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Palm Springs, California: Palms to Pines Scenic Byway

Posted in California, ILX, Road Trip on October 26, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 531,659

Odometer (ILX): 101,384

Trip Distance: 660 Miles

Life begins at 100,000 miles, right? Having a now-6-figure mileage readout on the ILX doesn’t change the fact that I still need to get out of town once in awhile.

Half the fun of owning a unique automobile is interacting with other folks who drive the same make and model. For 10 years now, I’ve attended the annual National Acura Legend Meet which has been held in various cities across America each summer and in the process, I’ve made valuable friendships that endure longer than our Legends ever will. Now that I’m an Acura NSX owner, I’m also starting to get involved with a similar program called NSXPO. Last week, it was announced that NSXPO 2015 will be hosted in Palm Springs, California.

I was approached by the Director for the 2015 NSXPO about serving as drive coordinator – in other words, about being the guy in charge of the cruise route. Naturally, if it has anything to do with planning road trips, it’s a good fit for me, so I happily obliged. In order to scout out the route I’m proposing for NSXPO, I set aside this weekend to do a mock drive. A friend who’s local to the Palm Springs area, Scott, gave me the idea of California State Route 74 – also known as the “Palms to Pines” Scenic Byway. The route dates all the way back to 1934 and connects Palm Springs with Banning via a series of thrilling mountain passes and refreshing cooler temperatures.

My friend Justin and I departed from the Phoenix area on Friday afternoon, just in time to sit in seemingly endless bumper-to-bumper traffic on Interstate 10 westbound out of town. Once we’d finally freed ourselves from that mess, it was smooth sailing all the way out to our first fuel stop in Palm Desert.

Our gracious hosts Scott & Sandy allowed us the use of a condominium near their home where we checked in prior to exploring the night life of the desert resort city. The main event came the following day. After grabbing drinks & breakfast grub at “Koffi” on Palm Canyon Drive, we picked up Scott in the ILX and headed for the hills of the San Bernardino National Forest on Highway 74.

I knew the second that I saw a sign with “Avoid Overheating: Turn Off A/C Next 11 Miles,” this road was going to get technical and steep very quickly. To no surprise, the grade required frequent downshifts to 3rd gear as I pointed the ILX through the curves at 45-55 miles per hour and the road wound itself into a knot ahead of us. I took the opportunity to take a break at a pullout so that we could do a driver swap and briefly admire the view.

I nominated Scott to take some time behind the wheel so that I could better focus on the surroundings and take a few pictures. The view was incredible. Soon, we had ascended from an elevation of 440 feet all the way up to about 5,000 feet. Temperatures had fallen at least 15 degrees, and the landscape had transitioned from desert flora to oak and pine trees.

True to expectation, I did get a little motion sick as a passenger on the twisty road and I made every effort to overcome that by focusing intently on the vehicle ahead of us as well as pointing an A/C vent directly at my face so I could get some fresh air. It helped a lot. We rolled past a water storage reservoir called Hemet Lake to our left, and then soon took a right on Highway 243 which would lead us back to Interstate 10 and complete our loop.

Just 5 miles up the road, we entered the town of Idyllwild which is home to about 4,000 people and is nestled in the San Jacinto Mountains. This was a perfect chance to get out of the car and wander around in the perfect 72-degree temperatures. We found some open-air dining at a restaurant called Jo’An’s. The mozzarella sticks, avocado burger, and a Sprite helped settle my stomach greatly.

It was time for me to again take the wheel, so we saddled back up and made our way to the northwest via curvy Highway 243. A number of scenic lookouts gave us the opportunity to enjoy the views of the valley below. There were dozens of switchbacks as the road stepped down the mountainside and back toward sea level. I left the ILX in 3rd & 4th gear most of the time to keep from riding the brakes too much. By the time we arrived back in civilization in the city of Banning, Justin and I (and our stomachs) were both grateful for straight roads. We did make just one more important stop on the way back to Palm Springs: Cabazon, right off Interstate 10.

The two gigantic dinosaurs at Cabazon are named Mr. Rex and Ms. Dinny. Created in the 1960’s by portrait artist Claude Bell, these 100- and 150-ton creations have greeted visitors for decades. “Dinny” the Apatosaurus was created first and stands 45 feet tall. The T-Rex was built later. It used to have a slide built into its tail, but that was later filled with concrete. Claude at one time had wanted to make the dinosaurs’ eyes glow at night and have fire coming from their mouths, but never got around to adding that enhancement before he passed away in 1988. Today, there’s a small gift shop and museum inside Dinny.

We had a great time exploring Palms to Pines and are extremely grateful to Scott and Sandy for showing us around! Here are the rest of our pics.

Driving into the sunset on I-10. Justin, by the way, took the wheel for this stretch. I taught him how to drive a stick shift just this week! The ILX is a super easy car to learn on thanks to its light clutch and its hill-holding feature.

Golf course view from Scott’s backyard in Palm Springs.

Getting ready to hit the road, Jack. And don’tcha come back.

Highway 111 heading toward its junction with Highway 74.

After ascending a few of the twisties, a scenic lookout gave us an overview of the valley.

Twisty road below.

Heading on upward.

Roadside cafe in Paradise Valley along Highway 74 is a popular destination for motorcyclists.

Junction with Highway 243, just 5 miles from Idyllwild.

The curves never stop around here.

This town was voted “LA’s Best Mountain Getaway.”

Street parking is sparse but we found a spot to stash the ILX while we walked around.

Check it out: Polished Metal Metallic Acura ILX on the far right; my car on the far left.

Western wear store.

Dining “al fresco” in the perfect temperatures at Jo’An’s BBQ.

Lots of people enjoying the outdoors.

Back on the road again for the descent into Banning.

Scenic viewpoint parking.

Short hike to the overlook.

Smoky the Bear had a few words to say.

Departing San Bernardino National Forest on Highway 243.

Slippery when wet.

Back into the desert we go.

“Dinny” the 45-foot-tall dinosaur at Cabazon off Interstate 10.

Thanks for coming along as always!

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Long Beach, California: Japanese Classic Car Show

Posted in California, Car Show, ILX, Road Trip on September 28, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 531,568

Odometer (ILX): 97,753

Trip Distance: 770 Miles

Let’s take a moment today and appreciate our elders. Elderly vehicles, that is. Among the oldest I’ve owned (one of three 1986 models in my past) was this Montreal Blue Metallic Honda Prelude 2.0 Si, and that was 14 years ago. These pictures were taken August 26, 2000. Back then, I was collecting Preludes instead of Acura Legends. Simpler times.

For 10 years now, the Southern California community has rallied together to celebrate the heritage of vintage Japanese automobiles. This year, I made my first visit to the annual event called Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS). Registration for this year’s program opened on July 1 and was already booked to capacity by July 25! In order to qualify for entry, participating vehicles must be from pre-1985, with a few exceptions. For example, this year, JCCS allowed early 1990’s Mazda Miatas to enter as well as first generation Acura Integras.

