Checking in on all of you out there! Let me know how you’re doing.
I’ve been productive around here playing Steven Spielberg when I’m not tied up in work meetings from home. Get your popcorn ready. Actually, make a couple of batches while you’re at it. If you’re in the mood for a movie marathon at some point, here are some selections I cooked up, with walkarounds for some of my cars.
Most are still ‘unlisted’ and will debut on my public YouTube channel on the dates indicated (subject to change!). You’re welcome to wait and just watch them then!
ILX Detail – Public
1992 Integra – Public
NSX – Premieres April 18
Legend Sedan – Premieres April 25
SLX – Premieres May 2
Vigor – Premieres May 9
The RL has not yet been shot but I’m prepping the car over the next couple of days.
Here are a few ‘beauty shots’ taken at the time of each film shoot.
I had the Vigor console out the other day in order to get the serial number so I could track down the radio anti-theft code.
Used the SLX to haul some firewood.
Did a bumper light restore on the 1992 GS-R.
Dug through some magazine articles to archive more stuff.
Adopted a friend’s modified 1995 NSX for a few days while he refinished his garage floor.
Received a massive Easter egg delivery from family in Utah.
Hung up some art work in the ‘ugly’ one-car garage that usually gets no attention.
And detailed my mower, topped off with an “A” emblem on the motor.
This morning’s work teleconferences started off with an Acura wine glass of iced coffee.
As you can see, I’m staying plenty entertained here.
Day “I don’t know.” It’s Groundhog Day around here, and I feel like Bill Murray hitting the snooze button on the alarm each day wondering if something will be different. Well, a few things have been different. There’s a lot less traffic whizzing by on the street outside. Solitude and seclusion are the norm – and will continue to be for another 4 weeks at least, since as of yesterday evening the state of Arizona is on a ‘formal’ lockdown of non-essential travel.
So my cars will sit but my mind and body will keep moving as best they’re able to. The good news is that I’ve found miraculous ways to keep busy. What started out as organizing my top desk drawer for the first time in about 5 years ended up in complete, comprehensive Spring Cleaning that purged 3 huge boxes of stuff from my closets.
And like any analytical person would insist on doing, I took inventory of what was inside my desk drawer so I could share it with you all. I know, seriously. Has quarantine gotten to me that badly? Here you go.
Desk Inventory March 2020:
19 pens
18 sharpie markers
2 scotch tapes
2 sheets of stamps
3 calculators
3 hole punches
4 post-it pads
5 highlighters
7 checkbooks
8 chap sticks
8 flashlights
9 mechanical pencils
9 USB drives / storage mediums
binder clips box
box of business cards
extra go pro battery
notepad
paper clips box
pocketknife
ruler
safety pins box
scissors
staple remover
stapler
thumb tacks box
I don’t know why I needed that many flashlights. I don’t even think I need a single one. My phone has that built-in. Same with the calculators. Man, how stuff has just become obsolete overnight!
Thanks in large part to the Legend video that I shared with you all on the last blog post (17,000 views and counting in the last 4 days), I will likely be hitting 6,000 subscribers sometime tonight. It’s hard to believe, but I only had 4,000 around the first of the year. So a 2,000 subscriber bump in just the first quarter of 2020? I’ll ride that wave as long as it’ll carry me. I think I can attribute some of the traffic to the fact that I’ve been diligent about publishing a video about once per week consistently. Here’s my channel if you aren’t already subscribed.
Since Throwback Thursday starts in a couple of hours, here are some photos of a 1996 scrapbook that I unearthed out of a box the other day while looking for something else. This Chrismasy-colored page has to do with when my mom bought a 1990 Integra GS sedan – the car, in a sense, that started my entire Acura-ddiction.
Here’s a page where I listed out my “Dream Cars” at age 15. The Ford Expedition had just come out, so I loved that. A few oddballs are on the list including a Toyota Camry. And I had a lot of domestic cars, and only 1 German. The photo at the bottom of the page is me with my great-aunt’s 1993 Grand Cherokee Limited that we used to detail for her. I loved that 5.2L V8.
