What type of alien life form would have created something like this?
I don’t remember how I found out about the Spiral Jetty, but once I learned of it, there was no stopping me from going there. It was Saturday June 18, 2005 and for some reason or another, I was in & around Salt Lake City, Utah that weekend.
Spiral Jetty is a 1,500-foot-long, 15-foot-wide, work of art on the north shore of the Great Salt Lake. It was actually constructed by a human – Robert Smithson – in 1970. It’s made of mud, salt crystals, basalt rocks, and water. Construction took only 6 days and cost $9,000. Due to varying water levels of the lake, it’s possible at times for the spiral coil to be completely submerged. On the day when I visited, it was clearly visible but partially underwater. I would’ve loved to hike out on top of it, but that would’ve definitely ended in some wet sneakers & socks.
The Great Salt Lake is a bit fascinating itself. It’s the largest salt water lake in the western Hemisphere and the 4th largest “terminal” lake in the world. It covers 1,700 square miles and is a remnant of ancient Lake Bonneville which covered most of Utah. But how salty is the Great Salt Lake? Salinity ranges from 5 to 27%. For comparison, the salinity of the ocean is 3.5%. I won’t be filling my canteen from the Great Salt Lake anytime soon. Here’s an attempted “selfie” (though that word didn’t exist in 2005) thanks to a remote timer on my camera with the lake in the background.
Though I learned that the road to the Spiral Jetty was unpaved, that didn’t keep me from taking my then-173,000-mile Acura Legend coupe out on a Saturday morning adventure. In all, I remember driving about 9 miles one-way on a gravel road. The last couple of miles progressively got more and more technical. By the time I got to the last hundred yards or so of the drive, the road had narrowed to just one skinny lane with huge ruts and jagged rocks everywhere. I did my best to weave around them – fearing that I might scratch one of my 17″ chrome rims or, worst case scenario, catch a rock on my oil pan and cause some even more serious damage to the car.
I did make it, though, and celebrated with a photoshoot of my filthy Legend and a partially submerged work of art in the background.
The area around the jetty was littered with metal waste: Empty, rusted barrels, vehicle hulks that had been abandoned and vandalized decades prior, etc.
I made my exit and stopped for a photo in the barren wilderness of northern Utah.
Remarkably, the Legend survived unscathed and after running it through a coin-operated car wash in Salt Lake City, I took it to a Legend “meet” at Sugarhouse Park that very same afternoon. Though we hadn’t planned it that way, every single Legend that attended was a 2-door coupe. I wonder how many of those guys still have their cars, 9 years later?
I know for a fact that Jeff, who was driving that Canterbury Green coupe parked on the end, is now in a black 2008 Acura TL Type-S after having spent the last 8 years in a CL Type-S. He’s been as brand loyal as they come!
Summertime fun from years past. Thanks for coming along with me to Memory Lane.
Friday, I drove the Legend to work and achieved a milestone on the way home from the office. I took a few cell phone shots of the car just shortly after the roll-over. They aren’t the best quality but you get the idea.
I have a few maintenance items to address before driving it to Los Angeles next month for NALM. I might go ahead and have the spark plugs changed (last replaced at 434,000). There’s also a leaking inner CV boot on the passenger side, and I’ve been told the A/C lines at the compressor are leaking, though the system still somehow blows ice cold air.
These were taken just east of Phoenix on the Beeline Highway near the Saguaro Lake turnoff.
Yesterday, I escaped the Phoenix heat for a few hours and met up with some friends in Flagstaff, Arizona. It’s only about a 150-mile drive each way via I-17 so I was easily able to get up and back comfortably over the course of the day. It sure was great to spend some time in “only” 90 degree temperatures as opposed to the 110 degrees at my house.
The only photos I grabbed were at Exit 317: Fox Ranch Road.
Perfect day for a drive.
Think anyone will mind if I park the car there? I was a rebel for a few seconds.
I thought it would be fun to share a few “spy shots” that friends have sent me over the last couple of weeks since I recently started saving them. My friends know how Legend-crazy I am, so I frequently get text messages of random sightings from the road.
From Tim
From Terrance
Another from Terrance
From Paul
From Mike
From Jim
Another from Jim
From Beau
Haha, to those who have my phone number or email: Keep the pics coming!