The 6-hour drive westward on Interstate 10 started after an early departure from my office in Scottsdale on Friday afternoon. Though storm clouds in the horizon threatened to dump monsoon rains on me, the weather cooperated aside from a lot of humidity in the Palm Springs area. My ILX knows the I-10 route between Phoenix and Los Angeles very well, and I’ve grown accustomed to its 3,300 RPM whirr at 78 miles per hour in 6th gear. I had a lot of great music to accompany me, like this classic road trip anthem.

I admired the sunset and lucked out on traffic, sailing into Long Beach around 8:00 p.m. for check-in at my motel. Saturday was the big day. By 7:00 a.m. I’d driven the 6.1 miles to the Long Beach Waterfront which would shortly be overtaken by hundreds of vintage Japanese automobiles. I stashed the ILX in visitor parking and I watched as a steady line of cars & trucks – some as pristine as if they’d driven off the showroom floor, and some with nary a stitch of original architecture intact, rolled into the participant gate and into the grassy park.

By 10:00 a.m. I’d already worked up enough of an appetite to drop $14 on a basket of chicken strips and French fries from a truck-based vendor in the entrance. Ouch to my wallet, and ouch to my diet, but that greasy goodness fueled me all the way through the afternoon. I wandered among the various participating vehicles and met a few of their proud owners. Honda & Acura had a booth set up – it was the second year they’d participated – complete with various cars & motorcycles from the Honda Collection museum in Torrance. Among them, a 1979 Prelude and a 1992 NSX. I had the chance to interact with a few folks from Honda HQ who I’ve known for some time.

My focus was directed primarily to the Hondas in the show, but I couldn’t help but glance an eyeball at the bright red Lexus LFA on display (“How’d that get in here?” I thought). I saw some truly amazing rides: A 47,000-mile all-original 1986 Prelude, my friend Armando’s ultra clean 1974 Mazda RX-4, an extremely rare 1976 Mazda Cosmo, and a dealership fresh Toyota Corona.

Amidst all the chaos, I received a visit from my friend Davis who’s recently moved into the Long Beach area from his former home in Atlanta. We wandered over to take a closer look at the RMS Queen Mary. Long Beach is home to this a 1,000-foot-long ocean liner from 1934 that went into service in 1936 and been parked at the harbor since 1967. Queen Mary’s size makes her a couple hundred feet longer than Titanic, even. Today, the ship has been converted into a hotel & museum. I want to stay there someday!

The good news came around 2:45 p.m. when we learned that my friends Scott & Sandy (who I featured in a blog post back in March) had been awarded “Best in Show” for their immaculately restored white 1965 Honda S600 Roadster. Scott is pictured above with the car. The Roadster was one of 3 vehicles that he and Sandy had entered, alongside a red 1965 right-hand-drive S600 Coupe and a “pop orange” 1972 Z600. All of them got a great deal of attention throughout the day. I’ll never forget one wide-eyed spectator, who took a look at the Coupe and said, “This car gives me goosebumps.” He really did have goosebumps on his arm. Ha!

The capstone to our amazing day was when I got to have dinner with a celebrity: famed racecar driver Peter Cunningham (above), known for having achieved 91 professional race wins since the 1980’s. Peter and his company, RealTime Racing, have been key players in Honda & Acura performance world. Cunningham is still at it, with a full race-equipped Acura TLX that was on display at the car show. We dined with a few other friends at Federal Bar in downtown Long Beach. I said my farewells a little after 7 p.m. and started the long journey home to Scottsdale.

Thanks to those who made it such a great weekend! Here are the rest of my pics for your viewing enjoyment.

Pit stop in Desert Center, CA: Home to rusted pumps and an abandoned restaurant.

Sunset approaching the Los Angeles area.

Saturday morning arrival at the Long Beach Cruise Terminal, home of the RMS Queen Mary.

Entryway to the Japanese Classic Car Show, with a lineup of Honda CRXs.

My friend Chris Hoffman’s immaculate 1987 CRX Si. He’s the original owner, and the car has just 109,000 miles on its odometer.

Couple of sexy looking Nissans.

Here’s a closer look at Honda/Acura’s booth.

Trio of Toyota Celicas.

Scott was busy all day telling the story of his gorgeous 1965 S600 Coupe.

Perfect day at the Long Beach Waterfront to look at some nice cars.

My friend Chris Green’s 1986 Honda Prelude. Just 47,000 miles on this beauty here.

I especially enjoyed some of the visual aids he’d put together.

I got to tool around in this little thing for a bit. It’s Scott’s 1972 Honda Z600. 4-speed manual and an absolute riot to drive.

Armando and his 1974 Mazda RX-4.

Another amazing Accord: This one, a rare 2-speed “Hondamatic” 1979 sedan owned by the same Chris with the blue Prelude.

Just view that plush interior!

Ever seen a 9,500 RPM redline? This is the gauge cluster from Scott’s red 1965 S600 Coupe. Love that wood wheel.

Another one from Chris Hoffman: His 1980 Accord with just 18,000 miles on it. Frequently (as in the case with my friends) participants enter multiple vehicles.

Visiting the Queen, with my friend Davis.

Someday I’m going back for a tour of this thing!

Hope you all enjoyed coming along!

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Motor City Masters: Hollywood, CA TV Show Finale in the ILX

Posted in California, ILX, Road Trip on August 28, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (ILX): 94,087

Trip Distance: 780 Miles

What started as the location of a single adobe hut in 1853 has grown to become one of most recognized and prominent places in the world because of its ties to the motion picture industry. Its name was coined by a man named H.J. Whitley who bought a 500-acre range there in February 1887 and filed the deed with the Los Angeles County Recorder’s Office with the name specified. Hollywood merged with the City of Los Angeles in 1910 and has since grown to become one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in LA. As of the 2008 census, it was home to over 22,000 people per square mile! Let’s go there.

Motor City Masters is a Hollywood-based reality TV show centered around automotive design. Automotive spy photographer Brenda Priddy invited me to accompany her to an exclusive Hollywood party in connection with a viewing of the show’s final episode. The concept of MCM is pretty simple: What started as a group of 10 automotive designers was whittled down via elimination in various design events to just two finalists: Bryan Thompson and Camilo Pardo, pictured below. The winner at the end of the series would receive $100,000 cash and a 2014 Chevy Camaro Z28.

I took a half day off work on Tuesday so that I’d be able to cruise out to southern California for the occasion. The drive from the Phoenix area to Hollywood takes about 6 hours and is spent almost entirely on Interstate 10. Miraculously, I hit zero traffic delays until just 4 miles before my scheduled exit on Highway 101. Making my way northbound on Gower Street, the white HOLLYWOOD sign that I’ve seen so many times before on movies and in TV was there ahead of me in the distance, plain as day. The challenge was getting anywhere near it! Look at these loop-de-loop residential roads!

