Posted in Legend, Spy Shots on February 3, 2016 by tysonhugie
It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? It’s been since last June that I shared a Legend Roundup with you. I finally took the time to compile this latest and greatest episode of Legend spy shots. For a refresher course, here are a few of the previous ones:
I decided to post this as soon as I hit 100 submissions, and that happened yesterday. I’ve given up on putting these in alphabetical order by shooter, or even remembering who sent each one to me.
Today’s tally is:
100 Acura Legends
13 Acura Vigors
6 Acura NSXs
1 Acura SLX (go Tyler!)
1 Acura CSX
1 Acura EL
2 Honda Preludes
The 100th car was a Golden Glow 1991 L coupe that Jim sent me yesterday afternoon.
I ran the Carfax based on the license plate, and it was a low-miler. The last odometer reading was in June with 118,000 miles.
Thanks Jim for being one of my top submitters! Along with many others who are reading this.
For your viewing pleasure, I present the Mac-Daddy of all Acura Legend photo collections! Was one of these photos yours?
Get comfy on your office chair / easy chair / toilet. (I know some of you *cough* Chris *cough* read my blog from there). It’s time to recap the last four days’ worth of activities here in Arizona. I had friends visiting from the east coast for a few days and our schedule was packed with activities, most of which revolved around automotive stuff. Are you surprised? I doubt it.
Among the highlights were a big milestone for one of my Legends, a day at one of the world’s premier collector car auctions (and VIP access while watching a $1.2 million car find its new owner), a scenic desert drive in the Superstition Mountains, a Sunday morning hike near Arizona State University, and a 12-car meet-up in Papago Park with some Acura fanatics. Let’s get this party started. Inline with these stories are four YouTube videos for your viewing pleasure. If you’re so inclined, subscribe to my channel! I need just one more YouTube subscriber to put me at 500, and you know how much I love hitting milestones. Channel Link
Chris was one of my guests. He’s the guy with a ‘twin’ Legend to mine who drove to last year’s Houston Nat’l Acura Legend Meet (NALM) to meet up with me there. I reserved for him the opportunity to roll 150,000 in my car when he flew in for his visit from Baltimore. His request specifically was a “sunset” rollover, so that’s what we had. Around 5:30 p.m. on southbound Galvin Parkway in Phoenix, he hit the 150,000 milestone in my car and Thursday evening we got a few pictures (duh!) to commemorate the occasion. That car has only been driven 18,000 miles in the nearly 8 years I’ve owned it.
After rolling into Papago Park for a more appropriate photoshoot.
And the video:
On Friday, Chris and I spent the entire day at the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction in Scottsdale. This place was a candy store for any automotive enthusiast. Just one drawback: These were some very expensive sweets. I saw cars routinely crossing the auction block for 6-figure pricetags, and each time a vehicle met that amount, the spectating crowd would cheer and clap in excited support. When Chris and I weren’t watching the auctions, we were browsing the automobilia, tire-kicking the classics inside & out, chowing on footlong sausages from the food trucks, and PEOPLE-WATCHING. If I had a dime for every guy I saw with a mullet and a “Camaro SS” cutoff T-shirt, I could have probably bought a Camaro SS!
I’ll spare the details of the dozens of cars that caught my eye as we made the rounds, but I did really enjoy a few things, like this old Cadillac.
This pearl white Dodge Stealth only had 55,000 miles on it.
A 2000 Bentley Arnage with <50,000 miles, sold for $30,000. You’d look like a millionaire for $30k!
There were, of course, plenty of tailfins in attendance, like the ones on this 1958 Buick.
The front ends of those cars are equally shiny.
This one was for Kevin – a rare 1963 Chevy Corvette split-window coupe.
But the real draw was Lot #3007: a 2017 Acura NSX, VIN 001, scheduled for auction at 7:30 in the evening.
So, Chris and I made our way to Skybox #15 which I’d been given tickets to. The Skybox was a flight of stairs up, and overlooking the left side of the stage. Senior leaders from Honda & Acura started filing in by around 6:00 p.m. in anticipation of the big event. Jay Leno’s Ford F-150 pickup truck went for something like $200,000, and a Chevy Camaro “COPO” Edition went for over $300k, so I felt like Acura would be well positioned to get a good price for its new NSX. What I didn’t expect, though, was just how crazily the bids would climb.
Moments before the “athletic red” NSX made its way up onto the stage, all the Acura folks were ushered out to accompany it. Chris and I were about the only people left in the booth to watch from that area. A short video introduction played on the screens flanking the auction stage. All proceeds for the new NSX were to benefit two charities, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Camp Southern Ground.
