Guess what! The universe works in mysterious ways.
After lost sleep, a little blood, lots of sweat, and perhaps a tear or two, I’m already parting with my latest Acura-quisition to make room for one that’s a little more desirable. While I certainly had no intentions of making another car change so soon (literally, only 2 months later), I was in Las Vegas this past weekend for WestFest when I got an email from my Miata-loving friend, Jeff. He told me about a cream puff Integra GS he’d found on craigslist in my hometown of St. George, Utah.
The GS, for starters, was the highest trim level for the Integra sedan that year – rolling in options like a moonroof, alloy wheels, and an anti-lock braking system. Best of all, this specific Integra has a remarkable 71,000 original miles on it. How is that even possible? That comes out to only 2,700 miles per year over the course of 26 years. Apparently some people don’t drive like I do. Here’s the only teaser I’ll give for now.
I’ll delve into the details on the NEW (old?) ride in a future post and video, but for now, it’s time to bid farewell to the car I worked so hard to purchase, transport, and make my own. The car has hit Bring a Trailer and I invite you to follow the auction if you’d like! Bidding will go for 7 days and conclude on Thursday, May 24th at 11:40 a.m. Pacific time.
Unless you’re cruising around in a bubble-wrapped car, chances are you’re bound to pick up a nick, a scratch, or a ding from time to time. As a veteran of over a half-million miles on a single car, I can attest that some wear and tear is unavoidable no matter how careful you are.
Solutions like protective “clear bra” films help prevent damage but only when installed early on – and even they are not impervious to 100% of the threats in the battle zone of our day to day commutes. This is where Automotive TouchUp comes into play. Full resprays are expensive – at least the quality ones. Luckily, there are cost-friendly answers that deliver good results for a do-it-yourselfer like me who just needs to hit a few small areas.
Automotive TouchUp was kind enough to mail me a kit complete with the tools and supplies needed to correct some imperfections on the focus car in question: My 1992 Acura Integra sedan. The Torino Red Pearl paint, specially formulated in code R-72P, was a near-perfect match for my car, despite the fact that the paint on my car has been around for 26 years of wear, tear, and sunshine exposure/fading. Check out that sign in the background: “The New Legend.” Clearly I was in the wrong car when I took that picture earlier today.
In all, the kit came with 5 different products, plus sandpaper and some small brushes that look kind of like Q-tips: prep solvent, primer, base coat, clearcoat, and rubbing compound. For my exercise, I only needed to hit 2 small areas on the front bumper so I took the easy route and just prepared the area, did a base coat, and then a clear coat. The bottles have little brushes inside them so I didn’t end up using the Q-tips.
For the few minutes it took me to knock this little project out, I am very happy with the results. This 1992 Integra is ready for the auction block, and I have a new surprise in store for you all soon regarding its replacement. Thanks to the folks at Automotive TouchUp for the chance to give these products a whirl! It’s much appreciated!
Before:
After:
Quick couple of sidebars. Roomie James is road-testing a Honda Clarity this week!
And the Vigor hit a milestone on the way back from a work trip to Tucson on Thursday.
The NSX has been a great car for the 30,000 miles that I’ve put on it. It received a new right axle and a 10W30 Castrol GTX oil change in preparation for this week’s upcoming trip to WestFest in Las Vegas, Nevada. The original axle had flung a bunch of grease on the undercarriage and I started getting a ‘clicking’ sound consistent with speed, so it was time. Science of Speed in Chandler, Arizona worked to squeeze in the car in the nick of time.
Thanks to Chris & his team for their help!
WestFest is slated to be one of the biggest NSX Club of America regional club events this year, anticipating 45 vehicles and upwards of 70 attendees. Here’s a post from where I scouted out the proposed WestFest group drive earlier this year, and a write-up from last year’s program. We will be in Vegas from Thursday through Sunday.
The Integra has been getting some more attention. I had Desert Shield Window Tinting give it a new set of shades. It’s a necessary update when you live in an area that has 300 days of sunshine per year.
You can see here how the clear rear window showed those faded rear headrests.
Little better here, especially to preserve the interior from further deterioration.
I have had Desert Shield work on 5 or 6 of my cars in the past, but I honestly cannot say I recommend them any longer. I specifically asked for the side windows to be all the same shade, but the technician installed limo tint on the rear side windows. I had it stripped and redone. Then 3 days later, there was peeling tint from the left rear door. It will be fixed under warranty next week. But I’m tired of taking trips back there.
I spent an evening earlier in the week getting the engine bay cleaned up. It wasn’t really bad to begin with, but just in case I end up showing this car at any events, I want things to be ready. There’s a video below.
In other noteworthy news, my friend Vlad stopped by this week. He drives an RLX that I featured in a Reader’s Ride last year. It was great to catch up with him.
And yesterday, a friend and I joined 28,000 other runners in the 14th annual “Pat’s Run,” in Tempe, Arizona. It’s a 4.2-mile race in recognition of our armed forces, past and present, named in honor of Pat Tillman who was a professional football player killed in the line of duty in 2002. It was a well-organized event and served a good cause.
I’m exhausted. I drove over 4,800 miles over the last 4 weekends in 4 different 24+ year old cars with > 100,000 miles on them – not counting any of the weekday miles that I accumulated on Mondays through Thursdays. It’s time for a break, for me and for my cars. The good news is that all of those miles were achieved with little or no drama. And the other good news is that I’m actually recovering and taking it easy today.
For the Easter holiday weekend, I took the Legend coupe to southern Utah. On Saturday I had a reservation at the best breakfast restaurant in town: Grandma’s House. The menu consisted of crepes with fruit toppings and whipped cream, with a side of sausage and a glass of milk to wash it all down. It hit the spot.
I attended an annual car show in the city of Hurricane (pronounced hurri-cun if you’re a local) and spent a couple of hours decorating eggs with the nieces and nephews. A grand ol’ time indeed. My brother Payton took me for a spin in his customized 2002 Lexus IS300 — a car that I’ve featured here before but that seems to get more and more extreme each time I see it. Currently its motor produces in excess of 700 horsepower. Here’s a quick video.
