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Archive for the Throwback Category

1999 GS-R & 2000 RL Walkarounds, TBT Home Videos, & Garage Signage

Posted in House, Integra, Legend, Milestones, NALM, Prelude, RL, Throwback on April 23, 2020 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend coupe): 573,000

That took me long enough. The Legend coupe was at 572,XXX ever since getting back from Florida last October. I was getting sick of that 2 staring me in the face. I’ve been plugging away over here in my director chair coming up with content for YouTube.

Except, I don’t just occupy a director chair. For a total of 9 episodes now, I’ve taken each car in the collection and cleaned it, prepared supporting documentation, filmed it, edited the footage, and uploaded it. I’ve scheduled releases through the beginning of June, each Saturday. That was a lot of work but it’s also been super rewarding.

The Legend video has made it into 2 news articles (Motor1 and Carscoops) and even an article in Germany. As I type this on Wednesday April 22nd, the view count has surpassed 120,000 in just the 3 weeks it’s been live.

Here are two more uploads exclusive to the blog since they won’t be public on the channel for a while.

Integra SSBP GS-R Video

RL Video

I also took a little bit of time to put together a summary video of the 15-year history of the National Acura Legend Meet. This 5-minute piece captures select highlights from each year of the event starting in 2005.

The other day, I was rummaging through my case of printed car pics. Back in the day, I used to have all my media printed up at Walmart. I have hundreds of photos in plastic organizers, split out with dividers according to model, month, and year. This shouldn’t surprise any of you. But I came across a couple of photos from 2004 of my 1989 Prelude Si – the first Honda that really got me hooked – and it prompted me to do a little more digging.

These pictures show my friend Branson holding a camcorder and recording the scene. We were looking at my then-wrecked (former) Prelude at a salvage yard in St. George, Utah. We just happened across the car coincidentally. I’d sold it about four years prior, and the new owner was rear-ended which ultimately was the demise of the car. To this day I still have the rear “H” emblem off the trunk lid in my display case at home.

Anyway, I was determined to find the footage that Branson filmed that day. And I did. Below is a video showing the scene. It opens up to October 30, 2004 when he and I were swapping wheels on a newly-purchased $700 project car, a 1991 Legend L coupe 5-speed, that I’d purchased from my friend Mike to use as a “winter beater” while I was going to school at Utah State University in Logan, Utah.

The video then cuts to Branson’s footage of the Prelude. Next it takes you through some other things like me attempting to start detailing that $700 pile of junk. Some things never change.

Below is another video from the same “Hi8” cassette tape that I found interesting. It contains test drives of my 1986 Chevy Celebrity with 194,000 miles (displayed as 94,000) when I bought the car back for a brief moment of time in spring 2005. It also has a clip of driving the Legend coupe. It had about 165,000 miles on it at the time and as you’ll notice, it had the “TCS” (Traction Control System) light in the gauge cluster illuminated. I remember that being because of a faulty TCS Control Unit, which was fixed later in September of that year.

Perhaps most interesting from this video though is that it has a brief walkaround of the 2000 Acura 3.5 RL, which I ended up buying back earlier this year after it had been passed around the family for 14 years. The RL at the time of the video clip had only 23,880 miles on it.

Today, it has about 212,000. Thankfully, it looks about the same cosmetically with the exception of now having the factory 16″ wheels on it instead of those awful aftermarket chrome 17’s. You’ll also get introduced to our family cat, Gizmo, who is long gone.

Video quality has come a very long time over the last 15 years, hasn’t it?

I’ve crossed a few more home-improvement projects off the list in the last couple of weeks, including something I’d been meaning to do for a while. Below you’ll see the last addition to the garage: A sign for my (pretend) dealership. The lettering is made from 3D foam from a company in LA called Front Signs. I told them the design I had in mind, supplied the artwork, and they mailed me a box with everything I needed including the template to get everything installed in proper alignment.

The letters came in plain black so they needed to be primed, painted, and clear coated. The whole process took a couple of weeks because I ordered all the supplies online as opposed to breaking my quarantine and going to the hardware store. Additionally, the lamp you see there was ordered on Amazon and I had to run the power cord through the garage cabinet in order to get it wired up and working.

Here’s how it played out in a 1-minute video.

The next garage to get more work will be the ‘west’ garage which is begging for some custom flooring and paint. All in due time.