Talk about a maze. Plus, what the map there doesn’t convey is that the roads in most cases are barely wide enough to fit a single car through, and the turns are tight with blind corners. Topping that off, the grades are steep. My Garmin Nuvi GPS unit had to recalculate a couple of times before I found the party house location.

Along the way, though, I did happen to cross right through Lake Hollywood Park which had a perfect viewpoint of the Hollywood sign. Did you know that the letters in the Hollywood sign are each 45 feet tall? That’s four stories! The sign was originally constructed in 1923 and it said “HOLLYWOODLAND” to advertise a new housing development. In 1949, the “Land” part was dropped, and by 1970 the sign had deteriorated badly. It was restored in 1979 to its current condition.

The party I attended was hosted by a man named Axel who has a beautiful glass-walled, modern home overlooking the city with a pool in the backyard. Weather was perfect and the amenities were top notch. Best of all, I got to meet a couple of the show’s cast members. We watched the final Motor City Masters episode, but were disappointed to learn that “our” pick – Bryan – ended up in 2nd place. In the end, though, he still came out ahead. Bryan had struck a dealer with Camilo earlier in the show: Whoever won first place would get the cash, while the second place winner would get the car. Bryan plans on selling the Camaro and allocating the funds to a scholarship fund for design students. Pretty cool of him!

I eventually broke away from the party in anticipation of a long night’s drive ahead. Once I got past the Palm Springs area, I felt like I was all alone with the truckers out on I-10 in the desert. I passed dozens of them. The interstate was smooth sailing, though. Even though it’s taxing at times, I like to drive at night just because it’s cooler out and there’s less traffic to deal with. Of the 15,605 songs on my 80-gig iPod Classic, this one randomly came on at 1:53 in the morning. Fitting.

Give it a listen. I rolled into my driveway around 2:45 in the morning, tired from a long day but feeling like it was all worth it! Here are the rest of my pics. Enjoy, and thanks for coming along!

Approaching the Hollywood sign

Making my way up the steep, curvy neighborhood roads

Hollywood Lake Park

More views from the park

Heavy tourist activity around here

Looking to the southeast

Arriving at Axel’s place for the party

Brenda, who’d invited me to the party

You can see the Hollywood sign from the house

Acura-only parking! My friend Scott parked behind me in his RDX, and my friend Chris parked behind him in a TSX.

Watching the show.

Another angle

Kevin and Bryan, both cast members from the show (goofing off!)

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10th Annual National Acura Legend Meet – Part 2

Posted in California, NALM on July 28, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend coupe): 531,277

Odometer (Legend sedan): 146,014

My favorite comment of the entire second day of NALM was: “Look, it’s the rolling retirement home!” when Kevin’s 1994 sedan “Old War Horse” pulled into the Islands Restaurant parking lot in Thousand Oaks, California. Kevin and Alan had a good laugh about it. They do pride themselves in being among the most distinguished of Legend enthusiasts.

No NALM is complete without a chance to put our cars’ suspensions to the test. Tommy was the ring leader for Saturday’s canyon drive, having traversed the two-laners between in the Santa Monica Mountains many many times in the past. He took the lead in his Canterbury Green Legend sedan as we rode out of the Hampton Inn in Thousand Oaks. My friend Stephen took the copilot seat in the Legend coupe. I hoped for the best with my clutch, knowing full well that it (being the original to the car) was hanging on for dear life. I had no intention of driving aggressively but still wanted to at least keep up with the pack.

Tommy picked a great road: never-ending twists on Mulholland Drive with scenery that delivered awesome views. Not that I was paying much attention to the scenery – my eyes were instead glued to Duane’s Legend GS sedan in front of me. I got a howl or two out of my Michelin tires. Sergey who was following me noted (not surprisingly) a lot of body roll from my car. Soon we reached the crest and began our descent to sea level. Blue skies gave way to an overcast marine layer, but temperatures were comfortable and Stephen and I rolled the windows and sunroof down to enjoy it.

Our destination for lunch was Neptune’s Net, a famous seafood place along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Famous, I say, because it was featured in the movie The Fast and the Furious. We did our best to safely park 25+ Legends along the highway before running across four lanes of traffic and settling into the two tables on the outside patio which Gabe, our ring leader, had graciously reserved for us in advance. The fish tacos were calling my name so that’s what got my vote on the menu. Aside from being completely covered in cilantro which is one food I’m not a fan of, they were delicious. I also sampled some of Ben’s French fries and Stephen’s chicken strips. Fried food seems to be something that Neptune’s does well!

Gabe handed me a walkie talkie and assigned me as one of the shepherds for our next stretch of road. I obediently waited until most of the group had rolled out, then took to the wheel and confirmed that all of the cars in our caravan were accounted for. One unlucky Legend owner was shortly thereafter pulled over for a window tint violation, but otherwise the drive southbound on Pacific Coast Highway went well. A left hand turn on Kanan Road took us back up and over the Santa Monica Mountains and toward Highway 101. We had an appointment at a dyno shop so that some of the Legend owners could evaluate performance of their motors by testing them for horsepower and torque. I had a close call with a concrete parking curb that started to pull my front bumper off after catching an underside splash shield, but survived the incident and it’s hardly detectable that it ever happened.

Once again we braved Los Angeles traffic upon departure. I’ve decided that the 405 and 101 freeways are rarely flowing without incident. Our evening was relaxed, with a dinner reservation at Islands Restaurant just a few miles from the host hotel in Thousand Oaks. The special treat later that night was when Legend owners started throwing their car keys at me and letting me take their cars for test drives. One thing I love about being a part of this car enthusiast community is the level of pride that each owner takes in his or her vehicle. And despite the fact that we all drive the same model of car, I felt like each one had a unique personality and feel. Huge thanks to Duane, Dave, Alex, TJ, James, and Evan for entrusting me behind the wheel of their babies. This is a pic with long-time friend Denny.

On Sunday morning, we made our way to a weekly event in Woodland Hills called Supercar Sunday. When our group of Legends pulled into the mall parking lot around 8:00 a.m., the area was already nearly full of a wide variety of show cars. We got a sneak peek at a new Dodge Challenger Hellcat, got up close and personal with a suicide door 1967 Lincoln Continental with laser-sharp paint work and body panels, and even a couple of 1981 Deloreans. My favorite car, though, was a Sebring Silver 1992 Acura NSX parked up the row a little bit. Super clean with only 65,000 miles on the odometer, I could tell it was well cared for. We weren’t looking over it longer than 2 minutes when the proud owner, Yoav, came up to give us the story on it. He is the editor of Petrolicious and has had a lot of nice cars in his automotive past, but he says the NSX is something special. He took a few moments to gaze upon our lineup of cars and introduce himself to our group. Thanks, Yoav, for your time! Here I am with Ben, and with Yoav’s 1992 NSX.

