Legend | drivetofive

Archive for the Legend Category

Fountain Hills

Posted in Arizona, Legend on October 13, 2011 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 498,065

Timing worked out perfectly tonight for a quick sunset pit-stop at what used to be (until 1980) the world’s tallest water fountain. This 1970 creation in Fountain Hills, Arizona, shoots water 560 feet in the air and runs for 15 minutes every hour on the hour.

It seemed only fitting that I included these pictures on the blog since I’ve also earlier this year captured images of the world’s largest firecracker in Amargosa Valley, Nevada, and the world’s tallest thermometer, in Baker California. What’ll be next on my crusade of finding world-famous landmarks and parking my car in front of them? And yes, I’ve already considered making a trek to the world’s largest ball of twine in Cawker City, Kansas. That’s only about 1,095 miles away from my house. Might make for a nice little weekend trip…

Arizona Highway 87 makes for a great commute home. You’ll note, though, that I’m still rolling around with a cracked-up windshield (it’ll get fixed prior to 500k I assure you) and that about half my instrument gauge cluster bulbs have gotten tired and burned out.

But hey, the gas tank’s on “F” and the car runs like a top so let’s keep on rolling.

8 Comments »

Two to Go

Posted in Legend on October 12, 2011 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 498,023

Quick entry for today’s achievement. This evening at the offramp of westbound US-60 exiting at Power Road in Mesa, Arizona, the Legend crossed into sub-2,000 mile territory before the big goal.

Here was tonight’s sky on the commute home from work on Shea Blvd in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Worth noting: Lately I actually drive about 15 miles longer on my return trip to home after work in order to avoid the bogged-down 101 freeway. I instead take surface streets to a back highway.

I’d much rather go out of my way and have free flowing traffic (and views like this) than stare at brake lights for 1/2 hour.

Thumbs up to the next 2,000 miles! Let’s get a move on!

2 Comments »

Miami

Posted in Arizona, Legend, Road Trip on October 10, 2011 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 497,871

For years I carried this fortune around with me in my wallet because of just how inspired it was.

The oven-like temperatures have finally released their grip on Phoenix and we’ve dipped below triple-digits. It’s finally enjoyable to cruise around with the moonroof open and windows down. Today I decided to take a scenic Sunday afternoon drive about 80 miles east of the Phoenix area to visit one of my favorite copper boomtowns of the old west: Miami.

Eastbound on US Hwy 60, approaching Superior, AZ.

Beyond Superior, the highway steeply gains elevation and passes through the Queen Creek Tunnel, completed in 1952.

I took a quick side-trip down a road called “Magma Mine Road” because the name intrigued me. Great twisties, rated at 10 and 15 mph but easily taken at more than that speed. I imagine this would be a great driver’s road if my suspension was a little more in tune. Maybe when I pick up my NSX!

Finally, arriving! But, this Miami is a full 2,251 miles away from the Miami you may have thought I was talking about. The classic song “Oceanfront Property in Arizona” comes to mind.

Antiques are pretty much all this boarded-up town can offer to a passing-by motorist. The main street looks like it may have at one time been a bustling center for commerce and entertainment but it’s pretty sad looking today.

And a lonely railroad crossing sign. The tracks were washed out and covered in thick mud. I don’t think they’ve seen any locomotives in awhile.

Finally, heading back to the Phoenix area and pit-stopping along Superior’s main street.

The trusty Legend again made an effortless trip with no issues to report. It’s tired and slow compared to cars like my friend Josh’s Mitsubishi Lancer Evo that I drove this morning (Acceleration nearly gave me whiplash! Thanks Josh!), but it’s as dependable as the day is long, and I don’t think twice about turning the key and pointing that (A) emblem on the nose in any direction I feel like.

4 Comments »

Bookkeeping

Posted in Brochures, Legend on October 9, 2011 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 497,660

My 50th blog entry! Thanks for sticking with me as I’ve taken you along the ride from my first blog post on March 22nd of this year at 467,276 miles until today. It was time for the archive-o’-maintenance records on the 1994 Legend LS to be split between two, 2 1/2 inch 3-ring binders today.