A friend tipped me off on an article that showed up in the February 2020 Japanese magazine called Honda Style. The magazine reads “backwards,” in other words, the pages flip from left to right instead of right to left. The SH-AWD 1997 SLX that was part of last year’s RADwood build made a 3-page article! I ordered 2 copies of the mag and sent one of them to the Public Relations team at Acura.

Lastly, a friend in Seattle hooked me up with an ‘actual’ 1992 GS-R window sticker, although it’s missing a chunk. This helps as a point of reference either way, especially when coupled with the replica that Jason helped me with a couple of years ago.

Hope everyone is having a safe and enjoyable week out there. Take care.

15 Comments »

NALM 2018 Bidding Open, & Throwback Thursday: 2005 Meet Video

Posted in NALM, Throwback on December 7, 2017 by tysonhugie

It’s already time to kick off bidding for next year’s nerdy Legend extravaganza, otherwise known as NALM (the National Acura Legend Meet). The event has taken place for 13 consecutive years now, spanning the country from California to New Jersey and many places in between. I haven’t missed one yet. Here’s a website I’ve been managing the has a few highlights and photos/videos from each of the events.

National Acura Legend Meet WordPress

Here’s the link for the announcement and instructions on how to bid to host the event:

AcuraLegend.org Forum NALM 2018 Announcement

And to get us in the spirit of things, here’s a blast from the past: A 7-minute video capturing scenes from the event’s first program from May 27-29, 2005 in Dallas, Texas. Special features include a car wash activity, close-ups of some special “custom” Legends, autocrossing action shots, the banquet dinner, and a night out on the town. Check out event organizer Lee Horton getting sideways in his G1 coupe at around 5:30. My coupe had around 171,000 miles on the odometer.

I also happened to come across this video of destruction of a G2 sedan while browsing the ‘Tubes. Watch at your own discretion; it’s a little graphic!

And finally, on a brighter note, check out this video my friend Pat put together of his absolutely stunning 1994 Legend GS 6-speed sedan. Drool-worthy for sure.

Happy Thursday, enjoy the rest of your week, and keep on driving.

8 Comments »

Throwback Thursday: December 1997 “Dirt Wheels” Magazine Feature

Posted in Throwback on July 28, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Integra): 236,569

Odometer (ILX): 176,656

From an early age, I became obsessed with any wheeled mode of transportation. I created intricate roadways for my Hot Wheels and die-cast model cars in the front yard. I even remember “driving” those model cars on a treadmill that was rolling a slow speed. And I used to wash and wax my bicycles. Seriously. (I’m at left here, Aug 1990)

It’s no wonder I’ve become the car fanatic I am today. But before I received my driver license, I was behind the wheel of a different kind of ride: my family’s all-terrain-vehicles (four wheelers). Dad’s bright yellow 1995 Yamaha Kodiak 400 cc go-anywhere beast became my pride and joy. It was later outfitted with an aftermarket Warn winch up front and was virtually unstoppable in any terrain.

Best of all, my grandparents at the time had a cabin in central Utah with access to hundreds of miles of ATV trails. In fact, one nearby town (Fillmore), to this day hosts an annual “jamboree” where riders come from all around the country to enjoy a weekend of fun and adventure. This year’s National ATV Jamboree jamboree took place about a month ago. It’s akin to the National Acura Legend Meets that I’ve so religiously attended over the last decade.

The Paiute ATV Trail system, named for the Native American tribe that originally settled the area, is seemingly endless. There are some 800+ miles’ worth of trails waiting to be driven, and the main loop would take 25 riding hours to complete. I always dreamed of doing that: Strapping a tent to the rack of my four-wheeler, taking a cooler of food essentials, and just driving for days. Seems like even at age 14, I had an appetite for the open road.

I can’t believe it’s been two decades! In August 1997, I wrote a letter to Dirt Wheels Magazine asking them to include a photo in the “Parting Shot” section. That photo was taken along the Paiute ATV Trail sometime during that summer. At left is brother Bentley on the Yamaha Kodiak, in the middle is brother Payton on the Kawasaki Mule, and at right (with bleached hair!) I’m sitting atop the Polaris Trail Boss.

Another view from different perspective.

This was my letter to Dirt Wheels. That signature! How many 15-year-olds do you know who take themselves that seriously?