Gabe took the floor back at the Hampton and conducted an awards ceremony. Alex Alperovich swept 3 categories in his Milano Red 1994 LS coupe: Most Potential, Longest Drive, and “Sleeper.” His trophy collection is expanding quickly! Gabe raffled off a number of Legend-related prices. When he pulled two jugs of Honda “Type 2” coolant out of a box and put them on the counter, the collective crowd said, “Oooooooh!” Everyone wanted those. Duane from Folsom, CA was the lucky winner in that case.

Chris and I were rip-raring to hit the highway and head east, so we grabbed some Del Taco and did just that. I got used to seeing my Legend GS sedan in my rearview mirror for the next 7 hours or so. The big surprise was about 90 minutes into the drive when I received a text message with, “You just passed us!” One of the NALM attendees was driving along (in a non-Legend) on Freeway 210 and had spotted Chris and me driving along. Sure enough, I later received a picture he’d taken of us. Talk about timing!

Our drive through the I-10 desert was uneventful aside from some raindrops in Palm Springs and some haze climbing out of the Indio valley to Chiriaco Summit. It was great to get home! Many, many thanks to the NALM ground team (Gabe, Tommy, Graeme, and whoever else may have played a role) for their efforts in pulling off a great event.

Awards Summary:

Best Sleeper, Most Potential, Longest Drive: Alperovich (Alex )
Lowest Mileage: ArizonaLegend (Chuck)
Highest Mileage: Tyson
Cleanest USDM: SteveC (Steve)
Cleanest JDM: Sergey (not on forum)
Lowest Ride: Juan (not on forum)
Honorable Mention: Tyson
Best in Show G1: Mikeo (Mike)
Best in Show G2: Davecfprez (Dave)
Best in Show RL: 1BadKA9RL (Eric)

Here are the rest of my pictures. There will, soon I’m sure, be photos posted here on the forums too.

Video! Footage is courtesy of Chris.

Two “canyon run” videos from Sergey who was following me.

My Legend sedan, Ben’s 1992 LS coupe, and Alan with his 1994 LS coupe.

Dave’s award-winning (“Best JDM”) 1994 GS sedan 6-speed with only 98,000 miles.

Alan’s coupe again. Just love that paint color.

Saturday morning’s rollout to the canyon cruise.

Arrival at Neptune’s Net in Malibu.

Chowing down on some of the west coast’s best seafood.

Alex and Chris decided to climb down to the beach and get wet in the Pacific.

Looking back at Neptune’s.

Ben taking a picture of me, taking a picture of him.

Group overlooking the Pacific.

Heading out again – this time, off to the performance/dyno shop in Van Nuys.

This photo captured by Sergey’s brother along Pacific Coast Highway.

Getting dyno tested!

Group of onlookers.

Sunday morning’s view out room 245 of the Hampton Inn. A glorious sight indeed.

Traditional “trunk liner” signing with Kevin from Duluth, GA. Each of the last 3 years, I’ve left a special inscription in silver Sharpie on the fabric that covers the underside of his trunk lid. It’s a tradition we will continue to carry on.

Thanks, Kevin, for the privilege!

Chris getting a feel for the coupe.

Southeast Acura Legend guys: Alex (FL), Alan, (FL), Tyson, Evan (TN), and Kevin (GA).

Me with Alex. Showing off my two awards from the ceremony.

Headed home on I-10 with Chris in our twin Legends. This shot taken during a fuel-up near Palm Springs.

A hot entry into the Arizona state line from Blythe, CA. Welcome home!

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10th Annual National Acura Legend Meet – Part 1

Posted in California, NALM on July 25, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend sedan): 145,443

Odometer (Legend coupe): 530,701

I can’t believe I’ve been going to NALM for 10 years now! Each time I come to this event it’s a giant family reunion.

Along with a few other long-distance travelers, I made a 430-mile drive across the hot desert from Phoenix and arrived in Thousand Oaks, California around 6:45 p.m. on Thursday evening, just in time for the meet & green and kick-off activities. Master of Ceremonies Gabe Teran had developed a Legend-specific trivia game for the 30 or so participants in attendance. Our brains were racked as he asked for specifications like horsepower and torque figures and year-over-year model changes. I admit that even I, after having owned 9 Legends, could not answer many of his detailed inquiries!

It was a comfortable 72 degrees in the parking lot when we were outside shooting the breeze later in the evening. Such a refreshing break from the oven that is my home.

Here are a few photos from that day’s westward drive on Interstate 10. Thanks to TJ for capturing this one of Chris (in my sedan), me (in my coupe) and Alex on the road.

It’s a trip to watch my own car come up in the sideview mirror.

Lunch at Carl’s Junior in Quartzsite, just about 19 miles before crossing into California. Chuck’s car, at far left, is a 1993 LS coupe 6-speed with only 31,000 miles on it.

Fueling up in Palm Desert, CA. At one point on the trip, the 4 of us compared gas mileage and discovered that my GS sedan got the best of the group. Here are the quantities of gasoline each of our cars took to drive the same distance (roughly 130 miles).

Chris – 4.2 gallons
Alex – 4.77 gallons
Tyson – 4.72 gallons
Chuck – 4.8 gallons

Alex stopped to get a picture at the border to CA. He drove his car about 2,600 miles to get to this event.

Chris and I with an enthusiastic thumbs up after enduring some HEAVY delays on freeways 210, 134, and 101 approaching Thousand Oaks. Kicking at a clutch pedal gets kind of old when you’re rolling in stop and go traffic!

Today, Friday, was where the fun really got started. After feeding on breakfast from Hampton Inn, I headed out solo toward the American Honda main office in Torrance. Traffic on the 405 freeway was, not surprisingly, flowing at a crawl or not at all. I pulled up behind a Silver Moon Acura ILX at one point and it ended up being a couple of guys from Acura’s advertising agency, Mullen. Sure enough, they parked right near me at the visitor lot at the Honda office.

A Crimson Garnet ILX 6-speed was sitting on display in the lobby.

I had a nice visit with Vince Manganiello from Acura Public Relations.

Sadly, during my visit I received a parking violation from Corporate Security for backing my car in! Apparently that’s not allowed. Lesson learned. The best part was that the officer filled in “2000” as the year of my car. Hey, I guess it looks 6 years newer than it is!

Next, it was time to cruise .8 miles down the road to the private Honda Collection Hall: A facility where Honda has stashed away one-off and early production vehicles that are notable in the history of the Honda/Acura brands. The gang of Legend drivers had already arrived – when I pulled into the parking lot, the Legends lined the parking lot as far as the eye could see. Dave Heath who oversees the Auto Shows & Exhibits for Honda was kind enough to give our group some great background. Then, he turned us loose to explore the facility and check out the cars. Special vehicles of note were a yellow Integra Type R with only a few thousand miles on it, and the first ever 1994 Honda Accord built.

We pulled our Legends around to the back of the building for a photoshoot at a loading dock. By 2:30 p.m., we were ready to roll out en masse and return to our host hotel in Thousand Oaks. Traffic was the pits, as expected, but everyone made the 55 or so mile drive back safely (though it took almost two hours).