At the blink of an eye, the bids were already at $600,000. Then a million. More perks were thrown in – special ride-alongs at the Indy 500, backstage passes to a concert, yada yada. Slowly the price crept one more time to $1,200,000 and then it capped off. The auctioneer’s gavel hit the podium and the car was SOLD to Rick Hendrick, founder of Hendrick Automotive group. Hendrick has been known to buy similar cars for similar prices. Apparently he paid $1M for a Z06 2015 Corvette not long ago. At least he spends his money on fun things!
Hendrick will be customizing his future NSX in the coming weeks and months. After all the one driven across the auction block was in fact a pre-production car and not destined for sale to the public anyway.
With Chris, showing our Skybox view
NSX Project Leader Ted Klaus, and Honda Vice President John Mendel
RealTime Race Team Driver Peter Cunningham
The NSX making its way to the auction block
Up on the stage it goes
Celebrating with VP Sales, Jon Ikeda, after the auction
Text from Ted Klaus showing the SOLD sign with $1.2M written in sharpie across it.
Video of the auction.
That brings us to Saturday, when we finished working on some maintenance on my 1993 Acura Legend L sedan. By this time, my friend Jake had flown in from Virginia so he lent us a hand installing some hydraulic hood struts. Soon afterward, we hit the road in the 1994 Legend GS and the 1992 NSX for a 100-mile round-trip drive to Tortilla Flat, one of my favorite destinations in the region. Slow-moving traffic and less-than-optimal road conditions kept us from really pushing the limits of the cars too far, but we had a great time enjoying the perfect weather and soaking up the scenery. Saguaro cacti dotted the landscape – something my east-coast friends don’t get to see much.
We dined at the saloon-style restaurant and then made our way back to the Scottsdale area. Here are the pics from that day.
Original intake installed – I threw away the aftermarket Ebay setup that the car came to me with.
Jake taking the wheel of the Legend GS. As a BMW guy, he appreciates a car with nice handling!
Just after lunch in Tortilla flat, with John Wayne and walls covered in thousands of $1 bills
Chris enjoying the sunshine so he could take a tan back to Maryland with him
Just before heading back to civilization
Video of Chris at the wheel of the Legend sedan
Sunday morning, I had a brunch spot in mind so we took the Legend coupe to downtown historic Tempe, Arizona. It turned 541,000 miles on the way there, and Jake captured this picture from the backseat, of me capturing the milestone. Documentation of documentation!
We burned off a few of our breakfast calories by hiking up ASU’s “Hayden Butte” to get a nice view of the cloudless winter day.
That afternoon, it was Legend-mania as we made our way to a Phoenix area meet at Papago Park. The guys helped me clean up the cars so they were ready for action. Peter came as well so he could assist with transport.
Shot taken by Jake as he was following Peter (NSX) and me (1993 sedan) to the meet venue.
Jake with the high-miler.
Here’s the lineup!
Can we just talk about Jimmy’s seats for a second? These have lived underneath sheepskin seat covers since new!
Group shot – missing a couple folks who came later in the afternoon.
My 1994 LS coupe
Phil’s 1992 LS coupe
Jimmy’s 1994 LS coupe
Jimmy’s 1994 GS sedan
Tyson’s 1992 NSX
Mirel’s 1994 LS coupe
Mirel’s 1993 LS coupe
Tyson’s 1994 GS sedan
Tyson’s 1993 L sedan
Walter showed up with the famous “Acura Legend Concept” which has been featured previously on the blog.
And Chuck brought his 1988 Legend ragtop (custom)!
Chris got a taste of Vigor-ous driving today.
I sent him to the hills near Superior and Miami off US Highway 60, but snowy weather proved treacherous!
What a whirlwind weekend of car craziness. Huge thanks to my friends near and far for taking part in it with me, whether here in person or via the blog. Adios for now.
Edit: Almost forgot to share – here’s the final (extended) version of that Super Bowl Commercial teaser I showed you last time!
Posted in Legend on January 28, 2016 by tysonhugie
Greetings! Acura’s marketing team asked me to share this with you all: it’s a teaser for an upcoming ad that will air during the first quarter of this year’s Super Bowl. While the 2017 NSX in most regards is old news, having been shown in various iterations over the last 4 years, it’s almost time for it to (finally) go on sale – tomorrow, in fact, at Barrett-Jackson – and I’m sure they’ll have a memorable ad in the upcoming game to attract a few more buyers. A sweepstakes will also soon be launched that will offer racetrack test drives of the new NSX to winners. More details on that are on the way!
We’re already off to a busy start with my friend Chris being in town from Baltimore for a few days. I picked him up on Wednesday morning from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.