Well, it worked. Four months later, my submission showed up at the very top of the page. I rushed to the newsstand as soon as I got my issue in the mail so that I could buy up several extra copies.

Here are some other photos from our ATVing adventures over the years in the late 1990s. First was my grandparents’ cabin, nicknamed “Paradise Found,” during a snowy winter. The most important part of this photo is the trunk lid of my 1986 Chevy Celebrity which is clearly visible at bottom left.

Bentley, dad, mom, Payton, and me. And Shadow! Our pup. Out hiking somewhere in the mountain range.

Grandma giving a thumbs-up. Helmets for safety first!

Hiking with grandma, and cousin Braxton.

Payton riding on the front of the Mule, I guess?

Wintertime 4-wheeler ride. With chains on the tires.

I miss that T-shirt. “GET FOCUSED.”

Views for days.

Thanks for coming along on the ATV ride down Memory Trail!

14 Comments »

Throwback Thursday: A Few Random Old Pics

Posted in Throwback on May 5, 2016 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 543,136

Odometer (ILX): 162,786

Here we go! Triple-digit temps have arrived in AZ and they’re here to stay until probably October!

Ever started looking for something and gotten so sidetracked with other discoveries that you forgot what you were looking for in the first place? The other day I was looking for the spare key for one of my cars when I dug up a few oldies from the photo album archives. I figured I might as well share them here.

Here’s a picture from probably 10 or so years ago. When I was born, my family lived in Richmond, Utah. It’s only a few miles from the Idaho state line, at the far northern tip of Utah. The town today has only 2,500 people but thrives as a tightly-knit community of farmers who lead a simple way of life. Richmond is home to “Black & White Days,” which according to the city’s website is the longest-running Holstein cattle show west of the Mississippi. It’s been running for 101 years now!

Here’s a look at Richmond’s location in reference to the rest of the state. It’s up there.

Another photo I dug up was this one, taken 12 years ago when I picked up a 2001 Lexus IS300 in Jacksonville, Florida for my younger brother, Bentley. He’d purchased the car sight-unseen from a dealership’s Ebay auction. I drove the car over 2,200 miles home without ever getting a hotel room. I remember taking power-naps in the back seat a couple of times, but I was on a mission to get home. I was 22 years old at the time. I definitely couldn’t survive on that little sleep if I tried doing the same thing today.

I never even ended up meeting the seller of this Lexus. He had left the key to the car under one of the tires in the airport parking lot. How trusting was that of us? He could have easily left me high and dry on the other side of the country! Here was my route home.

Remember, this was long before GPS, Google Maps, or any sort of electronic navigation aid. I had printed dozens of pages from MapQuest before flying to Florida and I relied on those printouts, plus a huge Rand McNally atlas, to find my way. I did stop a couple of times for photo opportunities, like this shot near Birmingham, Alabama.

This next photo is from August 16, 2003. It was taken in Las Vegas, Nevada. Pictured are four Acura Legends, the first two at left belonging to my friend Jeff Scott, then my car, then my friend Blair’s. Jeff has since sold both of his Legends and currently drives a TL Type-S 6-speed. Blair still has his Frost White 1992 coupe but it’s now highly modified.

This fun one is of one of my four-wheeled toys before I was a car fanatic. It’s our Yamaha Badger 80cc ATV. I felt compelled one day to pull it out onto the lawn for a photoshoot in St. George, Utah at my family’s home.

Coming up next, we have my pride & joy 1989 Honda Prelude 2.0 Si, taken in about 1998. I was in Logan, Utah and visiting a park at the mouth of Logan Canyon on Highway 89 named after a relative (look closely at the wooden sign). It’s called Ray Hugie Hydro Park. Ray served as City Engineer and Public Works Director for 44 years. One of the many projects he led was the development of a $15 million hydroelectric power plant near this location. My Prelude was looking nice!

These next two shots were taken in 2003 in Salt Lake City, Utah at Sugarhouse Park. This was a small impromptu Legend meet-up with my friends Dave and Branson. I haven’t talked to Dave in ages and I don’t have his current contact information. Branson still resides in Salt Lake and has gone through about a dozen cars in the last decade. He currently does still have a Legend though, and it’s a 1995 LS coupe 6-speed in Cayman White.

