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50,000 & 250,000 Mile Legends: Alaeldeen & Brett

Posted in Reader's Ride on May 8, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 522,074

Odometer (ILX): 37,000

Now that it’s been over 18 years since the last Legend rolled off the production line, many have made their way to junkyards and many others aren’t far from that destination. Relatively few are still on the road and in good condition mechanically and cosmetically. Even fewer still are what one would consider “low” mileage. Here’s one that is.

Back in June 2004, I saw an ad posted for a 6-speed LS Legend coupe with only 6,500 miles on the odometer. Even back then, at 10 years old, the car had only averaged 650 miles per year. Though I already had my Legend, I made arrangements with my friend Louie who worked in Sales at the Las Vegas dealership where the car was located so that I could take a look at it. Louie pulled the car out so that I could get some pictures with this beauty.

Nose to nose: 6,533 miles meets 140,000 miles

This is a thread from the Legend forums where I talked about the experience. The car was listed for sale at the time for $28,990.

Here are a few pictures from when it sat in the showroom, courtesy of my friend Jeff who’s local to the Las Vegas area and is a long-time Acura enthusiast. At the time, Jeff drove a 1993 Legend LS coupe 6-speed in Canterbury Green.

This pristine Legend was auctioned on Ebay and went first to California for a couple of years, then ended up in Indiana. The last I heard of it was when it was sold around October 2010 by my friend Mitch who’d sold it.

A couple of months ago, however, I received a private message on the Acura Legend forums asking me if I still had pictures of this car. As it turns out, this was the new owner, named Alaeldeen, contacting me! This Legend is now in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Ten years later, it now has 49,444 miles on it. I’m glad to hear that it’s in good hands; Alaeldeen has been an Acura enthusiast since he owned his first car, a black 1988 Legend LS sedan. He’s since gone on to own 4 Legends.

Look at the pictures he sent me of his Taffeta White beauty as it currently sits.

The plastic on the floor mats has been in place since 2008.

Alaeldeen says that there are only about 4 months of good weather per year in Edmonton, so he’s hoping to take advantage of as many good days as he can to enjoy the car before putting it back into hibernation for the winter.

The car is completely stock.

Type II powerplant looks new to me.

Notice anything special about that license plate?

He’s sporting my same letter / number combination! Hopefully someday the Alberta & Arizona “6 SPD” Legend coupes will get together for a photoshoot.

Best of luck with your new ride, Alaeldeen! Thanks for reaching out.

Other low-mileage examples I’ve featured previously on the blog: Chuck’s 1993 LS with around 30,000 miles; Marc’s 1995 LS with 35,000 miles.

Brett’s 1995 Acura Legend LS Hits 250,000 Miles

At the other end of the mileage spectrum, we have cars like this next one. It’s just as much fun for me to watch others achieve high mileage with their Acura vehicles as it is to hit milestones in mine. This week, my friend Brett from Huntington Beach crossed the 1/4 million mile mark on his immaculately clean Canterbury Green Metallic Legend L sedan. I posted about Brett in May 2012 when I visited him in southern California.

The long awaited milestone happened May 4, 2013 at 10:10 p.m. in Newport Beach, California at Pomona Avenue and 16th Street. We are all about attention to detail around here!

Here’s a video Brett sent me of the rollover. If you’re overly anxious like me, the grand finale happens just a few seconds before the end of the clip, so skip there! Though, his soundtrack by The Cure is nice to listen to.

These are a few more pictures Brett sent. He’s as much of a neat freak as I am, and thus his Legend looks good even with that many miles on it.

The painted grille and 16″ wheels make the car look like a “GS” trim level, but Brett’s car is in fact an “L”.

It’s fun to read write-ups about Acura’s flagship Legend. Following are some pictures from Consumer Guide that my friend Jason shared with me this week. This first one is from an issue of Consumer Guide discussing the new (at the time) 1995 cars. It states, “Legend handles and rides like a sports car.” Not sure if mine still handles like a sports car at 522,000 miles! The suspension is worn and floaty.

This second one is from a 2003 “Used Cars” version. It knocked the Legend’s fuel economy but gave it strong wins for acceleration and handling.

Here’s my one-day-a-week commuter, today on the drive home through the Salt River Indian Community.

My Legend got to help my roommate when I got home. He’d left the headlights on in his 1997 Nissan Maxima and the battery was drained, so we jumped him and he was on his way. The old Maxima is a 5-speed manual with about 210,000 miles on it.

2014 Acura RLX CNET Review

One of my favorite automotive review channels on YouTube is that of CNET, hosted by Brian Cooley. In the latest CNET review, Brian spends 8 minutes talking about Acura’s most technologically-advanced car ever: the 2014 RLX. I just saw the first “customer-owned” RLX on the road on Monday night near my home. The taillights were super sexy at night, not to mention the jewel eye headlights. Check out Brian’s comments on the car that can pretty much drive itself!

Acura ILX Long-Term Updates

My ILX is getting great fuel economy. When I took this picture earlier in the week, I’d been averaging exactly 33 mpg in the 1,777 miles since my last oil change when it was reset. It pays to drive conservatively!

Finally – happy travels to my friend Ryan who you may remember from our January trip to Sedona. Now that school’s out, he’s headed home to South Dakota for the summer (about a 1,400 mile drive). He sent this today when he met the Nebraska state line in his 2006 Acura TL.

