I’ve grown up in a Honda-loving family. This picture of our driveway is from the year 1998.
In the garage: my mom’s 1993 Acura Legend and my ‘project car’ 1988 Acura Legend.
In the driveway: my pride and joy 1989 Honda Prelude 2.0 Si and my brother’s 1984 Honda Civic S
I also love it when other people are just as nerdy as I am about milestones! Turns out, there are a lot of us out there. Honda has an entire website called “Mile Makers” that’s dedicated to celebrating owner experiences with cars that are beyond 100,000 miles. Incidentally, there are:
26 people who have submitted their stories of cars with 500,000 to 699,999 miles on them.
6 people who have cars with 700,000 to 999,999 miles on them.
2 people who have 1,000,000 or more.
You all met my good friend Kevin and his car when we took some Acura ILX pictures back in August. He’s had his 2006 Honda Accord since it was new. As he crept up on the Honda’s first “big” achievement, we decided to go all out. Kevin and I dined on Tuesday at the historic 1908 Landmark Restaurant in Mesa, Arizona. His Accord in the parking lot had 99,988 miles on it.
After dinner, we rocked out to the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive” and made our way to my home where the car rolled over 100,000 miles just 1/4 miles from my driveway.
Here are some fun facts about Kevin’s Accord:
2006 Accord LX Sedan, CM863
Name: Tammy, after Tammy Wynette
Original sales price: $21,653.93
Bought from John Eagle Honda of Houston, TX
Odometer reading at purchase time: 33 miles
Paid off date: 5/27/2010 (date of title clearance).
The car has pretty much lived in the Southwest. States: TX, NM, UT, AZ, CA, NV
Servicing locations – John Eagle and Goodson Honda (Houston), Pacific Honda, Honda Cars of Mesa/Santan Honda, Tempe Honda, and Hondamotive.
Most frequent road trip: San Diego, albeit now it’s only once or twice a year.
Milestones: Completion of the Arizona State Highway system.
Fun drives: Coronado Trail, Swift Trail (AZ 366), Beeline Highway (AZ 87), Mogollon Rim
Fun facts: The brakes have only been serviced once, at around 88,000 miles. Guess that says something about Kevin’s driving style.
Kevin says he’s still amazed about how much pep the 4 cylinder has.
Here’s the video!
Proof that we were in my driveway when this happened: The 100,000 mile Accord odometer and the 516,000 mile Legend in the background!
Kevin, sporting his Honda Racing ballcap, is proud of his car’s “Drive to One” achievement.
Here’s to the next 100,000 and beyond! Congrats, Kevin.
Drive to Fivers – share with me your Honda & Acura milestones because I’d love to feature your story, too!
Whoever wrote that song, “Oceanfront Property In Arizona” needs to look at a map! No water in sight. I’ve had enough of Phoenix’s blistering heat so it’s time to high-tail it to some REAL ocean air of Cali-for-nye-aye. I’m just north of Los Angeles tonight off Interstate 5 in Sylmar, but tomorrow I’ll continue my journey northbound to sunny San Francisco. Here’s what today’s trip looked like after departing from work:
Ten thousand miles have come and gone since June 12, 2012 (less than two months ago!) when I took the key to my 2013 Acura ILX from John Watts representing Acura’s Digital Marketing team. It’s been a great ride so far.
The occasion happened on Interstate 10 westbound in Banning, California.
Ever seen pictures on the news of those crazy dust storms we get in the desert? I drove through a mild one this afternoon. Visibility here was actually pretty good.
It wasn’t until I got OUT of the dust cloud (below picture) that I realized just how bad the air had been in there.
The drive from Phoenix to Los Angeles is brutal, traversing several hundred miles of scorching 110-degree desert wasteland.
