Like this one:
Matt Farah, a notorious automotive journalist known for his podcast “The Smoking Tire,” made the comment during the closing awards ceremony at the Los Angeles Radwood show on Sunday afternoon, “To the guy with the Pontiac Bonneville SSEi, this is your show. You’ve waited your whole life for this.” And he’s right – what other car show anywhere in the world welcomes a car like an Oldsmobile Ninety Eight or a Chrysler Town & Country wood-paneled convertible?
It’s those “malaise” era cars from the 1980s and 1990s that some of us grew up behind the wheel of, I’m happy to report that my third “Radwood” car show and celebration of culture from that two-decade era was a total success. Here are write-ups from prior Radwood shows.
December 2017 – Anaheim, CA in the 1994 Legend LS coupe
This time around, I took the opportunity to debut my new (to me) 1992 Integra GS sedan that I picked up in May in Southern Utah. Of the couple hundred cars on display, I had 1 of only 2 second-generation Integras, and mine was the only 4-door “DB1” sedan version. Dominating the playing field were German cars, especially BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche. I was glad to have a little exclusivity, and at least I was able to park by some fellow Honda-heads, including David in his 1994 Legend and Mike in his 1989 Prelude.
My drive to Los Angeles was filled with traffic, rain, and traffic because of rain. All of that contributed to making my normally-six-hour-drive take about eight and a half hours. I spent a couple of days in West Hollywood part of town, including a meet-up with my friend Wyatt who has a 1997 Acura SLX that I got to drive. What a ride! It was a little clunky, top-heavy, and the transmission slipped, but it solidified my need to own one in the next year or two.
Radwood this time took place at the world-renowned Petersen Museum at the intersection of Fairfax & Wilshire just a couple of miles south of where I’d been staying in WeHo. The lineup of cars headed into the venue quickly confirmed that I’d found the right place, and the 1983 Dodge van ahead of me got me high on exhaust fumes while we idled our way to the check-in staff and were directed to parking spaces. on the upper levels of the structure. It took just a few minutes to get the car dusted off; my little Integra has only about 73,000 miles on it and has been extremely well preserved.
Throughout the day, I bounced around the parking structure interacting with friends I’ve made through the crazy automotive enthusiast network over the years. For me these events are even more about the people who attend them than about the vehicles themselves. Best of all, the 1980s and 1990s culture was well represented in forms other than the cars we’d driven: Blasting on the loudspeaker were hits from Madonna, fanny packs and bright colors were the apparel of choice, and we were surrounded for just a few hours by the carefree, big-hair, analog lifestyle of the 1980s. The chicken tenders and tater tots from the food truck weren’t bad, either.
Representing as sponsor for this event was Acura corporate, which surprised me, but I was happy to see it. Andrew Quillin from the company’s Public Relations area had brought out a red 1991 NSX, a yellow Integra Type-R, an Integra from the RealTime race campaign, and the 1995 CL-X concept car which had to be transported via mechanical means other than its own, since it doesn’t have a drivetrain. The booth drew a good amount of foot traffic throughout the day and I got the chance to briefly rub shoulders with people like Jon Ikeda who is the brand’s General Manager.
Speaking of star-studded encounters, I got to shake hands with a couple of YouTube celebrities including Ethan Tufts of Hello Road and Tyler Hoover of Hoovie’s Garage. Tyler’s channel recently hit a half-million subscribers so I congratulated him on that well-deserved accomplishment.
All too soon, it was time to wrap up the festivities at the Petersen, and Radwood’s Bradley Brownell distributed 7 awards – not just for cars, but some were for wardrobe and wheels. I rolled out of the parking garage a little before 4:00 p.m. and set my sights eastward for my 400-mile return trip. With 1990s music on the playlist, of course. Thanks for coming along!
Entering California
Traditional photo-stop in Desert Center, right off Interstate 10
Saturday morning visit to Honda’s original headquarters at 4077 Pico Boulevard (circa 1959).
The SLX and the Integra
Spotted from the parking garage by Motor1’s Steve Ewing on the way into Radwood
My friend Rob’s Legend sedan looking fantastic
I loved the gear shift lever in this Oldsmobile. It spells out “Reverse, Neutral, Overdrive,” and so on.