Another oldie, this shot of me being picked up from middle school. I can tell my mom was driving the red Integra when she took this. Also, was I wearing socks with sandles? Let’s bring that style back in 2021.
When was the last time you saw an Acura Legend advertised “under factory warranty”? Funny thing about this ad clipping that I saved: Just a couple of weeks ago, a Legend coupe sold for $25,800. So would you say that Legend prices have come back to 1996 levels after being discontinued for 25 years?
Before our lockdown hit, I took the chance to get the Vigor out for fresh air and deliver something to my former roommate James who bought a place of his own. This skeleton was part of our Halloween decor for the last couple of years. I got a lot of odd looks from people while I drove him to his new place. Seat belted in, of course.
One of the projects I’d been wanting to do for a contribution to the Acura Legend enthusiast community was to assemble a comprehensive media archive of all available / known magazine articles on the car. It took about 20 years to collect all the magazines that I needed (and a still probably missed a few). But, the result was worth the effort and I ended up with a massive library that came out to:
And here’s the list of what all is in that, if you want to click & read. Mark, I’m completely ashamed that I forgot to include “High Mileage Heroes” in the mix! I had it in a special / separate drawer and spaced it. Next volume.
Catching up on maintenance – again, before we were chained to our homes. Vigor first (it had been 13 months since an oil change, yikes).
And green GS-R, which only saw a few hundred miles last year, I think.
You all saw my drive-thru window (AKA my bedroom window) on my last blog post. Well, I think I took things a step too far. I found a $28 ‘open sign’ kit on Amazon and ordered it. Here, we have the open sign, business hours, and a “closed” sign if I need it. Yes, I put my work attire and badge on for this.
I think it’s also the first time I’ve done my hair in 2.5 weeks. A friend commented on my instagram post about this, “You’re doing it all wrong. Working from home doesn’t require wearing pants.” He has a good point, but this isn’t that kind of blog. We are a family friendly environment over here at Drive to Five.
Last bit of news, I have to give a shout-out to David in Florida who bought my old Integra sedan. He sent me this picture this week – the car safely tucked away! He rolled 75,000 miles on his drive to Florida earlier this year.
I’m making the most of my time in isolation! This is just a quick “Happy Friday,” to you all.
A friend rode his bike past the window in my bedroom that looks out to the street out front. I call it my drive-thru window. I moved my desk so that I could look out of it while working from home during quarantine.
My work team held a ‘virtual’ happy hour by way of a smartphone app called House Party. Connectivity was glitchy at best with 8 people trying to stream video and chime in at the same time, but it was fun to see everyone.
Introducing, Banner Health Regulatory Team! Bunch of all-stars right here.
I snuck out of the house yesterday in the SLX for a trip to the drive-thru because I was craving Taco Bell. The safari sunroof let in a lot of fresh air which was good for my mental well-being!
Yesterday, March 26, also marked 17 years since the day I flew to San Jose and picked up my Legend coupe, and it’s hard to believe that much time has already passed. I fulfilled the wishes of one blog reader in particular (ahem – Tim!) who’d requested a current walkaround of the car in modern day. I also took the opportunity to assemble a collection of other memories from over the years including a couple clips from the Alaska trip in 2006, a few segments from National Acura Legend Meets, and an alphabetical sequence of my state line photographs.
Here’s the video link.
Along with that, Tim sent me some follow-up questions that I’ll answer here.
1. I can’t tell that it has mismatched paint – I’m color-blind, so maybe that’s why (although gold/silver usually isn’t a problem for me). It looks really good through video.
In some lighting it’s less noticeable than in others, but you can really see the blends from the front fenders into the doors sometimes. The roof, trunk top, and rear bumper have also been resprayed at some point (clear coat failure got the best of them).
2. What are the two levers on the passenger side seat? One is to make the seat flip forward (as a long-time owner of several coupes, I’m very familiar with that feature!), but what is the upper one?
That top one is a pretty innovative seat-access solution. It’s a switch that activates a motorized forward & back seat adjustment so you can get out from the back seat without having to put forth a ton of effort or reach for the lower one.