First stop was at Smashburger at Tempe Marketplace
Then I put Chris to work right away. We decided it was time to ditch the “boy-racer” aftermarket air intake that came on my 1993 Legend L sedan and reinstall the original airbox and piping. Notice that Chris was wearing appropriate Acura technician apparel.
We did find out that we were missing a few hoses and pieces of hardware, so we headed down to the local “pick & pull” junkyard to scavenge around. We found about a dozen G2 Legend sedan and one G2 Legend coupe.
Back at the house, time for some tear-down.
This is an “EGR Tube” with 149,990 miles worth of carbon build-up inside it. The photo doesn’t fully illustrate, but the opening is almost fully clogged. One of the projects Chris and I are undertaking is a clean-out of this piece.
Superman at work over there. Doesn’t he look comfortable?
We’d worked up an appetite so we went to a place in Scottsdale called Hogs & Hops BBQ.
Left to right: Josh, James, Tyson, Chris, Jimmy, and Mirel
You’ll see more of these guys later in the weekend!
There’s a new generation of “classic” these days. If you’re like me, you still think 1990 was about 10 years ago… not 26 years ago. That means that the cars I lusted over as a teenager and as a new driver are now hitting that first milestone at 25 years old. Of course I can (and do) appreciate virtually any era of cars: I’d go crazy if I could get my hands on a 1950 Buick, or a 1968 Nova like my brother’s, or a 1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport like one my dad used to own.
But the cars I’m more excited about are the ones that rolled around the streets when I was growing up. Maybe that’s part of the reason why I’m hellbent on acquiring the entire early 1990s model year fleet in my Acura collection.
Hagerty Insurance and ClassicCars.com recognized the growing appreciation for cars from 1975-2005 and put on an event specifically catered to those (oft-forgotten) three decades’ worth of automobiles. It was called the Future Classics Car Show (FCCS). The venue for this first-annual event was “City North” located at 56th Street in Phoenix, just off the Loop 101 freeway. Organizers had arranged to seal off a shopping & entertainment district called High Street for the occasion. I rolled in with my 1994 Legend coupe around 5:30, and judging started by around 7:30. The $10 entry fees were donated 100% to the Red Cross.
I enjoyed the wide variety of cars at the show, and the sense of fellowship everyone displayed. It didn’t matter that I parked in between a Porsche 911 and a Nissan Pulsar – we all got along and enjoyed the show together. Among other cars that my friends brought were Michael’s BMW 635csi, Kai’s Lexus LS400, Peter’s BMW E46 Wagon, Mike’s Acura NSX, Kyle’s Pontiac GTO, John’s Mustang and more.
A definite highlight was meeting Jonathan Klinger of Hagerty, the man who inspired this very blog. You see, from October 2010 through October 2011, Jonathan blogged about his experience in daily-driving a Ford Model A for an entire year on 365 Days of A. It was March 2011 when I started Drive to Five. Jonathan is visiting from Michigan this week and was one of the judges at FCCS.
My friend Kyle and I broke away from the show to head over to the opening night at Barrett-Jackson collector car auctions. Since 1989, Scottsdale Arizona has become a mecca for car enthusiasts each January as over 1,000 vehicles are auctioned off. The Scottsdale auction is Barrett’s largest, and it always brings out the high rollers with fat wallets. Just how much money are we talking about? In 2007, a 1966 Shelby Cobra sold for $5.5 million. Spendy!
Acura is a major sponsor this year and hosted an opening night gala for VIP guests. The venue was decorated in festive garb and offered food, drinks, and live music for entertainment. Here are the rest of my pics from Monday night’s fun.
Right-hand-drive 1989 Nissan 300ZX imported from Japan
Always a sweet treat to see a well-kept Subaru SVX!
I’ve always had a special love for these Lexus SC coupes
My buddy Mike making an entrance in his Acura NSX
Kyle’s mean-looking GTO representing the domestics among so many imports
Barrett-Jackson auction area
Chris, Trey, Tyson. I worked closely with Chris on planning last year’s NSXPO
This 1954 Corvette is Serial Number 001. It will be auctioned this week along with two other VIN 001 Vettes. $$!
And of course, Acura will be auctioning its first production 2017 NSX on Friday night. Any guesses what it’ll bring?
See my friend Ira perched there atop this natural sandstone arch? I had sweaty palms when taking this picture of him: Visions of a slab of rock fracturing from the arch and sending him down on a 100-foot drop to the earth below. Kids, don’t try this at home.
