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“Radwood” 1980s-1990s Car Show in Los Angeles at the Petersen Museum

Posted in California, Car Show, Integra, Road Trip on December 3, 2018 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Integra Sedan): 73,102

Trip Distance: 762 Miles

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
March 2018 – Sonoma, CA in the 1994 Vigor GS

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

Evening meet-up with Sofyan Bey of Redline Reviews

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.

My friend Brandon’s new 2007 TL Type-S manual.

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Monterey Car Week – 2019 NSX Reveal, The Quail, and Japanese Automotive Invitational (JAI)

Posted in California, Car Show, Integra, Misc Travel, NSX on August 27, 2018 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend Coupe): 563,515

Odometer (Integra Sedan): 72,199

Kids today will never understand the struggle of juggling 3 of these bad boys in the car during a road trip: Huge compact disc albums, each holding 96 sleeves for seemingly unlimited playlist material.

How else do you think I was able to stay entertained long enough to drive 500,000 miles? Little did I know when I picked up Jewel’s “0304” album in 2003 that I would be standing next to Jewel herself at a private concert 15 years later. It’s one of my faves! I loaded it back into my 6-disc CD changer just recently for good measure.

There she is, in the flesh!

Once again it was my turn to hobnob with society’s elite – even if just for a day. As I did last year, I attended some of the “Car Week” festivities along the Monterey Peninsula in the Bay Area of central, coastal California. The Integra got to ride out there on a transport carrier, but I caught a flight on Thursday afternoon and skipped the drive (I didn’t have time for a 24-hour round-trip adventure, as much as I would have loved to do it).

This year was the first time for a new event called the Japanese Automotive Invitational. It’s no mystery that there is an up-and-coming appreciation for cars that historically haven’t been considered part of the “classic car” community. Shows like the Japanese Classic Car Show (JCCS) and Radwood are designed around capturing some of that movement.

JAI has taken things to an even greater level. The scene in and around Pebble Beach, California is dominated each August by supercars with six-figure pricetags. But how cool is it that now a 1992 Acura Integra – an $18,000 car when new – received a VIP invitation to be parked in the same venue? I was thrilled at the opportunity when it arose.

Last Thursday evening, I attended a private Acura event at the Carmel Valley Ranch. It took me longer in traffic to drive the 80 miles from San Jose airport to Monterey than it had taken me to fly 800 miles from Phoenix to San Jose. Gotta love rush hour – but at least I was driving a Ford Fusion Hybrid rental car that pretty effortlessly delivered 40 mpg.

The private grounds of the Carmel Ranch provided an intimate setting for around 100 attendees – select media, Acura enthusiasts (10 members like me from the NSX Club of America), Acura personnel & support teams, and the entertainment. Four-time Grammy Award nominee and singer-songwriter Jewel Kilcher (better known as just “Jewel”) took the stage and shared her talent with the group – both in dialogue and in song. Jewel was an engaging speaker and I was a little star-struck to be just a few steps away from her platform.

The star of the show – though Jewel was a crowd favorite – was the 2019 Acura NSX. Now moving into the third model year of its second generation, the latest NSX is receiving suspension & chassis enhancements as well as a broader palette of available colors. During Acura General Manager Jon Ikeda’s remarks at the podium, the cover was pulled off a vivid “Thermal Orange Pearl” NSX. It was stunning from any angle. I enjoyed admiring its lines while in the company of friends and colleagues.

On Friday, I met with representatives from Motor Trend to assist with load-in of show cars at the JAI show venue. There were roughly 40 vehicles anticipated, including noteworthy models like the Nissan GT-R, Infiniti Q45, Lexus LS400, and a few Acuras: My Integra GS-R, a 1990 Legend LS coupe, and a Formula Red NSX. Over the course of the next couple days, many friends stopped by the display and sent me pictures of/with my car. I especially loved the phone of automotive journalist Jason Cammisa (bottom right).

My next stop on Friday was The Quail Motorsports Gathering. For 16 years, The Quail has brought out some of the world’s most famous and exotic vehicles. Tickets are limited in availability and usually priced upwards of $600 apiece, if that tells you anything about how exclusive the venue is. But for many, the event isn’t just about the cars. It’s also about the culinary pavilions and opportunity to bask in an environment of manicured lawns and important (or at least wealthy!) people. I felt out of my league but enjoyed myself either way.

Within 24 hours of picking up my rental car at the San Jose airport, I turned it back in. This trip was the pure definition of a “whirlwind,” but an enjoyable one it was. Enjoy a collection of photos and a video below!