Posted in Blog, Legend on June 17, 2014 by tysonhugie
Odometer (Legend): 529,840
Odometer (ILX): 84,672
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of meeting with author Shigeyuki Ishikawa and photographer Yujiro Otsuki from a Japanese magazine called Kurumag. The free publication is widely distributed across Japan – each issue totaling around 500,000 copies. Previously it has included the stories of custom car builder George Barris and renowned racer Ken Block.
Shigeyuki had learned of my love for the open road through a mutual friend and he asked about featuring my story an upcoming issue that would focus on road tripping. A few weeks later, Shigeyuki and Yujiro came to my home in Scottsdale, Arizona to conduct an interview (in Japanese, with Yujiro translating) and take a few photos of me and my Acuras.
Many thanks to Acura Legend forum member David (“CatchyCamel”) for his great assistance in putting together the translation so that I could share this article with all of you. Keep an eye on the Kurumag website because it will soon launch as an electronic version of the magazine.
Cover:
Article:
HEADLINE
Tyson lives in Arizona and his beloved legend reached 800,000 kilometers. There’s nothing he loves more than driving. He is 32 years old, and he told us about the appeal of the road trip.
INTERVIEW Q&A
So what got you interested in cars?
I remember when I was 5, I was polishing my dad’s pickup in front our house. My grandpa and my dad both love cars so it’s no wonder I love cars so much.
What was your first car?
When I was 16, I got handed down a Chevy Celebrity, and then when I was 17 I purchased a Honda Prelude Si. I had fun customizing it quite a bit.
How did you find this particular Legend?
When I was driving my Prelude and my mom was driving a 1993 Acura Legend sedan, I thought it was a good looking car and I hoped to someday purchase my own. At age 21, I started looking all over the country for a Legend coupe MT and I found it in San Jose, California. So I stuffed cash in my pocket and took off right away to go see it. Then it became my beloved car and this has been my 11th year owning it. Other than the Legend, I own an Acura NSX, an Acura Legend sedan, and an Acura ILX.
How did you drive as much as 800,000 kilometers?
The mileage was mostly achieved through my weekend drives almost every single weekend. I find my destinations by opening up a road atlas and saying, “Let’s go there,” to decide where to go. One interesting drive I made was going to Alaska in 2007. I left Arizona and kept going north across Canada until I got to Alaska. And then on the way home I kept going south along the west coast. That drive took 8,000 miles (12,800 kilometers) and the first thing I did when I got to Fairbanks was do an oil change.
You went that far? You could have flown!
Yeah, I agree. The funny thing is I used to work for airlines. I loved traveling so I thought it would be the most awesome thing to go all over the place, but I realized that travel by car is more fun: You get to enjoy the scenery, stop at the small towns and then find good restaurants. It’s not as much fun if you get straight to the destination since you don’t get to enjoy all the other things.
You drove that many miles in one car. That’s not easy, is it?
I could have bought a newer car with the money I spent on maintenance so far. In 2007 in Texas, a deer crashed into my car and the damage was pretty large. The insurance company told me it was totaled but I was so attached to my car that no matter how much trouble it was, I wanted to fix it. It’s an old model year so it was really hard to find the parts. I don’t think it will happen again, but just in case, I got an extra set of headlights (LOL).
Do you know the average miles the Japanese drive in a year is 12,000 kilometers?
Wow! It could take me only 2 months to drive that much. I drive around 50,000 miles (80,000 kilometers) a year.
What’s your most memorable drive?
Back in the day, there was no GPS or iPhone. I printed a map from MapQuest and took it with me. My trips were so far, they would fill up 15 pages. It’s so much easier now. You can take off right away, anytime.
I do have a story from when I went to Santa Monica, California for lunch. This one little lunch took 13 hours round trip. That might be a strange story but on the way home from the lunch as soon as I entered Arizona, the police pulled me over. The office asked, “Where are you going?” so I said, being honest, “I was coming back from Santa Monica from lunch.” The police were suspicious about the fact that I had driven all the way to California just to get lunch and said “No way.” Then more police cars gathered and searched my car completely. That was really something!
Do you have anywhere you want to go for a drive?