I’ve been progressing little by little with the 1992 Integra LS. Hon-Man and his talented repair crew dug in wholeheartedly this week and started tackling some of the car’s key needs. First and foremost, they attended to some of the routine maintenance needs (fluids, primarily). Without having any records on the car, I’m really just driving blindly here – and because of that, I wanted a careful eye to inspect the key mechanical components to make sure it’s roadworthy.
New (aftermarket) floor mats make the interior a little more cozy.
The electrical issues appear like they could be related at least in part to a faulty fuse box, and for that we’ve sourced a part which will arrive next week. Everything else is taken care of: We replaced a few hoses in the engine bay that were extremely soft and old, replaced both axles, and got some of the bulbs working again. Marker lights, license plate lights, cruise control, and power antenna are all now working again, which is awesome. The two front tires were directionally facing backwards, so those are fixed now too. It’s all about those little details.
Yesterday, I took the car to the Arizona emissions station to have the exhaust gases evaluated. The car passed, and then I went ahead and got registration taken care of, including special “Historic Vehicle” tags (made available to any vehicle > 25 years old). Finally. It’s been a long road getting that car purchased, transported, maintained, and formally relocated to its new home. In the coming weeks we’ll finish up the mechanicals and probably have windows tinted & some dings removed.
Blog buddy Jason Pawela of Driven for Drives came out to Phoenix to visit this weekend and we took the Integra siblings out for a little drive this morning to Dreamy Draw Park off Northern Avenue.
Here is an 8-minute video capturing some of the latest happenings in the progress with the Integra LS, followed by some other photos of recent events and sightings. Scroll to the bottom for one more feature – an invitation and offer for some free race tickets! Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!
I’ve always liked these Lexus SC coupes. This 1999 SC300 was in my mom’s neighborhood.
Scenery in Washington, Utah
My friend Ryan who has the Jurassic Park Explorer (see Radwood 2017) will appreciate this.
Sunday morning quick photo at Pioneer Park on the Red Hill in St. George
Two 2013 models: Dad’s MDX and my ILX
Easter egg hunting with nephew Locke. That egg was easy to find.
Milestone on the way home to Phoenix on Sunday!
For reals: Look at the size comparo between a Dodge Challenger and a G1 NSX.
Beauty shots of the siblings this morning at Dreamy Draw Park
Special Feature Opportunity: Invitation to IMSA (International Motor Sports Association) Races.
OH, NY, CA, GA Acura owners: I’m posting this invitation from Acura Motorsports that I received. Free race tickets and the chance to show your car:
Acura owners are invited to attend a weekend at the racetrack with Acura Motorsports. At four IMSA race weekends this year, Acura will be hosting an Acura Car Corral, where owners and enthusiasts can display their ride and enjoy the on-track action. Acura will be providing complimentary parking passes for the corral along with weekend passes to the race for the owner and a guest. Space is limited, so passes will be distributed by RSVP date. Acura Car Corral will be present at these four IMSA races:
1. Mid-Ohio Sports Car Showdown; May 5-6, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course
2. Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen, June 30-July 1, Watkins Glen
3. Continental Tire Monterey Grand Prix, September 8-9, Monterey
4. Motul Petit Le Mans, October 12-13, Road Atlanta
To RSVP for one of these events, e-mail Kyle Ginty at kginty@chargegf.com with the following information:
– Name and name of guest
– Event you wish to attend
– Vehicle model/year
– Mailing Address
– Phone Number
The final chapter (for now!): After two whirlwind trips from Phoenix to the San Francisco Bay Area — one to bid on the Integra, and another to pick it up, I finally had the car back home at my garage. Of all the cars in the collection, it needs probably the most work – both mechanically and cosmetically. The long list of to-do items will be addressed in due time – a long time – as the Integra will probably only be driven occasionally.
I wasted no time in heading over to the self-service car wash and getting the undercarriage and wheel wells all shined up. I spent time that same day on the door jambs, the interior, wheel covers & tires, and trunk. I’ll leave a complete engine bay detail for a later date – that task can take up to an entire day in itself.
The results achieved after just a simple one-step cleaner/wax with Meguiar’s are pretty remarkable, so I’m happy about that. I’m waiting for my California title to arrive in the next couple of weeks so meanwhile I’m rolling around on the existing tags until I get it registered in Arizona.
Here’s a list of things I’d like to have addressed on the car:
Bring maintenance up to date
Register with historic plates
Engine detail
Paintless dent removal
Source factory stainless steel exhaust tips
Add GS trim wheels
Tint windows
Source front bumper license plate plugs
Meanwhile I’m thrilled with the little project for the time being and it fits well in the garage. Color coordination was not 100% intentional, but I did end up with 2 greens, 2 reds, and 2 tans. Here’s a 13-minute video on how my detail day went.
Just for fun: I thought this would be kind of a cool time to share some scans and verbiage from my vast collection of Acura literature. Below are a few things I pulled out.
You’re not likely to find two cars more dissimilar than the Acura NSX and the Legend. One looks like it could break the sound barrier standing still. The other looks like it was built for royalty. You’re also not likely to find two cars so dissimilar built by the same carmaker. We’re not sure why, but it probably has something to do with “tradition” and a certain inflexible thinking about how things “should be done.”
Some automakers, even those claiming a hundred years of experience, feel there’s safety in doing the expected. Even fairly new arrivals in the luxury car market don’t deviate much from fairly rigid boundaries. At Acura, we operate under a different set of rules. Actually, there are only three rules. Build the best. Be at the leading edge, and pour all your passion into it. Apparently, it works. The Acura NSX has been called “the best driving experience available from anywhere in the world.” It’s amazing what a car company can accomplish when it refuses to follow the same old ruts in the road.
Acura tailored each of its vehicles at that time to cater to a certain attribute or goal.
NSX: It takes just one word to express the unique philosophy that inspires every Acura automobile: NSX. Conceived as the ultimate exotic sports car, the NSX was designed to achieve the razor-sharp response, breathtaking performance, and delicate balance of a Formula One race car, but with the poise, reliability, and ergonomic excellence of a world-class grand-touring automobile. The result is one of the most acclaimed exotic sports cars ever offered to the public.