Here are some stats about the cars:

28 Legends, representative of first, second, third, and fourth generations
14 second generation Legend coupes
9 second generation Legend sedans
13 manual transmission cars
2 original owner cars: Ben with a 1992 LS coupe and Steve with a 1995 L sedan

Grab bag of pics to follow! Hope those of you who weren’t able to attend in person will enjoy these.

Chris’ arrival at the hotel.

Chris Martin, Tyson, Vince Manganiello

Chuck’s shirt reads “You’re Looking at a Legend.”

1986 Legend sedan on display

Thumbs up!

Catered lunch

Acura RLX on display outside. The RLX is Legend’s successor. I got the chance to drive & review one last year.

Dave, Tyson, Penny, and Ben

Checking out the Phoenix Red 1991 Legend coupe. It had only 300 miles on it!

Dave getting comfortable in the 1991 NSX. Looks good on you, Dave!

Dave also wins the award for coolest – er, hottest – engine bay. He has airbrushed flames!

Photoshoot from behind the museum.

I couldn’t even fit all the cars in the camera viewfinder!!

I got to ride in the backseat of my own car on the way to tonight’s dinner at Toppers Pizza. I like being chauffeured around!

Dinner group 1

Dinner group 2

It’s been a phenomenal day with friends! Stay tuned — tomorrow we’re taking a drive up the canyons!

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Acura ILX + TL Drive to Death Valley National Park, California

Posted in California, ILX, National Parks, Nevada, Road Trip on July 20, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (ILX): 89,689

Odometer (Legend): 530,150

Trip Distance: 901 Miles

“This could be scary,” Sofyan mumbled as we rolled our suitcases up the front walkway to Longstreet Inn & Casino in Amargosa Valley, Nevada. The hotel, visible for miles on Highway 373 in the barren desert, had loomed like an oasis on the horizon while we approached it (photo below). The sound of country music and horribly off-key karaoke filled the air while I and my 3 traveling colleagues checked into our rooms for the night’s stay. We were weary from a full day of adventure in Death Valley National Park, one of the country’s most oft-overlooked and yet most scenic landscapes. And the evening’s agenda was just what we needed to unwind: A dip in the pool, a home-cooked meal topped off by apple pie, and the clearest nighttime sky I’ve seen in a long time – with stars so visible it was as if we’d pulled them closer to earth.

“Death Valley” sounds like such an enticing place to visit in the middle of the summer, doesn’t it?

On July 10, 1913, a record 134 °F (56.7 °C) was measured at the Weather Bureau’s observation station at Greenland Ranch (now the site for the Furnace Creek Inn), the highest temperature ever recorded in the world.Daily summer temperatures of 120 °F (49 °C) or greater are common, as well as below freezing nightly temperatures in the winter^. July is the hottest month, with an average high of 115 °F (46 °C) and an average low of 88 °F (31C (reference).

The area was named a national monument in 1933 and became a national park in 1994. It receives nearly a million visitors annually. Death Valley got its name from prospectors who passed through the area in 1849 when the California gold rush took place, though reportedly only one death took place. My first and only experience with the area was in August 2011 in the Legend coupe when I paid a visit to a close friend and automotive spy photographer Brenda Priddy who spends her summers there.

Joining me for this trip were a few friends. Sofyan, host of the 2theRedline YouTube auto review channel, had flown in from Washington, D.C. for the occasion, and my local friend Peter also came along.

Our day started out in Las Vegas, a city that never sleeps. Glassy-eyed and a bit tired from a night out on the town, we made our way to Johnny Rockets for delicious Belgian waffles with strawberries & whipped cream. That sugar rush was enough to bring me to my senses. Jason Pawela from Driven for Drives arrived and we set out with his 2010 Acura TL and my 2013 Acura ILX in search of some adventures. Highway 160 – “Blue Diamond” took us westward toward Pahrump, Nevada. A slow-moving 65 mph limit felt like it should have been 85 mph: The arrow-straight highway made its way through the desert and Sofyan, who’s visiting from Washington, D.C., commented on the landscape. “So what IS a tumbleweed?” he asked. Oh, you city folks!

A little beyond Pahrump, we took a left on Highway 190 toward Death Valley National Park. A few brave travelers – most from other countries, it seemed – joined us at the entrance sign for pictures. Our first stop was at Furnace Creek. It’s a place with $5.56 premium Chevron gas and a breeze that feels like a blow dryer in your face. We were able to find a saloon/restaurant – “49er” — serving up lunch so we were grateful for the opportunity to refill our bellies. All four of us ordered the exact same meal: Turkey club w/o red onion. It hit the spot. A stop at the national park visitor center was in order, so we could pay our $20/car entry fee and legalize our visit. A sign inside the gift shop announced: Heat-Related Deaths Since April 2014: 2. That’s a sobering thought.

Peter, Sofyan, Tyson, Jason

Jason and I swapped car keys and headed out toward Badwater Basin, some 17 miles away. Badwater is the lowest elevation point in North America, at 282 feet below sea level. I enjoyed seat-time in the 305-horsepower TL with its 3.7 liter V6. Torque for days! The sound system and level of refinement were clearly superior to the ILX, but I did briefly miss the more nimble feel of my smaller sedan. Regading Badwater: Legend has it that a traveler once got to this point and was severely dehydrated. He could not even get his horse to drink from the shallow pool because the water was so salty. Thus the place was named “bad water” and it stuck. Receiving fewer than 2 inches of rain per year, Badwater is one of the driest places in the world. We hiked out a little and Jason filled a Ziploc bag with sand, then we gratefully sought refuge from the oven inside our nicely air conditioned Acura sedans.

Just 85 miles from Badwater stands the tallest mountain in the contiguous 48 U.S. states, called Mount Whitney (14,505 feet). You may recall a trip from last summer when Jason and I drove the highest elevation paved road in North America: Mount Evans in Colorado, at 14,265 feet. I would have loved to visit Mount Whitney if time permitted.

We wanted to make sure and take home some Death Valley dust on our cars, and I knew just the place to find it. “20 Mule Team Road,” just a few miles from Furnace Creek, is an amazing one-lane, one-way dirt track that winds for 2.7 miles along some terrain that looks like another planet. Jason and I weren’t afraid of doing a little off-roading. In fact, after our first lap of Mule Team, we switched drivers. Sofyan drove the ILX and Peter drove the TL – and we did it all over again. Kicking up dust in style.

The last place I wanted to check out was Stovepipe Wells, a small settlement about 23 miles north of Furnace Creek. It’s nestled in between expansive sand dunes. As we approached, it was evident that the wind activity was high because of the wisps of sand sweeping across the roadway. Because of Death Valley’s notoriety as one of the hottest climates in the world, it is an optimal place for automakers to test out the durability of prototype / pre-production vehicles. Sure enough, as Sofyan pulled my ILX into the parking lot at Stovepipe Wells, we spotted 3 white 2016 model year GMC Canyon Diesels out for evaluation. I picked up 2 Gatorades for $3 – best purchase of the day by far. I was parched.