The town of Desert Center (though its current 204 residents hardly comprise a crowd!) got its start in the 1920’s as a small repair garage. Following is an excerpt from Wiki:
A Model T truck was modified to serve as a tow car. Gasoline was pumped by hand from a 55 gallon drum. Lydia served food and refreshments to thirsty and weary travelers. In spite of the remote location 50 miles (80 km) in any direction from anything, the Ragsdales prospered. Ragsdale named his outpost ‘Desert Center’. In 1921, it was announced that the sand road running through Desert Center would be relocated about 5 miles (8.0 km) north, straightened, paved, and named US Route 60, a modern “high-speed” highway. Ragsdale abandoned “old Desert Center” and built a poured-concrete café in the adobe style with an attached gasoline station and a huge service garage. Across the road, a series of wooden structures were built, including a market (which at one time was the largest Coleman camping equipment dealer in the country), and a post office. He also built several cabins for travelers, and a large “plunge” (swimming pool) next to the café where travelers could escape the desert heat.
The cafe, as it turns out, is still standing but no longer open:
These old gas pumps are remarkably well preserved for their age! For those wondering: fuel price here is 39 cents a gallon.
A few other sights to see in this barren land.
And resuming my journey westbound, the sunset was spectacular as it always seems to be in the desert.
I’m still getting some great average MPG’s in this thing!
My first 10,000 miles in the ILX have been rewarding and fun. The car has plenty of comfort, power, and technology to offer a traveler who’s looking to go the distance. Tomorrow the adventure will continue to San Francisco.
Friday Flashback:
I was last in SF this past December 2011 for a concert, but the last time my Legend saw San Fran was in June 2010 when I traveled out there for a Legend meet. My car had about 428,000 miles on it at the time.
My good friend Sergio takes a look at the coupe. He also took it for a spin at the time.
Bay Bridge in the morning fog.
I of course had to drive the car down the “crookedest” street in America, Lombard Street. This 1/4-mile long, one-way stretch of road has 8 tight switchbacks. I would’ve loved to skateboard down this thing. Probably would’ve crashed and burned after the first hairpin.
Good memories.
Side note on the ILX in parting:
Now that the 2013 ILX has been on sale for a couple of months, more and more automotive journalists are publishing their reviews of the car. Here’s one critique by Brian Cooley of C Net that popped up this week – a good amount of praise, especially for the tech features and drivetrain. The ILX that Brian is driving is a twin to mine, outfitted with the 2.4 liter and 6-speed manual and finished in Silver Moon Metallic paint.
Sneak peak of what’s up tomorrow:
Next update will be after the SF trip is over! Until next week sometime…
One of my favorite things about Drive to Five is that it has brought so many other Honda and Acura fans out of the woodwork to share their similar mileage successes with me. I have a new friend named Tim from New Jersey who drives this beautiful 2003 Honda Accord coupe that recently crossed a milestone. I welcome Tim to the 150,000 mile club! His car still looks fantastic and from the sounds of things, he’s maintaining it carefully so that it will no doubt cross the 200,000 mile mark and beyond.
Some of my readers will also remember when in a prior post I mentioned Matt Marion, editor at Mens Health, who took his green 2001 Volkswagen Jetta 1.8T to 500,000 miles on its original drivetrain. The car was donated to science, so to speak, and engineers at VW headquarters disassembled the motor to assess its condition after all those miles. The results were pretty remarkable. Matt shared his story on the Mens Health blog here, complete with a video.
Congratulations, Matt! (And Matt’s Jetta, which will now live on in other Jettas since its parts have been donated).
I also love to check in periodically at HondaBeat.com. There’s a special section of that page dedicated to people like me who have had such great ownership experiences with Honda products. I first submitted my Legend to the page in October, 2005 when it had 194,000 miles. Following was that initial entry. I was rolling around on 17″ RSX Type S wheels at the time:
I’ve since followed up with the website administrator, Ellen, multiple times and she’s posted my latest mileage status each time:
November, 2007 (300,000 miles)
January, 2010 (400,000 miles)
November, 2011 (500,000 miles)
The page is searchable which is handy if you’re wondering about high mileage stories of any Honda or Acura model in particular.
Lastly, a special feature for today’s post: A “Guest Editorial” of sorts. We all know that well-maintained Hondas seem to last forever. I’ve known that since long before I started obsessing over getting my own Acura to the 500,000 mile mark. And I recently shared with my readers that one of my Honda loves has always been the 1988-1991 Honda Prelude, which I shared in a previous post.