1992
1993
1994
Legend Sedan: In designing the second-generation Legend sedan, we made a courageous decision, especially in light of the stunning success of the original Legend sedan. We started over. After five years of intensive research and engineering, the completely new Legend sedan emerged, a combination of the best in automotive design. It is graced with precise, sure-footed handling, developed from lessons learned designing the scalpel-sharp NSX. Exhilarating acceleration, motivated by an aluminum V-6 with an impressive Grand Prix pedigree. An elegant interior environment of intelligent design and painstakingly developed ergonomics. And the high levels of sophistication, dependability, and safety for which Acura has become justifiably famous.
1992
1993
1994
Legend Coupe: One look at the sculpted shape of the Legend coupe tells you what this automobile is designed to do: knife through the wind with speed, poise, and grace, leaving only a murmur in the air to signal its passage. In Europe the Legend coupe will be called upon to cruise at speeds over 130 miles an hour, a level of performance that magnifies the significance of even the most subtle advance in aerodynamics. From its steeply-raked windshield and backlight to its flush-mounted windows and low-profile grille, the Legend coupe is much more than beautiful – it is the product of countless hours of wind-tunnel testing.
1992
1994
Vigor: The design goal for the 1992 Vigor was a supremely challenging one: to combine the best of automotive technology, creating a uniquely satisfying personal performance sports sedan. Start with the confidence-inspiring dynamic balance of the NSX. Add the distinctive style and interior ambience of a sophisticated touring coupe. Factor in the responsiveness and agility of a lightweight sports sedan. Incorporate the security and elegant practicality of a four-door luxury automobile. And bring together these qualities in an aggressive, yet eminently usable, personal sports sedan – delivering the excitement and performance of a world-class sports coupe, but with the universal appeal of a four-door road car.
1992
1993
1994
Integra: Since their introduction, the Integra 3-door and 4-door sports sedans have earned a reputation for stirring performance, exhilarating agility, extraordinarily refined road matters and intelligent ergonomics. Many automakers would be reluctant to change such an impressive automobile, one labeled “… a superb car” by no less an authority than Car and Driver magazine. But not Acura. The 1992 Integra has been substantially improved, with significant advances in engine power, driveline smoothness, interior detailing, and aerodynamics.
1992
1993
Every Acura automobile has been meticulously inspected and tested to ensure the high levels of reliability and durability which the Acura name has come to signify. Many car companies claim to build satisfying cars, but the Acura Division has an impressive record of top rankings in both short-term and long-term customer satisfaction surveys to back it up. Most recently, Acura has ranked best in the J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Performance Index (VPI), a survey that measures the operating performance and overall comfort of a vehicle after three full years of ownership.
The interesting thing was to consider the demographics of Acura’s customers at the time. This is a chart found within a massive, boxed “Dealer Kit” I got my hands on many years ago. The average NSX owner was 44 years old with a $230,000 household income. That’s $396,000 today. Big money.
1994 was the change-over to the “bug eye” Integra in the full-line photo below so that’s why my collection is better described as 1991 through 1993 era, even though the Legends and Vigor are 1994.
Few people probably get excited about 25 year old Acuras like I do. But anyone who follows my blog knows how anxious I must have been after completing the purchase of my latest acquisition to get it home and in my garage. The only problem was, it was located about 800 miles away in another state.
Before I left Auction City in Redwood City, California on the Saturday that I bid and “won” the car, I had arranged for transport via a broker called Montway. The rate came in at $570 door-to-door to Phoenix and because of the frequently traveled cities between which the car would be transported, I was assured by a representative that dispatch would likely happen within 48 hours and the car would get picked up early the next week.
If only. 48 hours came and went. 72 hours came and went, and not a word from the shipper, who’d told me I’d be receiving an email as soon as it was assigned. So three days in and it still hadn’t even been assigned to trucker. I called and emailed them. On day 4, I was told, “We are working to find a carrier. I’ll call around personally.” On day 5, “Your order is now in priority status,” whatever that means.
Each time I inquired as to the status, I was getting the runaround, and my patience was wearing thin. The Integra was parked at an auction facility that needed it gone – and I didn’t want people messing with it (knowing there would be another swarm of potential bidders coming in soon and not wanting them to touch it).
Finally I received a break on the afternoon of day 5 (Thursday) when Montway called. “We’ve found a carrier,” they told me. “He can pick up the car on Monday and his rate is $770.” I was floored for a couple of reasons. #1 – Monday would have been 9 days after I placed the order for immediate pick-up. #2 – The quoted rate was over $200 more than I was already told the transport would cost. I told the representative, absolutely not. Cancel my order.
And right in the middle of trying to host my brother, his wife, and 3 kids at my house for the weekend, I was forced to book a last minute flight from Phoenix to San Jose so I could go pick up the car and drive it home myself. It seemed more than a little crazy: Flying out alone, trusting a 26 year old car that had been driven only 20 miles in the last 2 years (according to Carfax records), and attempting a 12-hour, 800-mile drive home. But I’m not right in the head.
I boarded my Southwest flight on Friday night around 9:30 and was in my motel in Sunnyvale, California by a little after 11:00 p.m. I didn’t sleep well that night in anticipation of the following morning’s events. It’s worth mentioning here, this was the third time I’ve flown into San Jose airport to drive a new car home: The first was the Legend coupe on March 26, 2003. The second was the NSX on December 17, 2011. That must be a good area to buy cars from.
Another Uber bright and early on Saturday morning took me to Auction City in Redwood City where I shook hands with Edward Lauber, the owner, who said, “I hear you collect Acuras.” My car was pulled around to the front and I was sent on my way at 8:30 in the morning. I only had 1/8th of a tank of gas, so my first stop was a Chevron on Marsh Road before hitting Highway 101 southbound.
Here’s where things got interesting. I accelerated onto the onramp and got settled in. I pulled out the cigarette lighter to insert my phone charger and the entire assembly was a little bit loose. I jiggled it around a little and could sometimes get the phone to take a charge for a second, but it would not stay charging. My battery life was at 22%. Great. I advised a few people that I would likely be unavailable by phone for most of the day after it died.