Nice lighting here!

And finally, a shot from the glory days of my Prelude and mom’s chromed-out 1993 Legend.

Thanks for joining me for another trip down memory lane!

Here are a couple images from modern day. First, the 1993 sedan and NSX switching spots on Monday.

I got my new Michelins installed on the ILX, too. I ran the last set for about 54,000 miles and they still had plenty of life left, but I’m leaving in a couple of weeks on a nearly-8,000-mile drive to Alaska & back so I wanted to have tires in tip-top shape before departure.

My brother made me this awesome aluminum car show stand. It weighs only 5 lbs and can fit inside the NSX trunk.

The next thing I’m figuring out is what to display on top, and how to attach it. Help me brainstorm!

Have a great weekend!

12 Comments »

Throwback Thursday: Prelude of 15 Years Ago

Posted in Prelude, Throwback on March 12, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 532,698

Odometer (ILX): 115,966

Let’s wind things way back to the year 2000. “Y2K,” my friends. Raise your hand if you remember what a big deal it was… and what a big deal it wasn’t. I was a senior at Pine View High School (go Panthers!) in St. George, Utah. I filled up 28 CDs with hundreds of songs I downloaded for free on Napster. Those CDs, incidentally, are still around! I’d recently upgraded my 1986 Chevy Celebrity to a fancy sports coupe, my Phoenix Red 1989 Honda Prelude 2.0 Si.

I’ve already blogged about my Prelude ownership history a number of times (1) (2), having gone through nearly a half-dozen of them. This one, though, was special. I took pride and joy customizing it the way that any high schooler would: Big rims, rockin’ stereo, and custom red LED accent lights underneath the dashboard. It’s a good thing my tastes have matured a little.

So, on a sunny Saturday I headed out to get a few pictures of my Prelude on a remote road toward the old airport on the south end of town. In January 2000 when these pictures were taken, I’d just turned 18 years old a few weeks prior. My Prelude was already on its second set of custom wheels, some 16″ 5-spoke Enkeis that I got from my brother Bentley. And that license plate – 4CRUIZN – became my signature nameplate for years to come. Even today, my posts on many car forums and even my YouTube account are searchable by that name.

OEM Half-Bra, and one – two – three – yes, four foglights. Hey, I was 18. Don’t judge.

That sticker on the rear window said “Injen.” It’s a company that made performance air intake systems. Except, my Prelude was equipped with no such product. For some reason I just felt inclined to advertise for them.

I think the rear 3/4 shot was perhaps the most flattering for this car. Though, I do miss pop-up headlights.

In all honesty, I think those 3rd generation Preludes are just as fun to drive as my current Acura NSX. And even back then, I was racking up a few miles and taking note when big milestones happened, like this 150,000 rollover shot.

Not even 6 months later, I’d upgraded to even bigger wheels and this awful Wings West spoiler. Let’s not even get started on the white tuxedo, skater shoes, and frosted hair tips.

I’ve shared this before, but it’s been about a year ago. Honda loved my Prelude / tux pictures so much that they used one of them in a national TV commercial.

My phone blew up for a few weeks while it was airing. I loved it.

Haha, my friends are the best. And little did I know that little red Honda would be seen by so many people, so many years later. Meanwhile, as long as we’re back in Y2K, look at what my mom was driving at the time. This was her 1993 Acura Legend L sedan, which I’ve also blogged about before.

Those were 16″ “Optima” polished aluminum 7-spokers, and let’s not forget to take note of the chrome fender accent pieces.

Mom’s plate “GOTIAGO” was a continuation of her old 1990 Integra‘s “C TIA GO.”

Family road trip to Bear Lake, at the Utah/Idaho state line, later that same year.

Hard to believe that 15 years have come and gone! Thanks for coming along for my time travels as always.

Coming Attractions: This just showed up at my house for a week. I’m planning on getting it dirty.

12 Comments »

Ludacris’ Legend Love

Posted in Legend, Throwback on March 5, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 532,654

Odometer (ILX): 114,724

I consider myself pretty skilled at car karaoke. When a song like Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody comes on my iPod or the radio, there is no stopping me from belting it out just like Wayne & Garth in Wayne’s World. I took a year of choir in 6th grade, and I took piano for about 6 months at age 8 until my instructor made me cry. That was the end of that, and my musical talents haven’t developed any further since.