One of the key sources of inspiration early on in my Honda-owning history was my friend Chris who lives in Maryland. Chris and I were both members of the now-obsolete http://www.hondaprelude.com website & forum back in the late 1990’s. Chris’ car, at around 250,000 miles, was one of the highest mileage vehicles I knew of at the time. I looked up to his example and set a personal goal of reaching that milestone with my own car at the time, a 1989 Prelude Si that looked just like Chris’ ride.
My Prelude is the red one pictured here. It had a mere 155,000 miles on the odometer. These are pictures from the first “meet” I ever attended with any vehicle – held in May 2000 at the Excalibur Casino parking structure in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It wasn’t until November 2008, when I was on a cross-country road trip from AZ to PA and back that I had a chance to actually shake Chris’ hand and sit behind the wheel in his famous Prelude in Maryland, which had 393,565 miles on it at the time. My Legend had just over 352,000 on it then.
Following is Chris’ story (in his own words) about this Prelude, followed by a photo journal of some of his car’s history.
The abridged 2-owner history of “Highmileage:”
I purchased a bright red 1988 Prelude 2.0 Si from the original owner in February of 1999 for $4800. The title and odometer read nearly 227,000 miles. The main reasons why I bought this car were (1) its service history was fully documented from its late 1987 purchase thru present and (2) I was curious how long it would last before it blew up. I wanted to know how many ORIGINAL miles a Honda would go.
The $4800 I paid for it was a little much but some one repair on the suspension had just been completed and a total repaint and clear coat was done within the last year. Though the car was 11 years old with well over 200,000 miles; it LOOKED like it was just off the showroom floor and I had to have it. A quick trip to the credit union and a signature later I bought my first car.
I had Highmileage for 10 years and drove it through MD, DE, PA, NJ, VA, NC, TN, OH, MI and WV. I drove it, I babied it, I thrashed it with 100-120 mph highway runs in it, I raced it at Summit Point Raceway in WV, and I took it to numerous car shows before it started rusting. I took it to the beach dozens of times and it was my prized ride back in 2003 as I left the church with my new bride. The car was adorned with very large underwear, silly string, soda cans, you name it in tow towards our hotel the night we got married.
Her last car show was the 2004 National Prelude Meet in Pittsburgh PAwhere she won 3rd place with nearly 350,000 miles. Not long after that 2004 show the numerous Maryland winters with salt started to take their toll on the car and her outward appearance started to go down hill.
April 23, 2009 was her last day on the road. That week my mother-in-law borrowed it while her car was in the shop having some body work done. Due to lack of driving at this stage it was stuck around 398,000 miles and I knew with her 100+ mile commute she could easily get me closer to 400,000 miles. After stalling 2-3 times the car wouldn’t restart. The front camshaft was seizing up and the timing belt sheared the pulley off the shaft in my hands during troubleshooting. The odometer showed 399,525 miles. Due to a broken speedometer cable in 2000 this car easily had over 400,000 miles as I was returning from Detroit to Maryland when it snapped. The outward condition of the car at this point was poor and at this point it was time to let it go.
August 1st 2009 I rented a trailer and towed it to the junkyard with my Toyota Sequoia
where it was put in the lot for pickers to grab parts off of. I visited it every week or two and a few parts were taken off the car but nothing major. After about 2 months; she was gone.
I’m now 35 years old and my twins are 6. I’m still a car guy per say but haven’t found the next toy to run up and down the highways. I’ve tried to find the elusive rust-free Prelude, Acura Legend or another rare car that isn’t seen very often but until then I will always remember the good times had with Highmileage!
-Christopher Miller
Havre de Grace MD
Email millafied@comcast.net for the full story.
The car in its prime early days.
Outstanding Award that Chris received at the Churchville Car & Truck Show on Memorial Day weekend, 2000.
October 1, 2001 – at 300,000 miles. Photo that Chris sent to his friend at Apple Honda of York, PA who helped with the Prelude’s maintenance.
Happy day at 300k!
Chris received as an honorable mention at the Ocean City car show in June 2002.