As I was cleaning things out and organizing a little, I realize just how extensive of records I’ve kept on this car! A receipt from Walmart from a fuel system treatment I ran through at 138,000 miles. Receipt printouts from Ebay for sets of wheels that I don’t even own anymore. I made sense of the mess of paperwork and divided the books into a few sections:

1) Records. First oil change at 4,096 miles from 9/24/1994 through some recent suspension work on the control arms at 497,487 on 10/4/2011. The first binder (Volume I) goes from new to around 400,000 miles. The second binder (Volume II) goes from 401,000 miles to current, and then includes paperwork on a bunch of other stuff.

2) Miscellaneous receipts. The receipt on the clear bra that installed on my headlights a few years ago, receipts for audio equipment, extra quarts of oil (no, I’ve never needed them though!), spare coolant, my rear trunk lid lip spoiler, the chrome exhaust tips other grab-bag stuff.

3) Most recent Carfax and Autocheck reports (totally clean, not a scratch or dent on the car’s history according to these background checks).

Interesting to note that according to the most recent Carfax, dated 7/22/11, my Legend is actually worth $470 ABOVE retail book value! This I’m assuming is due to the extensive dealership maintenance showing up on the report. There are 54 Acura dealership maintenance items listed on the printout. The dealerships range geographically from Power Acura of South Bay (southern California) to Princeton Acura of New Jersey, and scattered locations in between. For kicks, I decided to see what blue book says about my car as of today.

Assuming “excellent” condition (which is the only option that Kelley Blue Book allows you to pick when you’re looking for retail values), my car’s worth $3,795.

But remember, Carfax just told me I can tack on an additional $470. So the question is, would you pay $4,265 for a vehicle with nearly 498,000 miles on it? Perhaps the almighty blue book isn’t intended to be used for a vehicle this used up!

4) Estimates for repairs and/or bodywork or anything else. One example: Because it gave me such a laugh, I kept a copy of a handwritten estimate from a couple of years ago when I priced out a new OEM clutch for my Legend sedan. $2,279 for the clutch assembly and $1,375 for labor. So $3,654 for a new clutch in a car that at the time wasn’t even worth that much. Yikes. I ended up going a different route with the repairs needless to say.
5) Articles. I’ve kept printouts of some of the feature stories my car has made it into, including last week’s Jalopnik “Commenter of the Day” fame with the piece on “I would drive 500,000 miles.“
6) Traffic tickets and other fun stuff. For having traveled over 400,000 miles personally in this car over the last just over 8 years, I’ve been (knock on wood) pretty lucky about avoiding run-ins with the police. Four speeding violations, one “failure to obey traffic control device,” a couple of warnings for dark window tint. I snagged a picture when I got pulled over by an officer on the Kaibab Paiute Indian land in southern Utah in April 2009.

I also have a Consent to Search from the Arizona Department of Public Safety dated 2/21/10 from when I was pulled over on Interstate 10 near Quartzsite, Arizona and the Legend was strip searched because I was suspected as a drug trafficker. For some reason the officer got suspicious when I told him I was driving to Los Angeles from Phoenix – and back in the same day – just to have lunch with friends in Santa Monica. Apparently normal people don’t drive 12 hours round trip for a lunch appointment? But I do. And yes, I somehow managed to discreetly take a couple of “spy” photos while the officer went through my belongings.

Brings back memories!

7) Finally, I have a section for car show related paperwork and other trip memories. The Legend has been entered in the Hurricane Valley Easter Car Show at least half a dozen times and has brought home a few trophies in the Import class. I have my original entry forms from my participation in the NOPI Nationals Motorsports Supershow in 2005 and 2006 in Atlanta, Georgia, my “Longest Drive Award” from the 2008 National Acura Legend Meet in Chattanooga, Tennessee. That was one of seven NALMs I’ve attended across the country. I also have an entry form from when I entered the car in the Lakeland Hills Rockin’ Auto Show in Seattle, Washington in 2005 (at a mere 182,000 miles).

My friend snagged this picture while sitting next to me at a stoplight at Camelback Rd & Scottsdale Rd this afternoon. I was blasting Metallica’s “Sad But True” as loud as my aftermarket Pioneer sound system would pump it! I’m planning a little road trip tomorrow so I’ll update again with something more exciting, but today was very productive in non-odometer-rolling ways.