I was pleased at how the Integra handled at freeway speed, with revs < 4,000 RPM at 75 miles per hour, unlike its counterpart the GS-R. Road and wind noise were not bad, the engine sounded healthy. Then I made an attempt at the cruise control. No dice. The light on the “master” switch illuminated, but the system would not engage. Shoot – I had 12 hours ahead of me and my right leg was not happy about it.
Over the course of the next 730 miles, I made a list of 13 weird electrical things going on with the car. Some were quite puzzling. My favorite was this: When you activated the left turn signal, after it flashes 5 times, it started flashing the “Door” light in the instrument cluster, the clock, and the rear window defrost button. How are those things even related?
At this point I was fairly confident there is something wrong with the entire system. And the longer I stared at the dash, the more I noticed things about it. Nooks and crannies all had water spots in them, white in color. It’s almost like someone sneezed milk over the entire dashboard at some point. Was a water-related incident to blame for the fact that all the electronics were on the fritz? Likely.
But the good news is that I sailed along in comfort and style on Highway 101, Highway 152 toward Los Banos, and then I-5 southbound without any mechanical issues whatsoever. The clutch, brakes, and gearbox were perfect. The A/C blew cold. The windows, locks, and headlights all worked. So for that I was extremely grateful. Here is my list of other things I noticed:
Radio antenna would not go up. It went up during the auction, I remember noticing it. So did something get disconnected or broken in the week the car sat there afterward?
The radio itself is a quirky thing. Sometimes it doesn’t work at all; other times I get sound from just 1 speaker.
The Intermittent wiper speed does not work.
The clock reset itself to 1:00 twice during fuel stops.
Once I heard the “open door” chime when no doors were open.
Sometimes the clock is “fuzzy” / fizzing in and out.
The dome light doesn’t turn on.
Marker lights and license plate lights don’t work.
I think we have a real project on our hands – and I’m not even sure that I care to address most of those, as long as the car runs & drives well. And it sure does. It survived extended highway miles, a steep grade up the Grapevine north of the LA area, and 3 different segments of gridlocked traffic all with constant A/C running. Meanwhile my right leg got accustomed to being permanently set on the throttle. I took Highway 210 to Highway 57 to Interstate 10. Then I could finally start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
By now, it was around 4:30 p.m. so I figured it was time to go find a way to turn my dead phone on so I could check messages and let people know that I was doing okay. I stopped at a Starbucks in Palm Desert, California for that. I was able to use my laptop battery to send a charge to my phone and get it back up to about 20% life remaining before I headed out again. Dusk came around 6:30 and I was crossing into the Arizona state line, and by 8:30 I was pulling into my driveway in Phoenix – exactly 12 hours after leaving Auction City earlier in the morning.
It was a relief to be home. The known issues with the Integra were the least of my concerns. I got home safe and sound, and that was all that mattered to me. My brother and his family were still at my house so I enjoyed the evening with them and relaxed. A little later on, I pulled the car in so it could be parked with the rest of the collection. It fit in nicely. And of course, I had to wear my “Just one more car. I promise” T-shirt for the occasion.
Now what? Come back for my next post as I begin to address some of the car’s issues – both cosmetic and mechanical. On the to-do list will be a few visual enhancements: OEM floor mats, rear mud guards, dent removal, factory exhaust tips, etc. And I plan on putting historic license plates on this one for sure. It has earned them! Here is a video capturing 13 minutes of the adventure.
Text from my friend calling me out on buying another car
Firing up the Integra and getting ready to roll out
Lunch stop at Taco Bell in Buttonwillow, California
Starting to see the final stretch through the desert
Good thing I didn’t need any fuel from these pumps in Desert Center
Dusk as I roll into Arizona
Kid-approved! I arrived home to my brother’s family who was still there visiting.
Come back soon for my next write-up and a video on getting the car cleaned up!
End note: Do I have any Gen 1 Prelude fans in the audience? This 1982 model belongs to my trusty mechanic, Tait at Hon-Man Auto Care. It has only around 100,000 miles on it and is going up for sale. Let me know if you’re interested!
If you put on your fancy pin-striped suit and walked into your local Acura dealership about 25 years ago in 1993, you might hear “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by UB40 played over the radio in the showroom. If you had the means at that time, you could say to a salesperson, “I’ll take one of everything,” and then you’d proceed to drop about $210,000 MSRP ($365,000 equivalent in 2018) on the six different models that Acura sold at the time.
Today, cars of that era are cheap. So cheap, in fact, that two of mine were bought on credit cards. Just like that. As if you’re picking up a candy bar at the local CVS Pharmacy, but instead you just bought yourself an entire automobile.
A lot of people have collections. A friend of mine collects Pyrex cookware. My sister-in-law collects vintage luggage. And I just happen to collect Acuras. This past weekend I successfully closed the loop on a matching “set” that I’d been striving 20 years for, since about age 16. Do I deserve a recognition award or rehab therapy? I’ll let you decide. Jalopnik thinks I’m a little nuts, but that’s okay.
Here’s how the timing worked out and where I got each of my six now-classic Acuras from:
2003: 1994 Legend LS coupe 6-speed in San Jose, California
2008: 1994 Legend GS sedan 6-speed in Logan, Utah
2011: 1992 NSX 5-speed in San Jose, California
2015: 1994 Vigor GS 5-speed in Denver, Colorado
2016: 1992 Integra GS-R 5-speed in Seattle, Washington
And now #6: The newest adoptee into my family of early 1990s Acuras is a “Torino Red Metallic” 1992 Integra LS sedan. Here are the many reasons why I had to have it:
All original paint and interior (Flint Black was my first choice, but Torino Red was second)
Completely rust-free body and undercarriage
Unmodified / stock configuration in every way
Low miles, 116,562 as of the sale date (that’s 4,400 per year)
Only two owners, the second having owned it since 1996 and then donating it to charity
5-speed manual transmission (I would not even consider an automatic)
1992-93 model year “refresh” design styling to front and rear, super rare to find on the Integra sedan “DB1” chassis
Clean title
Recent timing belt maintenance history
LS trim deletes the ABS (anti-lock braking system) which is often times problematic (as is the case on my 1992 GS-R model)
Accessory OEM wing spoiler with LED brake lamp
My family’s first Acura was a red, second-generation Integra sedan in 1996. It’s like going back to my roots.