Ira paid me a visit from Portland, Oregon this weekend. While the PDX area in which he resides offers virtually any sort of outdoor creation within about an hour radius, what he doesn’t have – and what he came to Arizona to see – was some of the natural beauty of the southwest. We hit the road on Friday afternoon in the ILX and headed out on a 2-hour drive to quaint Sedona, Arizona. It’s home to about 10,000 residents and nestled in a landscape of vivid red rock formations. Sedona is popular destination for people who want to “get away from it all” – the whole vibe is one of relaxation, self-discovery, and detachment from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
By the time we checked into the Sky Ranch Lodge on Airport Road (located at a vantage point high above the town), nighttime had fallen. The keys to suite #280 were “real” keys: heavy, brass-colored, old-school things. I can’t remember the last time I stayed at a hotel or lodge that hadn’t gone the route of the credit card-style swiper. Though the city lights were nice, the real view that we wanted to see would welcome us the following morning. A light cloud cover kept the sun from highlighting the colors of the surrounding mountain range, but it was still a breathtaking sight to behold.
We picked up a few provisions from the local AM/PM – namely, in my case, 2 donuts and some chocolate milk. Ira made the better decision by getting a banana and bottled water. Just a 6 mile drive up Dry Creek Road, we found the turnoff for the hiking trail to Devil’s Bridge. By now it was only about 8:00 in the morning and we were only the second car in the parking lot. The first mile or so of the hike was on a rugged road – passable by most trucks, SUVs, and even a Subaru Outback we witnessed with a daring driver at the wheel.
Then, the trail split and headed east toward the hills. We were in shorts – ill-prepared for the 38-degree start temperature – but quickly forgot about the cold as we got our cardio workout in for the day. In all, our hike would take us up the equivalent of about 40 flights of stairs. The sandstone rocks at times were perfectly placed for hiker access. Along with the higher elevation came more snow and mud – leftovers from last week’s winter storms.
“Where the heck is it?” I caught my breath, and asked Ira as we kept trudging along. Then I glanced to my left. We had already arrived. The ice made for a slippery surface upon which to navigate, so I played it extra cautious while feeling my way out – sometimes crouched down and walking on hands and knees – to the arch itself. I took note of how quiet the surroundings were when we stood completely still. Coupled with the fact that no other hikers were in the immediate area, and that we had absolutely zero cell phone signal, it made for a great feeling of peace and quiet. Soon it was time to make the return trek which went by quickly.
Ira and I enjoyed a hearty breakfast at Creekside Restaurant along Highway 179 on the way out of town. It was just what the doctor ordered to satisfy those cravings we’d built up from burning a few calories along the trail. Enjoy the rest of the pictures from our quick overnight trip, and for anyone visiting Arizona who wants a great taste of nature without hiking the entire Grand Canyon, I highly recommend hitting up the Sedona area for a trip to Devil’s Bridge. Here are the rest of my photos from the trip!
ILX at the trailhead
My “Look ma, no hands!” pose atop Devil’s Bridge
Ira back in Scottsdale, driving the NSX on Portland Street – fitting because he’s from Portland
Congrats also to my friend Mirel who picked up a(nother) Legend LS coupe 6-speed!
And one last little blurb here: I was on the news on Friday morning with my car! Tomorrow, there’ll be a car show in the evening called “Future Classics.” It’s open to any vehicle from 1970 through 2005 model year. I am entering my 1994 Legend coupe.
A few of us were asked to report to the 3TV Studio on 7th Avenue for a 3-minute intro to the car show on Good Morning Arizona.
Here’s the video. My (quick!) moment in the spotlight comes around 2 minutes in. And watch for my wave at the very end!
Coming up this week: A visit from a special friend, and a trip to the Barrett-Jackson collector car auction, where the first 2017 Acura NSX will be auctioned to a lucky new owner this coming Friday night. I have my checkbook ready.
Over here, we enjoyed our 3-day holiday weekend with friends from New York and Texas, as well as family members from Utah. January in Arizona is prime time for perfect weather, so for the next several weeks I’ll be hosting folks from around the country who want to bask in our desert sunshine. Next on the docket will be a road trip to Sedona this coming weekend so stay tuned for that. This past Sunday morning, I participated in the Arizona Rock & Roll Half-Marathon, sponsored by PF Chang’s restaurant.
Along with about 11,000 other finishers, I ran from University Avenue near downtown Tempe, Arizona, on a counter-clockwise 13.1-mile circle through Scottsdale and Papago Park, and then finished at Tempe Beach Park in front of thousands of spectators. It’s always a rush to come around the final bend and see the banners and finish line in the distance, then dig deeply for every available ounce of energy and make a strong finish. My so-so running pace put me in the middle of the pack as far as my age range was concerned.