6 Comments »

New Friend, Old Car

Posted in Legend, Reader's Ride on September 29, 2011 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 496,500

If you were to picture two vehicles with a combined age of 38 years and mileage of 870,209, what would that look like? Remember, that’s 33 times around the equator. How about this:

Once again the timeless Legends hide the years and miles with sheetmetal that withstands aging better than any anti-wrinkle cream. This evening I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow Arizonan who’s giving me a run for my money in the mileage realm. Jeff has done all the major maintenance on this 373,000-mile 1991 L sedan in Charcoal Granite Metallic for the last 10 years or so, and he recently picked it up for a fair price for his dad, Don, to use as a daily driver. Here, Jeff fires up the 3.2 liter V6 that purrs like a kitten.

In fact, it’s so quiet that we wandered over to my car and got lost in conversation and completely forgot the ’91 was running.

Don’t forget the odometer shot.

Head to head, the high mileage Legends have a chat with each other about where their vast travels have taken them.

It was a pleasure meeting Jeff and Don – an all-star duo who truly appreciate a fine car when they see one. It’s days like today that remind me that it’s more about the people than the car. I’ve met some of the finest folks in the world thanks to this old set of wheels.

I was reminded tonight about an anniversary that will be coming up in just a little over a month. It was 10/30/09 – almost exactly two years ago, that I rolled 400,000 on the Legend on my way to Las Vegas. My friends at the Acura Legend forums presented me with an etched LED plaque that to this day is the prominent feature on my kitchen counter. It’s proudly displayed as a conversation piece for any who visit my home!

Lastly, don’t forget to check out today’s feature on Liberty Mutual’s “Responsibility Project.” Drive to Five was featured in a Q&A about the merits of the “drive it ’til the wheels fall off” vehicle ownership strategy. Huge thanks to Andrea Bennett for putting together the article!

3 Comments »

Old Sneakers

Posted in Legend on September 28, 2011 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 496,456

After two days in a loaner “Borealis Blue Pearl” 2011 Acura TL, I picked up my Legend this afternoon from Acura of Tempe, Arizona. I had been spoiled by the speed, the agility, and the modern creature comforts of the TL! At only 9,500 miles on the odometer, it was barely broken in. I even volunteered to be the shuttle to our team luncheon at work yesterday – something I rarely do with my Legend because the back seat on the 2-door is hardly accommodating.

The technician wasn’t able to duplicate some of the creaking sounds I’ve noted in recent weeks from the rear suspension, but I’ve decided to go ahead and have the upper control arms replaced with OEM units in the near future regardless. I thought some of the comments were entertaining. Indeed, the driver’s side seat bolster on my (new-in-2004) Katzkin leather kit is getting worn. “Due to mileage and age of vehicle…” yep, some wear and tear is expected after having traveled this distance:

Driving home from the dealership tonight, back behind the wheel of my old Legend, I had a feeling I can only compare to slipping on an old, worn-out pair of sneakers. They don’t look the greatest, but they just feel “right.” I am very much at home in my car and after so many miles in that driver’s seat, it fits me like a glove. Another page was added to the archive of maintenance records. I ought to split this out by Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.

I certainly can’t complain about having some creaks and groans from the suspension. After all, it’s almost entirely original. Even the struts date back to 1994. And I haven’t been easy on them — oh, no. Not at all. I’ve off-roaded, bottomed out, hauled heavy loads, and yes – even autocross raced in my coupe over the last 400k miles. In May 2009, at that year’s National Acura Legend Meet (NALM) in Springfield, Missouri, I raced the car in an event hosted by the Ozark Mountain Region Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). It had only about 375,000 miles on it at the time. Following are some pictures of the punishment I put it through.

Can you say body roll? Credit to my friend Rich from PA for this great shot.

In the following shot, you can clearly see my friend Brian from TX in the passenger seat who was probably holding on for dear life.

With a best lap time of 47 seconds, I managed to beat 11 out of the other 56 participants. Not bad for a completely stock “boat” of a luxo-coupe with that kind of mileage! My friend Branson caught one of the runs on video in which my Michelin tires are screaming for mercy. So, the drive to 5 hasn’t been all smooth sailing for this old Legend.

8 Comments »

Legend Trail & Kartchner Caverns

Posted in Arizona, Legend, Road Trip on September 26, 2011 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 496,423

I found my future home location yesterday. If I don’t end up at the Tyson RV Park in Quartzsite, Arizona, I’d like to live somewhere near the intersection of Legendary Drive and Legend Trail Rd near the Legend Trail Golf Club in Carefree, Arizona. There is just WAY too much “Legend” going on in this particular photograph. Way.