This was not an easy car to find. Oh no, not by any means. I’d been on the hunt for literally years, scouring SearchTempest to collect craigslist postings from nationwide on a nearly daily basis. I had at least a half-dozen friends on high alert, too. I almost settled a few times. One car that surfaced in Salt Lake City was everything I wanted but with extreme rust and a fraction of the price. I was willing to make concessions but that wasn’t one that I wanted to deal with. It seemed that for every 10 second generation Integra hatchbacks, there was only 1 sedan. Rare, rare, rare.
Then Friday, March 9th came along. In my typical fashion, I revved up my Internet browser in between meetings at work and did my customary “1992 Integra” keyword title search on the craigslist aggregation site. I saw a posting 3 lines down in SF Bay. “1992 Acura Integra – for auction – $700.” Without knowing any of the other details, I clicked the ad and my eyes got as big as those hearts on the heart-eye emoji. Sedan, check. Manual, check. Original, check. It was too good to be true though, because it was 12 hours away and available via live auction only. A phone call to the selling dealer was disappointing, as they would not deal with any offers remotely. “You have to be here to bid,” the representative told me. Damn.
The wheels in my head got spinning. A last-minute flight from PHX to SFO would run me $360 and put me on the ground a little after midnight, so I’d need a hotel. And then what if the car was junk and I didn’t buy it? I’d be spending that same amount to fly right back home. Could I risk dropping $800+ just for the chance to buy?
Then a crazy thought came to mind. I was already planning on going to Los Angeles the following day to meet up with friends for a cars & coffee event. What if I drove out earlier, took a massive side trip north to Redwood City, attended the auction, and then back-tracked to LA for my scheduled events? Could I?
On 9:00 p.m. on Friday night, I departed from my friend Kyle’s birthday party in central Phoenix behind the wheel of my garage queen 1994 Legend GS 6-speed sedan – a car that had only been driven about 1,000 miles in the prior 9 months. I’ve owned it for a decade and I know that it’s up to date on maintenance, but most people would still agree it was a little gutsy to get into a 24-year-old car with 156,000 miles on it and plan to drive nearly 800 miles, alone, in the middle of the night.
The I-10 corridor is no unfamiliar place for me. In the dozen years I’ve lived in Phoenix, I’ve driven the interstate to LA probably a hundred times. So I set the cruise control, fueled up on a Monster “Mean Bean” energy drinks, and watched the miles go by while listening to some hits on my 80-gig iPod classic with a cassette tape adapter (for that true period-correct experience, of course).
By midnight local time, I was near Palm Springs. Around 1:00 a.m, I was in LA. And by 3:00 a.m., I was already northbound on Interstate 5 with my sights set on the San Francisco Bay. The Legend hummed onward in 6th gear with little effort, delivering a remarkable 27 miles per gallon on one of my fillups.
Daylight started peeking out over the eastern horizon a little after 6:00 a.m., and by that time, I could already see the finish line. I was northbound on Highway 101 crossing through San Jose – oddly enough, the same place where I’d purchased my NSX and my Legend coupe years ago. Clearly it’s a good place to find quality cars. I arrived at the auction house in Redwood City well before it opened, so I had a $15 omelet at Squeeze In about 3 miles away and collected my composure for a busy day ahead. I think I had 3 bites of food. My stomach was in absolute knots. But I liked the sound of this omelet for obvious reasons.
I’ve been to plenty of auctions before. Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale has been an annual tradition for me lately. But I’ve never bid or even been serious about buying before. And for that reason, my anxiety was through the roof. Because the minute I walked into the warehouse and saw the Integra, I got this feeling like I knew I would be buying it. Parked between a Ford utility truck and a Volkswagen Golf, it was the oldest of the 21 different vehicles up for charity auction that day.
Auction City allows prospective buyers to check out the inventory before the bidding starts at 10:30 a.m. So, I did just that. I cranked up the car, checked the electronics, and gave the clutch a few kicks. The engine bay looked remarkably clean, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw a yellow sticker: The timing belt change record. April 2012 at 111,000 miles. Score.
At this point it was “game on.” I found myself getting protective every time someone else got in or around the car to take a look at it, slam the hood, lean up against it, or rev the motor. I tried not to get my hopes too far up, and I also tried to keep my head on straight. The combination of racing thoughts and complete lack of sleep left me feeling lightheaded a couple of times.
An old man next to me leaned over and commented on the Integra, “Needs a lot of work,” he said. “I ran the Carfax and the timing belt hasn’t been done yet.” I knew he was wrong, but I didn’t say it. Keep your bids off my car, man. A sheet of paper on the dashboard said “Suggested Retail $1,925.” What would it go for?
At registration, I had been given bidder #37 so I got my card ready as soon as I saw the Integra was almost up. I stood near the car and tried to understand the mumbo-jumbo coming out of the auctioneer’s mouth in the echoey building. Luckily the numbers were understandable if nothing else was.
I raised my hand repeatedly like the nerd in the front row of the class who knows the answer to every stupid question. I had a max bid amount in mind, and I was going to keep my hand in the air as long as I could until that number was reached. At least 3 other people were fighting me for that car.
Two minutes later, it was SOLD for $2,700, the auctioneer exclaimed. I won it. Giddy. Amazed. How the heck did that just happen? I was on cloud 9.
Immediately I started looking into logistics. Within 30 minutes, I had pre-paid for a Montway transport truck so the logistics were taken care of (or so I thought – more on that later). After all 21 vehicles in the hall had been sold, I met with a representative to handle payment & paperwork (he of course asked why I’d felt compelled to bid to the point that I did). By the way, the Integra was the only car of the 21 to sell for a price point above its posted “Retail” price. Yeah, so what. I was prepared to go even higher.
With that, I knew the deal was sealed and my nerves calmed back down. But my weekend adventure wasn’t over yet. For the next 6 hours, I fought heavy rain almost all the way back to the Los Angeles area, including a horrendous construction zone on the north end of the city with poorly marked lane lines and heavy traffic. By the time I rolled into my Super 8 in Torrance, I’d white-knuckled so long my hands were permanently gripping the Legend’s steering wheel.