Does this car make you think of the movie Planes, Trains, & Automobiles?
So 80’s!
My friend Leon’s Mercedes S-Class “Grand Edition,” one of only 600 cars in that package for the year, in stunning Obsidian Black and complete with a cellular telephone. Leon was taking care of important business when I captured this photo.
Here’s Ethan from Hello Road.
My friend Serge’s 4Runner was full of period-correct swag, including a Blockbuster rental video. Be Kind, Please Rewind.
Pre-departure from the deck of the parking structure with Joseph and his amazing 1991 Integra GS.
Someone told me the other day in a text message, “You must really like cars if you’re traveling to see them.” Well, yeah! You just can’t attempt to explain an automotive obsession to someone who doesn’t understand it. And that’s okay.
I was a participant a few days ago at this year’s largest gathering of Acura NSX owners in the country, deemed NSXPO and started in the late 1990s. NSXPO is like NALM (the National Acura Legend Meet) but on a much larger (and more expensive) scale. While NALM registration for this year’s Colorado Springs event was $90, NSXPO cost $400 – and neither of those, of course, included other expenses associated with the trip: Fuel, lodging, most meals, and other incidentals. This is a spendy hobby, but I can think of no more rewarding way to invest in a good time.
NSXPO reached capacity and sold out in just a matter of days after registration went live this past May – a full 4 months in advance of the event itself. This marked my fourth NSXPO attendance, though admittedly I “cheated” and flew in for two of them:
The four core planning committee members definitely had their work cut out for them with a group of this size. Establishing logistics for an event of any size in the urban San Francisco Bay Area is a feat, let alone with over 230 people and 130 vehicles in attendance. Pictured here are the core team members (May Lee in purple, Roger Estrella and James Ubarro in orange at right, and Les Rowe – not pictured, along with NSXCA President Peter Cunningham, and special guests).
My drive took me through Los Angeles, then upward on Interstate 5 — a road I’ve come to know and love in 2018 thanks to multiple trips: Radwood, my Integra purchase, and then my Integra drive home. Beyond that, I was also just in the Bay Area for Car Week.
Unfortunately, I missed out on the first two days of this year’s event – the track days at Thunderhill Raceway. Then again, I’ve never been much of a performance driver and I have a lot to learn about pushing my car to its limits before I make a fool of myself!
For my own NSX, the trip to California was like going back home. In December 2011, I purchased the car in San Jose. It almost seemed like it was already familiar with the roads out there. After a roughly 12 hour total travel time, I arrived at our host hotel, the Hyatt Regency SF Airport, on Thursday afternoon and arranged for a few local friends to come over and hang out. We went out in downtown Burlingame that evening in my friend Ken’s 1987 Legend sedan.
On Friday morning, we braved commute traffic northbound to the Golden Gate Bridge, but it was worth it. The Golden Gate is perhaps the best-known in the SF Bay Area. When completed in 1937, it was both the longest and the tallest suspension bridge in the world, at 1.7 miles. Today it has a $30 million “zipper” movable barrier system that allows lane usage & direction to alternate.
From Horseshoe Bay, we were able to take panoramic photos of all the cars lined up together. Lunch was served up at the Presidio, with special guest speaker Graham Rahal, who has scored himself some impressive race wins during his career. Graham was the youngest person to win an American open-wheel race, at age 19, which was ten years ago.
The evening took us out across the harbor from the Embarcadero pier area – a 45 minute bus ride from our Hyatt. As dusk settled in, we were surrounded by stunning views of the illuminated city skyline from out in the water. Dinner was served and we had a short program, all while boating along on a massive ship that took us out to the Bay Bridge, around Alcatraz Island, down to the A&T Ballpark where the SF Giants were playing baseball, and then back. The round-trip adventure took about 3 hours, and the highlight was seeing our friend Randy Chua propose to his fiance. (She said yes, which was received with a round of applause).
On Saturday, the caravan of NSXs rolled out toward the high elevation community of Woodside, tucked into the mountains about 30 miles south of SF. Mountain Terrace served up a brunch menu there on the grass. Unfortunately, I had to work that morning and arrived a little too late to join in on that – so I grabbed lunch on my own across the street at a historic spot called Alice’s. It was originally constructed as a general store, but converted into a restaurant in the 1950s. Today it serves a variety of car clubs and motorcyclists year-round, which explains why two of the sandwiches on the menu are the “Yamaha” and the “Honda.” You can guess which one I ordered.