3. When you tally your maintenance, do you include bodywork? For my own maintenance spreadsheet, when I tally cost per mile, I’m uncertain whether to include or exclude the new wheel I had to purchase after a pothole, the rust repairs on the rear quarter panel, etc. I’ve kept those in so far, but I’m not sure if that should be in a different spreadsheet.
No, the maintenance is strictly ongoing items like mechanical service and repairs. It has some tires, but not all (since I had so many sets of aftermarket wheels & tires that I was swapping out all the time). It also does not include the cost of registration, insurance, or fuel.
4. I love that there is no evidence of oil, coolant, or soot coming out of the tailpipe when it drives by. 572,000 miles, and the exhaust still looks clean.
It actually does burn some oil so I’ve started keeping an eye on that. Higher-mile Legends develop issues with the valve stem seals so that’s something on the checklist long-term. If I sit at a stop light or let the car idle quite a while, then take off, I’ll see some blue smoke.
5. Do you do the hydraulic tensioner with every timing belt and water pump, or do you just do that “as needed”?
Yes, as far as I know the tensioner has been changed each time I’ve had a timing belt / water pump service.
6. I know a lot of 2nd gen Legends have had head gasket issues – any tricks for avoiding that problem, or is it just “luck of the draw”?
Good question – that’s where the EGR maintenance comes into play. It’s a widely accepted notion that the carbon buildup in the EGR system is what causes the timing in the C32A to be off, contributing to a lack of cooling on one of the rear cylinders where the head gasket is prone to failure. It’s a tell-tale story that we’ve heard many times on the Legend forums and Facebook groups. Of course, it goes without saying that the rest of the cooling system also has to be kept in very proper working order – radiator, hoses, fans, and relays.
7. Any drawbacks to putting the original stereo head back into the car? Personally, if I didn’t have iPhone/iPod connectivity and Sirius XM with all the driving I do, I’d go bananas on long drives.
I agree – the only reason I haven’t swapped the Bose back in is because I need the iPod connectivity for now. If and when the car is retired to a ‘show’ piece only, the Bose will need to go back in for originality’s sake.
8. The Katzkin kit is holding up really well. If I keep my Accord long enough to need to replace the leather, I’d definitely give that company a look.
I neglected to zoom in on the driver side outboard seat bolster, which is actually showing a fair amount of wear. The Katzkin kit (at least the one I used) uses vinyl on the non-seating surfaces, and it’s pretty cracked. If I were to do it all over again, I’d get a “full leather” kit.
And speaking of Accords, I want to take this moment to introduce a fellow high-miler who reached out via email this week. This is Justin’s 2003 Accord coupe from Texas, with 627,551 miles on the odometer.
Justin says he drives currently upwards of 100k miles per year.
Here’s the latest “spy shot” video I put together, in case you hadn’t seen it on my YouTube. Keep the submissions coming.
How is everyone doing? I saw a meme the other day: “What a year this week has been.” Yeah, sounds about right. I’m going to spare you from having one more place to read about the current state of the world around us, because I know your TV and your social media feeds are absolutely saturated with it. Over here in Arizona, my travels have dialed back to just the occasional trip to the grocery store or drive-thru – in fact, those are the only 2 trips I took all week. And as much as I love being on the go, I have actually kind of enjoyed being homebound. Shocker.
For one thing, I spent about 2 hours in the yard this morning with a complete cosmetic revamp. Mow, trim, weed killer, and sweep. It was satisfying and refreshing, especially in this gorgeous spring weather. I have projects underway with the house, with the cars, and with work, not to mention writing / YouTubing / organizing / planning / journaling. I spent an hour this afternoon on the phone with grandparents catching up.
Sometimes having a chance to slow the pace of life down a little isn’t necessarily a bad thing. And even though my travel calendar has been wiped clean for at least the next couple of months, I’m confident I’ll stay busy and productive.
I had a couple of visitors in town earlier this month including my friend Jason and my cousin Jandi. Jason drove in from Las Cruces in his Contour so we could go meet with Kevin Marti of Marti Auto Works, who has a specialty Ford facility on the western outskirts of Phoenix.