For the first time since Thursday, I finally settled in and took a minute to breathe. The next day came early, as I picked up a long-time friend named Kazuhiro from his hotel nearby and we went to Cars & Coffee South Bay in Gardena. Kazuhiro was on vacation from Japan for a week. Back home, he has a 1995 Legend GS sedan that looks exactly like mine. It was great to finally meet him, as well as reconnect with other friends from southern California despite the drizzly weather.
I headed back home to Phoenix at the conclusion of lunch at Eatalian Deli and enjoyed the next 6 hours of solitude and success after having achieved all of my trip’s goals. After unpacking the car, I made the most long awaited reunion of all: My flannel pillow. What a weekend. Now I just had to figure out a way to get the car home. Come back to the next post to see how that went!
So that’s the story of how after a 20-year quest, I ended up with a fleet of every vehicle configuration that Acura sold in the early 1990s. And I only paid about $53,000 for all six, so I guess you could say I got 75% off. And that’s a bargain deal I can live with. Check out the 19-minute video including scenes from the auction itself.
Welcomed to Redwood City bright & early after an all-night drive
Arrival at Auction City on Saturday morning
That engine bay – clean!
Paperwork showing the “suggested retail” price of $1,925
Left rear quarter. Those exhaust tips are not OEM! (But that will change)
Front left quarter. The car needs some TLC but it’s a strong start.
These were the makes, models, and final prices for all 21 cars auctioned.
These are the 14″ GS trim wheels I’ll be getting when I ditch those hubcaps.
That spoiler! Shot from the accessories brochure.
Picking up Kazuu in Torrance on Sunday morning
My friend Ryu at cars & coffee (and a Honda Beat in the background)
With Kazuu and Fred
Kazuu’s car, back home in Japan
Raul, Rob, Kazuu, Tyson, Jay, Brett, after breakfast
Headed back home to AZ
My roommate had a Toyota C-HR on test last week. Aztec Green anyone?
And my friend Sunny visited – was great to see him!
Come back soon for the adventure that getting the car home involved!
I clearly don’t watch enough TV, because somehow I missed the fact that a local Phoenix area junkyard was the set of a Discovery Channel TV show back in 2011. The series, called Desert Car Kings, was filmed at Desert Valley Auto Parts (DVAP) near 7th Avenue & Deer Valley Road on the north end of town. I haven’t been able to find any episodes online but there are a handful of short clips on YouTube and it looked like a pretty cool series.
The desert is indeed a great place to look for vintage cars and parts. While interiors, dashboards, and rubber/vinyl trim pieces age and crack terribly, usually the fundamental body parts – frames, panels, and engine components – stay remarkably rust-free and preserved. I frequently visit the local junkyards for that reason, but the ones I’ve been to have a lot newer cars in them and sometimes aren’t very well organized. DVAP was laid out in a very orderly fashion by make.
Desert Car Kings lasted for just 1 season and 10 episodes, but one of the things they did during the show was restore cars from the junkyard. That’s always sort of been a fantasy of mine: Plucking a car from the path of imminent destruction (the crusher), giving it new life, and putting it on the road.
My friend Dane who you met on the recent MDX trip to Nevada introduced me to DVAP. He is quite the connoisseur of vintage and collectible cars, with the following in his collection currently, from oldest to newest:
1959 Imperial Crown
1964 Dodge 440
1966 Chrysler Town & Country
1969 Imperial LeBaron
1992 Dodge Stealth R/T Twin Turbo
1998 Dodge Ram 2500 4×4
2010 Lincoln MKZ
Can you sense some Mopar loving there? Dane and I visited DVAP on a Saturday morning and got more than our $2 admission worth wandering around and checking out the inventory. In the end, we didn’t make any purchases. Here are 8 minutes of random video I recorded.
Check out this lineup of a couple of the year 1992’s best performance sport coupes.
This weekend, my friend Chris came over to grab lunch with me. I met him a couple of years ago through the local Integra club (“AZ Second Gens” – about 50 members strong) and have followed his car adventures on his YouTube channel ever since. Here’s the link so you can take a look and subscribe for yourselves. We did a car-key swap and headed to lunch at a burger place a few miles away. Here are a few minutes of video of the meet-up. It was great to link up.
Here’s the video Chris put together. 27 minutes worth! Get your popcorn ready or order a pizza first.
While you’re on YouTube, I have some other gems for you. Check out this next video if you get 30 seconds to spare. It’s an Acura commercial from around 1993.
What caught my eye right away – without even having to do rewind and replay – was the bridge crossing of an NSX and a Legend at about 8 seconds in. “Navajo Bridge!” I screamed in my head. I’ve driven over it dozens of times. What’s odd, though, is that the video was shot just 2 years before a new bypass bridge west of the original 1929 bridge was completed. The deck that the Legend & NSX were being driven on is now only open to pedestrian traffic. Even so, how can I possibly resist re-creating this with my own cars in the newer bridge that runs parallel to it?
Notice in the freeze-frame above, the distinct pattern of criss-cross metal railing along the side. Below, I’m standing on the same bridge (but along its west side, instead of east) and you can see the newer bridge in the background.
A couple of weeks ago, I joined some friends for brunch at 5th Avenue Cafe in central Phoenix. Roger showed up in his 1965 Dodge station wagon, and I took the NSX. There was a little bit of ‘something for everyone.’
Earlier in the week, I got to go to lunch in a 1962 Porsche owned by my friend Bob.
It had an incredible amount of interior space for a vehicle of that size!
I had company from San Diego this past weekend: My friend Jay rolled into town on Thursday evening in his 2008 Mercedes-Benz SL550 drop-top. What a stunning ride in Storm Red.
He and I cruised down to Tucson on Saturday morning to meet up with some friends for brunch at Cup Cafe inside the historic Hotel Congress.
Perfect day for a patio chat.
Baked egg something-or-other. Those potatoes were my fave, though!
Jonathan making his attempt at a group shot, selfie style.
Jonathan and his roommate Corey’s garage. I approved.
And a quick clip of me driving Jay’s Benz. It’s 100+ more horsepower than I’m used to handling.
Thanks, Jay, for the visit!
I think you’re all caught up now! Have a great week!