I’m jealous that he got to spend the day on the open road and I sat inside an office!

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Friday Feature: Nick’s 1990 Nissan 300ZX

Posted in Reader's Ride on March 29, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (ILX): 32,391

As obsessed as I am with Honda and Acura vehicles, some of my friends are equally obsessed with their own respective brands. One example of this is my good friend Nick. He’s so in tune with the 1990-1996 Nissan 300ZX that he’s gone to great lengths to capture his passion on a “Z32” (chassis code) Wikispaces site. Ask him anything, and he’s a walking 300ZX encyclopedia. I’ve tried to stump him before!

Take a look at the massive list of upgrades to Nick’s Aztec Red 1990 300ZX Twin Turbo.

ENGINE

Stage I IPP Longblock [Wiseco pistons, shotpeened rods, ACL bearings, viton valve stem seals, and a lot more)
JWT Sport 500 Turbos
QFAB 2.5″ Turbo Inlets & Accordion Pipes
Z1 Silicone intake “boost” hoses
AVS Intercoolers w/ silicone couplers
Specialty Z 6qt Oil Pan
Stainless steel braided turbo oil feed lines & coolant lines
NISMO 555cc Fuel Injectors
Super Split 2.5″ downpipes
2.5″ Test Pipes> HKS Hi-Power exhaust
Specialty Z High 5 Puck Clutch
350Z HD clutch fork
SZ/RPS Segmented Flywheel
UR Underdrive Crank Pulley
HI BilZki overdriver water pump pulley
Mishmoto knock-off radiator
BDE Urethane Motor Mounts
25 Row Oil Cooler
Currently running Mobil 1 0W-50 Racing Oil with a NISMO VeruSpeed Filter

SUSPENSION/WHEELS/BRAKES

Powertrix SS Coilovers [8k/6k Spring Rates]
Adjustable FUCAs
Adjustable RUCAs
Adjustable tension rods
D/S front rotors
Hawk HPS Pads
MBC Brace
Rota P45R Wheels 18×9.5 +20 offset, with 266/35r18 tires all around

ELECTRONICS

Socketed 8-bit ECU with NIStune Daughterboard installed
Running my own custom tune
Old-school 2nd gen APEXi AVC-R Boost Controller
HKS Boost Gauge
New OEM ’95 TT Wiring Harness with new-style CAS
Custom injector adapters (to use 555 Injectors with new-style EFI harness)

One of my favorite commercials in all of automotive advertising is this fun piece featuring Barbie & Ken. Thanks to my blog reader Tim for tipping me off on this a few weeks ago!

I won’t make the mistake of drag-racing Nick anytime soon in my Acuras. I might, however, give him a run for his money if I ever get ahold of a 310-horsepower, all-wheel-steering, 2014 Acura RLX. This new ad from Acura Canada really gets me excited about it. Thanks to AcuraConnected for sharing it!

Have a great weekend! I’ll leave you all with a few new ILX pictures featuring some Arizona landscaping.

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Matt’s Accord Coupe & Marc’s Integra GS-R

Posted in Reader's Ride on March 13, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 520,253

Odometer (ILX): 31,444

Today we’ll take a pit stop on the road trip frenzy since I’m featuring a couple of my blog followers who are as Honda/Acura fanatical as I am.

First is Matt from Atlanta. He drives this stunning red 2008 Honda Accord EX coupe automatic. It had 36,523 miles on it when he took delivery just a year ago. He enjoys driving it so much that he’s already got over 69,000 on the odometer. Matt works as a stock material handler (SMH) at Honda’s largest parts center in the country and he loves takes a great deal of pride in the company.

Matt has added a moonroof visor and a factory front accessory lip.

I’ve loved this bodystyle of Accord since its introduction in 2008.

Matt’s owned about a dozen Hondas since he was 15 and says he “hopes to never drive anything else.”

Must be great to work for Honda! Thanks, Matt, for sharing these pictures and your love for Honda.

I’ve shared the story before of my Legend-loving friend Marc in New Jersey. He’s the lucky owner of not one, but two mint-condition, low-mileage, Acura Legend LS coupes. Marc has added a new Acura to his collection. It’s the Legend’s little brother, the Integra. This particular model is a 1992 GS-R 5-speed in a very rare color called Aztec Green. Marc recently picked this baby up with only 110,000 miles on it and all the maintenance up to date.

That little GS-R badge below the passenger side taillight makes this a pretty sought-after ride. It’s powered by a 1.7-liter 4 cylinder dual-overhead cam motor that was one of Honda’s first implementations of VTEC (Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control). VTEC is a valvetrain system developed to increase the efficiency of an engine. It uses two camshaft profiles and hydraulically selects between profiles.

Marc says this thing is a blast to drive, and I believe him! The first car that ever got me excited about Acura was a similar 2nd generation (1990-1993) Integra, but it was a 4-door GS sedan. The Integra has long been known as a sporty, high-revving 4 cylinder and it’s no mystery that they’ve been so popular with import tuners and racers.

That’s really an eye-catching color. Marc is lucky to have found an Integra GS-R in this kind of condition. After 20+ years of use, most of these have been highly modified, wrecked, or otherwise destroyed over the years. The Integra feels a bit like the ancestor of the ILX in that its mission was to fill a role as a fun entry-level vehicle to the premium compact class.