My friend Lance summed up part of his weekend here in Arizona as “Acura Merry-Go-Round” because we rotated through some different cars during his stay. The Arcadia Green Vigor was the vehicle of choice for primary transport to and from the marathon exposition at the Phoenix Convention Center downtown, to brunch, and to the race start line itself.
Fez on Central was a great place for some open-air dining.
The Vig at its parking space on race day in Tempe, Arizona.
I was able to host more than a dozen friends at my home on Saturday night with a carb-heavy dinner menu consisting of spaghetti with two types of sauces, grilled chicken, and all sorts of side dishes. My mom and stepdad were nice enough to staff the kitchen and carry out most of the duties there while I was entertaining. It’s the most use my appliances have had in the 7 years I’ve lived in the home.
On the race day itself, we met up at the start line (in “corral 3,” anyway) with seasoned runner Beau.
Post-race reception and runner recovery area at Tempe Beach Park.
Here were my standings.
Conor and I took the NSX out for a Saturday cruise to Papago Park. It was his first time driving an NSX and he was sold! His current S2000 satisfies his need for speed in the meantime.
Kyle’s GMC Sierra could have easily driven right over my hood.
Lance and I took the NSX to meet up with fellow road tripper James Lee for brunch at MacAlpine’s in central Phoenix. Look at how a 2016 Mazda Miata MX-5 dwarfs a 1992 NSX in size comparison!
The Vigor went in on Monday morning to Midas for a new muffler to replace the rusted-out original. Peace and quiet again!
It also received an oil change this afternoon.
Thanks to Dana & the crew for the fine service as always.
Posted in Car Show, NAIAS on January 13, 2016 by tysonhugie
Good morning!
I’m looking out of my 6th floor hotel window right now at gray skies and white ground. I’m definitely not in Arizona. This week, I put away the car key and hopped on a Delta Flight to Detroit for the 24th annual North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). This marks my fourth trip to Motor City for NAIAS, and prior write-ups are here:
On the docket this year were some significant world debuts.
Once again as with the Los Angeles Auto Show, I joined forces with the crew from Redline Reviews to prepare content for their ever-growing YouTube channel of car reviews (now at over 180,000 subscribers). It was an action-packed few days and I’ll share just a few highlights with you. Between Monday and Tuesday’s “Press / Media Days,” I walked about 18 miles throughout the COBO Convention Center. And they were miles well spent! I was surrounded on all sides by some of the most technologically-advanced, innovative, and stylish vehicles on the planet today. The goal for our visit was to capture short “first look” video segments on about a dozen of the most revolutionary new or substantially changed models.
The moment I landed at gate 74 of DTW airport, I knew it was frigid outside. But even as an Arizonan, it didn’t phase me too badly as I was prepared with a heavy coat (which I use once a year for occasions like this). My white Toyota Corolla rental car (yawn) blended right in with its snowy surroundings.
Both Monday and Tuesday consisted of super early wake-up calls – especially taking into account a 2-hour time difference between Michigan and Arizona. The convention hall was full of bustling energy and I quickly forgot about how tired I was when I saw the glistening sheetmetal under the spotlights. The cars, the people, and the social events kept me fully entertained and the days flew by.
I helped the Redline crew by hosting segments on the following new or updated models:
Acura Precision Concept: This creation of the design studio (with Dave Marek at the helm) comes to us as a glimpse at the new styling direction for the brand. While this car as a whole won’t end up as a production model, certain design elements will. The new grille, dubbed “Diamond Pentagon” does away with the previous “shield,” and the long front end / short rear deck exude rear-drive proportions. The concept is pretty exaggerated, with suicide doors and a massive information screen on the instrument panel. What were formerly known as Jewel Eye headlights have now become Jewel Constellations.
2017 BMW M2: This 365-horsepower M-car comes at us as an aggressively styled and tightly packaged performance coupe. An available 6-speed manual is perhaps my favorite feature, but I’m a huge fan of the overall design and I can see myself owning something like this.
2017 Ford Fusion: Ford’s bread-and-butter midsize sedan gets a refreshed front & rear in an attempt to retain its market share against competitive rivals from Japan (Accord, Altima, Camry). Higher trim models now have a rotary dial transmission selector and a new 2.7 liter twin turbo V6 puts power at the lead of its class.
2018 Lexus LC500: This car is so “out there,” it’s hard to believe it’s a production model and not a concept. It’s powered by the same motor as the current RC-F model, its smaller sibling. LC500 sets its sights on Mercedes S-Class Coupe buyers and is likely to have a pricetag at or near the six-figure mark. I can tell you from sitting in the driver seat: It felt worth it.
