drivetofive

Odometer (Legend):  526,845

Odometer (ILX):  53,066

Hey, here’s something you don’t see every day:  Legend convertible!

This 1988 L coupe was converted when new (at a cost of around $10,000) to a convertible.  The car today has about 111,000 miles on it but runs amazingly for being 25 years old.  Chuck, Paul, and I took it for a Sunday drive around the Phoenix East Valley area.  Wind buffeting was pretty extreme in the backseat but the car rode as smooth as could be.

I commented to Chuck, “This thing sure gets a lot of looks.”  He responded, “They’re not looking at the car; they’re looking at those 3 crazy guys who are insane for driving with the top down when it’s 105 degrees.”

Hot or not, we had our fun tooling around in this unique ride.

It was an action-packed weekend playing with cars.  On Friday night, we welcomed road tripper Ben who I featured recently on a Reader’s Ride.  Last weekend, Ben was at the National Acura Legend Meet in North Carolina and he’s been working his way back to the west coast via some exciting destinations (Jacksonville, New Orleans, Austin, and El Paso).

• Left:  Chuck’s 1993 Sirius White Pearl Legend LS coupe 6-speed with 31,000 miles
• Right:  Ben’s 1992 Frost White Legend LS coupe automatic with 190,000 miles

Chuck (same owner of the convertible pictured above) was gracious enough to bring the low-mileage coupe out for the occasion, even though it was raining.  He told me this was only the second time it’s ever been driven in the rain.

We receive over 300 days of sunshine in Phoenix per year, but this wasn’t one of them.

We tried out a restaurant that’s been featured on the Travel Channel in Chandler, Arizona called “Chino Bandido.”  I must say I was impressed – especially with the sugar cookies they gave out for dessert!

Later, Ben came over to my place to visit.

My Legend coupe got a much-needed bath after the long journey to North Carolina.  I also took the time to polish the chrome exhaust tips with some Mother’s Mag & Aluminum polish.  The results are pretty striking!

On Saturday morning, the Legend went in for a 5W30 oil & filter change at Acura of Tempe.  I was able to get this service for free since I use a punch card and had accumulated enough punches for a freebie.  It had been exactly 4,300 miles since the last oil change (performed on June 26).  I believe that might have been the longest I’ve ever driven the car between changes, but I’ll have to check the maintenance spreadsheet to be sure.

My friend Paul who drives a TL SH-AWD stopped by to visit, too.  The lounge amenities at the dealership make it a great place to hang out.  Cookies, chips, and drinks – not to mention WiFi and leather chairs.  It’s better than home!

The technician’s inspection notes about the Legend’s mechanical needs were as follows:

• Driver’s P/S Rack Boot Leaking
• Differential Leaking
• Transmission Leaking
• P/S Fluid Low

I had asked for “no wash” and they complied, which was great since I had just detailed the car by hand this week.

Ever wondered what the private party resale value is on a car with over 500,000 miles?  A friend of mine ran some numbers on the value of my Legend, just for kicks.  Unfortunately, the Edmunds website didn’t even want to give him a $ figure!  A dialog box popped up saying, “Total Mileage Cannot Exceed 400,000 Miles.”  Oh, is that so?

Next, he went to Kelley Blue Book.  These numbers are pretty promising.  $2,472 as a private party value in “Excellent” condition, even with the mileage factored in.  Not too shabby!

In ILX news, I noticed that my front left marker light has now burned out.  I’ve actually been anticipating this for quite some time.  Ever since I first started driving the car in June 2012, I’ve driven with headlights + foglights on for safety almost 100% of the time.  So it’s no surprise that after thousands of hours of illumination, a bulb has finally given up.

I stopped by Autozone to see if they had such a bulb in stock, but was told that it’s a dealership-only thing.  Bummer.  I will fix it and roll onward!  I’m having a great time with the car as the summer heat slowly starts saying goodbye.  I can’t wait until it’s windows-down weather in Phoenix again.

Thanks Ben, Paul, and Chuck for some fun weekend times!

Odometer (ILX):  52,517

I’ll never forget the day I met Mirel.  It was a beautiful sunny springtime Phoenix day in 2006 and I was cruising eastbound on Dunlap Avenue in Glendale, Arizona in my 1994 Legend coupe.

To my delight, I saw approaching in my sideview mirror what appeared to be another Legend.  Its red paint was eye-catching.  I slowed down just slightly so that the Legend following me would get closer and pass by on my left.  Sure enough, up drove a super-clean Milano Red 1994 L coupe with Mirel at the wheel.  We stared at each others’ cars as we rolled alongside each other, and then I made the gesture of “pull over!”  He knew what I meant.

Soon we were standing next to our cars in a parking lot and exchanging contact information while talking about Legends.  Since that day, Mirel and I have remained good friends.  His Acura ownership experience began long before he bought that red coupe.  He previously owned this green Integra.