Legend Updates

The Legend took me to work on Tuesday and afterward I stopped by a now-closed drive-in movie theater near my home. The “Scottsdale Six” has been closed since August 2011, as noted by the sign stating “TEMPORARY CLOSED.” The drive-in originally opened in 1976 and for several decades was home to movie-goers.

This article talks about the ultimate fate of the movie theater. It closed because it’s located on Indian land (the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, to be exact) and the lease expired in 2001 but was allowed a 10-year extension which ended in 2011. So, until further notice, this place sits vacant as just a memory of what once was.

I’ve never been to a drive-in movie. Have any of my readers?

I picked up a new hood lift/strut for the Legend today (aftermarket) at Autozone. The hood barely stays open with the ones that are on there now. For only $22 it’s not a huge expense to just throw a new strut on.

ILX Reviews

The most exciting thing that happened with my ILX this week was that it got a much-needed bath after last weekend’s trip to the sand dunes in New Mexico.

The leather seats got a conditioning with Griot’s “Leather Care” product. They’re starting to show a little more wear and tear – the seat bottoms appear a little more “loose” but still clean up nicely.

This write-up on Autoblog puts the ILX against the Buick Verano and captures the same type of feedback that I have had about the ILX. The manual transmission drivetrain excels in every way, and from a handling perspective it’s extremely fun and nimble. There could stand to be some advancements in sound deadening and other fit & finish areas. I thought it was a great read and definitely had plenty of good to say about the ILX.

And finally here’s a video by “2TheRedline,” a YouTube series of evaluations of new car models featuring Editor in Chief Sofyan Bey. They’ve added a 2.4 liter ILX to their long-term test fleet and I’ll be watching closely to see how their Fathom Blue 6-speed ILX performs.

Keep on cruisin’, drive to fivers.

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Mark’s Subaru SVX & Tovrea Castle Tour

Posted in Arizona, ILX, Reader's Ride on February 10, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 519,511

Odometer (ILX): 27,117

Back-Story on My Friend Mark

Back in July 2007, I went to an Acura Legend meet in Austin, Texas. My car had just barely under 300,000 miles on it at the time. In a wild series of events, I ended up hitting two deer on Highway 290 just west of Austin that weekend. Unbelievably, the damaged Legend still hobbled its way back to Arizona, and then to Utah for a front end rebuild. Here’s a thread with some pictures of the meet.

Taking over a gas station:

Legend lineup (and a Taurus in the mix):

Dining at Bone Daddy’s BBQ:

One of the great people who I met that weekend was my friend Mark. He showed up to the Acura Legend meet as the odd-man-out in an extremely clean Chestnut Brown Metallic 2000 Ford Taurus. Mark and I have kept in touch since then. I recently learned about his search for a rare mid-1990’s Japanese coupe called the Subaru SVX and I randomly decided to take a peek at the local Phoenix area craigslist posts to see what I could find. I stumbled across a pretty immaculate black one and forwarded the link to Mark. Well, fast forward several weeks to now: Mark ended up striking a deal with the seller and buying that car.

He flew in to Phoenix on Friday night and we picked up his friend Russell later that same evening.

The ILX got shuttle duty as we drove the 103-mile drive to Tucson where Mark was to pick up his new ride Saturday morning.

Having way too much fun. Russell, in the back seat, is a Ford fan and knows everything there is to possibly know about Focuses. (Foci?)

And of COURSE I was proudly wearing one of my Acura hooded sweatshirts.

Mark taking care of business.

Finally, we arrived at the designated meeting place & time in Marana, just north of Tucson off Interstate 10.

Here’s what gets ME excited: maintenance records! This huge folder dates back through the car’s entire lifetime.

Mark installing his temporarily permit before departing on his 1,300 mile drive home to Houston.

Customary “key handoff” picture with the seller, Rich.

Regarding his new ride: The Subaru “Alcyone” SVX (which stood for “Subaru Vehicle X”) was sold from 1992 through 1997 but in fairly limited numbers (fewer than 2,000 per year). All came equipped with a 3.3 liter 6-cylinder engine and a 4-speed automatic transmission. Most were all-wheel-drive but a few were sold as front-wheel-drive. Mark’s 1995 SVX is a top-of-the line LSi with leather and all the toys.

Here’s the view from the backseat. I’ve always wondered what those half-windows were like. The rear ones actually go down, just like the Legend coupe’s do!

Of all the places I could have taken these two Texans for lunch, they wanted In-N-Out Burger!

Double-Double with cheese.

Following Mark to a shop called Motorsport, on 1st Avenue & Grant in Tucson, where Mark picked up a couple of goodies for his SVX. He bought some JDM clear corner lenses and an Alcyone center taillight panel.

Here we are parked next to a rare French Citroen SM. This car is quite odd to look at. A Citroen enthusiast friend of mine, Scott, told me that these cars have hydraulic suspensions. They can actually lift up on 3 tires and thus do not require a jack when changing a flat. How odd!

The shop also had this white Taurus SHO with a 5-speed manual transmission. You don’t see many of these!

Group shot: Russell, Tyson, Mark

Mark and Russell are well on their way home to Houston now! Safe travels guys!