We made our way out of the park on Highway 127 just as the sun dipped down in the western sky. We got a few photos at the California/Nevada state line and then made our entrance into the Longstreet for the night. A great day with great friends.

Enjoy this video and the rest of these pictures from our trip!

Peter at the wheel of the ILX; Sofyan in the backseat

Backseat vantage point: something I’m not used to seeing!

Sunset over the Hoover Dam bypass bridge at the AZ/NV state line

View from our hotel in Las Vegas: Excalibur

Catching the water show at Bellagio

Saturday morning: A destination in mind

Ruins in an abandoned Nevada town

Next stop: Furnace Creek

Thanks to Jason for some awesome “rolling shots” of the ILX

We made it

Sign reads: CAUTION! EXTREME HEAT DANGER

Elevation: Sea level as we made our way toward Furnace Creek

How’s $5.59/gallon for Premium sound?

Lunch spot

A brisk 115 degrees Fahrenheit at the National Park Visitor Center

Although, the ILX only showed 113 degrees at the time

Shot of the ILX in the TL sideview mirror

Warning at Badwater Basin. “Walking after 10 a.m. not recommended.”

Checking out the sights, 282 feet below sea level.

Pit stop along the “20 Mule Team Canyon” trail.

Hitchhiking due to broken down Acuras. Not.

Stovepipe Wells

GMC Canyon Diesel prototype that was out for hot-weather testing near Stovepipe

Crossing back into Nevada from California for the night

Sunday morning’s return drive to Phoenix: Gigantic cow

And the world’s largest firecracker!

Thanks for coming along!

9 Comments »

Throwback Thursday: Meguiar’s HQ Meet 2008

Posted in California, Legend, Road Trip, Throwback on March 27, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 529,050

Odometer (ILX): 71,848

Anyone who’s ridden in my Legend knows that I’m a clean freak when it comes to my car. My friend Alex one time gave me a pair of booties that I could slip over my shoes before getting into the car. Was it a joke or was he serious? I guess I’ll never know. Years ago, I even bought a roll of protective “dealer plastic” on Ebay that I keep over the carpet on the door entry areas.

Here’s part of my current detailing arsenal.

From a young age, my dad instructed me in the ways of car finish maintenance. Our car care products were always Meguiar’s brand. Did you know that Meguiar’s has been around since 1901? It’s no wonder they’ve mastered the right types of products for keeping a vehicle looking its finest.

Six years ago, in March 2008, I traveled from Phoenix, Arizona to Irvine, California (roughly 800 miles round-trip) to attend a detailing seminar at the Meguiar’s US headquarters. There are some photos I captured while en route on westbound Interstate 10.

Upon arrival in Orange County, I met up with two fellow Legend fans: Penny and Steve.

Penny drives the Sherwood Green 1994 Legend GS sedan 6-speed, and Steve drives the Taffeta White 1995 Legend L sedan automatic. Believe it or not, Steve bought that Legend brand spanking new and he still drives it today.

Penny, double-chinned Tyson, and Steve.

Here are some photos from a similar meet that had been held the year prior.

What are your car detailing products of choice?

2 Comments »

ILX Drive: Los Angeles, California

Posted in California, ILX, Road Trip on March 23, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 529,038

Odometer (ILX): 71,667

Trip Distance: 764 Miles

Anyone hungry? I know where you can find a donut that’s 32 feet in diameter.

This weekend, I hit the highway and headed to the Golden State. It only takes me about 6 hours to get from my house to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, sometimes it can then take 6 hours to get from the suburbs of LA into LA, but that’s another story altogether. Gotta love southern California traffic sometimes. It was a great couple days of fun in the sun for me and for a few friends. My friend Jeff was visiting from Calgary, Alberta so we had coordinated the weekend around his visit.

My Acura ILX knows Interstate 10 well, having traversed that road just a couple of weeks ago for the visit to Palm Springs, California. I threw the gear selector into 6th and sailed off at 3,200 RPM with a full tank of gas. My only two stops on the drive out were in Quartzsite, Arizona (for string cheese and a Muscle Milk – some of my preferred road trip snacks), and Palm Desert, California (for a 91-octane gas stop at Chevron and a bite to eat at Burger King). One thing I noticed as I descended toward sea level was the tangible power gain from the ILX 2.4 liter. Its 201 horses seem to breathe a little easier at that elevation.

I’ll highlight just a few of the memorable activities from the weekend. I’m a huge Back to the Future fan, having seen each of the 3 movies in the series probably a dozen or more times. Next year on October 21, 2015, I better be doing something exciting because that’s the date that Marty McFly traveled to when he departed from 1985. I recently learned of the real-world locations of some of the movie’s scenes. One of them was the McFly house in Pacoima, California not far from Interstate 5, pictured here in a screen capture as part of “Lyon Estates.”

Determined to scout this out, I headed up I-405 first thing on Saturday morning to cross that off my list. Traffic, thankfully, was flowing smoothly throughout the day – I must’ve gotten lucky. The early morning ‘marine layer’ had yet to burn off so it looked a bit overcast, but temperatures were in the mid-60’s and it was a perfect morning to do a little sightseeing. Finding the McFly home was a piece of cake since I had the address in-hand. As I rounded the corner onto Roslyndale Avenue, the street immediately looked familiar to me. It didn’t look like anyone was home, so I pulled the ILX into the driveway for 30 seconds and snapped a photo.

Here’s the movie screenshot and my own version below it.

Mission: Accomplished. Next up, I headed southbound on I-5 and made a special visit in Orange County about 60 miles later. My friend Mark in Laguna Hills had invited me over to pick up a few Acura goodies he wanted to part with. He hooked me up with an OEM car cover for the 91-95 Legend coupe, a 1991 Legend sedan promotional brochure, and an Acura banner. Score!

Back in the saddle I went, ricocheting northbound on I-5 again. (I probably drove 150 miles without even leaving the Los Angeles Metro area that morning.) I met up for lunch with my friend and colleague Vince who works in Acura Public Relations. I’ve interacted with him on the ALV program and most recently at the Detroit Auto Show. It was great to catch up with him. Our lunch locale of choice was a cozy retro diner in Culver City called Dinah’s. I do highly recommend the mushroom burger & sweet potato fries!

The ocean beckoned, so for the rest of my day I joined up with Jeff and others for an afternoon at Manhattan Beach. While parking was a bit of a challenge (and it doesn’t help that I won’t settle for just any parking space), I got settled in and tried my hand at a couple games of beach volleyball. We all enjoyed a beautiful sunset from the pier later that evening.