Kevin is a licensee to Ford’s complete production database – in other words, he can authenticate and give detailed background on just about any FoMoCo vehicle. His “Marti Reports” are the renowned source of truth when it comes to production numbers rarity. I last visited his place in 2014.
My cousin from Idaho also visited and we had a nice time enjoying the weather and company. I’ll let the photos and video below tell the rest of the story because it’s a wide variety of automotive updates I can share with you all.
I was originally scheduled to volunteer as a driver during the Mecum collector car auction a week ago. I had my credential and everything. But then I pulled out given current state of the public situation. But I’m on the list for next year and I will get to drive some cool stuff like this (while I awkwardly sit in the driver’s seat and let people bid on “me.”). Coverage from my visit to Mecum last year is here.
My home office is set up and I moved my desk in my bedroom so that it looks out the front window. Now, I just need a better monitor setup. Stat!
I juiced a couple dozen oranges that I got from a friend’s tree. Citrus trees are in season right now here!
I had the Legend coupe out last week to visit friends in Gilbert with a huge new home. The ceilings inside it are 16 feet tall.
My neighbor Chuck got a couple cool cars from a relative in Texas. One of them is this 1969 Plymouth Roadrunner.
The other is this 1930 Model A. Both were temporarily stored in my backyard for a time.
The Legend sedan saw some daylight last week.
And the RL.
And the NSX was my ride of choice for a last minute grocery store run. For Diet Coke – only the essentials.
I received a recall in the mail today for the 2000 RL’s airbag. I was sort of surprised Acura is having to recall 20-year-old cars. But the letter basically stated that parts for the repair aren’t even yet available.
One of my YouTube subscribers asked me to give an update on the rooftop model cars, so I did that in the video too.
An ‘Instagram friend’ sent me some stickers – check out this one in the shape of a G2 Integra.
I took the opportunity last weekend to check in with some good friends who have helped me a lot over the years with automotive projects and other things. Hy and Linda, thank you!
After that, I met up briefly with my friend Ken who has a 2006 ‘Suzuka Blue’ Honda S2000.
One of the projects I’m keeping myself busy with now is a categorization of about 50 pieces of literature related to the Acura Legend. Over the last 20 years I’ve collected (what I believe to be) every piece of print media that had the Legend in it. I’m in the process now of sorting them all out so I can copy & PDF to share with others.
This dealership even offered a “beeper service” to page you when your car was ready. Whoa.
Here’s a glimpse of what we’re talking about.
The last bit of news is about the SLX, which hasn’t moved for about 10 days and is leaking a puddle of various fluids on my nice garage floor right now, haha.
A friend (again from Instagram) connected me with a resource that was able to decode the VIN plate in the engine bay. I now know exactly what each of those ‘options’ listed at the bottom are. The summary is below in Excel.
My former SLX, the one that Acura rebuilt as a “resto-mod” with RDX drivetrain, is sitting on display right now at the Honda headquarters in Torrance, California. Acura Public Relations representative Andrew sent me this picture.
I also found a couple article on the SLX, which I’m adding to my archive.
That’s it for now! Everyone stay safe out there, and I’ll talk to you soon.
If you’ve ever wanted to visit Arizona, I’ll give you a reason. This year’s 16th annual National Acura Legend Meet is now open for registration as of this past Sunday. In the first 5 days, 13 vehicles have already signed up. We could be on track to witness the largest meet of its kind since 2014 in Los Angeles which saw about 30. Come be a part of history.
In other news, my blogging time has been limited lately because I’ve put a little more effort into my YouTube channel which is nearing 6,000 subscribers. I invite you to join me there for a few updates on automotive projects and other activities. I usually post a new episode (or more) each Sunday. I’ll post 5 of them here to catch you up. Some are still ‘unlisted’ so I can stagger them out over the next few weeks. Get your popcorn ready.
Integra Part 4
Integra Part 5
Integra Part 6
SLX Video 10 – The Project that Never Ends!