Tovrea Castle

Ever since I moved to Arizona in early 2006, I’ve known of this castle off the Loop 202 freeway just east of central Phoenix. It’s so perfect that it looks like a wedding cake. I learned that it was called Tovrea Castle but it wasn’t until today that I truly got up close & personal with this interesting structure. Once a home, it’s now owned by the city of Phoenix which offers tours. I was in today’s tour group for the 8:30 a.m. session, so my friend Kevin and I went to check it out.

Tovrea was built from 1929 to 1931 by an Italian native named Alessio Carraro. He intended for the castle to be a hotel and resort, but just two years after the castle’s completion, it was sold (presumably due to financial difficulties during the Great Depression). One of the problems was also the fact that the adjacent property was a stockyard, and who would want to stay at a resort next to a stockyard? The castle was bought by Edward Tovrea at that time. Just a year later, Edward passed away, but his wife Della continued to live there until her death in 1969.

The city of Phoenix purchased the castle and the 35 acres that it sits on in and it’s been open for tours since last year (Arizona’s centennial year) after it underwent a restoration effort. The cactus grounds that surround the castle have over 5,000 cacti. So come with me on this tour of a historic Arizona landmark!

Here’s what the castle looks like from the Loop 202 freeway between the cities of Phoenix and Tempe, Arizona. It’s the closest I had ever gotten to it, until today.

Arrival at the visitor’s center on Van Buren Road in the ILX.

The castle is pictured in the background here:

Our tour guides took us back in time and shared lots of details about this place. The river rocks that line the cactus gardens were hauled by the truckload from the Salt River. Mr. Tovrea once owned over 250 acres of land but the castle now sits on just 35 acres, as some of the original parcel has been sold & developed.

The rocks were painted white by the original builder.

Our 8-person group hopped into a golf cart and we were driven around the grounds while we learned about them.

Among the odd features of the landscape surrounding the castle are a reflecting pool, an aviary, and even a horseshoe pit.

Some of these Saguaro cacti have been here since 1928. We know this because Carraro’s landscaper marked them by wrapping a piece of wire around the base that had a tag on it. The cacti are still thriving. These types of cacti can live up to 200 years.

This was taken from the south side of the castle on one of two leveled-out mounds. It is presumed that these areas were either intended to have later structures built on them or to serve as parking lots.

A wooden shack that still stands on the property (not pictured) was home to the 15 workers that Carraro employed while the castle was being built. Apparently, he would show up at the beginning of each day and draw a picture in the sand/dirt of what he wanted them to accomplish that day. He didn’t adhere to any kind of blueprint. The ultimate definition of “winging it!”

Another small home on the property.

Finally we got to approach the building from what would have been the main hotel entrance. Notice the Arizona state flag flying from the top of the castle.

Inside the lobby, we got to see artifacts that had been preserved from the castle. Among other things, a spittoon is there. When the restoration effort was taking place between about 2009-2011, workers tried to preserve as much of the original structure as they could, and they saved any special items like that which were found.

The castle actually look a lot bigger from the outside than it is on the inside. A second lobby at the other end of the building contains a scale model on display. We only were able to tour the main and basement levels of the structure, since the City of Phoenix has deemed the upper floors not able to withstand the weight of larger tour groups. In the second level of the castle, there are 6 bedrooms that share 1 common bathroom.

This steep staircase leads down to the basement, which was our next stop after the main level.

Ever seen anything like this?

From a placard about this metal box:

The metal box is an “annunciator.” Patented by the Edwards Company in 1882, it contains a set of white tags numbered from one to twelve. Wires connected the machine to the basement and rooms upstairs, enabling future guests to gain the attention of a hotel employee simply by pressing a button. It probably emitted sound.

For me, the most fascinating part about the tour was the following story about Della Tovrea who was attacked while sleeping in the kitchen in November 1968. Burglars had entered around 11:00 p.m. Check out the full story on this picture:

The bullet hole remains in the ceiling to this day!

Pictures from the basement part of the tour:

The basement had a ceiling plaster that looked like an upside-down lemon meringue pie. I didn’t get a picture of it, but there was a huge safe and a vault down there. This hallway from the basement leads to the cactus gardens outside.

I had a great time on the tour. I wish I could’ve had “unsupervised” access to the ENTIRE facility because I guarantee there are many secrets to be discovered.

Hanging with Ryan, Spencer, & Ari

It was time for a little Sunday drive in the Legend, so Ryan joined me for an afternoon trip to a part of Phoenix called Ahwatukee.

We visited Ari who’s been working on restoring a Milano Red 1993 Legend LS Coupe 6-speed manual. Spencer’s Cashmere Silver Metallic 1994 Legend LS Coupe 6-speed manual is in the background.

This car has about 205,000 miles on it but drives really well. Aside from some cosmetic issues (clearcoat peeling, dash cracking), it really seems like it’s good for another 200,000 miles or more.

These cars just keep going and going. Anyone else see this 350,000 mile 1994 Legend on craigslist in New Jersey this week?

These cloth seats were some spares that Ari had sitting around. Since the car is an LS, it left the factory with leather seats but at 20 years old, those were well beyond their usable life so Ari swapped these in. They look and feel really nice.

Ari’s also working on dismantling a 1992 Legend LS sedan in his backyard. This guy knows every nut and bolt of a Legend.