For the next hour, I pointed my NSX southbound on Skyline Drive and enjoyed the twisty roads and the scenery. One particularly fun stretch had curves that narrowed to just a single lane of traffic with speed limits at 15 miles per hour. I went a little bit faster than that. The NSX excels in such a driving environment.
By the time I arrived at our next stop, Canepa Car Museum in Scotts Valley, most of the group had already beat me there. The museum itself also doubles as a dealership, showcasing some of the finest sportscars I’ve laid eyes on.
My friend Dom made an appearance back at the Hyatt. He and I have crossed paths in social media circles for some time now, but this was our first time hanging out in person. He was in his blue 2013 ILX. I threw him the keys to the NSX and let him take it for a whirl. We finished our test drives just in time for me to quickly change into more formal clothes and get to the pavilion next to the pool. Seating was already underway for our closing dinner and awards ceremony.
We were honored to hear from Motoharu Kurosawa, otherwise known by the name Gan-San, who had an extensive professional racing career. Representatives from HART (Honda of America Racing Team) also addressed the congregation, while dinner was served. Awards were given out for the best original and best modified NSXs, and the long-awaited announcement was made regarding dates & location for next year’s event. NSXPO 2019 will be held in Washington, DC on October 9-13.
All too soon, NSXPO drew to a close and we bid farewell to some of our friends who we only get to interact with once or twice a year. I caught a few hours of shuteye and hit the road early (but not yet bright) on Sunday morning, hauling the entire 11-hour, 800-mile stint with only a few short stops. My NSX performed flawlessly and I had plenty of time to jam out to music and enjoy the drive.
Until next time!
Top level of the Hyatt in SF, full of NSXs
Pre-departure on the group drive to the Golden Gate Bridge
Rolling out
With friend and fellow automotive journalist Jason Cammisa who stopped by
Group parked at Presidio
Looks like this guy’s been to a few meets over the years!
Lunch time
My friend Ben’s 2005 Silverstone NSX-T….
…. with only 8,300 original miles!
My car with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background.
A visit from Dom and his Fathom Blue ILX 6MT
Bay Bridge
Gas station at Alice’s in Woodside
Group on the dinner cruise
View of the AT&T baseball field from our cruise
Perfect name for a road!
Curves all to myself
Having some fun near Skyline Drive
Very amazingly preserved 1991 Berlina Black NSX with Ivory interio
Jhae and his famous NSX
Lots of colorful cars out there at Canepa in Scotts Valley
A visit from David who has a Legend he showed at Radwood
Check out that yellow interior!
Driving home through some severe dust storms on the horizon
“How do you keep it smelling like that?” asked an attendee at last Saturday’s Japanese Classic Car Show in Long Beach, California, after poking his head into my 1994 Acura Vigor. “What do you mean?” I asked. “It smells just like an old Honda. It reminds me of one I used to have,” he said.
As it turns out, the “old Honda” smell conversation came up more than once – enough to make the wheels in my mind start spinning. Does the Car Freshner scent tree company need to develop a new scent, called Old Car? I call dibs on royalties for anyone who takes the idea and runs with it.
This weekend, I joined 423 other participants at the largest show dedicated specifically to Japanese classics, in the southwest region and perhaps in the country. Now in its 14th year, the show – dubbed ‘JCCS’ by long-time attendees or supporters, is now enhanced with expanded eligibility criteria. Historically, showing a 1990s car required special consideration & approval because the cutoff for allowed model years ended at 1985. Now, just about anything Japanese that’s up to & including model year 1995 is eligible. The change comes at a time when so many venues – including Radwood shows, and the recent Japanese Automotive Invitational, are starting to devote special recognition to the “Neo Classic” 80s & 90s era. Totally awesome.
JCCS took a thorough and organized approach to its execution – starting and ending on time, and even orchestrating roll-in and staging in an orderly fashion. Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised, as the Japanese (thus the reason why I drive Japan-built automobiles) are masters of precision. Volunteers guided incoming vehicles to their respective assigned areas, but the traffic jam at the gate (and on the grounds) was definitely more than the Marina Green park is probably used to seeing on a Saturday morning at 7:00.