Do you want to test-drive 10 cool cars in 5 minutes? Then I have just the video for you. Last Saturday, I had a really unique experience of helping my friend Greg (the same guy who I wrote about with all the Japanese RHD cars) document the driving experience for a collection of cars that he’ll be auctioning off on Bring a Trailer website later this month. Among them was this exceptionally rare 1989 Pontiac ASC-McLaren Turbo Grand Prix with only 5,500 miles on it.
Check out that tech!
Here was the list of cars, in order of appearance in the below video:
1989 Pontiac Turbo Grand Prix
2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK55 AMG
1989 Dodge Lancer Shelby 5MT
2000 BMW M5 6MT
1989 Honda Prelude Si 4WS 5MT
2000 Honda S2000 6MT
1992 Toyota Aristo (RHD)
1992 Jeep Wrangler Renegade 5MT
1990 Nissan 300ZX TT 5MT
1992 Autozam AZ-1 (RHD) 5MT
Which was my favorite? Honestly, and this might get me in trouble with my Honda friends, I fell in love with the BMW M5. The sturdy shift feel, the power, the growl, and the utility of a ‘sportscar’ 4-door sedan with a manual really made that one check all the boxes for me.
And speaking of Bring a Trailer auctions, you might have missed this so I’ll share it here. A record-setting sale took place this week when a 1994 Legend LS coupe 6-speed sold for over $25,000. Here’s the link.
Maybe my own collection will be worth a dollar or two someday as well? I guess time will tell.
As Spring Training baseball games get underway here in Arizona, we are soaking up our last few weeks of very enjoyable weather and I’ve been spending quite a bit of time working on the never-ending list of “to-do” items. The latest 1999 Integra, which started out with a laundry list of 50 “needs” that I listed in an Excel document, has already been through half. So in two months’ time, it’s come a really long way.
One of the major milestones for that car was a comprehensive ‘professional’ detail, for which I engaged the help and services of a friend named Travis who helped not only with the interior & paint, but with removal of the hodge-podge of aftermarket stereo & alarm spaghetti wiring that was strung throughout the car. It was strangled.
The results speak for themselves. This paint was rough, and it came out brilliantly.
The NSX doesn’t get a video this time around, but I took it to the experts at Science of Speed for a regular checkup and it’s doing great at 116,000 miles.
I had a few special guests in February including folks from Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Detroit, and Seattle. The guest book is nearing page 50 and I’ve already purchased a second volume because pages are running out.
Here’s Tim:
Jaysen and his sister Tavali
Brad and Richard
Dave
Finally, I had to share some new wallhangings in the garage. I loved this anniversary 1986-1996 photo enough to frame and hang it up.
And the one in the middle here – I have to show you that a little more closely.
It contains the 6 Acura models from 1997.
The paragraph suggests that you pick whichever one fits “your definition of luxury.”
Except, the punchline suggests you should just buy a big garage and own all 6 (highlighted above).
Does that remind me of anyone else you know? This is the ad that goes along with it.
I sat inside a rolling concert hall this week. It’s been a long time since I heard a stereo this good, and Mariah Carey came through in such crystal clarity that I ran the volume knob all the way to its max setting.
Toyota invited me and some of the other Phoenix-area journalists to a media event on Wednesday to showcase its latest in technology with its three-row Highlander crossover. The segment in which the Highlander competes is massive in size, with 24 vehicles competing for the same pie. Highlander comprises 9% of that pie with its annual 228,000 units sold, and with this new iteration, Toyota is hoping to grow that number.
We heard from product expert Dave Lee as he walked us through a series of slides about what’s new and exciting about the Highlander. The biggest news is powertrain-related, with a hybrid system offered that provides best-in-class fuel economy (topping out at an impressive 36 mpg) and a massive range of 600 miles per tank. Dave explained how the Highlander’s “PED” (Predictive Efficient Drive) system tracks driving habits and terrains to optimize efficiency of the hybrid + gas combination.