Just a little bit taken apart in here:

Next, I followed Spencer over to one of our local “Pick-&-Pull” junkyards. For $2, you bring your own tools and wander around the lot looking for anything that might be of interest or value.

Spencer’s car looks and runs great for 228,000 miles. He and his father recently redid the interior with fresh new leather.

Arrival at the Pick-&-Pull facility off 56th Street & Chandler Boulevard.

There were at least 8 or 9 first generation (1986-1990) Legends in the yard, but this was the only second generation (1991-1995) that we ended up seeing. It was a 1992 Legend LS sedan in a non-factory color. We learned from looking at its door jams that this car was originally a Cashmere Silver color.

When I’ve got Acura-owning friends at my house, the neighborhood must wonder about my sanity! As well they should. Thanks Ryan for stopping by.

Have a great week!

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Jeremy’s Wild Ride in a 2006 Accord Coupe

Posted in Reader's Ride on January 16, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 518,565

Odometer (ILX): 25,323

Special Guest Feature

By now you’ve seen my crazy friend Jeremy pop up a few times on Drive to Five over the last couple of years. He’s gone through a TSX Wagon, an SC400, an Acura MDX, and even an Acura Legend to name a few of his rides bought & sold. His sense of adventure parallels mine in many ways. Last month, Jeremy took a roadtrip that I thought was worth sharing with all of you who love the road as much as we do. The following write-up is by him.

3,511 miles in nine days. Impossible? Hardly. I set out to show Tyson what a real road trip is all about. Some of you may see me pop up in the blog occasionally, but what you may not know, is that I drive just as much (or more) than Tyson does. We both love our six-speed Honda products. The difference between the two of us is simple. Tyson drives one car to half-a-million miles, and I split up the miles between a few hundred cars.

Since it was Tyson’s birthday coming up, I decided that I wanted to be there in person to wish him the best. So I set out on a plan to be there just in time for his birthday on a Friday. I caught a red-eye flight from Salt Lake City, UT, and after a connection in Charlotte, I was in Memphis by 8:00am on Thursday morning (the day before his birthday!). I picked up a beautiful silver 2006 Honda Accord EX V6 coupe, with a slick six-speed manual and a handy touch-screen navigation system. I purchased the car on ebay from a private seller, who picked me up at the airport and sent me on my way. I decided to pay my tribute to Elvis, and hit the road after a fuel stop at Costco (am I the only one who obsessively fuels up at Costco??).

The journey began, and I didn’t stop until Dallas. Had a quick workout to rejuvenate, and was in Lubbock late that night to say hello to some extended family. They graciously put me up for the night, and by the next morning I was on the road. At this point I was about 740 miles from Tyson’s house, and they had dinner reservations for 7:30! I was very happy that the car was humming along, getting over 30mpg, and the XM radio was keeping me fairly entertained.

After one wrong turn, I ended up in El Paso and had to “increase” my speed considerably over the New Mexico and Arizona desert to compensate for the wrong turn. When I walked in the the restaurant just as the food had been served. What better birthday present to Tyson than driving nearly 24 hours just for a birthday! My travel didn’t stop there. I continued on to Palm Springs, San Diego, Mexico, and up to San Francisco. After my final destination in the bay, I drove all the way back to Salt Lake City.

I covered nine states, Mexico, and finished off the trip spending 57 hours behind the wheel. The total mileage was 3,511 miles, with fuel at 27.7 avg mpg. The most expensive gas was $4.79 and the cheapest was $2.69. I made three visits to Honda dealerships for a broken motor mount, flat tire, and the heater deciding it wasn’t going to blow hot air anymore.

Final trip stats:

Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles with Josh & Cora

Baja California, Mexico

Chilly temps!

San Francisco

Meeting with Tyson in Phoenix

Thanks, Jeremy, for sharing!

Other Acura News:

This week is the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since the ILX concept car was revealed. Yesterday, Acura unveiled the 2014 MDX prototype. Click here for more!

Below is a rendering by Acura enthusiast Dillon C (“Hondatalover” on the Temple of VTEC forums) with some handsome enhancements to the already attractive ILX design language. Dillon has added exhaust tips, enlarged the OEM 16″ wheels, and modified the taillights. I think it looks great!

I visited my local dealership on Monday for an oil change in the ILX and surveyed the inventory. There were at least a dozen or so ILX models on display. Notable were the following:

Just one car in Fathom Blue Pearl (2.0 automatic Premium)
One Crystal Black Pearl 2.0 automatic Premium with VIN 202 (very early production)
One Hybrid in Bellanova White Pearl
One Silver Moon 6-speed; VIN 1336

My ILX passed its inspection except for the cabin air filter. It appeared that after enduring some of our Arizona dust storms it had collected quite a bit of dirt.

First 25,000-mile maintenance summary. I missed typing in a tire rotation somewhere in there, but you get the idea.

Love this Fathom Blue in the sunlight!

Here’s the 6-speed Silver Moon ILX:

Anyone else find the below craigslist ad a little sad? It’s for a Desert Mist Metallic Legend like mine but with only 178k miles. This Denver car looks like it has seen better days, yet the owner states it has been “recently detailed” as well as “loved and maintained” for the last 15 years they’ve owned it. Does this look like an Acura that’s been loved?

Yikes!