I knew I was on the right track when I spotted a 2019 MDX A-Spec ahead of me on the interstate ramp.

Orange was the name of the game in all decor!

Precision Crafted Cocktail, anyone?

Actor Jesse Metcalfe was one of the event’s attendees

An orange so juicy I want to lick it.

Jewel behind the wheel of the NSX.

NSX Club of America Vice President May “May Purple” Lee.

Acura General Manager Jon Ikeda

Automotive journalist Carlos Lago & his wife

I’ll take it!

Nightly stay at the Hyatt Regency Monterey

The Infiniti display near Pebble Beach at the Japanese Automotive Invitational

This weather was a shocker, especially when coming from August in Phoenix.

Travel News Bits: St. George, Prescott, Canyon Lake, & Upcoming Monterey

Posted in Accord, Integra, Legend, Milestones, Misc Travel, Road Trip, Vigor on August 20, 2018 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 563,514

Odometer (Vigor): 111,707

Hours (Boat): 4,000

Trip Distance: 225 Miles

Let’s get up to speed on some of the last few weeks’ activities as summer winds down here in Arizona. In late July, some friends and I traveled to southern Utah for a few days at my brother’s newly-remodeled home. The pool was pretty inviting!

Headed northbound in Kyle’s 2008 Pontiac G8 GXP 6-speed.

James drove up in his tester of the week, the 2018 Accord.

We also took a quick jaunt to the mountains of Payson, Arizona a couple of weeks ago with 8 attendees and 6 cars, including 3 Acuras, a Mazda, a Pontiac, and an Infiniti. Leading the pack in power and presence was Vlad’s 2017 NSX, recently customized with performance exhaust downpipes from Science of Speed. I was happy to bring up the tail – my 1994 Vigor is a fun and nimble machine, but its tired suspension, old Michelins, and 176-horsepower motor were no match for the others in this group.

Lunch at Prescott Brewing Company.

Fueling up at the Mobil in Wickenburg.

After 3 years of ownership, I finally had the Vigor’s upholstery worked on. The driver seat “Cognac” leather was torn along the side bolster, so I had Naro from TrimFit in Phoenix clean it up for $250 last week. He succeeded masterfully.

I also got around to having a lot of small dings removed from the 1992 Integra GS. Jorden of Anytime Dent had the car for about 4 days and cleaned up every panel. It came out looking perfectly. I snagged a pic while at Starbucks parked next to a 1989 Legend.

This past Saturday, we took Kyle’s new (well, 1993 model year) boat out to Canyon Lake which is about an hour away from my place. Contrary to popular belief, Arizona does have its fair share of lakes and waterways. This one is a reservoir formed by the Salt River which is Phoenix’s primary water supply. The spot is noted by the red marker at top right here.

I tried my hand at riding the tube. Two days later, I realize I must have been clutching to it pretty aggressively because my arms are realllllly sore.

And yesterday, I took the Legend GS to church and it rolled 160,000 miles.

My Integra GS-R is getting ready for a trip to the California Coast. It will be featured as one of about 40 cars in Pebble Beach at the inaugural “Japanese Automotive Invitational” show this Saturday 8/25 and Sunday 8/26. The space belongs to Infiniti, who has partnered with Motor Trend to bring everything together. Participating vehicles are being brought in from across the nation, including an exceptionally clean 1990 Legend LS coupe from Florida with only 54,000 miles on it. Pick up is anticipated for sometime this week!

I’ll be attending part of the ‘car week’ activities as well, as I’m scheduled to attend an Acura private reception this Thursday at the Carmel Valley Lodge. I’ll be flying in and out of San Jose. I’ll bring you a full report next week.

That’s a wrap on recent news for now!

Check out this plexiglass magazine display that I picked up! Soon to be fastened to a wall inside my house or in the garage.

Looks like a car-party at my house.

Beautiful Payson, AZ summer afternoon.

Evening meet-up with Michael (ILX) and a few other folks at Tempe Town Lake Marina.

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Trip to San Diego, California: Beach Time, Car Time, & 250k Integra Milestone

Posted in California, Integra, Legend, Milestones, Road Trip on July 16, 2018 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Integra): 250,279

Trip Distance: 801 Miles

I seriously have the worst luck with losing sunglasses. I’ll never forget the time I left a pair sitting on the trunk lid of my car near Bryce Canyon in Utah a few years ago and drove away. I realized it a few miles down the road, looped back, and ended up finding them but they were missing a lens that was nowhere to be found. So I plunked down another $80 on a replacement pair, which I’m sure I lost again.