I’ll include links to these videos as soon as Redline has them available, but for now just enjoy the rest of the photos from my trip below!
First, a video segment from the Acura press conference:
My first time to a “Big Boy” restaurant, near Detroit airport in Romulus. Apparently, these are a “thing” in Michigan.
Acura booth with the Precision Concept under a cover (day before the press conference)
With Sofyan Bey, host of Redline Reviews
Chrysler has ditched the “Town and Country” name and called its new minivan the Pacifica (resurrecting an old name)
Volvo’s handsome new S90 sedan was turning more than a few heads.
Mercedes’ new E-class carries over the design elements from the larger S-class
Honda debuted an all-new (2nd generation) Ridgeline pickup truck. It shares an engine with the newly launched Pilot, and carries over its unibody construction which is unique for this segment. Neat feature: an in-bed stereo speaker system. Perfect for tailgating.
Hanging with the Honda man himself, HondaPro Jason (in the green Honda hoodie, of course)
Networking with a few other industry professionals, including Matt Landish (AutoWeb) and Jason Cammisa (Motor Trend).
Infiniti’s new Q60 picks up where the G37 coupe left off. I quite enjoy this design!
A few photos from the networking: First with Derek Powell and Davis Adams (Honda).
Steve Siler (Car & Driver) and Brian Gurney (Mercedes-Benz)
Acura’s press conference gives homage to the original 1986 Legend from the brand’s 30-years-ago beginning.
Few shots of the Precision
Front 3/4 is the best angle, I think.
The taillights are “scooped out” in a sense. Wide rear haunches there.
The steering wheel is NSX-inspired.
Closer look at those “Jewel Constellation” headlights.
Spy photog and all-around awesome person, Brenda Priddy.
Downtown Detroit showing a little blue sky as I left Cobo Hall after day 2.
Dinner with a few local friends: Mike, Dave, and Waseem
Posted in Legend, NSX, Vigor on January 9, 2016 by tysonhugie
Odometer (Legend): 540,492
Odometer (ILX): 152,358
Happy 2016. I’ve been up to my eyeballs in work. “Welcome Season” at the office is an annual window of time when I’m one of 225,000 employees at my company putting in some extra effort to make sure things go smoothly in the new calendar year. Somehow, though, I’m going to skip town for the next 3 business days and head to Detroit this coming week. Think anyone will miss me? We’ll see.
This afternoon I’m typing this entry from a new coffee shop in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona called “Fourtillfour.” 3:56. As in, the Porsche 356, a sports car produced from 1948 through 1965 that still today has a strong enthusiast following.
Only half of the 76,000 356 models originally produced are estimated to be in existence today. But one entrepreneur decided to launch a themed coffee joint in Scottsdale that was inspired by Porsche – complete with a Snap-on tool chest and plenty of automotive memorabilia on the walls. Seems like my kind of place. The hot chocolate’s not bad either.
About the only automotive news I can share from the last week or so is that 3 of my 6 Acuras are wearing ‘new shoes’ now. I took the opportunity while I had the Vigor in the garage at home to throw it on jacks and pull the tires off. Ever since I got the car last July I’ve been wanting to have the 15″ alloy wheels refinished. Sans a few bumper bruises, the body of the car is pretty dang mint, but those wheels endured 21 years in Colorado and had a few scars. Alloy Wheel Repair Specialists in Phoenix got that taken care of for me.
Before:
After:
I also put a set of refinished wheels on my Legend GS sedan, and I put my 1992 NSX back to its factory original setup. While the car looked really nice on its 17″ wheels all around (those were from a 2002-05 model), I think it handles much nicer on the staggered 16″ rear / 15″ front setup that it left the factory with 24 years ago. The older I get, the less I care about how it looks and the more I care about how it drives. Besides, there’s a sheer sense of satisfaction the purist in me gets by having the car look the way its designers originally intended.
I need to extend a quick congrats to two friends who made excellent automotive purchases in recent weeks. First is Scott with his 2014 Jaguar XKR. This thing is a looker! He met up with me today at Fourtillfour and took me for a ride.
The second is my buddy Chase in Utah who picked up his dream car, a 1991 NSX. Chase, we’re twinners now! Congrats guys!
And I haven’t shared any Legend “Spy Shot” posts in several months, but I’m still collecting them. My friend James had a good one today from a TV episode. Thanks for keeping an eye out everyone.
So I’m off to Michigan bright and early tomorrow and I’ll bring you updates from the Auto Show if / as time permits. Otherwise tune in later in the week for a recap! Talk soon
I have quite the potpourri of news updates for you all today! I was on my way home from work last week when my 2013 ILX hit its 150,000-mile mark.