And finally, many thanks to Service Manager Allen from Jody Wilkinson Acura for inviting me to dinner last night. Allen as well as several other dealership representatives from both Jody Wilkinson and neighboring Mike Hale Acura in Salt Lake City are here in Phoenix for a “Destination RLX” training conference on the all-new 2014 Acura RLX. It was great to chat with all of them.

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Tucson Trip: Josh’s Acura Integra

Posted in Arizona, Legend, Reader's Ride on December 20, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 517,831

Odometer (ILX): 22,228

Is there such a thing as too much speed? If there is, then my buddy Josh is pushing the limits.

He’s got a car that in my mind is the ultimate “sleeper.” From the outside, it’s your standard 1995 Acura Integra LS coupe with a lowered suspension and some custom wheels. Big whoop, right? That’s until you peek under the hood or sit inside while it wickedly rumbles at idle. This car gets up and goes. In fact, under acceleration there’s so much power that the tires can’t even grip. Josh had to “feather” the gas pedal to prevent it from breaking loose entirely through all the gears when he took me for a ride. I’d get myself into major trouble with a car like that.

For my Sunday drive this past weekend, I drove about 130 miles each way from Scottsdale to Tucson, Arizona in the Legend.

The ILX took a break and chilled out at home.

The I-10 corridor between Phoenix and Tucson is a critical piece of infrastructure because it connects the two largest metropolitan areas of Arizona. According to a 2008 AADT (Annual Average Daily Traffic) study, I-10 sees over 1/4 million cars a day in Phoenix and over 200,000 a day in Tucson. As of October 2012, there are now advanced discussions taking place regarding the implementation of a passenger rail system between the two cities.

Here we see the back side of the Santa Catalina Mountains that border the north side of Tucson. One of these peaks is Mount Lemmon, home to a particularly fun 25-mile curvy road that I drove with the ILX in August of this year.

Premium fuel was only $3.27 at the Chevron on Valencia Road in Tucson!

On the way to Josh’s place I drove past the Pima Air & Space Museum. This airplane graveyard of sorts is 80 acres of parking for 300 aircraft. For airplane geeks, this is probably like Disneyland. There’s an SR-71 Blackbird among other notable aircraft on display. The next time I’ve got a few minutes I’ll plunk down the $15.50 admission and take a gander.

Here’s Josh – it’s not a very flattering pic of either of us! This guy’s a big Honda / Acura fan, though. His first project car was a Civic hatchback.

Finally I got to take a look at this Taffeta White beast of Josh’s.

Believe it or not, this car started out life as an automatic transmission 1995 Integra LS.

Those are Honda S2000 seats in there!

Here are the tech specs, per Josh:

84.5mm Darton Sleeved B18A1 bottom end
JE Pistons
Manley Rods
OEM Honda B18A1 Crank
OEM Honda B16 Head Ported by Endyn
Skunk 2 Pro-1 Camshafts (nice lope)
Supertech Valves
Supertech Titanium Valvesprings
Supertech Titanium Retainers
72mm Throttle Body
Edelbrock Victor X Intake Manifold
1000cc Injectors
Walbro 450 liter/hr Fuel Pump
GSR Transmission w/Quaife LSD
Full Race Manifold with a Garrett 3076R with Tial BOV and Tial Wastegate.

The Integra runs on E85 and makes 450 horsepower on 16 pounds of boost. Based on my experience in the passenger seat, those 450 horses are all very much alive and kicking. I’m glad I used the restroom before taking a ride.

Thanks, Josh, for letting me take a look at this one-of-a-kind Acura and feature it on the blog!

Have any other Legend fans out there seen this $18,000 Legend GS 6-speed with 98k miles on it in the San Francisco Bay Area? Wow.

More on the racecar ILX that Team Honda Racing – West put together: This is a really great write-up on the the Acura ILX competing at the Thunderhill endurance (25-hour-long) race event in California a couple of weeks ago, written by racecar driver Edward Sandstrom from Switzerland who was one of 5 individuals who spent time behind the wheel. He’s 2nd from the right here (photo by Larry Chen).

ILX Type-S? In our dreams. Actually, though a Type-S package isn’t offered by Acura for the ILX, one Dallas-based dealership has taken the opportunity to create their own. Looks like this one’s outfitted with blacked-out (plasti-dipped?) Premium 17″ wheels, the OEM under-body kit, and a red Type-S badge on the decklid. Thanks, Jeff, for sending!

Even though it won’t be a “white” Christmas for me here in Scottsdale, the season is still very much in full swing. I wonder what I was asking Santa Claus for when I sat on his lap 27 years ago! Toy cars, no doubt.

Last week I went to a holiday concert featuring skilled pianist Nicole Pesce. She’s got talent like you can’t believe! This is one of my faves by her, though it’s not Christmas-related. Nobody gets into the spirit of the season more wholeheartedly than my friend Chuck. His home is always decked out to the max, and he even has a nightly “light show” that’s synchronized to music. You’ll see in this picture Chuck’s 1993 Acura Legend LS coupe (just 30,000 miles young) and his wife’s SC300.

A video taken from the driver’s seat of the ILX while tuned into Chuck’s FM radio station.

This was “too” memorable to miss as a photo opportunity.

And a chance meeting at the grocery store parking lot with a cousin (2006 TSX).