Inside the cabin, there’s more to be seen from a technology perspective, with a massive 12.3″ touch-screen monitor. It seems all manufacturers today are of the “bigger is better” mindset, and Highlander fits right in. The only problem I observed is the screen’s susceptibility to greasy fingerprints. The Highlander comes with driver-assist tech like front & rear parking assist cameras and a digital rearview camera (which can be toggled to ‘regular’). There are five USB ports and three zones of climate control.
Perhaps one of the most compelling things about the Highlander is its innovative color-naming convention. This model has an exterior in “Ruby Flare Pearl” and an interior in “Glazed Caramel.” Seriously. Makes me hungry.
With a variety of trim levels available, the Highlander can be equipped with an MSRP from the $30s up to pushing $50k. As a plush family hauler with the latest in modern tech, it’s going to give its 23 competing classmates a run for their money. Thanks to Toyota for the preview & test drive!
My friend Eric sent me a photo of himself (with his Acura TL in the background) under a blanket of snow on the morning of his departure for a visit to Phoenix from Lexington, Kentucky last Friday. Needless to say, he was ready and anxious to get some AZ sunshine.
Eric’s arrival was timely because we were able to check out some great events taking place in & around town. One of them was the “Concours in the Hills,” an 1,000+ car show at Fountain Park in Fountain Hills.
The fountain there was the tallest in the world from 1970 through 1980, at 560 feet in height. We took the opportunity to stroll through the automotive merchandise (“Look but don’t touch!”) and the scenery did not disappoint. Among the cars on display was an unbelievably rare McLaren F1. There were a total of only 106 of those built between 1992 and 1998 and they’re going for $20 million or more each. I’ll take two. But perhaps my favorite car was this DMC DeLorean in appropriate BTTF garb.
… and complete with a ‘Mr. Fusion’ fuel tank. I didn’t have any banana peels to deposit at the time.
The Concours has accelerated quickly in growth over its seven years, and for good reason: It’s one of the premier automotive events in the southwest and it promotes good causes. This year, proceeds from the event raised over $250,000 for Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
The level of organization and planning that went into the staging was impressive: Cars were grouped according to make & model. There was a strong turnout of NSX owners, including my friend Greg with his lovely Formula Red 1995 with fewer than 10,000 original miles.
I also introduced Eric to a portion of our scenic drive that will take place as part of the 2020 NALM event. It’s a nice 90-mile round trip loop that introduces visitors to the Tonto National Forest and Saguaro lake, capped off with a lakeside lunch at Shiprock Restaurant.
Our host hotel will be the Best Western Chandler Inn, pictured below. When registration goes live on March 1, it will include a hyperlink for booking at the contracted group rate for October’s event.
On Sunday, my friend Vlad brought his 2000 model year Phoenix Yellow Integra Type R over to the house. It only has 31,000 miles on it, and the engine bay looks absolutely brand new.
Joining for the pictures was my 1999 Integra which recently had some work done. After about two and a half weeks at Hon-Man in Tempe, it was ready to retrieve once again. The good news is that the erratic idle miss/stumble has been resolved with just an adjustment of the valves. The bad news is that the inspection revealed some prior collision damage to the left rear corner, and a few other issues to resolve in future service visits. Check out my upcoming YouTube uploads for info on that.
Here’s the video update:
The SLX hasn’t left town since SoCal “RADwood” in December, but it did go in for a visit to one of my local body shops to have some fog lights installed. The skilled technicians at USA Collision in Phoenix took care of it in a matter of just 3 days. And the work was not very easy – it required some custom work to get the brackets to properly mount since the corroded original hardware was basically crumbling away.
Eric’s too SLXY for his shirt, but not for his University of Kentucky sweater. But those fog lights!
Capping off the weekend was a visit to the local U Pull & Pay junkyard on Buckeye Road in Phoenix. The treasure of the day there was a 1993 Oldsmobile Silhouette minivan, more lovingly referred to as a “Dustbuster” thanks to its iconic wedge styling. The icing on the cake was the fact that I found an actual Dustbuster in another van a couple of rows away. This picture begged to be taken.
It was nice having a friend in town, and I always look forward to my guests!