Imagine being wealthy enough in the late 1920s to own several mansions across the United States: Chicago, Philadelphia, and other cities — the smallest of which, in Phoenix, at 16,000 square feet.
William Wrigley Jr. was an entrepreneur from a young age, starting his own business selling soap and baking powder at age 29. At that time, he would give his customers 2 packages of chewing gum as an incentive with each can of baking powder they purchased. Wrigley’s chewing gum soon became more popular than any of his other products, and the rest was history. Wrigley went on to hold a controlling interest in several other companies, own the Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, and build 5 residences. Next time you’re chomping on a stick of Big Red, think of him.
Wrigley’s mansion in Phoenix (photo above from 1949), is set atop a 100-foot-tall knoll with views of the Biltmore and the community below. Construction was completed in 1931, only a year before Wrigley died at age 70. The mansion went on to be owned by another big wig in the food industry: Geordie Hormel, known for creating Spam (he also claimed to have invented the corn dog). Hormel bought the Wrigley mansion as a $2.6 million 50th wedding anniversary for his wife, and restored it to his former glory. He passed away in 2006 but the facility lives on as a private club for Sunday brunch, fancy weddings, and other special events.
On Sunday, January 28th, 86 years and 2 days after William Wrigley passed away, I rolled up the steep driveway from Telawa Trail Road with my dad & stepmom and valet parked my Legend sedan for a brunch reservation I’d made online about 6 weeks prior. The view of the city was spectacular and the weather couldn’t have been better.
We had about 15 minutes to wander around the facility before being seated at our table, so we went upstairs to see a few of the 24 bedrooms and 2 of the 12 bathrooms. All of the finishes, materials, and fixtures retain their original appearance but have been well preserved or restored.
Hearty buffet provisions were available in 3 separate rooms: The first, with fruits, bagels, and salad items for lighter fare. The second had the main brunch courses: beef, prime rib, shrimp, lobster, potatoes, and an omelet station. And the last was up a few stairs in what appeared to be a library, stocked with all sorts of cupcakes and other sugary goodness. Each time one of us would get up from our seat to make another pass at the buffet, the servers would come around while we were gone and roll up our napkins again. There was a lot of fine attention to detail.
For $59 a plate, the Wrigley champagne brunch is definitely not a McDonald’s McMuffin value menu, but for a rare treat with special guests, I thought it was well worth it for a way to spend a classy Sunday and get a panoramic view of the city skyline on a crystal blue January day. We returned to the valeted Legend feeling full and satisfied. “You’re going to have to roll me to the car,” Tanya said. No wonder we weren’t hungry again until much later that evening.
The revolving door at Hotel Hugie hasn’t had a break yet — the month of January I ran at nearly 100% occupancy and loved it. Last week, Dad & Tanya drove 1,421 miles in fewer than 48 hours from Seattle to Phoenix for a trade show called Oasis. Each January, it draws more than 3,000 buyers to the Phoenix convention center to see and order knick-knacks and souvenirs for their gift shops and visitor centers. Dad and Tanya hand-craft wooden items like antler-adorned walking sticks, keychains, magnets, and money clips for their company, Yellowstone River Trading.
It was an action-packed few days with the family visiting, with lots of things to do outside the 9-5 trade show grind. We dined at some new restaurants, visited an escape room, and took care of a few home improvement projects. I also spent a bit of time at the local junkyard, harvesting a piece of a quarter panel to repair some damage to the left rear corner of my Legend sedan. It was my first time using a heavy-duty angle grinder and I am pleased with the results! Thanks to my friend Mirel for the tools and the expertise.
New and old pieces of quarter panel. Updates to come!
Below are a few more photos from recent events. I received a visit from Redline Reviews’ Editor-in-Chief, Sofyan Bey.
Here’s a 5-minute video filmed just before dropping Sofyan off at the Sky Harbor airport.
Earlier in the week, I dropped off Kevin from Duluth, GA. I’ve been to the airport a lot lately!
Kevin recently sold his 1994 Legend L sedan. He had owned the car for 18 years, 11 months, and 26 days. Fortunately, he still has a 1994 LS coupe, his “Polar Bear.”
I got my front bumper plugs installed on the Vigor – paint matched & all!
Integra parked streetside just west of Chase Field, where the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team plays.
Visiting the Oasis gift convention.
Dinner at ‘Camp Social’ restaurant on 7th Street in Phoenix – we ate in a little trailer like that!
Pretty cool old-school Ace Hardware sign.
Dinner on the patio at Hula’s Modern Tiki, with special guest Jake the poodle.
Home Depot on a Saturday in the coupe.
Junkyard find: 1989 Honda Accord LX 5-speed
It had 349,271 miles on it!
Escape room group in Tempe, Arizona
Legend sedan parked at Wrigley’s valet area
Upstairs hallway at Wrigley Mansion
View from our dining table
Buffet room #1
I spotted my car valet parked below
Tanya & dad
Headed back to real civilization after a few minutes living the high life.
I haven’t been to a theme park since 1994. This is a picture of 12-year-old me (in socks & sandles — that fashion was OK back then, I think) with my brother Bentley trying out the mini golf course at Disneyland in California. We got our fill of roller coaster rides, cotton candy, and entertainment. Fast forward 13 years and I think I found an “adult” Disneyland. It’s a 45,000-acre playground in the middle of nowhere in the California desert, and it’s called the Honda Proving Center. I got a behind the scenes look at this magical place on Saturday, December 9th. It may just be the happiest place on Earth.
It’s not every day you’re sitting in the driver seat of a $180,000, 573-horsepower supercar with a professional coach in your passenger seat. Doing 118 miles per hour on cruise control on a 7-mile-long high-speed oval track. And getting to the straightaway and having the coach say, “Ok, put the gas to the floor and hold it there.” My eyes got as big as pie plates. “What?!” “Punch it.” I obeyed, and we shot to 155 miles per hour – a personal land speed record for me – in a matter of a few seconds. By the time I’d completed two laps and we exited the track, 80 miles per hour felt like idling through a school zone. My sense of speed was completely out of whack.
My track time was part of an “NSX Drive Experience,” made possible by special invitation by some of my friends at Acura. It catered largely to folks who are long time brand advocates or potential NSX shoppers.