The most recent casualty was from a massive wave in the Pacific Ocean on Saturday afternoon. I think I got a little ambitious with how far I wanted to immerse myself. Next thing I knew, I was overtaken and ended up with eyes and mouth full of saltwater as I went completely underwater momentarily. The shades were a lost cause, but I’ve learned my lesson: This time I bought replacements for $14.99 from a convenience store. At that price, they’re disposable anyway.

Losses aside, this trip was just what the doctor ordered for a few days of reprieve from a busy schedule and some toasty summer temperatures in Arizona. Some friends and I spent a couple of days in the Hillcrest neighborhood, celebrating a birthday and enjoying the sights and sounds that the city had to offer. I took the Integra GS-R on this trip – knowing that the Legends will see plenty of use in the next week or so for the upcoming NALM trip to Colorado. I stopped by the Imperial Sand Dunes, which were completely empty. Go figure, nobody wants to burn their feet in July out there!

One of the ways I always like to dig up nostalgia when I’m in San Diego is to stop by some of the areas where I lived during the 2001-03 timeframe when I was a missionary for my church. Even back then, I was eyeballing NSXs. This one, spotted on June 15, 2001, is evidently still owned by the same person 17 years later. I just today ran the plate using a smartphone app called MyCARFAX. The car had 30,000 miles back then, and it has 50,000 today. It’s a 1992 “Grand Prix White.”

And speaking of digging things up: The first place I visited this weekend was Ramona, California, where my assigned partner and I lived in a converted horse stable, pictured below, that we lovingly called the “Shack.” In January 2002, we buried a time capsule there with intention of digging it up 5 years later. It’s now been over 16 years and I have no idea if or when we will ever exhume it.

The property as it sits today:

Christmas 2001 looking mighty festive. I was standing in the doorway.

I paid a visit to the temple on Interstate 5 at Charmant Drive – a grand, white, castle-looking structure that is as striking from inside as it is out. It was built in 1993 and has 72,000 square feet. The grounds are always immaculate too.

Just a couple of miles away, I met up with a handful of “car friends” at a parking structure on the San Diego State University (SDSU) campus. Included were a nice lineup of Legend GS models owned by my friend Jacob, Mike’s 1989 Prelude, Ryan’s 2018 Accord, Jay’s 2008 Mercedes, and eventually Jorge’s 2011 BMW wagon.

We shot the breeze over burgers & fries at Rock Bottom Brewing on La Jolla Village Drive, and by then it was time for me to hit the highway and make my way back to the desert. The Integra performed well, achieving its 250,000 mile mark just as I descended the grade from Jacumba to Ocotillo on eastbound Interstate 8.

Enjoy some photos and 2 videos from the weekend below!

Imperial Sand Dunes

Heading up Highway 67 toward Ramona

Lineup of mailboxes in buckets of cement, in Ramona

Roaming around the hills east of Ramona

Arrival at the temple

Jacob’s 1994 GS Legend in Sirius White

Eyeballing Jorge’s 2011 BMW

Ryan headed out on Interstate 5

250k milestone! (Of course, with the ABS light permanently lit!)

Always liked this old hotel – “Stout’s Hotel” in Gila Bend. It dates back to 1927 but hasn’t been open since the 1980s.

Lastly: Continuing the “List your car here” trend. I have a local contact with a 54,000 mile 1995 Legend L sedan automatic pictured here. It has been neglected, to be quite honest, but runs and drives well and has super low miles. Does anyone want to bring it back to its deserved glory? Contact me.

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Independence Day Trip to Payson, Arizona & Introduction to Jeff’s 1990 Accord EX

Posted in Arizona, Integra, Reader's Ride, Road Trip on July 7, 2018 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Integra GS-R): 249,324

Trip Distance: 180 Miles

Sometimes it’s nice to just get out of town for a couple of hours – to be independent from the urban grid, listening to Sugar Ray or Chicago, checking out some new terrain. That’s why on Independence Day, my friend Jack and I hopped into our Acura hatchbacks and headed for the hills. The small town of Payson is only about 90 minutes away, yet it affords temperatures around 20 degrees cooler than the Phoenix metro area.

Jack’s 2006 RSX took the lead for most of the drive, and I followed him in the Integra GS-R. We went “non-chain” with our dining selection and seated ourselves at the bar at Pinon Cafe, which has called Payson home for the last 45 years. It was a little early to be ordering from the lunch menu, so I grabbed a green chili & cheese omelet, with potatoes and wheat toast on the side. Everything hit the spot.