And also this Rosewood Brown Metallic 1991 Legend L coupe.

Below are pictures from a very small (3-car) Legend meet in Phoenix on March 1, 2006.  My Legend had about 210,000 miles on it at the time.  I can’t remember exactly where this summit is but I need to get back up there for another round of pictures soon.

The Sherwood Green 1994 L sedan in the middle belonged to our friend Chris.

We got creative with the pictures and climbed up on the hillside for a new angle on things.

Hoods down, now.

Mirel’s Milano Red coupe was an automatic.  Those chrome wheels gave it plenty of bling.

At that time, my Legend was wearing 17″ wheels from a 2004 Acura TL.  I also had a McCulloch 6000K HID headlight kit and some European Domestic Market (EDM) clear corner lenses installed.

Mirel’s red coupe was sold not long after that first meet-up, when he picked up a super clean 1994 LS 6-speed in a highly sought-after black on black color combination.  Soon, however, his young family outgrew the car and it was also sold two years ago.  As of last week, Mirel is now back in the Legend game.

This is his 1993 LS coupe 6-speed in Granada Black Pearl with Ivory Interior.  The car has only 110,000 miles on it.  That comes out to just 5,500 per year over its 20 years of life.  Low mileage!  Mirel found the car listed on Tucson craigslist and called the seller right away.  That night, he made the purchase and drove it home to Phoenix (about a 125-mile trip).  He called me from the road and I could sense his excitement.

This car is a rarity with that kind of mileage.  He gave me the key and I drove it around the block.  It sure does ride nice and smooth.  All the gears were flawless, the clutch had plenty of life, and the suspension & steering were tight.

Aside from a few tears on the driver’s seat, the rest of the interior is in excellent shape, including the factory floormats.  I couldn’t find any cracks in the clearcoat on his burlwood center console trim.

The Type II engine is barely broken in.

A few cosmetic flaws, including the clearcoat deterioration on the tops of the roof & trunk lid, will soon be addressed.  For now, Mirel is just thrilled to be back behind the wheel of a Legend.

Congratulations my friend!  And welcome back to the family.

Here’s what my next 6 days will look like!  I’m traveling to the 9th Annual National Acura Legend Meet (NALM) in Asheville, North Carolina in my 1994 Legend coupe.  I know my car is ready for these 3,922 miles.  But am I?

Stay tuned as I’ll make every attempt to post each night at my planned stops along the way (flags on the map).  Northern leg is the outbound; southern leg is the return.

Off I go!

Odometer (Legend):  522,654

Odometer (ILX):  47,310

When I moved to Arizona nearly 8 years ago, the Acura Legend enthusiast network was one of my means for meeting new friends in the area.  Chuck was one of those first people who I connected with.

In February 2007, I owned a 207,000 mile white Acura Legend GS 6-speed manual.  At the time, Chuck had two beautiful Sirius White Pearl 1993 Legends.  We decided to have a “Pearl White Block Party” and I shared a few pictures on the Legend forums at the time.

Chuck’s sedan had 61,000 miles on it.  His 6-speed coupe had 17,000 miles on it.

Today, Chuck’s sedan is gone but the coupe lives on, now with just under 31,000 miles on the odometer.

Purchased in December 2004 with 16,000 miles on it, this car sees the road only when it’s time to head to the golf course (once a week or so).

The license plate “AZLEGND” is synonymous with Chuck’s username on the Acura Legend forums.

The wheels on the coupe are 16″ aftermarket wheels that were once on Chuck’s sedan.

Underneath those sheepskin seat covers, the condition of the leather is near-new.  In fact, the whole car smells fresh.

All-weather mats protect the perfect carpet.

Even the door panels are immaculate.

Here’s a start-up and very short drive video of this amazingly well-kept Legend.

Readers with a keen eye may have noticed a first generation Legend in Chuck’s garage.  There’s a story behind that one.

In March 2010, I went to take a look at a rare custom Legend convertible about 75 miles from my home.  I posted a pretty detailed write-up to the forums at the time, but I didn’t end up pulling the trigger on it for myself.  The car was a 1988 L model automatic.  It had 87,000 miles on its 2.7 liter engine at the time I took it for a spin.

Over 3 years later, the car popped back up on Phoenix craigslist a couple of weeks ago, and Chuck had the honor of scooping this beauty up.  It became the 5th Acura Legend that he’s owned.  Now at 111,000 miles, the car is in worthy Legend enthusiast hands and I’m excited to see what he’ll do with it.  I can’t think of a better ride for enjoying the perfect Phoenix winters with the top down.

Supposedly this convertible was one of only 12 conversions completed at the time.  It’s nicely put together.