This morning, my friends and I had breakfast at 26 Beach in Venice, known for its varieties of French toast. After that, I had to stop by Randy’s Donuts on La Cienega in Inglewood for a photo-op. Randy’s dates back to 1953 and its Wiki page talks about 16 movies that it’s been featured in, including Iron Man 2. Here’s a picture of Tony Stark reclining inside the donut from Iron Man 2.

And my ILX pictured there earlier today.

My last stop before taking off for home was a car show sponsored by 742 Marketing that my friend Aaron had invited me to. Aaron’s ILX was one of over 200 vehicles registered. His ILX is vastly different from any other. It started out as a bone stock Bellanova White 6-speed, but he’s since customized it with a custom quad exhaust, sport suspension, aftermarket wheels, and many other enhancements. His next upgrades will be made under the hood, as he told me he’s hoping to hit “beyond 400” horsepower. You go Aaron!

I pulled off a 33.1 mpg overall trip, not too shabby considering some more-spirited-than-normal driving in LA to take advantage of that great sea-level performance. Another fun weekend road trip in the books. The long, straight stretch of Interstate 10 through the desert was a fine place to spend Sunday afternoon. Thanks for tagging along!

The rest of my trip’s pics will follow in sequential order. First was my dinner stop in Palm Desert on Friday.

Here’s what the Back to the Future street looks like. Familiar to anyone else?

The famous house. I wonder if there’s a DeLorean in the garage.

Thanks, Mark, for this awesome Acura banner! It will go in the garage soon.

I spy! Check out that Silver Moon ILX Hybrid on Interstate 405. I spotted about half a dozen ILXs on the road during my travels in/around Los Angeles.

A couple of GPS screen shots to consider. It’s not uncommon to see 7-lane-wide freeways in LA. Each of the “up” arrows on my Garmin Nuvi meant that I was okay to be in any of the 5 center lanes.

What a mess of cities!

Lunch at Dinah’s in Culver City, famous for its fried chicken since 1959.

The place was bustling at noon on a Saturday.

Mushroom & Swiss = top notch.

Notice the “Culver City” signage in the background in my picture here with Vince. He knows a lot about the history of the area and its infrastructure.

Off to the beach. I actually took this picture so that I could remember where I had parked.

A little beach volleyball with Andrew, Jeff, and Rick.

Typical layout of homes in Manhattan Beach.

Sunset was phenomenal.

This is a tunnel that goes under the runways at LAX International Airport on Sepulveda Boulevard.

Venice, California, for this morning’s breakfast meet-up.

Which of these 18 different types of French toast would you pick?

I went with the Lemon Curd. It tasted as great as it looked.

Randy’s! It’s too bad I was already full of French toast or I would have eaten a donut. Or two or three.

Aaron’s custom ILX 2.4 liter at the 742 Motoring Car Show.

Not bad MPG’s on this old ride.

Sayonara until next time!

8 Comments »

ILX Visit to Palm Springs, California: Scott & Sandy’s Car Collection

Posted in California, ILX, Reader's Ride, Road Trip on March 9, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 528,906

Odometer (ILX): 69,807

Trip Distance: 562 Miles

Lydia’s glistening chrome bumper winked at me with a flash of reflective sunlight from the parking lot outside her garage. I approached her and admired her 225 inches of reflective Willow Mist metallic paint, highlighted by chrome trim that pierced my eyes with gleaming Palm Springs sunshine. Lydia was a sassy 1963 Buick Electra 225.

I gave the heavy driver’s door a tug and climbed inside, then took a deep breath while she transported me 51 years into the past. The switches, the fabrics, the smells — everything true and perfect according to factory-spec equipment. Then I looked down at the odometer showing only 20,223 miles. Lydia may have been half a century old, but it was as if her heart was that of a teenager.

You all know I get stir crazy if I don’t get out of the state often enough. I was way overdue for a long-distance drive since my last big one (trip to Utah) was a month ago. This time, I hopped in the Acura ILX and headed west instead of north. The destination? I was about to get an exclusive look at a classic car collection that belongs to my friends Scott and Sandy. And boy was I in for a treat.

My drive in the ILX was an easy one since Interstate 10 westbound would guide me to PSP from PHX without need for any other directions. I managed to pry myself away from the office a little early and set out on Friday afternoon toward a beautiful desert sunset. The next 5 hours were filled with music, contemplation, and some ILX photos / urban exploration as you saw from yesterday’s Drive to Five post.

Palm Springs is a desert oasis in southern California’s Coachella Valley. It’s home to fewer than 50,000 full-time residents but boasts a full roster of attractions that bring tourists year-round. Where else can you find a 26-foot-tall statue of Marilyn Monroe with a wind-ruffled dress?

Scott is a long-time friend of mine, but I think the last time I’d seen him was at the Metric Listening Event in Hollywood back in June 2012. Scott and I have a similar affinity for collecting automobiles. Our tastes, in fact, align on a couple of models specifically. Scott’s Formula Red 1992 Acura NSX is one example of real keeper that we both own and appreciate. His car’s production number, in fact, is just 26 digits off that of my NSX. However, the rest of his fleet is as diverse as they come – from a go-kart sized 1972 Honda Z600 to Lydia the Electra who nearly doubled the Honda’s length. I immediately felt at home in the 1965 Honda S600 Roadster.

After a brief tour of Scott and Sandy’s beautiful home, I rode with Scott in his Alfa Romeo to his storage location. As the large garage door rolled up, I realized I was standing before about 15 unique and rare vehicles. While the domestics and the Japanese were certainly well-represented, a couple of oddball cars rounded out the collection, including a 1985 Bertone Fiat X1/9. I had the distinct opportunity to drive several of the cars, so today I’ll share some of my impressions.

With its dash-mounted shift lever, the orange 1972 Honda Z600 struck me immediately as the ancestor to today’s Civic Si. Scott brought the 2-cylinder air-cooled engine to life with a few pumps of the engine primer. Yes, all 36 horses giddied-up enthusiastically. And for a car of that size, 36 is all it really takes! The clutch was stiff and it took a row or two through the gears to get acquainted with the 4-speed shift gate, but I felt right at home in that little rig in no time. The Z600 has a cozy cabin with no frills. Such simplicity is an attribute that I truly appreciate, especially in today’s world of driver assistance technology that goes so far that it often becomes invasive or detracts from a raw driving experience.

At the other end of the size spectrum, the 1966 Lincoln Continental was the first car I’ve ever driven with suicide doors. After watching its convertible top hide away mechanically in the trunk, I took the wheel and drove the 5,300 pound tank around the neighborhood. Except, it didn’t feel like it weighed nearly 3 tons. The car was remarkably light on its feet, and steering effort – well, let’s just say the car could be driven with just one pinky finger. For a big car, it had the skinniest steering wheel ever. It also seemed only fitting that Scott and I extended the retractable antenna and listened to an oldies station KWXY on the car’s AM radio while we cruised around Palm Springs. That drive was better than any history lesson I ever received in college.