Payson was bustling with residents preparing for their 4th of July festivities. We stopped by a nearby park on Main Street and they were setting up for the fireworks launch later in the evening. Would have been nice to stick around and check out the display, but we hit the road and headed back home.

Every once in a while I get to share with you some exceptional cars. Here’s one I think you’ll enjoy seeing. In a recent blog post, I talked about a burgundy (Mulberry, actually) 1990 Honda Accord EX that my friend Jeff was entertaining the idea of selling. Jeff has decided to keep the car for the time being, but needs a place to store it, so it will be residing in my garage. He brought the car over earlier in the week.

This car is something truly special: The first model year for the fourth-generation “CB7” chassis Accord, this 1990 EX was purchased new by Jeff’s mother on September 5, 1990 with 18 miles on it from Scottsdale Honda for around $19,000 out the door. Over the next 28 years, she cared for it to an incredible extent – literally, spending over $28,000 maintaining it on spare-no-expense dealership services.

Let’s put that into context: My 2013 ILX turned over 200,000 miles a little over a year ago. Total spent on maintenance from new to 200,000? $7,169. So this Accord has had 4 times that amount spent on it, and still has 64,000 miles to go until the same mileage.

Spreadsheet excerpt including totals at the bottom. It’s had 8 batteries and 3 timing belts.

Unfortunately, Jeff’s mother passed away earlier this year. Her pride and joy Accord has just over 136,000 miles on it. And that’s where we are today, and why Jeff has chosen to allow me to display it on loan in my modest collection for the time being, though it’s deserving of far more.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a car preserved to this extent – even many high end exotic supercars don’t enjoy the pampering this car had. $1,800 alone was spent on periodic details to keep the paint and finishes looking fresh. The car has a dash mat, car cover, steering wheel cover, anything that could possibly be used to preserve its appearance. Enjoy the walkaround video below!

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Saturday Lunch Outing to Cave Creek, Arizona; Garage & Integra Updates

Posted in Arizona, Integra, Road Trip on June 19, 2018 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 561,449

Odometer (Integra GS): 71,937

After 97 days without rain in Phoenix, the streak was broken last Saturday – on the very day that about 15 friends and I had a group drive planned. While most car clubs would be devastated by a little bit of moisture in the air, we loved it!

While seated at lunch at the Horny Toad in Cave Creek, Arizona, we peeked outside and saw our variety of vehicles getting drenched. And a wide variety they were! From a Toyota iQ to a Mercedes-Benz 500SL, we had all our bases covered. Roomie James presented us with a vivid blue Kia Stinger. I rolled in the Integra because, as my daily, it’s usually closest to the ‘exit row’ in the garage and I didn’t mind it getting wet.

Things have been busy here at the Auto Spa. In anticipation of having the car club folks over, I did some arts & crafts at the local FedEx Office. I photocopied some of my cars’ window stickers (and made them all a standard size), then laminated them for display on each vehicle. I’m still missing a sticker for my Integra GS-R but the rest of the cars either have originals or reproductions thanks to help from fellow Acura owners.

I also finally had the chance to hang up an acrylic plaque with the May 2017 article from Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car on the Integra. I was able to make room for it along the west wall of the garage.

The “new” Integra GS is coming along nicely. Last week I was able to ditch the clunky, flat-spotted, 17-year-old Goodyear 195-60-14 tires and replaced them with new Falkens at Discount Tire. It ran about $400 out the door and the car rides 100 times better now.

New floor mats are on order (aftermarket, for now) and a friend helped me source a passenger sideview mirror to replace the existing one since it’s a bit mismatched and has the wrong mirror glass in it (it doesn’t say anything about “Objects In Mirror” and the image is distorted). Stay tuned! I dropped off the replacement mirror for paint today.

I spent a few hours last week stripping off the dealer add-on plastic wheel well moldings (and all the tape/glue that they left behind). Time lapse video still pending. You’ll see it here on the next blog entry.

Wall art – currently awaiting the next picture to go along with the other 5 on my wall from IDrewYourCar.com.

Hemmings article on display

Window sticker copies!

Also showing off this brochure with my custom aluminum wheelstand my brother made me.

Looking clean after removing the pin stripe and moldings.

Current passenger mirror on the car – mismatched and pieced together with glue I guess?

Lastly – continuing the trend of posting a car here or there when I know of great opportunities, here are a few selections for you today.

If you’re looking to get into the NSX game relatively inexpensively and with a really rare car, check out my friend Todd’s 1996 NSX in Brooklands Green. It needs some cosmetic TLC but might make a good entry level NSX for someone out there. The configuration is 1 of only 25 cars produced in its interior & exterior color combo.