After 15 years of driving all around the country for the National Acura Legend Meet, to 13 different states, my trip to the 2020 annual event will require me driving… guess how far? Just 25 miles from my house to the host hotel! That’s because NALM is finally coming to my own backyard, and I’ll be co-hosting the event here in Phoenix, Arizona along with a few other volunteers.
The dates will be October 7-11, and without getting into too many details – I’ll save those announcements for some future blog posts – there will be some great venues and some great times for all to enjoy. Here is the announcement post on the forums.
Prior event locations are here:
Year
City
State
2005
Dallas
Texas
2006
Tulsa
Oklahoma
2007
Las Vegas
Nevada
2008
Chattanooga
Tennessee
2009
Branson
Missouri
2010
Salt Lake City
Utah
2011
Morristown
New Jersey
2012
Milwaukee
Wisconsin
2013
Asheville
North Carolina
2014
Los Angeles
California
2015
Houston
Texas
2016
Atlanta
Georgia
2017
Sacramento
California
2018
Colorado Springs
Colorado
2019
Daytona Beach
Florida
I’ve created a NALM account on Instagram called @nationalacuralegendmeet where you can follow along for regular updates as we unveil some of the exciting aspects of the itinerary. Maybe I’ll bring out a different car from the garage for each NALM day. And one of the events – of course – is a behind the scenes visit at my house. I might be crazy for opening my doors to an anticipated 25 cars and 50 people, but I’ve said it before: These people are like family to me and I look forward to hosting them as best I can.
Speaking of hosting: Occupancy rates at the house have been running high so far in 2020. Ever since the festivities for Barrett-Jackson, I’ve had company every weekend and enjoyed playing host. My friends Derek, Jay, Nick, and Chris all stopped by. Here they are in that order.
Derek, before I took him to his brother’s place.
Jay, passing through town with his gorgeous new Sherwood Green Legend LS 6-speed.
Nick, at right, here from Key West for a weekend in the desert.
And Chris, visiting from CA and about to take the NSX for a spin with his buddy Tony.
I also managed to squeeze in a few automotive updates in video form, so if you get time, tune in for the recent videos on my YouTube channel. The 1999 Integra is at Hon-Man in Tempe for a laundry list of issues, but I’ve replaced the front emblem, shift knob, license plate bumper plugs, and owner’s manual. I also got those nasty exhaust tips shined up thanks to a product from Mother’s called Mag & Aluminum Polish.
Check that before & after!
And another before & after! All about the details.
The RL received some paintless dent removal, new tint, a new windshield, and some touch-up paint.
I finally got my library of car maintenance binders in order, thanks to some new cabinets my dad and stepmom installed in my laundry room recently.
The two biggest blue binders are BOTH for the Legend coupe. Volumes 1 & 2.
We also installed a flat screen TV in the garage that is looping 148 Acura commercials from 1986 through 1999. It’s 1 hour 47 minutes of runtime. Seriously. I turn it on when guests are visiting.
I’m writing weekly now for ClassicCars.com in the “Pick of the Day” section. Basically, every Thursday I have an article about a vehicle of my choosing that is selected from the 40,000+ listed for sale on the site. The write-ups are short and sweet, but maybe you’ll be interested in taking a look to see if any of the cars I spotlight interest you.
Craig is kind of a big deal. He’s currently in the driver’s seat of one of the world’s largest collector car auctions – launched in 1971 by his father, Russ. Russ first partnered with fellow enthusiast Tom Barrett to sell a handful of automobiles in Scottsdale, Arizona. Tom eventually retired and Russ passed away, leaving the reins to Craig 25 years ago in 1995.
Craig has since taken the auction to new heights, building it into a mecca that attracts 325,000 automobile enthusiasts annually to its signature and largest event held in Arizona each January. Jackson has also expanded into other cities around the nation, keeping his team busy throughout the year and facilitating the sale of thousands of vehicles.