This car was the getaway car after Chris’ wedding to his wife Kera.
And finally, in later years.
The car’s last day – odometer at 399,525 miles.
August 1, 2009 – final walkaround video here:
The story, though, has a happy ending. Several weeks ago, Chris picked up a gorgeous 1991 Prelude Si 4WS with only 207,000 on the odometer.
Thanks, Chris, for sharing your story and for your enthusiasm for Honda!
Fewer than 5 months have passed since the 500k Celebration at Acura Headquarters in Torrance, California and the Legend has easily completed another 10,000 miles.
I’ve got a few gauge cluster bulbs burned out but I knew tonight was the night, so on my way home from a friend’s place I was prepared to document the occasion – even if it meant needing a flashlight! The site was Loop 202 Westbound in Mesa, Arizona at Greenfield Road.
This old Acura was spotted on my way to work a few days ago.
Looks like a pretty clean car to me for being about 25 years old. The 1987 Legend coupe was for its time a revolutionary automobile, even garnering accolades like Import Car of the Year by Motor Trend magazine. In comparison my car is still relatively young at “only” 18 years old. This week the Legend went to my local dealership for its 156th oil change.
This particular dealership has a glassed-in waiting area where customers can watch their vehicles being worked on. Naturally, I wanted to keep an eye on my Legend so I snagged this picture.
Aside from the oil change, the car also got a new “100-month” Acura OEM battery. This is the Legend’s 6th battery counting the original that came with the car when it was manufactured in October, 1993. The hot desert climate here is very tough on batteries – the last couple of batteries have been Optima Red Top brand and have lasted me about 3 years each.
All of today’s service was courtesy of Acura thanks to the company’s generosity extended during the Drive to Five Celebration last November at headquarters in Torrance, California.
The following have been done to the car in the last 10,000 miles:
4 oil changes
Battery
Manual transmission service
Replace alternator
Replace front upper control arms
“Premium Unleaded Fuel Only” reads my car’s gauge cluster as well as a sticker insider the fuel filler door. I paid $4.25 yesterday per gallon of 91 octane gasoline at the Shell station in Tempe, Arizona. Ouch! The pain was made only slightly better when I saw this promotional sticker on the gas pump. Buy 8 gallons or more, get a free cookie!
I enjoyed every delicious bite – especially knowing that it wasn’t really free, but that I had in fact paid quite dearly for it.
For each of the many milestones that I’ve celebrated with my Acura Legend, I’ve had plenty of photo & video documentation. When I rolled 500,000 miles last month on-site at Acura’s corporate office in Torrance, California, though, I didn’t even have a camera with me. Thankfully, there were plenty of other people in attendance to capture the moment and share it with me and everyone else later.
Tonight a video was released on Acura’s Facebook page which captures in fewer than 3 minutes an achievement that took my Legend almost 18 years to accomplish. Thanks to the skilled folks who put this together (and again to Acura for throwing the party!) so I can remember this memorable day for many years to come!
The Drive “Past” Five is well underway and quite a bit has happened since the red-carpet reception at Acura a couple of weeks ago.
This past weekend, the old Legend was exercised on a fun excursion to witness a piece of history.
Union Pacific 844, also known as the “Living Legend,” is a steam locomotive that’s been in service since 1944, 50 years before my Acura, and the only survivor of 10 such locomotives delivered to Union Pacific that year. The train came through Arizona this weekend in connection with the state’s centennial celebration. My friend Matt and I had a chance to see 844 roll past us and it was an incredible experience to witness the sheer momentum it carries (220 tons worth!).
Here we are parked alongside a frontage road in Picacho, Arizona upon the train’s arrival on Saturday, November 12th.
We were able to “pace” the train for several miles before stopping to watch it be serviced.
The locomotive was serviced in Coolidge, Arizona before continuing its journey into the Phoenix area.
The Legend made the trip effortlessly.
The following day, I entered the car in a “Battle of the Brands” car show in Chandler, Arizona. This show was hosted by SanTan Honda and SanTan Subaru who operate dealerships that are adjacent to each other. There was a great turnout from the Honda & Acura community, including my friend Spencer and his dad, Warren, who brought out their extremely well kept 1994 Legend LS coupe in Cashmere Silver Metallic. It looks pretty showroom fresh for having around 210,000 miles on it.