I’ve been to almost everywhere on the west coast so I want to go to the east coast like Long Island. Maybe someday, I would like to take the car to Hawaii and drive over there.
What is so appealing about driving?
Everybody must have a desire for adventure. But when it’s time for people to go they tend to plan to much detail like where to go and what to see. Sometimes there is no destination, you just get in the car. Start the engine, turn on the music, and start driving. Just simply and purely enjoying the driving. That also makes a great therapy too. You can clear your mind and the stress of daily life; its just simply just you and the car together. I think driving is a truly wonderful thing.
PHOTO CAPTIONS
A plaque from Acura to celebrate 500,000 milestone
He keeps all maintenance records well-organized as much as 2 binders full
On the wall in Tyson’s dining room are photographs of 3 generations of car fanatics
In his hand is binder full of tons of programs, brochures, articles, and newspaper clippings.
Thanks for reading!
Here’s a parting shot of my 1994 Legend GS 6-speed on Sunday in front of “Legend Cleaners” dry cleaning in Ahwatukee, Arizona.
And one of the ILX this morning in “my” parking spot at the office. End space, backed in, close to the curb. 7:00 a.m. arrival and nobody else has this spot staked out that early in the day. Yeah, it’s all mine.
Posted in Arizona, Legend on June 1, 2014 by tysonhugie
Odometer (Legend): 529,702
Odometer (ILX): 81,120
Cheap entertainment: I decided to make a little run to the junkyard this afternoon to scavenge for car parts for a friend. The local yard charges $2 for entry. I should have known by the fact that there was a water cooler at the entrance to the lot, this was going to be a scorching hot experience.
When I’d parked the ILX at Ecology Auto Salvage on Broadway Rd in Phoenix, its exterior thermometer read 102 degrees Fahrenheit. By the time I got halfway through the yard, taking pictures of Legends here and there, my iPhone had overheated. Every piece of metal I touched felt like it had been roasting in the coals. Remind me: Next time I do this, I need to do it in the morning. Or take gloves.
I thought it would be fun to document each of the 2nd generation Acura Legends I saw in there. I saw 10. Interestingly enough, the lowest mileage Legend in all was also one of the oldest: a blue 1988 coupe with just 97,079 on the odometer.
Of the 1991-95 body styles, here is the data from the 10 cars:
Lowest miles: 139,842 (Canterbury Green 1994 L sedan)
Highest miles: 291,566 (Golden Glow Pearl 1991 L sedan)
Total miles: 2,013,994
Average miles: 201,399
Sedans: 9
Coupes: 1
Manual transmissions: 0
Purchases made: Passenger side interior door handle for $12
Here we go, some photos in ascending order. This first odometer’s accuracy is suspect for obvious reasons.
1) 1994 L sedan
2) 1994 L sedan
3) 1992 L sedan
4) 1992 L sedan
5) 1992 LS sedan
6) 1994 LS sedan
7) 1993 LS sedan (Rusty! Must not have been an Arizona car originally)
8) 1994 L sedan
9) 1994 L coupe
10) 1991 L sedan
Bonus finds! OEM cell phone in the center console. Prehistoric these days.
There are Acura RL’s starting to hit the junkyards, too. I saw three.
Also a rare Arcadia Green 1993 Acura Vigor GS. Always loved this color (when it’s not faded)!
And a Barbados Yellow 1988 Honda Prelude Si.
Seeing the cars in that kind of condition made me better appreciate my 1994 GS sedan when I went to take it for a spin.
A few other random bits of news:
The lobby of my local movie theater had a display featuring a gas pump, promoting a contest to win free gas for a year. They must have mileage restrictions. I read the fine print and it said the max value is $5,000. How many gallons of gas would that buy me? And, considering my ILX is getting 33.6 mpg on average, how far could I go for free?
Fox News in Washington, DC reported on Friday that the original owner of a 1995 Toyota T100 pickup truck, Nancy Richardson, had rolled over 1,000,000 miles. Over the years, she says she’s had to drive around 800 miles per week for her work (delivering seafood to restaurants). Impressive feat! Congrats to Ms. Richardson!