Can’t wait to take this one for a spin!  Thanks, Chuck, for your friendship and for letting me borrow some tools from time to time!

I happened to be driving my Legend GS sedan when I stopped by on Tuesday evening.

This old girl is sitting at about 144,200 miles currently.  It resides in storage but comes out to play about once every 2-3 weeks.

Thanks for reading!

Odometer (Legend):  522,442

Odometer (ILX):  41,793

Commitment:  Can you imagine keeping the same car for over 20 years?  That’s what my friend Ben has done.  He’s been a proud Legend owner for twice as long as I have.  As for many of us, his love for Acura started before he even had a driver license. This story centers around his 1992 Acura Legend LS coupe that he bought brand new.  I hope you’ll enjoy some of the highlights of his ownership experience as much as I enjoyed learning about them.

Ben’s car is still wearing its original “3D” series California plates dating back to its in-service date in 1993.  California plates have since sequentially moved forward to today’s “7A.”  It’s extremely rare to see a vehicle still wearing its first combination.  And look at that stack of registration stickers – 20 of them, stuck on top of one another.

Ben’s Legend story started was 14 years old when he first took a ride in his friend’s father’s 1989 Seattle Silver Legend sedan and was amazed at the smoothness and features it had.

When Ben was 19 years old, he bought his Frost White Legend coupe with black interior from Acura of Mountain View in Mountain View, California (the building has since been converted into a pool hall).  The asking price was $29,995 and it was the last 1992 Legend on the lot.

I still remember the day I saw it for the first time, and the following day when we bought it.  I still remember the salesman, Steve Cheng.  I wonder where he is today.  I wonder if he’s still selling cars.  If so, it would be cool to re-enact the key handoff (with the unused keys) in the Tyson tradition!  If we could find him, he would probably be in his 60s today.  I remember he told me after we bought the car that I had made the right choice.  I had previously had my heart set on a 3G Nissan Maxima. He said that long after the Maxima is gone and forgotten, the Legend would still be a nice, classy car, and he was right!

Ben’s car had just 65 miles on the odometer when he took delivery.  He still has all of his original paperwork as well as documentation on the car’s complete life history. These are a couple of pictures from before he added an OEM spoiler and some 16″ Legend GS wheels to replace the 15″ stock 7-spokers.

Below is a photo essay of some of the highlights of Ben’s ownership experience.

When the car was a week old – Lake Cachuma

Spring 1993 at the University of California – Santa Barbara campus

1993 Mission San Miguel, Central California

Shadow pic, 1993

Ben has owned several other very elite rides over the years, including a BMW M3, Toyota Supra, and Acura NSX, but he’s hung onto the Legend longer than any of those.  As the years went by, he racked up the miles traveling to Legend meets and other destinations.

February 26, 1997 – Ben parked his Legend in “Sport Car Only” parking.   Seems fitting!

April 13, 1997 – Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara

May 4, 1997 – Twin Peaks, San Francisco

May 4, 1997 – Coit Tower, San Francisco

June 12, 1997 – Ben’s first recorded attendance at an organized Acura Legend meet.  This event from 16 years ago has since been succeeded by dozens of meets across the country.  Today’s National Acura Legend Meet – NALM – carries on in spirit the intent of this historic meet-up.  It’s something special to meet & interact with other individuals who share our passions.

Here’s a line up of the cars, and their owners, who were in attendance at that first meeting.

The later half of 1997 became a very busy year for Ben, as he attended sometimes multiple meets per month.  Here’s one from July 19, 1997.

I wonder if any of these other folks still have their Legends today besides Ben.

September 19, 1997 – Exact Motorsports meet

September 20, 1997 – BMWCCA Rally.  This was Ben’s first (and only) rally experience, after having been invited by a friend who had a 1992 BMW 325i.

October 11, 1997 – Legend Meet

November 2, 1997 – Legend Meet.  This is a great close-up of the pioneer of the online Legend community as we know it:  Jim Trinh.  His green 1991 LS sedan, named “Vivian” became famous in the late 1990’s as the feature car for website Legend.org.

December 7, 1997 – Autocross Event

December 13, 1997 – Legend Meet

April 11, 1998 – Legend Meet.  In a future post, I’ll discuss more about what I’ve learned from Ben about how the Legend’s online following got its start.  He was there for the early days and is still every bit as involved today.

1998 – Willow Springs Racetrack, California.  Ben put his Legend to the test.

1998 – HID headlights installed.  Ben was one of the first to install this upgrade on his Legend.  This update as well as other are discussed on a website he put together in the late 1990’s.

1998 – Meet with various makes & models

Fall 1998 – Visit to Honda headquarters in Torrance, California

March 13, 1999 – Winery visit in Santa Cruz Mountains of California

May 6, 1999 – NSXPO Scenic Drive

December 12, 1999 – Legend Meet

February 25, 2000 – Hitting 100,000 miles on Interstate 5 near San Diego, California

May 18, 2000 – Racing at Thunderhill

The Legend looks right at home with all these sports cars.