Craigslist link here. Tell Todd I sent ya!

If family sedans are more your thing, you might want my friend Asmar’s 1993 Accord Special Edition with only 50,000 miles on it. It’s all original minus the tires, so plan on doing a little preventative maintenance. But the price is right. He’s located in Seattle. Message me for details and I’ll put you in touch with him.

And another CB7 Accord, this one a 1990 EX in a stunning burgundy color (“Mulberry Red Pearl,” if you want to get technical). This one is being offered privately to only qualified buyers as it’s not listed on any sites. In other words, a “good home” is an absolute must. Contact me for details. It’s a 136,000 mile automatic for sale by the original owner, located here in the Phoenix area.

Have a great week!

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Quick CO Trip: NALM 2018 “Pre-Meet” in Colorado Springs

Posted in Colorado, Integra, NALM on June 10, 2018 by tysonhugie

In a little over a month, the 14th annual National Acura Legend Meet will kick off in Colorado. As a member of the 5-person planning committee, I attended meetings there this past weekend. Unique to most other NALM events, this one is being planned almost entirely with efforts from “outside” the local area so it was critical for us to visit the sites and make sure they will work for our group. We achieved success!

I flew to Denver on Thursday evening and spent 2 nights in the area, arriving back in Phoenix last night. Sorry, no road trip write-ups to share this time!

The NALM event will kick off on July 18 at the Country Lodge in Woodland Park, Colorado, about 20 minutes up Route 24 west of Colorado Springs. It’s a scenic, twisty highway that gains elevation in the pine forests to over 8,000 feet in elevation. Our host hotel has a nice back deck with plenty of space for soaking in the views and scenery. On Thursday, we have a scenic drive to Breckenridge with lunch at Legends Grill. Fitting, right?

Friday, we summit the almighty Pikes Peak at over 14,000 feet – one of the country’s most famous and picturesque highways. That afternoon, we’ll be exploring the historic mining towns of Victor and Cripple Creek. We have a pizza dinner planned for that evening. On Saturday, Pikes Peak Acura in Colorado Springs will host us for an open house and food, including the chance for a few “feature” Legends to be parked inside the showroom. That afternoon, we’ll have our judging for the awards and later on, a closing dinner, awards, and raffle prizes at the Country Lodge.

We are greatly looking forward to this year’s event and have attendees coming in from 9 different states. Here are a few photos of how our planning activities went this weekend. Registration is still open here.

Chris enjoying the deck at Country Lodge

Our rental was a 2018 Nissan Altima SL. Not too bad! 611 mile range!

View of the peaks from Highway 24

Pikes Peak Acura in Colorado Springs

Evan, Chris, Alex, Alan, Tyson

The RealTime Race Team happened to be prepping the TLX-GT for this year’s hillclimb event, slated for June 24

Riding back up the mountain in Adam’s 1988 Toyota Celica. Adam is a local Toyota / Lexus owner but former Legend owner, and he’s been giving us a hand with local insight.

‘

Turnoff to Pikes (and the North Pole, it seems!)

View from Country Lodge deck

Back of Country Lodge

Exploring old mining towns

Adam’s 1999 Lexus LS400 was a posh ride for this portion of our activities

It’s a sweet car for the 198,000 miles it has on it!

Someone showed me this commercial the other day and I dug it. Michael J. Fox selling the Integra sedan!

Have a great rest of the weekend.

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The New 1992 Integra GS Sedan 5-Speed, Part 2: Drive Home & Initial Cleanup

Posted in Integra, Maintenance, Nevada, Road Trip on June 2, 2018 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 560,985

Alas, my adventure from the purchase of this 71,215-mile Integra was not over yet. This new (old) Integra GS wasn’t quite ready to break free from the cobwebs of long term storage: Just as I started getting comfortable on my return trip to Phoenix, roughly 100 miles into my trip, the motor started cutting out intermittently on the interstate.

At first it didn’t interfere with my ability to keep momentum, but eventually, even with my foot on the accelerator at full engagement, I was dropping speed – and quickly. I was about 20 miles north of Las Vegas on I-15, in about 100 degree temperatures, on the shoulder.

I was able to re-start the car a couple of times and limp along southbound in the emergency line, but meanwhile I was doing my research and figuring out next steps. I HAD to get back to Phoenix somehow that night, still over 300 miles away, for important work meetings the following day.