On the subject of amazing road trips, check out this guy named Ben Oude Kamphuis. Four years ago, he left San Francisco, California in an orange 1955 Chevy pickup truck and he’s now arrived in Salvador, Brazil. The article is here.
Finally, congratulations to my friend Tim on his recent acquisition! Tim picked up a gorgeous Crystal Black Pearl ILX 2.0 automatic.
In the last week, we’ve had 7 new members join the Acura ILX Owners & Enthusiasts group on Facebook. Currently sitting at 163 and counting!.
Posted in Legend, NALM, Utah on May 1, 2014 by tysonhugie
Odometer (Legend): 529,296
Odometer (ILX): 76,481
A decade is a long time! Where were you ten years ago today? Things were a little different back then. Facebook (then “The” Facebook) launched in February 2004 at a select few universities.
The top TV show was American Idol, and “Friends” ended its last season. Shrek 2 and Spiderman 2 took top slots at the box office, and Green Day’s “American Idiot” was one of the biggest albums of the year. Feeling old yet?
It was on May 1, 2004 when I met up with a few Acura-owning friends in Salt Lake City, Utah for a drive up scenic Interstate 80 to Park City. Here is a video capturing some of the festivities. Pardon the obnoxious soundtrack.
Bits and pieces from my handwritten journal entry that day:
I was the first to Sugarhouse Park off I-80 East. I picked the same spot we were in last time. Nobody was there. It was a perfect, sunny day…. I served up donuts. We headed up Parley’s Canyon to Park City – fast! It was a sight to see; so many Legends cruising together. My rims have really got issues. Need to get some TL-S or something… We decided to eat at Quizno’s and had a picnic lunch by the cars. We then caravanned to the outlet stores. Dave locked his keys in his car and had to call a locksmith ($35). I drove Kevin’s 6-speed to the other side of the parking lot…
Makes it feel like yesterday! Pictured below: Ross’ 1989 Legend L coupe, Jason’s 1988 Legend L sedan, my 1994 Legend LS coupe, and Kevin’s 1993 LS coupe after our arrival in Park City.
We must’ve been pros at “mirror” photography. I was able to dig up the following three pics. Branson took this one of me in his sideview mirror.
Jason took this one. That old school digital camera really dates these pics, right?
As well as this one. Gotta love a Legend lineup.
I was proudly rolling on 18″ Mille Miglia wheels. (massive eye roll here)
Couldn’t help but throw in a few more pics of meets from the same era.
San Francisco, California
Torrance, California. Why’d we put that Integra in the middle?
Las Vegas, Nevada
Even back then, I was accustomed to taking my Acura off-road from time to time. This was a picture I took in “Old Iron Town,” an 1868 Mormon settlement in southern Utah. Oh yeah, check out that ‘fro.
Can’t get enough of that bling.
The wind had kicked up and was blowing sand all over the place.
But the Legend looked photogenic either way.
Mileage was a mere 138,000 around this time. Time warp!
The last two were taken near the Paria western movie set outside Kanab, Utah on Highway 89.
Southern Utah at its finest.
These pics brought back a ton of great memories. Where will the next 10 years take me?
PS, congrats to my coworker Derek on his new Audi A5 Cabriolet, and thanks for letting me take it for a spin!
“It’s raining Dippin Dots!” exclaimed Roger as he tightened his hooded sweatshirt and squinted into the freezing wind gusts that were driving snow pellets toward us. As Roger and the other 5 of us carefully hiked our descent into a 700-foot-deep red rock canyon in a remote part of northeastern Arizona, we occasionally sought shelter from the elements by staying near the rock walls or underneath archways. We hadn’t anticipated those types of conditions when planning a late April hike in Arizona, but the experience was unforgettable. I wouldn’t change a thing.