Timeline of major milestones:
16 Miles at Delivery: June 12, 2012
50,000 Miles: August 15, 2013
100,000 Miles: October 16, 2014
150,000 Miles: December 21, 2015
Maintenance history since new:
Video:
The Legend coupe had to get a new starter last week from Hon-Man in Tempe, Arizona after the original one lasted 540,428 miles. About a week ago, I had needed to move the car out of the garage to get access to the attic opening, and it would click but not turn over. The starter had been acting up for some time so I finally had it taken care of. Hon-Man’s parking lot was full of other Honda products, but I parked next to a 1993 Legend sedan when I dropped the car off for its service.
Service was $599 parts/labor and included replacement of an inner CV boot that was torn on the driver side axle. Back on the road now.
My friend Daniel stalked me on Christmas Eve on Loop 202.
For about 10 years now, I’ve been attending an annual Christmas party hosted by my friend Chuck in Phoenix. This year, he gave me a glass “moose mug” like the style used in the classic film “Christmas Vacation.”
My friend James gave me a very fitting license plate!
I made my way north to my hometown in Utah (~400 mi) in the ILX on Christmas morning. Weather conditions on my end were vastly different from the ones my stepmom and dad were experiencing. Here’s a text conversation excerpt:
I stopped for a quick visit at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway at the north end of Las Vegas. It was only 50 degrees, but looked much warmer!
Virgin River Gorge on Interstate 15 northbound:
“Castle” Christmas light display at a home in St. George. This won a $50,000 contest!
With my niece Vivienne.
Lunch with mom.
Taking my brother’s 1968 Chevy II Nova SS 6-speed for a cruise on the day after Christmas:
I drove it about 100 miles, round trip, to & around Mesquite, Nevada
Great sunset lighting overlooking the peaks around Mesquite. You’ll soon see this car in a feature story in Hemmings Muscle Machines.
Mom even rolled around in it for a bit:
We received a visit from a few friends on Sunday prior to the return drive to Phoenix: Tyson, Tia, Chandler, Jack
Jack, Chandler, Tyson, Branson
Jack took my brother’s M3 6-speed for a little ride
Branson rode 400 miles back with me from St. George to Scottsdale to take delivery of this 1994 Legend coupe from a prior post.
On the morning of 12/28, we pulled it out of the garage and he went on his way!
Desert Mist twins before Branson’s departure.
It was my 34th birthday yesterday, so I went and pulled the NSX out of the garage for a celebratory cruise.
I received a ton of well-wishes from friends & family. My email inbox overflowed with about 700 Facebook notifications. Here is a short video capturing some of the day’s highlights.
And, I think that pretty much brings you up to speed! Hope everyone’s New Year festivities treat them well this weekend.
Come back with me to 1883 today. About 5 miles from the New Mexico state line lies a community that I’ll introduce you to.
Duncan’s story mirrors that of so many other small towns of the Old West: Mining origins, bustling and prosperous earlier years, and a steady decline from then onward. Today, the 696 people who live there are hearty. After all, they’ve survived two devastating Gila River floods that nearly wiped out the entire town, not to mention a widespread fire. To top it all off, the main highway through town – once a critical east-west thoroughfare – was bypassed about 30 miles to the south by Interstate 10 in the 1950’s. Duncan was left high and (not so) dry for the next several decades. It’s a small town in every sense: The people all know one another. Traffic lights are non-existent. And the locals look at you with a raised eyebrow and ask, “You came to Duncan, why?” if you tell them you’re visiting.
It seemed only fitting that before visiting Duncan, I visit Dunkin (Donuts). So, I grabbed a bagel and beverage in Scottsdale around 7:30 in the morning before beginning my journey.
My day started out eastbound on US Highway 60 on a voyage back in time. By the time I’d driven 100 miles, I’d already passed through a half dozen teeny little towns that were past their prime: Places like Miami, Claypool, and Globe that survive – barely – on the mining industry thanks to nearby Freeport McMoRan copper extraction operations. I stopped just a couple of times for photos at abandoned sites and to explore some back alleyways with their boarded-up windows and rickety looking exteriors. I also stumbled across a collection of four 1950’s Lincolns tucked away on a side street, some in better condition than others.