Some people got a heck of a lot more musical know-how than I did. One of those is Christoper Bridges, better known by his stage name Ludacris. The 37-year-old has had a wildly successful career in the entertainment industry, centered largely around his rap music. Ludacris has published 8 albums since his first in 1999 and has soared to the top of the billboard charts plenty of times. His film career is nothing short of successful, too, having appeared in 18 movies including four Fast & Furious movies.

But speaking of fast and furious, did you know that Luda’s automotive tastes align very closely with many of ours? I present to you the album cover for his 9th and latest record, set to debut on March 31.

We are looking at a Cashmere Silver Metallic 1993 Acura Legend LS sedan. Ludacris has proudly owned this car since the early days of his career, and to this day it’s his favorite automobile. The album cover – entitled “Ludaversal” – also features Ludacris’ private jet. I find it pretty awesome that a guy with 20 million Facebook followers and countless other fans is staying true to his trusted old Legend.

Luda talked about his Legend on the Ellen show last year. “It’s one of those things I will never get rid of,” he said. Sounds like Ludacris and I have quite a bit in common! Especially since he notes in the video that his car has over 250,000 miles on it. Here’s a short video clip capturing those comments.

Hey Luda, you’re only halfway broken in. And check this out – great minds must really think alike because I have a picture of my Legend with an airplane, too. Different settings but same idea!

“My” version of the Legend-airplane shot was taken just a little over 10 years ago, in February 2005 during one of my first road trips through Arizona. My grandma and I had driven to Phoenix from Southern Utah to visit my great-aunt who was receiving care at one of the hospitals there. Grandma flew back to Utah, but I continued my big road trip by making my way toward sunny (or rainy, rather) San Diego. These shots was taken in Gila Bend, Arizona.

In the spirit of a little throwback, since it’s Thursday after all, here are a few other shots from that same trip. First of all, here’s my skinny self at Hoover Dam just outside Las Vegas, Nevada on Highway 93. This was back in the day when the highway traffic used to actually pass over the dam. Today, a multi-lane bypass bridge carries traffic across the ravine a little bit downstream (and cuts travel time by about 20 minutes in the process).

Rain on Interstate 8, and my (only) 159,000 mile odometer reading.

Stopping in Algodones, Sonora, Mexico for a quick drive-through. I was really going out on a limb here: No passport, no Mexican insurance policy, and no prior knowledge of how to find my way around town.

Morning shot at the pier in Oceanside, California.

Lastly – Check out this high-mile Legend! (thanks Scott for the tip). It’s sitting at 392,924 miles and for sale currently on Ebay. Though, it doesn’t have the original engine, and cosmetically it’s looking quite ragged. Still, it’s nice to see another Legend that has covered some distance.

Yikes! Who let the grizzly bears get in there?

Have a great Thursday!

9 Comments »

Throwback Thursday: 10 Years Ago in Utah

Posted in Legend, Throwback, Utah on February 19, 2015 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 532,592

Odometer (ILX): 113,347

Odometer (TLX): 2,736

Ten years ago, I was 23 and the Legend was 11. It had traveled a mere 159,000 miles. Those were the days! Today, we’re taking a drive back in time to the year 2005. George W. Bush had recently been sworn in on his second term as president. Hurricane Katrina pounded the Gulf Coast. Will Smith starred in the movie Hitch. And Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl” was the most-downloaded song of the year. Can you believe it’s been a decade?

In February of that year, I was a plowing through my undergraduate degree at Utah State University in a town called Logan. The highlight of my college career was meeting Bill Nye the Science Guy at an assembly.

I’d only owned my 1994 Acura Legend for a couple of years, but I was already documenting my travels with plenty of pictures. Here are a few shots I dug up from the “Feb 05” archives in a box and scanned. Indeed, back in that day I used to have nearly all of my digital camera’s photos printed up as 3×5’s at Walmart. I’m glad THAT tradition fell by the wayside. I’d have filled a library by now with all the volumes of photo albums.

In the below photo, I was hanging out my sunroof whilst paying a visit to my friend Nate. As you can tell, Nate was quite the Honda-fan, too. Notice the Accord, the Odyssey, and three Legends (besides mine) at his family’s home in Sandy, just south of Salt Lake City. There’s a black 1995 LS coupe peeking out behind the white sedan.