For this weekend’s Drive to Five, come with me to a place that’s sacred to the Navajo Nation and is home to a rich history, dating back as far as 900 AD. It’s a place with some of the best-preserved ancient ruins in existence and contains scenery that matches the Grand Canyon in its awesomeness. I’m talking about Canyon de Chelly National Monument, an 83,000-acre site that’s visited by over 800,000 people each year. For this trip, I was accompanied by a few friends who, like me, have an appreciation for great road trips in great cars. We took three Acuras:
My 2013 ILX 2.4 6-speed @ 75,000 miles
Jason’s 2010 TL 6-speed @ 41,000 miles
Joe’s 1995 Legend coupe automatic @ 161,000 miles
Let’s make sure you know how to say “Chelly” before we get too far down the road. It’s pronounced “Shay.” Though, for reasons you’ll soon see, there were a few times during the trip when I started to wonder if Canyon de Chelly ought to be called “Canyon de Chilly.” Mother Nature dished us up a generous helping of ice-cold temps, but that didn’t keep us from braving the weather and feasting our eyes on some of the earth’s finest landscapes. Canyon de Chelly was set aside in 1931 as a unit of the National Park Service.
My friend Adam and I met up with Joe and his dad, Roger, on the northeast outskirts of the Phoenix area before beginning our ascent through the Tonto National Forest on Highway 87. As quickly as we started gaining elevation toward Payson’s 5,000 feet, we were thoroughly drenched with roads that were wet enough to cause hydro-planing. We made just 3 stops on the 5-hour drive to Chinle, Arizona which is a settlement at the mouth of the canyon. Upon arriving in Chinle, Jason and Jouhl from Las Cruces, NM arrived in Jason’s black TL and completed our trio of Acuras.
One of only two “sit-down” restaurants in the entire town of Chinle, The Junction, was a great place for us all to dry out and to plan the rest of our visit to the area. We dined on authentic Navajo tacos made from homemade frybread and beans. After a check-in at the Holiday Inn, we rolled our Acura caravan into the western entrance of the monument just a bit down the road. Jason and I swapped cars for a few of those miles — that TL’s 3.7 liter V6 is a torquey monster!).
Our first stop after checking in at the visitor center was the White House Ruins viewpoint. Adam took one look at the dark clouds approaching at rapid speed from the southwest. “That’s coming this direction,” he said. Despite his warning, we prepared ourselves for the canyon’s most well-known hike and set out on a descent into its depths. Not long into our hike, the Dippin Dots came down and the wind picked up speed. Adding to those challenges, the sandstone terrain was slippery when wet and our sneakers quickly became caked in several pounds of mud. At one point, I heard Jason lose his footing in the mud from behind me. He nearly tackled me to the ground as he struggled to regain his balance, but he and his Canon SLR camera survived without a scratch. We had a good laugh about it moments afterward.
Two sandstone tunnels and a couple of bridge crossings later, we had completed the 1.25-mile one-way hike to the ruins where Anasazi people once lived from 900 to 1200 AD. The last 800 years have taken their toll on the infrastructure, slowly eroding the once-elaborate buildings and returning them to the earth, but we still got a great look at what’s left of them. A Navajo woman and her daughter were sitting near the ruins with a table where they displayed pottery and other wares for sale. We saw only one other group of hikers. I loved the canyon’s feeling of serenity and seclusion.
Our return hike was accompanied by another flurry of snowflakes, but we made it to the summit and Roger said, “According to my Fitbit, we just hiked 79 flights of stairs.” We happily took refuge in our leather-lined Acuras with heated seats and fast-acting climate control systems. Aside from a few photo-ops at other viewpoints along the two-lane canyon road, we had a much-needed low-key evening in Chinle.
Today, Joe and his dad departed for Flagstaff in the early morning hours, while Adam, Jason, Jouhl and I went back for a peek at the North Rim of the canyon. The views were stunning, just as I knew they’d be. Soon it was time to part ways and return to our respective homes. Adam and I made just one stop on our 300-mile trip back to Scottsdale. Thanks to now-sunny weather, the drive was enjoyable and passed by quickly. I hope you enjoy the photos and video!
Adam and Tyson en route.
After meeting up with Joe. By the time we got to Payson, we both said, “What’s up with this weather?”
Pouring rain as seen from the hotel lobby in Chinle, Arizona.
First stop: Food, of course.
Authentic Navajo Taco on frybread. It tasted amazing.
Jason and Jouhl showed up to join the party.
Checking at the Canyon de Chelly Visitor Center, we were warned about “Hazardous Weather.” But that didn’t stop us.
Lining up for a beauty shot at the White House Ruins trailhead.
The view as we began the descent on our hike.
Winding our way down the 700-foot drop-off via switchbacks and tunnels that hugged the side of the mountain.