Model Citizen‘s Patrick Strong acted as the Master of Ceremonies throughout the day, spotlighting key exhibitors, rattling off raffle ticket numbers for prize winnings, and conducting the awards presentation at the conclusion. Meanwhile, the lawn filled up with hundreds of Japan’s best creations: in all, about 150 Nissan / Datsun vehicles, 87 Toyotas, about the same number of Hondas, some Mazda, Mitsubishi, Subaru, and a lonely Isuzu in the mix. Some were stock, while others were highly modified.
As the day pressed on, I enjoyed bumping into some of the many people who make the automotive hobby such a rewarding pastime – friends from the Honda community poured in and it became a bit of a reunion for me. I partnered with my friend Mike, who drives a 1989 Prelude Si, on content for our YouTube channels and caught up with colleagues from the Legend, NSX, and Integra clubs. When the time came to grab lunch, I opted for the food truck on “vendor row” with the shortest line, which ended up being a crepe vendor. It’s the first time I can say I’ve ever eaten a crepe with bacon and avocado in it – those were two key ingredients from the “California Sunrise.”
I was, of course, wearing my “Alive With Five” T-shirt commemorating my Vigor’s 5-cylinder motor.
Car shows aren’t always about coming home with “hardware,” but it’s rewarding when the judges recognize the vehicles that stand out in exceptional ways. Winning honors in the Neo Honda & Acura category were my friend Rob Pia with his 1994 Legend LS sedan and Leon Palassanian with his 2001 Integra Type-R. While Leon’s Integra technically falls beyond the 1995 model year cutoff, because the car’s generation started in 1994, it was eligible. And at only 30,000 original miles on the odometer, it was a show-stopper and a crowd-pleaser. It was one of two Type-R models on the show field – the other was a white Canadian-spec model.
I wrapped up my trip by chauffeuring a friend to Palm Springs and having a bite to eat there, before pressing on to Phoenix. The late night drive was made better with Paula Abdul on the stereo – via cassette tape adapter, of course – with “Straight Up.” It only seems fitting that a 1988 song accompany me home from what was an incredible day embracing an iconic era for automobiles.
Here is a 7-minute video capturing some of my trip as well as the show itself. As always, pardon the amateur camera and editing quality!
And while you’re here, stop by ImportArchive.com. My friend Darren (same who prepared the digital drawings of the cars in my garage) has spent 15 years collecting and scanning brochures of Japanese automakers. I’ve contributed a few materials to his archive and I’m excited to see it grow. Downloads are made available once he gets the items digitized (over 50,000 scans are completed to date).
Spectating attendees Steve & Zac making the rounds
This is the display I made up for the Vigor – including a quote from the original sales brochure
Friends stopping by to visit.
Nice 1987 Legend on show at the Honda (sponsor) booth
David drove down from the Bay Area in his 1994 Legend LS coupe 6-speed
These folks must have been smelling that Vigor interior!
This is the 1993 Legend LS currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer website. It is stunning, and can be yours if the Price is Right!
Let’s throw some non-Hondas into the mix – I can’t only show my fave brand!
Armando’s beautiful 1974 Mazda RX-4.
Lexus SC rear ends.
Look at that Land Cruiser!
Right-hand-drive was the name of the game.
Gorgeous Honda S roadster.
My friend Chris’ 1979 Accord
My friend Hyram’s 1990 Legend
Second-generation Integra lineup
Stopping in Palm Springs on the way home to see a Legendary friend, David.
Spy shot of me thanks to James of Six Speed Blog a couple of weeks ago.
I had this little newspaper clipping from 2008 framed to hang in the house.
Junkyard sightings from last weekend: Vigor, Legend, Prelude 4WS.
Anyone catch the updates to the ILX for model year 2019? Fancy front & rear!
And finally, I was thumbing through a 30-year-old Acura brand magazine. There was an area where they highlight interesting news or reader submissions. Check out this paragraph about / by none other than Estelle Getty who played “Sophia” on Golden Girls.
drivetofive 