In Globe, I cut to Highway 70 and continued heading toward New Mexico. I rolled on a two-laner through the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation which covers 1.8 million acres in eastern Arizona. No reservation would be complete without a casino or two, and I exercised restraint by not stopping at the Apache Gold Casino Resort, lined extravagantly with palm trees that looked very out of place in this barren landscape. I also was tempted to make a stop at the “Rock-A-Buy” rock shop on the roadside, but decided to press on. I arrived in Duncan at 11:58 in the morning, just in time to pull my Acura ILX into Bart Tipton’s Saloon – long since boarded up – for a photo next to a 1950’s Chevy fire truck that probably hasn’t moved in quite some time now.
Church bells rang out the 12:00 hour, and I received a wave from a woman on the patio of the Riverfront Lounge across the street. She was probably mumbling to herself, “Damn tourist.” I think I had the only vehicle in town newer than about a 1990 model year. Jason arrived not long afterward in his well-traveled Mazda 6 sedan and we dined at the only place available for lunchtime grub: Tumbleweed Cafe / Patio / Lounge at 206 Old West Highway. Jason and I had work to do: The purpose of our meet-up was to lay the preliminary ground work for a 2016 Alaska drive we’ll be taking together next May. It’s now been 10 years since my dad and I took a similar 7,500-mile round-trip drive to Fairbanks and back in my Legend, and I’ve been wanting to go back.
The Western Burger hit the spot while Jason and I took a detailed look at timing, destinations, and budget topics for our Alaska trip. You’ll see coverage of that adventure in its entirety next year, and I’m excited to take you all along for the ride. Our very young waiter made a fuss at the cash register when we went to pay the bill for lunch. “You guys had to wait awhile; I’m going to take 10% off your bill,” he said. I told him not to worry about it. The total for our meals was only $20, and we’d been busy chatting it up about Alaska, anyway.
Duncan was the perfect meeting point for our Saturday drive because it represented a 3.5 hour one-way drive for me and a 2.5 hour drive for Jason. We took some time to explore the town – or what’s left of it – now that we were well-fed. A few blocks west of the restaurant lies a concrete platform that was once home to a railroad station. A drive down “East” Street (which is more gravel than paved) reveals older homes that have clung to their foundations in spite of the floods that came through the area, as well as empty lots where not-so-lucky homes used to reside. We got a few looks from locals who were setting up for an outdoor picnic of sorts in their front yard.
Next we rolled up to a park that at one time was probably the pride of the town. In 1998, a jet fighter plane was perched on top of a hill just south of town in recognition of the men and women of the Armed Forces who had served from the Duncan area. Today, the park is in a sort of disrepair. The adjacent swimming pool looks like an algae breeding ground, and the landscaping looks like it hasn’t seen much attention in awhile. Still, we got a good overview of the valley from there and the winding Gila River in the distance.
Our last stop was at Germaine’s Emporium, an elaborate collection of antiques, toys, books, and just general “stuff” right on the main highway. There were only two other customers there – locals, I think. Jason and I walked through the series of 5 or 6 rooms that were crammed with artifacts on shelf after shelf. I didn’t have cash on hand (shame on me), but Jason loaned me $1.40 so I could buy a cute little hardbound New Testament that was probably 100 years old.
It was time to split ways, so I said farewell to Jason and we headed in opposite directions on the Old West Highway. I looped home via an alternate route – interstate this time, instead of back roads. The I-10 experience is far less interesting but also far less involved than going through all the little towns on US 70 and US 60. I set my cruise control at 78 miles per hour and whizzed through Willcox, Benson, and Tucson on my way home, arriving just in time for a Saturday night out with friends. Enjoy the rest of the pics below!
Morning visit to Dunkin Donuts on Hayden Road in Scottsdale
Abandoned building in Miami (Arizona, that is)
Traveler Hotel in Miami. I think it’s closed, but that’s just a guess.
Who can identify the year of this Pink Lincoln?
Roadside abandoned service station on US 70
Restroom facilities are long-since left to ruin
Even Keen’s “Fort Thomas” Store was shut down, with a lonely dry gas pump out front
Pictured here is the Simpson Hotel in Duncan, built 101 years ago and still in operation today.
Some of the other cars around Duncan, including a decent-shape 1985 Honda CRX.
One-stop shop!
Exploring a dirt road up a canyon south of Duncan, until I got to a No Trespassing sign
Owner will finance! Should I buy some property in Duncan? Fixer-upper, for sure.
Rock church in Duncan
Lunch is served. And the curly fries were better than the ones at Arby’s!
Elevated concrete platform where a train station used to reside
Kool Spot RV Park and its elaborately painted (not) sign
View of Mount Graham as seen from US Highway 191 between Safford and Interstate 10
And finally a sunset as seen while stuck in bridge construction traffic on I-10 near Benson last night
Thanks for joining!
Here are a few other fun links to take a peek at today.
drivetofive 