Passing through one of the tunnels.
And coming out the other end.
Roger, Joe, Jouhl, Jason making their way down the trail.
We saw patches of blue sky. It looks a lot warmer than it really was!
Muddy shoes and chilly winds, but 360-degree scenery made up for all that.
Crossing a bridge.
Group photo at the White House Ruins: Roger, Joe, Jouhl, Jason, Adam, Tyson
A Navajo woman and her daughter selling jewelry and pottery. Notice: They do take Visa and Mastercard!
Back at the trailhead for some photos with the Acuras and their owners.
Let’s get a move on!
Next viewpoint.
Here’s what the view from that sheer cliff looked like. The vertical lines along the canyon walls are called “desert varnish.”
Adam, Joe, Roger, Tyson, Jouhl, Jason
Last viewpoint for the day: Tsegi Overlook
Sunday morning: The clouds had parted but the cold temps remained.
Back into the monument for a few more viewpoints.
This Navajo vendor displayed her jewelry on the hood of her Ford Taurus and secured it with cords and rocks to keep the wind from carrying it away.
Mummy Cave Overlook.
Antelope House Overlook
Side note: Did you know that the Navajo tribe taxes virtually everything? Our meal last night had “Tribal Tax” tacked on.
And the fuel pump at Chevron had a “Navajo Nation Fuel Excise Tax.” Interesting.
The return drive to the Phoenix area looked a whole lot different than the rain-soaked outbound trip.
My attention span at work today has been about a 2 out of 10. I spun my office chair around this morning and started to gaze at the giant US map pinned to the wall in my cubicle. “Where to?” I pondered. That’s what I do when I need an escape from the endless emails that seem to multiply in my inbox.
I can spend hours clicking around Google Maps. The coast of California caught my eye. Though I last saw the ocean on my trip to Los Angeles about a month ago, it’s been quite a bit longer since I really experienced the beauty of the Pacific. Lately, I’ve been craving a road trip up the California coast. To hold me over, I dug up some old pictures from an Acura Legend meet held 7 years ago in Monterey. Get a load of this scenery.
That Sirius White Pearl 1994 Legend GS sedan 6-speed at far left was mine. This trip took place in the brief window of time when my 1994 Legend coupe was undergoing repairs from an unfortunate Texas deer collision incident. The white Legend was a comfortable ride to and fro. It had around 210,000 miles on it at the time.
The good news is that I’ve kept in touch with most of the folks in the picture. The bad news is that I only know of 1 or 2 who still have their Legends today.
Nevertheless (or always the more?), scenery like this ocean landscape never seems to get old.
It was during this trip that I met up with a long-time friend named Sergio who drove a beautiful 6-speed Milano Red Legend coupe.
Who invited that TL to the party?
I think I still have that shirt. And a little more facial hair.
Peace.
Group drive.
Before you click away, wanna see a pretty amazing road trip in action? Check out the website for America Sin Limites (“America Without Limits“). Imagine a nearly 9,000-mile drive from Patagonia in South America to Alaska. In a 1980’s Cadillac limousine! I learned about this crazy endeavor via Curbside Classic this week, when an automotive journalist spotted the limo in Eugene, Oregon.
These avid road trippers have already been on the road for over two years, having begun their adventure in the 1989 Caddy in early 2012.
The trip hasn’t been without incidents. In scrolling through the Facebook page, I see that they have already had to do extensive motor and suspension work on their car throughout the journey.
I would SO do this type of trip. Guess it’s time to start planning.
Oh my. I came across a color copy of this 1990’s artifact the other day. Issued the last day of 1997, I was 5-foot-8 and 130 pounds of ear-to-ear grinning 16-year-old. I’m pretty sure I bolted from the DMV and did a few cartwheels in the process as I was finally a fully legalized driver.
While we’re looking back, here’s a shot from around that same era. My 1989 Honda Prelude 2.0 Si at the time was equipped with some blingin’ 15″ Optima wheels. Mom’s 1993 Acura Legend L was looking pretty fly, too. This was taken in 1998 at my grandparents’ cabin near Elk Meadows Ski Resort in the mountains east of Beaver, Utah.