Today’s adventure was about 170 miles each way from the Phoenix area. I picked up a couple of adventurous friends, Jared and Matt, and we headed for the Kartchner Caverns of southern Arizona.

My “standard” stop between Phoenix and Tucson is the DQ at Picacho Peak at exactly the halfway point. The Legend filled up on 91 octane Shell gasoline and I filled up on a grilled chicken sandwich.

From the visitor parking lot at Kartchner Caverns State Park, the air was so clear that we could see the mountain range about 30 miles to the south that resided just within the Mexican border. The caverns were discovered in 1974 and to this day are some of the best preserved examples in the world, thanks to a humidification system and a series of 4 air-lock doors that guests must pass through ($28 million worth!) during the 90-minute tour. Photographs were not allowed but here’s one I pulled off the Internet.

What an eye opener to see formations that have been “growing” for 50,000 years or more.

Exiting the park grounds, I took advantage of the photo-op and made Jared be a part of it with me.

Another road trip completed without a hiccup and the car still moseys right along at 80 mph.

In other news, on Friday night I had the pleasure of spending an evening with my friend Rich who I’d met via the Acura Legend forums. He hails from the Atlanta area and flew all the way to this side of the country to buy a local black 1994 Legend LS coupe. After a dinner and some Legend talk, Rich and his friend Matt headed northbound to Flagstaff and eventually eastward toward home. As of this posting I still believe they’re on the road. Safe travels, Rich, and thanks for stopping by!

And lastly, a cell phone pic of what is perhaps the most ideal parking space in the world. What car lover would not love to have his or her baby protected on all sides? This happened at lunch the other day and I couldn’t help but document it.

Tomorrow the Legend coupe goes in for an oil change at Acura of Tempe. I received this week two service coupons from that dealership. I’m also going to have the rear upper control arms redone. Ever since about 487,000 when I had them changed before, I’ve had a very pronounced creak from the rear suspension. I’m almost positive the cheaper quality aftermarket control arms that I used are to blame. Lesson learned – only Acura OEM parts from here on out. Not that I should need anything at this point –only 3,500 miles to go! I can practically see the finish line from here!

4 Comments »

Spy Shots

Posted in Legend, Spy Shots on September 22, 2011 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 495,710

It really hit me that I talk too much about my car when a few years ago, my friends started sending me “spy” pictures of Acura Legends every time they saw them on the road. My friend Jeremy’s eyes are so well trained that he can even spot them in his rearview mirror. I received the following as a photo text message this afternoon:

My friend Matt sent this one this past weekend during a trip to Los Angeles.

And a colleague from work, Jim, goes the extra mile — often sending MULTIPLE angles of the same vehicle. One day a couple weeks ago I received a series of 9 (yes nine!) photos of this 1994 Legend LS here in Scottsdale that’s a twin to mine. Jim later acknowledged that the driver appeared to get suspicious when he saw Jim taking so many pictures with his camera phone. Understandably!

It makes my day to get photo text messages like this. How disgustingly nerdy is that?

My love of the road is well known among my friends. This morning I posted a Happy Birthday message on a friend’s Facebook wall who I haven’t talked to in a few months. His response: “You are probably road tripping somewhere… hope all is well!” These people have me figured out. Speaking of Facebook, have you visited the Acura Legend Owners & Enthusiasts page lately? I created it in November, 2006 and it’s up to over 660 members today. Little did I know that so many other people shared my love for a vehicle that’s now been discontinued for over 15 years.

Today, my brake rotors were refinished on the LS coupe for the first time since 89,784 miles. I also had the front lower ball joints replaced with OEM units. None of this was absolutely critical – I’m sure the car would have easily sailed to 500,000 without today’s work. However, as Mr. Preventive Maintenance, whether a car has 50k or 500k on it, I maintain my vehicle as if I’m going to be driving it for the rest of my life. And that means I’ll have more peace of mind knowing that I’m doing my part to not only ensure my car’s future but my own safety.

The beauty of Desert Mist Metallic paint is that from a distance you don’t see just how bad the front end on this thing is. Road rash galore.

Night!