Spencer and his dad were also sporting their “500,000” congratulatory shirts that my friend Dave from the acuralegend.org forums developed as part of a group buy. Awesome!
My friend CJ and his brother Neil stopped by to check out the rides. As you can see we battled the rain most of the morning but still had a great time at the show.
I couldn’t resist a classic hubcap picture with an exotic 1991 formula red NSX in the reflection.
In the end, neither Spencer nor I took home a trophy in the “Stock Honda” class but two Legends with a combined nearly 3/4 million miles certainly represented very well how enduring and reliable that Acura products can be.
This week I had the privilege of being one of Acura’s guests at a launch of the 2012 Acura TL in connection with Zagat. It was hosted at Siren Studios in Los Angeles and featured some of the best food & company I’ve enjoyed in a long time.
A high-class affair for a high-class brand with an exceptional car.
In other news: It was time to get the 2-year registration renewal taken care of on the Legend. Residents of Maricopa County, Arizona get to go through an emissions inspection if we want to keep our cars registered. Last week it was time to get the coupe checked out.
As I pulled the car into the Scottsdale, Arizona station, the technician asked me if my Legend was rear wheel drive. This happens every time I take the car to get smog tested. The 1991-1995 Legend’s 3.2 liter longitudinally-mounted engine (engineered that way for optimal weight distribution) always throws people off. I assured the guy that my Legend is front wheel drive.
“Did you just have this detailed at the dealer?” he asked. I told him I keep the car that clean all the time. And finally, when he looked at the odometer. “Did you hear about the guy with a million miles who got a brand new Honda?” And yes, of course, I told him I was familiar with Joe’s story.
Here are the test results, historic through current. The Legend got straight A’s yet again.
December, 2006: 255,000 Miles
Hydrocarbons: .43
Carbon Monoxide: 6.18
NOX: .81
November, 2007: 302,000 Miles
Hydrocarbons: .26
Carbon Monoxide: 6.66
NOX: .37
November, 2009: 401,000 Miles
Hydrocarbons: .59
Carbon Monoxide: 5.97
NOX: 1.15
November, 2011: 500,000 Miles
Hydrocarbons: .18
Carbon Monoxide: 2.72
NOX: 1.19
After the technician handed me the paperwork and told me the car had passed with flying colors, he said, “Good luck on the next half million!”
In looking through some of my paperwork I discovered that I still have the very first safety inspection that was performed on the Legend in my ownership. This is dated 3/27/2003 – just a day after I bought the car. It had 96,160 miles on it. The mechanic had mistakenly written the make as “Honda” instead of “Acura” and later crossed it out. A common oversight!
And I even have the receipt from the first time I ever put gas in this car, on 3/26/2003 in Firebaugh, CA right off Interstate 5 Southbound. $2.49 for Premium octane — not too shabby!
Lastly: I was lucky to purchase this Legend from an owner who took equally good (if not better!) care of it. My Legend’s life started in the San Francisco Bay area and was original sold from Pleasanton Acura. Patricia, who bought the car at the end of 1994 with 294 miles on it, was able to dig up these pictures a few days ago from when the car was a brand new baby.
Interesting how the car still looks almost identical today. As you can see there’s still plenty of activity for the Legend as things roll onward beyond the half-million milestone. I’ll keep the updates coming as we continue the adventure. Thanks again for being a part of the ride.
That 500,000 milestone is now eating my dust! As it grows more distant in the Legend’s rearview mirror I’ve had some time to reflect on all the amazing events of the past few days. I’ve been overwhelmed by the support of Acura, of my family, and of my friends in commemorating my car’s achievement. The staircase at the W Hotel in Hollywood was just one of many places I would be seeing red carpet during my weekend. Here I am with my mother in the lobby of the hotel.