Grab some ‘nog and hit the road this weekend. I’m off to southern Utah tomorrow after work, so the ILX will get some road time.

Later!

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Kevin’s Accord Hits 100,000 Miles

Posted in Milestones, Reader's Ride on October 10, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 16,701

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!

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World Traveling LandCruiser & Tempe ILX Pics

Posted in ILX, Reader's Ride on August 17, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 11,490

There are a lot of people like me who take driving/roadtrip adventures way more seriously than the average person. I love it when I learn about fellow road warriors from around the globe, and I tip my hat to anyone who dares to set out on long-haul travels in a car that’s beyond 100k, 200k, or 300k miles regardless of what make or model they’re driving. Take a few minutes and stop by this website documenting one couple’s impressive travels in their 4×4 SUV.

Over the last nearly 28 years, Emil and Liliana Schmid have taken their 1982 Toyota LandCruiser FJ60 through 172 countries and driven 414,000 miles. It’s currently undergoing a restoration effort (for the second time, since it had some prior work done in 2006), but will come back for more world tour action soon.

While the odometer may not read as high as my 1994 Acura Legend, the list of places that this LandCruiser has been is staggering! I’ll be lucky if my car even gets to ride a ferry over to Hawaii for a lap around an island (a forever dream of mine). Here is a gallery of Emil and Liliana’s pictures by date & location.

I extend my congratulations and support these inspirational folks on their continued journey! Keep on rolling!

Ian’s New Ride

I met up this week with my friend Ian who used to own a 2012 Honda Civic Si. He’s recently traded it for a gorgeous 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer. I took the car for a spin and was impressed. Ian’s new car has a mere 1,262 miles on the odometer and still smells fresh. Not to mention, it’s got a rockin’ Rockford Fosgate sound system.

Congrats on the new set of wheels, Ian!

It’s been a record-setting summer in Phoenix. I know the below *can’t* be accurate, but the ILX told me it was 121 degrees outside when I got in the car after work on Tuesday to head home.

MT Mania

How smoothly can you shift a manual transmission? On Wednesday I took a work colleague, Paul, to lunch in the ILX. We’ve gone out at least 3 times before in my car. We were getting back on the road after bagel sandwiches at Einstein’s and he remarked, “I just realized, this car’s a stick shift.” It hadn’t even registered to him that all these times I’ve been manually shifting my own gears. I had a similar comment once from someone who rode in my Legend with me. I guess if you’re a pro at rowing, the car rides as smooth as an automatic. Paul’s 27 and doesn’t yet know how to drive a manual. I’m determined to educate him. Save the manuals!

Welcome to the Acura family!

Derek and Danielle are friends of mine from high school days and have newly joined the ranks of proud Acura owners as of this past weekend. Derek contacted me with some questions on a 2002 Acura 3.5 RL that they were looking at locally in Salt Lake City, Utah. At around 250,000 miles and 10 years old, its newness may have worn off but I assured Derek that based on my experience, the RL is good for twice that many miles (and beyond). They ended up striking a deal with the seller. Congratulations Derek and Danielle, and thanks again for considering me as a resource for your car purchase!

ILX Photoshoot in Tempe, Arizona

My friend Kevin and I took the chance this week to meet up for a few ILX pics since he hadn’t yet seen the car in person. Kevin and I love road tripping. He rode with me on my first leg of the Morristown, NJ trip last summer – from Phoenix to Oklahoma City. He’s a walking encyclopedia when it comes to road history (among other things).

For this week’s photoshoot, Kevin and I met up at sunset time at the Tempe Town Lake Marina. The “lake” (though really just a dammed-up section of the Salt River) is home to many athletic events each year and offers a nice refreshing visual break from the desolate desert that surrounds us in this area.

Kevin shot these with a Canon EOS Rebel TI 2 with the kit lens. Most of these were taken at around 25 MM. Nicely executed!

Over the hood of the ILX in this one is Sun Devil Stadium – home of the Arizona State University Sun Devils.

Thanks, Kevin, for the pictures!

Kevin’s a Honda guy too, having owned his 2006 Accord since it was new. He’ll be celebrating a milestone very soon as his Accord “officially” gets broken in at the 100,000 mile mark. He’s at 98,500 or so now.

The Hayden Lakefront Condominiums and business complex, seen across the lake from us, has gone up in recent years as one of Tempe’s premier business districts.

The two bridges seen here were developed to cross the Salt River as the primary avenue to travel between Phoenix and Tempe in the 1930’s aside from using a ferry. The bridge to the west (completed in 1931) was once a two-lane road until the second bridge to the east was built in 1994.

Then:

And now (photo credit – Bridgepix).

Mill Avenue is the main artery through Tempe, is so named because of the giant flour mill that was one of the very first structures in the city when it was constructed in 1874. (Photo credit – Wikipedia)

On a related note, the City of Tempe is excited next month to offer a grand opening of a park, picnic tables, and interpretive museum around the facility next month.

I’ve taken my Legend to this area a number of times for pictures. Following are some pictures from July 2007 when it had 297,000 miles on it. I had the “EDM” (European Domestic Market) clear marker lights on it at the time and was still rolling around on Utah license plates. The car today looks largely the same otherwise!

The building seen here across the lake was my workplace at the time: the corporate office for US Airways.

Nothing like a spectacular Arizona sunset to finish the day off right.