Fall 2002 Legend Meet – San Luis Obispo, California

One of Ben’s Legend’s first trips out of California was for the National Acura Legend Meet in 2007 in Nevada.

This was the NALM 2007 group at a gathering hosted by Acura of Las Vegas.

Since 2009, however, it’s been on multiple cross-country trips in connection with the annual National Acura Legend Meet.

NALM 2009 in Branson, Missouri

2009 Legend meet in Los Angeles, California

NALM 2010 in Salt Lake City, Utah

Canyon drive in the mountains east of Salt Lake.  Pictured with my Legend.

At Rocky Mountain Raceway – racing on the 1/4 mile dragstrip

NALM 2011 in Morristown, New Jersey

NALM 2012 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with Legend mechanic Matt Wallace

And with another car that you all should recognize.

NALM 2012 drag races

Today, Ben’s car has 183,835 miles on it.

He’s based in China and only travels back to the U.S. a few times a year, but the car is regularly exercised and it has become an icon at the annual NALM due to its ownership history and condition.

When I asked Ben what’s kept him driving the Legend for all this time, he said:

It was my first brand new car, and has been with me for almost my entire adult life.  It was with me when I graduated college, been through several job changes, friends have come and gone, other cars have come and gone, I’ve moved several times (including in and out of the country), but through all this, the Legend has been a constant in my life, and has never let me down or left me stranded at the side of the road.

Ben added that he also kept the Legend because he hasn’t yet seen a worthy replacement for it.  His maintenance history with the Legend has been meticulous since the car was new:

• Every 3000 Miles: Oil/Filter Change
• Every 7500 Miles: Minor Service
• Every 15000 Miles: Medium Service
• Every 30000 Miles: Major Service
• Every 75000 Miles: Replace Radiator
• Every 90000 Miles: Replace Timing Belt, Water Pump

He’s on his 3rd battery, 2nd set of radiator hoses, 3rd set of brake rotors, and has replaced other parts as needed.

• Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS)
• Driver Interior Door Handle
• Driver Exterior Door Handle
• HVAC Blower Motor
• Brake Master Cylinder
• 2 CD Changers
• Aspirator Fan
• A/C Compressor clutch (a result of driving through a river)
• 1 Set Shocks
• Driver Window Regulator
• Left and Right Rear Window Exterior Trim
• Driver Side Window Switch
• Catalytic Convertor Heat Shields Upper and Lower
• 2 Bose Amps (1 under recall in the late ’90s)
• 1 Set CV Joints
• Taillights
• Cupholder

The car will be undergoing a very extensive service prior to a cross-country trip from California to North Carolina in a couple of months.

Following are a few more notable landmarks that Ben has visited on his Legendary travels:

Continental Divide

Four Corners.  This should look familiar!

Musical highway near Lancaster, California.  The grooves in the road play a song when driven across.  The road originally was funded in part by Honda because it was used in Civic commercials.  Residents complained about the noise levels, and the road was paved over in 2008.  However, due to its popularity, it was rebuilt in a more remote location.  I’m definitely going to travel out there soon!

Mount Rushmore – South Dakota

Bonneville Salt Flats – Utah

Redwood Trees – Northern California

Golden Gate Bridge

Crater Lake, Oregon

It’s fitting to note that Ben’s love for Honda & Acura span beyond just this one single car.  Over the years, he’s owned several others.

September 13, 1998 – Ben’s 1989 Legend L 5-speed

Year 2000, his 1992 Grand Prix White on Black interior NSX

Another shot from 2002

Later on:  Ben bought a brand new 2005 Silverstone on Black Honda S2000.

And finally:  July 30, 2005 – Taking delivery of his new 2005 Acura NSX-T 6-speed manual in Silverstone Metallic with Black interior.  He still has this car today, and it has fewer than 7,000 original miles on it.  Truly a collector item.

First odometer reading.

Few people have had the luxury of taking delivery of a brand new Acura NSX.  Ben is one of them.

The S2000 and the NSX together

And the Legend and NSX together

Quite the impressive lineup of cars!

Much like I’ve done over the years with my Legend (see “State Lines”) blog entry, Ben has made an effort to get a picture of his Legend at every state line he crosses.  He’s achieved quite a few!  32, to be exact.  Here they are, in alphabetical order.

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

South Dakota

Texas

Utah

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Ben’s car will cross through 10 more “new” states during his drive this August to the National Acura Legend Meet in Asheville, North Carolina.  Thanks, Ben, for being a loyal Drive to Five follower and for sharing your story with me!  I look forward to seeing you at NALM!