When I retrieved the Legend from the W’s valet parking team on Friday morning before the event, the guy who pulled the car up to me asked as he got out, “How many miles does it really have on it?” I assured him that the odometer, which sat at 499,965 at the time, was 100% accurate. My trip to the Acura headquarters in Torrance was filled with mixed emotions: I was excited, nervous, hopeful. Knowing that this was a one-shot ordeal, I wanted so badly for everything to come together just perfectly. And it did.
Long ago, I had promised the passenger seat in my Acura to my mother, Tia, for the 500k occasion. My biggest concern as I approached the campus on Torrance Boulevard was that I’d blow past the milestone without having the chance to pick her up. However, as the odometer read 499,999.8 and I rounded the corner toward the main entrance, I knew we were spot-on! My heart raced because I knew I’d reached the point of no return. Mom joined me in the car and we turned 500,000 right on cue. When we then pulled around the corner, I saw a huge group of people awaiting our arrival with anticipation!
I can’t even describe what it felt like to see my name in print, larger than life, in a banner on the building announcing “me” as Acura’s “newest Legend.” My jaw dropped as the event coordinators waved me up to the red carpet reception area at the base of a podium to the entrance to Acura’s lobby. I got out of the car amid tons of cheering and clapping. It felt unreal! Jeff Conrad, VP of Acura Sales, asked me to join him at the podium. I started picking faces out of the crowd – people who had traveled from all across the country to be there, from as far away as New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Salt Lake, Seattle, San Francisco, Phoenix and many other places.
Jeff presented me with an embroidered jacket which immediately was put to use in the overcast (but dry!) weather. Acura also sponsored a number of different tokens of recognition, including a certificate that will cover my maintenance through 2012, a duffel bag absolutely packed with Acura goodies, and even a timing belt & water pump from the Parts & Service Department. At this point I’m only about 16,000 miles away from my next timing belt change, so you can bet I’ll be putting that to use! People with driving habits like mine, I am told, are bad for new car sales numbers but are great for parts & service business! Acura has graciously given me the opportunity fly to the Detroit Auto Show as their guest this coming January. Needless to say I was overwhelmed with the generosity.
After the red carpet reception, the next several hours were filled with an inside look at the heritage of Acura & Honda as my guests and I were invited to visit the Honda Collection museum, complete with mint condition examples of many of the important vehicles in the company’s history. Acura provided lunch and goody bags for all guests.
My Legend got to be pulled into the museum for the afternoon!
A short program was kicked off by John Watts, Senior Manager of Digital Marketing at Acura. My friend Dave Ballance spoke on behalf of my “family” at the acuralegend.org forums and presented me with an engraved crystal plaque commemorating the event. He had also headed up the development of a custom T-shirt design.
Following Dave’s remarks, Patricia Lasalle (the original owner of my Legend) shared a few thoughts. My 500k achievement is thanks in large part to her care of the Legend over its first 8 years of life. She noted during her talk that she’d never taken the car through an automatic car wash during her ownership. It was always washed by hand. Lastly, my mom spoke a little about how obsessive-compulsive tendencies run in the family! She also took the “blame” for introducing me to Acura when she purchased her first Acura, a 1990 Integra GS, back in 1996. That car set the standard by which we’ve measured all our subsequent cars.
Later on, I met up with my friends from the acuralegend.org community for some photos on-site in the Honda America headquarters parking lot.
Checking out of the luxurious W Hotel and awaiting the car from valet.
I drove home to Phoenix with my now finally broken-in 1994 Acura Legend LS coupe and had about 6 hours of solitude in the car to truly reflect on the half million miles of travels that I’ve been through with this car and the amazing people that it has led me to meet. Many have asked about the future of the Legend and of Drive to Five. I intend to keep driving the car and will maintain the blog occasionally as I’m sure there are road trips and adventures yet to be enjoyed.
I thank Acura for the incredible hospitality that far surpassed any expectations I had for this event. Acura’s willingness to honor and commemorate this type of occasion for just one loyal owner is a true testament to the level of commitment that the company has toward its customers. To my friends and family who traveled to be a part of the 500k celebration, you made my day. Better said, you made my year! Thanks so much for being a part of not only this weekend’s events, but also playing a key role in the journey that got me here.