My longest test-drive was in this 1977 Honda Civic CVCC. I love that Honda proudly badged the car “5-speed” on the rear hatch. Despite having sat for over a month, it purred flawlessly when Scott fired it up. The bright yellow coupe with a chrome bumper guard and roof rack grabbed a lot of attention on the road. The shifter and suspension performed so well that I would never believe they were parts of a nearly 40-year-old vehicle. It took me a minute to get used to the fact that there was no passenger sideview mirror. The CVCC brought a grin to my face as we drove it back from brunch.

Scott’s pride and joy is a green Honda N600 that was his first car. Though it sits half-covered up with expired plates and a flat tire, I could see the sparkle in his eye when he talked about the memories associated with that old Honda. He plans to treat that old car to a full restoration, and it won’t take much to get it back to showroom condition since like most California cars, the body is rust-free and the mechanicals are still solid.

Part of the intrigue about Scott and Sandy is that they gladly adopt vehicles that other car aficionados consider runts or outcasts. Consider the 1979 Mercury Bobcat (aka gussied-up Ford Pinto) in Tangerine paint with plaid seating and rally wheels, lovingly named Bob. Or the now-sold Cadillac Cimarron which proudly wore “WRSTCAD” license plates and won POS “Worst in Show” Concours d’LeMons. There’s something endearing about showing love for a car that nobody else seems to appreciate.

We closed the day out with a ride back to Scott’s place in the Emberglo Metallic (“don’t you dare call it brown!”) 1966 Mustang convertible with its potent 289 V8 and Pony Package. A classic Mustang is a true piece of Americana that every car collector should own at least once.

Huge thanks to Scott and Sandy for their incredible hospitality! Enjoy the rest of the pictures below, as well as a video showing start-up of a few of the cars in the collection.

Scott, Tyson, Sandy

Scott’s answer to, “How do you keep track of all the car keys?!”

1985 Honda CRX Si

1959 Mercury Park Lane

Mercury interior

No such thing as too much chrome here.

Meet Lydia, the Buick Electra from my opening paragraph.

And Lydia’s interior, complete with a dealer-installed tissue dispenser (the chrome box underneath the dash/glove compartment).

I loved the 1966 Lincoln dash with its driver-oriented instrument layout. Even the cruise control was set up as a dial. The speedometer worked like a thermometer, with a strip of numbers and a red bar that would extend across them to indicate the speed.

Suicide doors, anyone?

The car that needs no introduction. Just 45,000 miles on this 5-speed beauty. It’s also one of only 421 cars that were produced in this color /transmission combination for the year.

The Bertone X 1/9 is a mid-engine rig that’s in stunning condition for its age.

Along with the cars, Scott and Sandy have a lot of old literature and advertising.

Scott’s favorite (at least I kind of got that vibe) was the 1965 Honda S600 Coupe. Right hand drive. It was fun watching him squeeze into the driver’s seat before firing it up!

Front of the S600 Coupe.

Another S600 in the collection, this time a Roadster, started out as a project car but has finished beautifully. Scott showed me some ‘before’ pictures from a photo album.

“After”

Loved that there were unique switches on the dash for headlights and marker lights.

1976 Cadillac Seville – the first year for that model. This example has only 40,000 miles on it. It had a characteristic smell.

This 1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III is literally one-of-a-kind. It’s the only one that was built in this configuration, color, and trim without a vinyl roof. The car stickered at $8,356 when it was new.

Bobcat interior – thanks Sandy for sending this, as I forgot to take one! That plaid is factory original!

Interior of the 1977 Civic. Exactly as it was intended to be, right down to the AM radio.

Here’s the 2-cylinder air-cooled engine that powers the Z600.

Taking the Z for a spin.

After our full day of test drives, I headed back to Phoenix but stopped in Blythe, California per Scott’s recommendation. For any who ever travel the Interstate 10 corridor, remember this place! It’s called Courtesy Diner and it’s a must-visit.

I was craving a grilled cheese and a bowl of homemade chili. Both hit the spot.

I even got a smiley face on my bill when the total came out to $10.01.

Hope you enjoyed coming along!

14 Comments »

Photoset: 2013 Acura ILX in the Arizona-California Desert Corridor

Posted in Arizona, California, Ghost Town, ILX, Road Trip on March 8, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (ILX): 69,800

“We seem to have a problem. We’re running low on petrol.” These words were spoken to me yesterday in broken English from a French tourist who had honked the horn of his white rental car to get my attention. I’d been minding my own business getting some quality sunset shots of the ILX at an abandoned service station when my focus was interrupted with a horn honk that nearly sent me jumping sky-high.

Unfortunately for my fellow traveler, Interstate 10 is a lonely place when it comes to services. The station we were standing in front of had been shuttered for easily a few decades. The metal Chevron pumps out front looked like they belonged in a museum somewhere – weathered examples of a motoring era years in the past.

“Well, you’re 40 miles from Blythe to the east,” I told him, “and probably 20 miles from Chiriaco Summit to the west.” As the sun continued to dip lower on the horizon, I could sense the urgency in his voice as he debated his options. I encouraged him to continue toward Blythe. His Nissan Versa couldn’t possibly need more than a gallon and a half to go those 40 miles, right? I now wonder if he was able to make it.

Today I’ll share a few of the pictures from my drive toward California yesterday in the 2013 Acura ILX.

First up, how could I have passed by this roadside attraction so many times in the past and never stopped to appreciate it? A stagecoach stop that bears my own first name. Located in Quartzsite at the far western end of Interstate 10 in Arizona, Tyson’s Well dates back to the 1870s and provided traveler accommodations.

Just down the road, the Tyson Mobile Home & RV Park greeted me with a larger-than-life sign with my name on it.

I’m ready to move right on in.

And finally, that fated location where my French friend pulled off the interstate in hopes of finding his petrol. Well, he wasn’t going to find any at this 24-hour service station. In fact, I’m pretty sure this one was a “zero”-hour service station in Desert Center, California. The pumps were long gone.

Down the road, the Family Cafe lingered as a memory of days gone by. Miraculously, vandals have left the old fuel equipment alone and all the building’s windows remained intact.

Red, white, and blue. These must have looked nice when they were fresh & new.

I could sure have gone for a gourmet meal, but I think the kitchen’s closed.

I suppose you could take a picnic lunch, though, since this old wooden table out front appeared serviceable.

Think they sold 91 octane here?

A bit further west down the old frontage road (which pre-dated I-10 by a long shot), I found a third abandoned station. A skeleton of what was once the sign out front doesn’t give us any clues about the brand of fuel that was sold here.

I stepped inside for a look at the amenities.

Windows were broken out, but by golly, the view was stunning. Better than the view from my office, in fact. Maybe I could telecommute from Desert Center?

Great fixer-upper!

One-stop shopping.

The old wooden guard rails on this bridge could use a new coat of paint.

Nighttime took over as I continued westbound.

Come back tomorrow for a detailed look at one of the most eclectic car collections I’ve ever visited, in Palm Springs, California. You’re going to want to see this!

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