So, was my best option to tow the Integra home somehow, rent another car, or try and catch a flight out of Vegas? I got the car to a Love’s gas station and bought a bottled water while waiting for a neon green tow truck, so I had a few minutes to do my research and collect my thoughts. Look at this call history!

Not how I thought the day would go!

What I discovered was that rental car agencies are not friendly to work with on the phone – and that’s if you can even get someone on the phone at all. Many were closed at 6:00 p.m. One wanted to charge me a $300 one-way drop-off fee if I picked up a car in Vegas and drove it to Phoenix. Another refused to rent to me at all without a round trip flight ticket. WTH? I met one slammed door after another.

Southwest Airlines came through for me. Luckily, there are about 8 departures per day between LAS & PHX. I was able to snag a seat on the last flight out for the day – departing around 10:30 p.m. – and make my way to the airport after leaving the Integra at the Acura dealership on Sahara Avenue. My nerves were shot when I got home around midnight. But by gosh by golly, I made it to those work meetings.

Description of the problem that I wrote on the envelope with the key when I night-dropped the car.

Flying home!

Meanwhile, the Integra GS sat for a week at the dealership, 300 miles away from my home. Its diagnosis? A bad fuel pump and a leaking fuel filler line, which of course was discontinued. It’s a good thing I have friends in high places. My friend Hy found a used part on Ebay which I promptly ordered and had shipped to the dealership.

I received word on Tuesday that the part had arrived and would work, then awaited an ETA on the car’s roadworthiness. On Wednesday, I learned they had the wrong fuel pump and a new one would be arriving the next day. Thursday, they got the right part. And Friday, it was tested and confirmed good.

After what seemed like forever, I was able to fly back to Las Vegas and retrieve the car. I took a 7:05 a.m. flight on Southwest on Saturday (really racking up those Rapid Rewards loyalty points!) and was on the ground a little after 8:00, picked up by my friend Dane in his Lincoln – Starbucks in hand for me. Bless his heart.

We headed directly to the dealership on Sahara and I met up with a friend who works there, Louie, as well as my service advisor, Mitch. It was a relief to (again) be heading out in my new car and I was optimistic about this latest fix taking care of the issues. I grabbed breakfast with my Dane and Brandon at the Egg & I before hitting the road.

FOOD!

And smooth sailing it was – I kept things really easy on the car, low RPM, easy acceleration, kind of holding my breath that nothing else would happen in the 300 miles that remained. When I finally got to my house at 3:00 p.m., I breathed a sigh of relief.

So here’s how the overall purchase timeline worked out.

April 27: Notified of the car being for sale by Jeff
April 30: Cody test drove
May 1: Made offer, which was accepted, booked flight
May 2: Scheduled 90k maintenance with Honda dealer
May 7: Flew to Utah
May 8: Picked up car, had maintenance, started driving home, broke down, towed to dealer
May 9: Identified issue
May 10: Found discontinued / used part, ordered on Ebay
May 15: Part arrived
May 16: Notified of incorrect fuel pump
May 17: New pump installed
May 18: Fuel system passed testing
May 19: Returned to Las Vegas & drove the car home

After getting the car home, I spent dug in and started getting things cleaned up in the same fashion that I did it with my LS. In fact, it was deja vu. (I just spent 5 minutes looking at the etymology of that phrase. Turns out it’s French, and it means “already seen.” You’re welcome!). Even the local emissions check station agents looked at me a little funny as I arrived in a new Integra. “Weren’t you already here?” they asked me. “Where do you keep finding these cars?!” was the next question.

So here I am, one Integra sold, one purchased, and taking a break from running a used car dealership for a little while now. Here are a few episodes on YouTube for your viewing pleasure. Get lots of popcorn ready.

Part 2: Transport Home

Part 3: Cleanup

Part 4: Engine Cleaning

Home and part of the family!

That front plate was the first thing to go.

And of course – the next day – a few pics in the backyard.

Engine bay – before

Engine bay – after

Thanks for following along on yet another of my crazy automotive adventures!

28 Comments »

Bye Old Integra, Hello New Integra: Am I Insane Yet? (Part 1)

Posted in Integra, Utah on May 30, 2018 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend Coupe): 560,344

Odometer (Legend Sedan): 158,148

Odometer (Integra Hatch): 248,095

Odometer (Integra GS Sedan): 071,778

Odometer (Vigor): 111,181

Odometer (NSX): 111,553

Yes. The answer is yes, I’m insane – I don’t need you to put it in the comments, but please do it anyway.