I decided to send the picture to Nate and see if it looked at all familiar to him.

Sounds like Nate’s family has upgraded to newer cars. He said his dad’s now in a TL Type-S and his mom is in a newer Odyssey. At least they’re still as Honda-loyal as ever. Here are a few other pictures I dug up.

Snow Canyon State Park, St. George Utah

Winter evening in Cache Valley, northern Utah

From that same photoshoot: Train tracks. Don’t try this at home, kids!

Highway 89 through Logan Canyon. This scene brings back memories. I’ll never forget the day I was off galavanting after a fresh snowstorm and decided to pull a U-turn in some snow on the side of the road. The snow ended up being a lot deeper than it looked, and I got my car hopelessly stuck. Cell service sucked but my little Samsung flip-phone eked out a call for help to a tow company operated by my dad’s friend, and a guy came to shovel/push me out.

Frosty morning before hiking to class (yes, uphill both ways, in the snow)

Speaking of snow: We did get our fair share that winter.

The aftermath was pretty entertaining. I don’t even know if I owned an ice scraper. I know that I don’t have one today.

Camouflage. It fits right in with the background.

I bet it was a good ski season that year.

Mostly cleaned off.

Antelope Island, an island in the Great Salt Lake. The entire island is a state park.

So that was February 2005 in a dozen memorable pictures. Before we know it, we’ll be in the year 2025 and I’ll be reminiscing about 2015 just like this. Meanwhile, over at my house, there’s new kid on the block this week.

More to come!

18 Comments »

Throwback Thursday: Highlights from 2003

Posted in Legend, Throwback on November 6, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 531,765

Odometer (ILX): 102,174

It won’t come as a surprise to any of my readers that I was the Historian of my Boy Scout troop growing up. I am a person who obsesses over the details of dates, events, and experiences. In fact, for about 15 years now I’ve kept a daily journal. If you asked me what I did on November 6th of five, six, or ten years ago, I could look it up and tell you in detail. It’s that bad. Now, sometimes it’s handy to have such an addiction. It makes for some fun reminiscing.

Before the digital camera age – and even for awhile after it started – I was having 3″ x 5″ photo prints made up at Walmart for every picture I ever took. The other day I pulled out one of three huge boxes that are chock full of car pics. That’s right, just car pictures. They’re organized by month & year, of course, making it easy to “pick a date – any date” and see what my automotive interests were like at the time. I can get sidetracked for hours thumbing through pics.

This week, my time travels took me back to 2003. I was still in “honeymoon” phase with my 1994 Legend LS coupe, having picked it up with 95,000 miles on the odometer in March of that year. What else happened in 2003?

Apple launched iTunes (and it went on to sell 10 million songs within 4 months)
Finding Nemo and Bruce Almighty hit the box office
The average cost of a gallon of gas was $1.83

For starters, let’s look at this shot from April 2003 in St. George, Utah. That DIXIE painted on the red sandstone rocks in the background refers to the community’s nickname as “Utah’s Dixie,” having been founded as a cotton-growing farm town by Mormon pioneers in the early 1860s.

Around that same time, I landed (pun intended) my first real job — at an airline. SkyWest Airlines is a regional carrier that dates back to 1972 and currently operates as Delta Connection and United Express. I commuted from home to the St. George-based corporate headquarters while attending school part-time for my degree at the local community college. My role at SkyWest was in aircraft records maintenance (imagine that, keeping track of maintenance – doesn’t sound like me at all, right?).

I remember how excited I got when I found out there was another employee who drove a Legend coupe. Looks like I still had a thing or two to learn about how to park between the lines.

A friend from high school grabbed a Legend coupe of his own. Here, Blair and I are standing next to our Legends at my family’s garage. Blair still has his Frost White 1992 LS coupe today.

Another view of the garage, this time featuring Grandpa’s Heather Mist Metallic 1997 Acura 3.5 RL. And don’t miss my dad’s antler collection.

Blair and I got together frequently for photoshoots and car detailing sessions. Here’s a shot of us taken overlooking the city.

In June of that year, I took some off-roading adventures to Beaver Canyon a hundred miles or so north of town. I remember when my brother snapped this picture. My T-shirt was a few sizes too big and I can’t remember the last time I wore athletic socks like that. At least the Legend’s sense of style hasn’t aged as much as mine has.