My track experience credentials prior to this event were pretty pathetic.
I did a 105-mph open-road race in 2007 & 2008 (Bonneville 100 in northern Nevada)
I drove on a road course in 2010 (Miller Motorsports Park – Salt Lake City, Utah)
I 1/4-mile drag raced my car in 2016 (Atlanta Dragway – Atlanta, Georgia)
Needless to say, I’m still very much a novice when it comes to putting on a race helmet and getting out on a racetrack. That changed to a small degree this weekend when I took advantage of the opportunity to experience 2 hours in the seat of a Nouvelle Blue Pearl 2017 Acura NSX. And my coach – professional driver Ken Hill – actually said my skills were pretty impressive. “Quick hands,” he told me. I’ll take it!
I drove out to California City late Friday night in the Integra, whirring at 4,500 RPM all the way to the Riverside area, then on up the Cajon Pass to Victorville on I-15, then taking two-laners the remaining 80 or so miles to my hotel, the Best Western. Roads were lonely and it was a clear night for the 7-hour drive. The following morning, I made my way north to the entrance to Honda’s facility in Cantil – a nondescript turnoff after miles and miles of nothing but telephone poles, where a white sign and HONDA in red block lettering guided me in.
Honda has owned the property since 1990 and it was used by the company’s Research & Development team for its first 20 or so years. It went through a $28 million renovation in 2015 as part of a conversion from “durability” testing to “dynamic” testing as its focus. Today it’s a closed course that allows test engineers to put prototype vehicles through their paces. I saw a couple of vehicles in camouflage while behind closed gates, but any photography was of course strictly prohibited.
The session kicked off with Acura Senior Manager John Watts and pro driver Ken Hill giving us the lay of the land – some NSX model-specific background, the story on the facility, and some safety briefings along with a description of what we were about to experience. Our “class” of 8 or so people was able to see inside the building’s operations center, with its wall full of TV screens capturing surveillance of every jackrabbit or tortoise that moves on the property – along with each and every vehicle, of course.
My first of four track experiences was the oval, followed by a demonstration of a zero-to-100-mph-to-zero acceleration and braking exercise. Ken showed me how to activate the NSX’s “Track / Launch” mode by holding the selector knob to the right for 5 seconds. The power and grip that this unleashed was unreal. From a dead stop, 60 miles per hour came up in only 2.7 seconds, my helmet deeply planted against the headrest. We rocketed to 100 miles per hour, then clamped down on the brakes. The carbon ceramic brake equipment brought us to a sudden and controlled stop. Nausea anyone? It’s a good thing I wasn’t doing this on an empty stomach.
We made our way to a small autocross track where I tried my hand at keeping an NSX inside some painted white lines while dodging cones, and finally went to the Winding Road course which is a true simulation of what a curvy mountain road might look and feel like. The road itself has a few tricks up its sleeve, like a steep hill that makes you feel like you’re going to launch the car, and a decreasing-radius turn that catches a lot of people by surprise. Ken and I took several laps and with each one, I became more and more comfortable with the car. This picture is not me!
My heart raced and my palms were sweaty but I gained confidence and continued to be blown away by the NSX and its capability. My skills were so good, in fact (patting myself on the back here), that I caught up to the car in front of me and we had to pull off the track to wait for them to get more of a head start. After this segment, we went to a reception where lunch was served and iPads were available for surveys and NSX Build Configurator access. All participants were provided a poster and goody bag for their participation which was a nice souvenir to take home. Organizers even offered to top off my fuel tank prior to departing, but my Integra was already sitting at full capacity.
It was a dose of reality to get back into my 4-cylinder, 160-horsepower, 244,000 mile Integra to start heading home but my nerves needed a break anyway after so many thrills. I had just one more sight to see on my drive home, so I made a special point to visit the “Musical Road” off Highway 14 on Avenue G in Lancaster, California. It’s a road paved with grooves in it that when driven across, plays a song. I tried it at 60, 45, and 75 miles per hour. Check out the video below for what that ended up sounding like!
Many thanks to the folks at Acura for such an awesome event. More to come in the next couple of weeks as I play catch-up on current events and get 2018 off to a timely start!
Late night arrival into California City
Chilly day the following morning! The Integra took an extra crank to start.
Departing my Best Western
Long and lonely road to get to the proving ground
Made it!
Parked next to a “Still Night Pearl” 2018 TLX A-Spec. I knew I was in the right place.
With my friend Curtis from Acura’s agency
Pre-drive briefing in the lobby
VIP status!
Photo on display from Mr. Honda’s visit to the facility in the early 1990s
2018 RLX out front
Detail on the different driving experiences available at the track
Heading out in the afternoon!
Arrival at the Musical Road in Lancaster
Visiting my friend Jerry in Palmdale who has a 1993 Integra GS sedan
I thought this spot on the top of a pass on Highway 138 was pretty cool. Mountain Top Cafe. It’s been there since 1940.
Descending toward my junction with Interstate 15.
“Mormon Rocks” along the San Bernardino National Forest.
Swag that I brought home! Nice shirt + some reading material.
I sent a text message to Ted Klaus, project leader for the NSX, and thanked him for building such a magical machine. He had a nice reply!
It made me appreciate my generation 1 NSX even more.
I liked this image showing the NSX, Vigor, and Integras. Missing Legends!
A couple of weeks ago there was a ‘twin’ to my Legend coupe (one VIN apart, in fact, #833 and mine is #832) for around $2,900. I was tempted to grab it and keep for eventual restoration. Or spare parts!
Speaking of blue NSXs, I wanted to share this sweet one that ScienceofSpeed in Chandler, Arizona built for this year’s SEMA show in Las Vegas. Shout out to my friend Erik for sharing the pics.
When was the last time you saw a 1989 Honda Accord SE-i coupe? This beauty has only 42,300 miles on it, and was recently acquired by my friend Kai who is doing some mechanical restoration work on it.
The local Arizona NSX Club of America chapter members got together last month for a holiday dinner at ScienceofSpeed. I got to park my 1992 indoors next to our dining tables.
It was nice to reconnect with the 20 or so members who came out.
That Audi R8 on the lift was a little out of place!
drivetofive 