I can’t even start to convey the excitement and enthusiasm that were overflowing in today’s 500,000 mile event held at the Acura headquarters in Torrance, California. A day of recognition for an incredible car, its loving driver, and a network of friends and family who have each played a huge role in making this very long journey a success. It’s been an exhausting day but I wanted to at least quickly update my loyal readers that the day has in fact arrived.
As soon as I can find my laptop AC adapter I’ll begin to sort through the many pictures that were captured today and share some of the memories, but in the meantime, coming to you from the Business Center at the W Hotel in Hollywood: the Drive to Five has now crossed the finish line! In fact, the alignment of the odometer, timing, and predetermined location were absolutely & unmistakably perfect this morning.
I’m overwhelmed by the support from Acura and from my friends who traveled from near and far to share this occasion with me. Stay tuned as I’ll share some of today’s events in the next couple of days. In the meantime, you can view a few pictures at AcuraConnected.com and my friend Kevin’s album on Facebook if the link works.
TONS more here too. Thanks Efong for the great documentation!
It’s “500k Eve” – as I settle in for the night in Hollywood on the verge of a very big mileage accomplishment for my old Acura. The car sailed along Interstate 10 westbound from Phoenix just as smoothly as it has probably 50 times before. This stretch of road is a familiar one for the old Legend. We did sit through about 45 minutes of construction delays near Palm Springs.
I’ll do my best to bring you some of the day’s festivities via photograph and video after the big occasion.
Fewer than 1,000 miles to go! The suspense is killing me. I rolled 499k tonight on the way home from work on Hwy 87. Seeing that number 5 start to peek up on the odometer gives me chills. When I reported the milestone to my friend Dave in Seattle, he said that the 5 is winking at me. Truth. Here’s the site of the 499k occasion. It doesn’t look that exciting, but to me, it was!
Today’s history lesson is a flashback story on one road trip in particular that was memorable for all the wrong reasons.
My drive to 5 was sharply sidelined at around 299,000 miles in July, 2007. I was en route to Austin, Texas for an Acura Legend “meet” with friends in the wee hours of a Saturday morning when a deer decide to become roadkill on Highway 290 between Fredericksburg and Johnson City.
Shaken up but still assured that the car was roadworthy, I continued on and still attended the meet with a wrecked car.
The following morning, an early departure again found me on Highway 290. Here’s where it gets interesting — surreal, even. I hit ANOTHER deer and wiped out the driver’s side front end. At this point, you heard me right, I’d hit two deer on the same stretch of road within 24 hours of each other. Apparently lightning does strike twice in the same place.
Knowing now that Austin is 1,007 miles from home, I knew I had a serious issue. My only functioning headlight was soon made inoperative by entering water (of course, it was raining! What else could go wrong?) so I was pressed to make it home before sundown. I certainly had some stares and concerned onlookers from both the folks I passed on the interstate and the attendants at my fuel stops.
And I did. The trusty old Legend, though bruised, got me safely home to Phoenix without missing a beat.
And a day or two later, looking shabby but still proud of its accomplishment, the Legend rolled 300,000 miles in this very location in front of my friend Chuck’s house.
Not long afterward, I made arrangements to have the car repaired by a friend’s body shop in Logan, Utah. Autocare Collision Repair had the car for several weeks during its reconstruction. Here’s a shot I took of my coupe driving northbound on I-15 in Salt Lake City, with my dad at the wheel, when I was leaving it for body work and I flew back to Arizona.
And a few shots I took while visiting a couple of weeks later.
The car was outfitted with brand new, factory spec parts. I saved a chipped piece of one of the old battered headlights as a souvenir. Finally it was time for the Legend to be back on the road. And it came back stronger than ever. So strong, in fact, that Acura of Tempe proudly showcased the car in their Service Department for a couple of weeks.
The old Legend at 303,000 miles looked right at home with the new models on the floor.
Well, 990 miles from now the Drive to Five will reach its destination. The Acura goes in for an oil change and a new windshield next Monday. This will be the car’s 152nd oil change – each and every one documented with a receipt from the dealership performing the service.
drivetofive 