I also scanned this beauty from around the same time. Grandma’s Chevy Beretta. It was a 1990, I think? I loved that car, and actually I still find Berettas attractive when I see them on the road. Call me crazy.
I finally got around to test-fitting an OEM Legend coupe cover that my friend Mark gave me several weeks ago.
All bundled up! Perfect fit, just as I expected. Thanks, Mark!
My friend Chris in NJ tipped me off on this stunning Crystal Black Pearl 2014 Acura ILX, customized by Acura of Pembroke Pines, Florida. It’s sitting on 19″ Vossen wheels and stanced with Eibach lowering springs.
Absolutely gorgeous! And, it’s already been sold to a lucky owner. It’s amazing how a few subtle updates will really make a car “pop.”
I’m off to Utah until Sunday for some family festivities, so stay tuned for a trip write-up in the coming days. The ILX is closing in on the 25,000 mile home stretch to its first 100,000. Thanks for joining me on the way there!
Posted in Blog, Legend on April 12, 2014 by tysonhugie
Odometer (Legend): 529,145
Odometer (ILX): 73,760
“Every Car Has A Story”
Ain’t that the truth! Curbside Classic is one must-see website where cars’ stories are told in great detail. I recently submitted a guest write-up to Managing Editor Perry Shoar and invited him to use it on the site. It was published on Wednesday as a “COAL” – Car of a Lifetime – and has garnered over 90 comments since. It seems there are skeptics in the crowd who raise eyebrows at the thought of an original clutch that’s traveled nearly 530,000 miles. Ha!
Here’s a direct link to the article for any who wish to read it. Therein, I chronicled the story of my half-million miles of travels from long before I even owned my long-lived Acura Legend coupe. Those of you who have followed me for any length of time will probably find certain aspects of the story a re-run, but I hope you’ll enjoy it nonetheless.
Swing on by CC and take a peek. They’ve got some great features. As it turns out, the Legend model has been featured previously, too. Editor Brendan Saur posted this write-up last June. Thanks to Perry and the rest of the CC Team for seeing fit to publish my contribution! Have a great weekend, all.
Hemmings is the world’s authority in classic car news and classifieds. For anyone who’s into the collector car hobby, you’ve already heard the name before. My friend Scott’s Lotus Esprit made the cover of Sports and Exotic Car in December 2011.
It’s hard to believe, but cars from the 1990’s are now becoming classics. Several weeks ago I was approached by author Jeff Koch about a feature story he was putting together on high-mileage vehicles. We got together on Wednesday for some Q&A and then a photoshoot of the Legend in nearby Papago Park.
Jeff: Would you mind popping the hood?
Me (“eek” face): Sure, but I think it’s gonna be dusty in there.
(as the hood goes up)
Jeff: Are you kidding me? There is no way in hell anyone who reads the magazine is going to believe this car has half a million miles on it.
Ha! A little while later:
Jeff: You said that’s stock ride height?
Me: Yeah
Jeff: Jeeze, it looks like it’s sitting on the bump stops from this angle.
Me: Well, that’s what my Legend enthusiast friends call the “500,000 mile sagging suspension.”
Jeff told me that my paperwork/documentation on the car was “the most complete I’ve seen in 20 years of doing this.” That’s what I like to hear.
We had a great time. He liked the roll-down rear windows and the automatic door closers. I offered to put my new-in-the-box driver side floor mat in for the interior photo-op, but he said he would rather take the picture of my floor mat that had a hole in it. The hole was worn by the heel of my shoe over many years and miles of travels, and thus it helped tell the story of my Legend.
We ended up getting some great pictures and we’ll probably see the article sometime later this year. Jeff said this will mark the first time an Acura Legend has been featured in the magazine. Sweet!
Thanks Jeff for taking the time to meet with me!
Be sure and check out Jeff’s blog here for the latest on all the cool cars he gets to photograph and review.
Before you close that browser, take a quick peek at my friend Stephen’s immaculate 1994 Legend GS.
Feast your eyes on that depth of that Granada Black Pearl paint. Would you believe this car has 218,342 miles on it?
Thanks Stephen for following the blog and for sharing these pics with me/us!
Here’s a sneak peek of where I’m off to this weekend. Tune in next time for a full report.
drivetofive 