10 Comments »

Odometer Photo Phrenzy

Posted in Legend, Milestones on September 20, 2011 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 495,700

Blog reader “Scott” in Dallas, Texas today said he thought it’d be cool if I shared some of my odometer pictures from over the years. The total photograph count of Legend pics in my archive is well into the thousands, and odometer shots are a good chunk of those. In addition to the standard 1, 2, 3, 400,000 shots which I shared in this blog’s first post here…

https://drivetofive.wordpress.com/2011/03/22/ready-set-go/

…. here are a few of the other memorable occasions:

123,456.7

234,567.8

345,678.9

456,789.0

Below are a few that I can actually peg dates & locations to.

111,111.1. Yes, at 111 mph. October, 2003, somewhere between Las Vegas and Primm, Nevada on I-15. The road was closed to the public at the time, obviously.

222,222.2. May, 2006. Alaska Highway, southbound, in the Yukon Territory, Canada, coming home from Fairbanks, Alaska. My dad was actually driving at the time.

333,333.3. July, 2008. Interstate 40, westbound, near Memphis Tennessee – coming home from that year’s annual National Acura Legend Meet (NALM) in Chattanooga.

444,444.4. And: BONUS points for also getting 444.4 on the trip meter! Yes, this one took some pre-planning. October, 2010. Valencia Rd, west of Tucson, Arizona.

Tonight, I dropped off the Legend with my friend & side mechanic Wes to have him to do an assessment on the brake rotors and upper control arms in the front. We’ll see what the verdict is. I caught a cab ride home from a cheery guy in a lime green Prius (with 170k on it – yes I had to ask him). He’d seen that I was dropping off my car for maintenance and asked what I was having done to it. I told him I had 495,000 miles on it and he exclaimed, “That’s not a car, that’s a SUPERcar!”

I totally agreed with him.

11 Comments »

Top 5 Countdown

Posted in Legend, Milestones on September 19, 2011 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 495,645

Watching so many numbers roll by on the odometer this weekend made me a little dizzy! It ended up being about a 1,700 mile, 3-day weekend. Lots of seat time in the Legend but for good reason. The car motored down the road like a vehicle half its age… er… mileage! Never a moment of hesitation. It’s almost like a puppy wagging its tail at any chance to eat up the open road.

We’ve now (I say “WE” because with each roadtrip, I take my blog readers along with me for the ride!) entered into the last 5,000 miles of my journey to 500,000 miles. The 495,000 roll-over happened on Interstate 15 just south of Nephi, Utah at the very location pictured here. Not much to look at! The speed limit is 80 through here, so at least that helps move things along.

Just south of St. George, the interstate slices through the northwestern corner of Arizona on a stretch of road called the “Virgin River Gorge.” This is an exceptionally fun road to travel if you’ve got a car capable of cornering. The gorge was completed in 1973 at a cost of about $10 million per mile. To this day it is one of the most expensive sections of interstate in the country because the Virgin River had to be rechanneled 12 times in order to accommodate it. The views are incredible, especially at dusk.

I rolled back into Scottsdale in time this evening to take care of some chores and recharge for the work week ahead.

I thought it would be worthwhile to spotlight my mom right here – she’s the main reason I took this weekend’s trip. I got a chance to see her new home in northern Utah (pictured).

She and my dad are also to thank (or blame?) for my Acura obsession. It all started when she bought this 1990 Acura Integra GS back in 1996. I didn’t even have a license yet but I still appreciated its nimble demeanor and sporty styling.

Then she picked up a 1993 Legend L sedan. This is the car that introduced me to the Legend name and led me down the road of ownership myself eventually. The following picture from 1998 was when mom’s teenage sons had taken it upon themselves to deck out her car in 18″ chrome wheels. Bling bling!

The next Acura was a pearl white 1997 3.2 TL. All in all, a very fine ride! I especially loved the frameless windows on this one.

After that, it was time for another flagship sedan, whose name had changed to the RL from Legend. Mom bought this 2000 3.5 RL with only 22,000 miles on the odometer from the original owner in San Francisco. The black/black color combination made for a hot ride during the summer, but it looked stunning from just about any angle. I took this picture in Snow Canyon State Park just outside St. George, Utah.

Later on, mom went back to another Legend – this time a milano red 1994 LS coupe. Attention grabber!

Safe to say we’ve had such a great experience with Acura that we keep coming back for more.

So, here we go with just 4,355 miles remaining until the Legend gets even more Legendary. Thanks for joining me for the ride!

7 Comments »

Archive for the Legend Category

Pages