In the following Legend video from my YouTube channel, the segment from 2:07 – 2:20 was filmed with my “sticky pod” suction cup camera mount attached to the passenger side of my car while driving southbound across the Mill bridge at dusk in October 2008 at 345,000 miles.

For anyone who’s interested in seeing more pictures of the bridges, here are some other incredible images captured by photographer Mike Olbinski of both spans.

Thanks, Kevin, for helping out with the pictures! Little did he know that I’d snapped this picture of him.

For those who may not have seen it, Acura released the last in a series of YouTube segments about my ‘discovery’ of the ILX, from the date on June 12th when I picked up my car at the local dealership after having them accessorize it. Check it out!

Have a great weekend everyone.

8 Comments »

Readers’ Rides & ILX Driving Experience

Posted in ILX, Reader's Ride on May 18, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 512,435

No news is good news, right? Maintenance wise, the old Legend is still chugging along daily without any complaints, though I did notice my brake rotors (still the originals, yes) are warped and it’s probably time to ditch them. At lunch yesterday I crossed paths with an immaculate looking 1994-95 Legend LS coupe in Cashmere Silver Metallic traveling in the opposite direction. I gave the driver a customary thumbs up and he returned the favor with a giant, long stare! I love the sense of ‘family’ that I can share with my fellow Acura motorists.

Snagged these few pictures tonight en route to dinner in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona.

I received a visit this past weekend from a long-time friend from my hometown in southern Utah. Blair and I have been friends since high school and he has owned a number of Acuras including a few Legends. His currently family car is a beautiful 2007 Acura TL Type-S in Kinetic Blue Pearl.

Here’s a picture of us from exactly 9 years ago, in May 2003 – St. George, Utah. My Legend had a mere 100,000 miles on it. Blair’s 1992 Frost White LS coupe had about 80,000. Classiest cars in town!

And this past weekend during our visit. Blair still has his white 1992 coupe.

Blair and I had some fun with our Legends back in the day. Here’s a picture from a car show in April 2004 after we’d both done some modifications to our cars. As I recall, we took 1st and 2nd place in the Import class at the show that day!

Thanks Blair and Megan for stopping by!

With each post, I’d like to start to share a story or two from others who have have Honda and Acura cars that are as as well traveled as mine is. Tony from Toronto, Ontario drives this gorgeous 2001 Acura CL Type-S with 212,000 kilometers on it. Tony comes from a Honda family and the first car he ever drove was his dad’s 1992 Accord. Thanks, Tony, for sharing your story and I wish you luck on your quest for 250k and beyond!

Here’s the car that got Tony hooked on Honda, circa 1994. He looks a little young to be behind the wheel!

And picture proof from Tony that Canadians get “ultra” premium gas! 94 octane – wow!

And following is a super clean (and rare) 1994 Type II Legend GS 6-speed sedan that belongs to Drive to Five reader Duane from Folsom, California. Duane’s Legend is immaculate for having 208,000 on the odometer. I’m convinced that life for any Acura is only beginning at 200,000 miles! Based on the pictures below, I think many will agree.

Duane has a very unique Acura ownership history. In his own words, here’s the story:

I had bought a 93 Sirius White Pearl LS back in 1997 with 36,000 miles. I drove it until it had 195,000 and then sold it. I didn’t even know Legends came in 2 doors or M/T back in 97 when I got my first one. I did get a 93 Pearl White 6 speed couple back about 4 1/2 years ago, but got in a crash while sitting at a light that I decided to sell the coupe instead of getting it fixed. I then bought the 4 door GS and had 2 at a time for a while. An A/T LS 4 door and a M/T LS coupe. Then I had both 4 doors at the same time. I’ve driven nothing but a Sirius White Pearl Legend since 1997. My kids (18 and 20) don’t remember me ever having a different car.

Gorgeous car, Duane!

The month of June is renewal time for my insurance policy on the Legend. When I went to put the latest card inside the folio in my glove compartment, it made me realize just how many are in there. I have every insurance card back to September 2003 for this car!

Years ago I grabbed this little booklet at Walmart because it’s handy to have if an officer says, “License and registration!” rather than having to shuffle through a glove box full of paperwork to find what I’m looking for. Much like my maintenance record binders, this little booklet is overflowing with registration and insurance stuff.

Here is the cascade of insurance cards. I guess this is what you accumulate when you own a car nearly 10 years!

I added a new one to the lineup, shuffled the pile like a deck of cards and put them away.

Check out the latest segment in the series of 2013 Acura ILX videos, now posted on Acura’s YouTube channel. This was filmed a few weeks ago when I attended the 2013 Acura ILX and RDX Press Launch event in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Along with folks from the automotive press, I was able to get behind the wheel of each of the 3 drivetrain configurations of ILX. It was an incredible experience to drive the ILX right here in my home state and on roads that I’m familiar with.

Finally, a special feature today: Ever wondered about how a car gets its name? Little did I know just how involved the car-naming process can be. I recently had the chance to meet with Vicki Poponi, Assistant Vice President of Product Planning at Acura, to get the inside scoop. Check out the ILX Experience “Tyson’s Blog” tab for my full write-up!

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High Mileage Stories

Posted in Milestones, Prelude, Reader's Ride on April 27, 2012 by tysonhugie

Odometer: 511,358

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.