I’ve fallen so far off my rocker I may never be able to get back up. But that’s okay. I thought I’d spice up this blog with an unexpected twist and buy an Acura Integra nearly identical to the one I already had. Why not, right? I already have twin Desert Mist Metallic 1994 Legends.

So here we go again. This time I have a 1992 Integra GS sedan 5-speed. Now let me help give context with some trim level breakdowns:

RS: Basic as basic comes!
LS: RS trim + color matched mirrors, power mirrors and locks
GS: LS trim + anti-lock brakes, power moonroof, alloy wheels, and map lights. Ooooh!

All 3 are powered by a 140-horsepower, 1.8-liter dual overhead cam 4-cylinder motor. No VTEC here: The sedans did not get the same engine technology that the GS-R 3-door hatchback did.

I was definitely NOT in the market for a replacement Integra when this one came along. To the contrary, I was greatly enjoying restoring my 1992 LS that I went to great lengths to buy, transport. and clean up. But luckily, thanks to my Bring a Trailer auction, I was able to find a new owner for that one who will really enjoy it. Ken flew in on Sunday morning and drove the car home to Denver, Colorado.

Short video of the drive-away:

As much as I enjoyed that LS, when a one-owner car comes along with extensive ownership history and all the goodies of a top trim level, you bust a move. So thanks to my friend Jeff for sending it my way, and to my friend Cody for driving over to check it out – including a FaceTime session with him and with the owners. Here are the photos from that day.

Screen shot of the original craigslist ad.

71,212 on the odometer!

FaceTime sesh! Yes, I did. Chris, this pic’s for you.

This car comes to my collection from a sweet gal named Maxine who lives in southern Utah. She bought the car brand new off the showroom floor in the Seattle area 26 years ago at Bellevue Acura.

I caught a flight to St. George, Utah on Monday evening, May 7, and spent the night at mom’s place before heading over to Max’s on Tuesday morning for the transaction. I was a little apprehensive, as is always the case in the hours leading up to the purchase of a new car. It was about a 30 minute drive to Max’s place in Ivins. The car was already pulled out of the garage and ready to roll when we arrived.

Max was understandably a little emotional about the event – and for good reason. She’d owned the car for maybe half her life? It’s a big deal to part with something so sentimental. After taking a few traditional key handoff photos, we went through a folder of paperwork dating back to when the car was new. You all know how excited that gets me. She had the original window sticker, service receipts, even a slip of paper indicating the commission amount that salesman David Wright made on March 12, 1992. It was $285.00.

Oh, and I also found a Vehicle Service Contract dated March 30, 1993 at 26,741 miles that was good for 84 months or 100,000 miles. By the mileage standard, the car is STILL covered! Haha.

First stop before even getting the revs beyond about 2,500 RPM was the Honda dealership a few miles away. I’d pre-arranged with the Service Department to take care of a timing belt & water pump change for me – not one to risk driving 400 miles on an old belt in 100+ degree temperatures. The oil change was also far overdue – with the last sticker from Jiffy Lube on the windshield dated 2009, nine years ago!

The service technician reported that the timing belt was “yellowed and crispy” (yikes) so I was glad I had it changed.

I set sail on my homeward trip, feeling accomplished at picking up a minty little car. But something still made me uneasy in the driver seat. Was it the ancient Goodyear tires? Flat spotted and cracked? I didn’t exceed 65 miles per hour because of those. But even beyond that, I was unsettled, and for good reason. I soon found out why. Come back next time to read the next chapter…

First Episode:

Departing from Max’s place

Interesting – this car was marked up $2,000 from the MSRP! $19,275 instead of $17,275.

Toasty day to be heading out!

Just for kicks – check out this 6-minute video my friend Hy and put together last weekend of his immaculate Accord SE as I was invited to roll a milestone with him.

And a video of my friend Jim taking delivery of a 2018 Accord 6-speed:

And a video of my friend Kyle arriving home with his ‘new’ 2009 Pontiac G8 6-speed:

And one more, from just this past weekend. I went junkyarding with my friend Michael – check out his really nice 1990 Legend L sedan with only 60,000 miles on it.

That ought to keep you all busy for a few days. Have a great one!

20 Comments »

Southern Arizona Saturday: Douglas, Arizona Road Trip & Historic 1907 Gadsden Hotel

Posted in Arizona, Integra, Road Trip on May 27, 2018 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Integra GS-R): 248,090

Trip Distance: 464 Miles

Occasionally, my friend Jason and I like to get together for lunch. The only challenge is, Jason lives 388 miles away and in another state (Las Cruces, New Mexico). Though for us, that “challenge” is actually an “opportunity.” Over the years, we’ve targeted some awesome midpoint destinations like Duncan and Willcox. This time, we decided to head to the historic Mexican border town of Douglas, Arizona.