It didn’t take me long until I’d let that “mod bug” bite me. At 21 years old, it was bound to happen. I put a set of 18″ chrome Kaotik Z5 wheels on the coupe (the first of over a dozen sets of wheels and tires I’ve gone through of the years). I must have had a thing for cargo pants & shorts that year.

In July, I made a trip to Salt Lake City and met up with my friend Chi. His Taffeta White 1994 Legend LS coupe was fully tricked out. I especially loved his “Type II” license plate. Chi has since sold his Legend.

These pictures were taken at a shopping center called Trolley Square.

Thanks for taking the quick drive with me down…

Check out this Acura-only parking I found when I took the NSX to dinner last night.

This weekend? Road trip, of course: A quick drop-in at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, and some hiking in southern Utah. See you on the flip side.

9 Comments »

Tribute to Grandpa

Posted in Throwback on September 12, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 531,523

Odometer (ILX): 95,509

I grew up in a car-loving family. When my dad and I routinely hand-waxed our family vehicles each 6 months, it became an all-day affair. I remember him pulling my mom’s maroon 1989 Pontiac Grand Prix onto the grass into the backyard, under a shade tree. His father, too, took a great deal of pride in his own automobile. This is Grandpa Rex:

It was 25 years ago today, on Tuesday September 12, 1989 when he passed away due to heart failure. I was only 7 years old at the time, but my memories of him are vivid and still very real. This photo from Christmas 1985 shows Grandpa on the couch. My cousin Kira and I were on the motorized “Power Wheels” 3-wheeler at left. I guess I’ve always had an affinity for wheeled toys! I would have been 4 at the time.

Grandpa gave out Certs breath mints like candy. My brother and I would hold our our hands out and ask for “Mmms” (as that’s what we called them). He’d gladly share. As luck would have it, I had chicken pox on Sunday, September 17, 1989 when Grandpa’s funeral services were held in College Ward, Utah, so I did not attend. Here’s a snapshot from his obituary from Logan’s Herald Journal newspaper dated Thursday, September 14.

Continuing on, the obituary reads:

Rex married Marilyn Hansen on July 16, 1954, in Logan. The marriage was later solemnized in the Logan LDS Temple. At the time of his death, he was employed at Hill Air Force Base. Rex served his country in the military during the Korean War. He served in various church positions, his favorite being involvement in the Scouting program. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed hunting, fishing, and snowmobiling with his family, which included eight grandchildren whom he dearly loved. As a husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Rex will be missed by many. We wish him a fond farewell until we meet again.

Photo of Grandpa’s birthplace – Cornish, Utah:

Thanks to my friend Ryan for sending me that picture a few weeks ago. My dad and I had driven through Cornish on the return leg of our Beartooth Highway adventure this summer, but we didn’t stop for a photo.

Several times on the blog I’ve “followed in Grandpa’s footsteps” (or in this case, tire tread marks).

Re-creating a photo at the Arizona state line (September 2011)
Talk about his Buick’s unique 3-speed manual transmission (January 2013)
Re-creating a photo at a home in Logan, Utah (May 2014)

Original picture with Grandpa and his pride and joy 1950 Buick Special Model 43D “Jetback” Sedan (taken 1954). Based on the garden hose strung out across the lawn, I bet he’d just washed it.

Did you know that each of those grille “teeth” were individually replaceable? I have a dealership brochure from 1950 that talks about how the design prevented “locking horns” with another vehicle. Now that’s innovation.

Grandpa’s Buick model is pictured at the top right of this factory brochure. It had a meager 128 horsepower generated from its straight-8 engine. My ILX has 201 horses from half as many cylinders. I guess automotive technology has come a little way.

Back in 1998, I found a beat-up 1950 Buick to get a picture with in Beaver, Utah:

Then in 2002, I saw a 1950 Buick at a car show in Vista, California when I was a missionary for the Mormon church:

It’s only a matter of time until I find the right Buick and restore one just like Grandpa’s.

My grandma once recounted to me the story of a time when she and Grandpa road-tripped from northern Utah all the way to Nevada. They were en route to Vegas for their honeymoon in July 1954. Grandma got homesick and they didn’t even make it all the way to Vegas before turning back around!

Here’s the Buick all decorated up with honeymoon graffiti:

Thanks for reading! And a great weekend to all.

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Throwback Thursday: Tyson’s Trio of Cars, March 2005

Posted in Legend, Prelude, Throwback on September 4, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 531,504

Odometer (ILX): 94,796

Some people collect coins, or stamps, or baseball cards. I guess you could say my hoarding tendencies revolve around objects that are a little bit bigger. I’ve owned multiple cars concurrently for about the last 10 years.

I don’t remember what compelled me to arrange my 3 cars around my family’s house in St. George, Utah on the morning of March 14, 2005, but I have a series of pictures that were taken with my Canon PowerShot SD400 that are still bringing a smile to my face over 9 years later. My trio of cars at the time was rather diverse. Let’s take a closer look at each of them. To my parents, thanks for putting me up with me driving on the lawn as an eager car-loving 23-year-old.

Celebrity:

The 1986 Chevrolet Celebrity has a story all its own, which I’ve shared on the blog before. Purchased brand new by my parents from Axtell Chevrolet in Logan, Utah, it became my first car about 11 years later. The Celeb was my first taste of life on the open road, and I proudly drove it during my sophomore year of high school. I even dumped $500 into a Maaco paint job and cleaned its 14″ wire wheel hubcaps in a bathtub with a scrub brush. #OCD

Years later, I bought it back in ragged shape with 194,000 miles on it for a few hundred bucks and I wasn’t sure what to do with it. The sentimental value alone prompted me to scoop it up when I had the opportunity, but my (second) time with it was short-lived. I got rid of it for $800 and its 2.8 liter carbureted V6 was tired and dying. The Celebrity has surely by now been scrapped and melted down to liquified steel. It still holds a special place in my heart. Though its quirks were many – and every vehicle I’ve owned since has been a far more reliable Honda – it had the comfiest bench seat in the world.

Confession: I’m a member of a GM “A-Body” car enthusiast forum. Yes, there exists such a thing.

Prelude:

One of 5 Honda Preludes I’ve owned, this one was perhaps my favorite: a Phoenix Red 1991 with 4-wheel-steering. It had 144,750 miles on the odometer when I bought it in December 2004 for $3,750 with the intention of using it as a “winter beater” at Utah State University and keeping the Legend in storage. Key hand-off! I still have that hooded sweatshirt…

Dare I say, that Prelude handled as nimbly as my current NSX and the driving experience was damn near just as fun. This car, however, sucked my wallet dry. Having purchased the car with zero maintenance history, it succumbed to a timing belt failure and ended up requiring a new engine right away due to bent valves. I also dumped a few dollars into an adjustable coilover suspension and those oh-so-flashy 16″ chrome 5-spokers. I was struggling to juggle cars around and too tied up with full-time college and work to devote to the Prelude, so I put a “For Sale” sign in it at a car show. It sold that very same day for quite a bit over book value. Oddly enough, I bought that car back years later, too. What is it with me and never being able to fully let go?

Legend:

The 1994 LS coupe was just a wee babe, with 164,660 miles on the odometer when this photoshoot took place. I’d upgraded the car at some point with brighter headlights, Catz XLO foglights (later swapped for OEM), and some Ebay-riffic clear corner lenses. Don’t judge me; I was in my 20’s and still had a bit of “boy racer” in me. I’d had the car for only two years and intended to keep it awhile, but probably never dreamed I’d still be driving it 9 years later.

So, here we go with my morning photoshoot from the mid-2000’s!

What were the neighbors thinking as I scampered around arranging these?

1991, 1994, and 1986 respectively. Will vinyl roofs ever come back?

Yes, my friends, my license plate on the Celebrity said “HUGGIE’S.” Laugh it up!

Back when a half-bra was all the rage.

Doors open for artistic effect. Or something.

Oops, I was missing some hubcaps on the Celeb.

My babies.

Nice shot of the 4WS in action. Check out that back tire! The 1988-1991 Prelude with this option handled like nothing else. I could U-turn anywhere.

License plates, read left to right: HUGGIE’S 4CRUIZN UTAHST8. (I was attending Utah State Univ at the time)

Okay, that velour interior on the Celebrity. SO PLUSH. Comfortable seating for 6.

Thanks for taking a drive with me down Memory Lane.

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