Incorporated in 1905, the town was named after a mining pioneer named James Douglas and was home to two copper smelters. Perhaps its most significant architectural structure is the Gadsden Hotel which opened in 1907, destroyed by fire, and then rebuilt in 1929. The Gadsden name comes from James Gadsden, who was the U.S. ambassador to Mexico in 1853 when the United States bought a 30,000-square-mile region from Mexico via treaty.

The hotel itself is a five-story, 160-room building with elaborate features like a Tiffany & Co stained glass mural across one of the walls in the lobby. It seemed like the perfect destination for our Saturday lunch jaunt.

And short of being inside Mexico, wouldn’t you think that the best (or at least most authentic) Mexican food would be found as close to the border as possible? So it worked out perfectly that Casa Segovia at the Gadsden is less than one mile from the international border checkpoint.

My drive started out around 8:00 on a Saturday morning – a little earlier than anticipated because we’d forgotten about the time zone difference between NM & AZ. Arizona doesn’t observe Daylight Saving Time, so Jason got a jump on me, and I hurried to hit the road as well so that we could arrive in Douglas around the same timeframe.

The Integra GS-R whirred to 4,200 RPM happily and stayed there for the next 3.5 or so hours. I did make just one stop, at Picacho Peak along Interstate 10 about halfway between Phoenix and Tucson, for some Lunchables and a Vitamin Water. Judge away!

Meanwhile, Jason was on his way, too, but from the opposite direction.

The last hour or so took me through some of southern Arizona’s famous old western towns, including Tombstone (“The Town Too Tough to Die”) which was bustling with tourists who were probably headed to the O.K. Corral to see a gunfight reenactment. I motored on through town and found my way via Highways 80 and 191 to Douglas – so close to the Mexican border that I could see the international fence toward the end of the street. Jason was already there, snapping pictures and getting acquainted with the lay of the land. I parked the ‘Teg behind his 2004 Mazda 6.

The Gadsden was elaborate by even today’s standards, so I had to imagine that it must have been home to some really wealthy guests back in the day. When we walked through the front entrance, we saw that the interior of the lobby had been decked out in a dozen or so round tables with silver place settings and turquoise napkins. We later found out that this was for a wedding to be held later in the day. We had the place largely to ourselves – and clearly we had “tourist” painted on our faces because the gal at the registration desk asked, “Can I help you?”

I was a little star-struck at how intricate some of the architecture was – a large rounded staircase dominated the foyer and for some reason reminded me of the movie Titanic. The woodwork was detailed, and the stained glass mural lined the entire east side of the roofline. There was a photo album on the front desk that I thumbed through to see some of the historic photos and newspaper articles that the Gadsden had been featured in. I also confirmed my suspicions about the hotel being primarily an escape for the elite: Eleanor Roosevelt was noted as having stayed there.

I loved seeing all the brass keys hanging behind the registration desk. Real keys, from long before the days when we started using those newfangled credit card ones.

To our left was an entrance to Casa Segovia, the Gadsden’s in-house restaurant. Jason commented “I feel under-dressed for this,” and I muttered, “I don’t know how much this is going to cost,” as we walked inside. We were both pleasantly surprised: I honestly expected most of the entrees to be about twice the cost they were. Score. There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted something substantial and Mexican, so I went with the chicken fajitas, which came out still-sizzling along with two tortillas and some sides like guacamole and sour cream. TDF, they were. That means “To Die For,” a phrase I learned from my mother.

Meanwhile I caught up with Jason who’d driven nearly an identical distance to Gadsden as I had, in his tried and trusty Mazda with 249,000 miles on it. Considering my Integra had 248,000, we collectively showed up in Douglas with about half a million under our belts. We took a few photos of the cars at other locations on “G” Street, including the Grand Theatre just a block north. The theatre’s marquee said, “NOW SHOWING,” but based on the looks of things, the only thing it was showing was its age.

Next, we buzzed the 8 or 9 blocks south to the international border fence, but without a passport I wasn’t able to (nor had I intended to, for this trip anyway) cross into Mexico. And lastly we stopped in at the Visitor Center, equipped with stacks of pamphlets of brochures and a sign-in guest book which Jason and I of course tagged. Our visit was short but sweet in nature – all of 90 or so minutes spent together until we split ways and sailed to our respective homes in opposite directions – but we enjoyed catching up.