Craig is the true definition of a ‘car guy,’ and he wholeheartedly enjoys being part of the industry. “I like three-pedal cars,” he said at a media event I attended in the days leading up to this year’s program in Scottsdale. Craig commented on the ever-present questions like, “What should people buy now that will be collectible in X years?”
And the answer to that, of course, is anyone’s best guess, but he suggested that modern internal combustion-powered automobiles as we know them – and especially those equipped with clutch pedals – are positioned well for future appreciation because their days are numbered. He’s stockpiled a few of his own in his elaborate personal collection. And speaking of collections, there were a few noteworthy celeb-owned cars up on the docket, including some BMWs formerly owned by Paul Walker.
This year’s auction was the event’s 49th. I attended in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019. And while I haven’t yet made a four-wheeled purchase, I’ve come away with a lot of souvenirs, memories, and friendships that have been 100% worth the price of admission. My mom and I made the trek to the “Westworld” venue on Saturday, January 18th and feasted our eyes on the nearly 2,000 vehicles that were up for auction this year.
According to a post on Craig’s Instagram (below), a single gavel was used over the course of the 9-day event, but auctioneers went through six sound blocks. The 2020 auction became the highest-grossing auction in Barrett-Jackson history, with over $141 million in no-reserve sales. The intensity and energy in the venue is electrifying, with a vehicle being sold on average every two minutes.
The long-awaited mid-engine 2020 Chevy Corvette with VIN #001 brought $3 million for charity. Other amazing cars that I enjoyed checking out were the 1963 Modena Spyder California from the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, as well as a replica Ford LTD station wagon as seen as the “family truckster” in the Chevy Chase movie “Vacation.”
Lexus auctioned a special edition LC500 convertible, the first of its kind for model year 2021. It brought $2 million.
Mom and I were a little disappointed after searching the show grounds for Tent 7. We were hunting for the “Shaggin’ Wagon,” a converted 2003 Ford Econoline van modified to look like the “MUTT CUTTS” vehicle from Dumb & Dumber. It wasn’t parked where it was supposed to be, so we asked some of the nearby security personnel. Evidently the van had been vandalized earlier in the week. “Someone broke the nose off it,” we were told. Shame!
And now begins Barrett-Jackson’s “Road to 50,” as Craig and his team will spend the next 12 months building up to the 2021 event as its 50th anniversary. You can bet I’ll be there once again to soak it all in!
Below are a few more photos from my experience at Barrett-Jackson & overall weekend.
Red-carpet arrival at the house for mom’s visit
Brunch date in downtown Phoenix, in the red brick SUV.
Chris (visiting from Maryland) and I rolled around in the same vehicle. Chris’ claim to fame, in fact, is that he’s driven every one of my vehicles, including the 1992 Integra sedan which sold just 2 days after he left town.
Bueller? Bueller? You might recognize this car from a certain movie.
Visitors from Utah feasting their eyes on the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of the auction.
A celebrity to me – none other than Mr. Peter Cunningham, current President of the NSX Club of America.
And special thanks to my friend Jonathan Klinger who is a VP at Hagerty, who gave me these awesome socks.
They say: Driving is good for the sole.
And also thanks to Aaron Cook from Barrett-Jackson’s public relations agency, TimePiece.
Mom and I didn’t score any purchases at the auction, but we each came home with a chunk of metal from the following morning’s rock & roll half-marathon in Tempe.
Finally, join me in congratulating my friend Matt on his 200,000th mile in his 2002 Nissan! I captured the occasion on video from his back seat.
I sold my 28-year-old Integra sedan on Tuesday, and the buyer drove it as many miles in his 3-day trip home to Tampa, Florida, as I drove the car over my nearly 2 years of ownership. Needless to say, he’s enjoying it more than I did! More in a little bit about who the lucky new owner is and how the exchange played out.
I was walking down High Street in north Phoenix a couple of weeks ago at a car show, glad to be wearing a fleece jacket because it was downright chilly (by Arizona standards) in the shade.
“I like your jacket,” a guy said as I passed by him. I paused for a second and looked down because I couldn’t even remember what I was wearing. I realized it was my Nissan GT-R jacket. The guy then pulled up his shorts a little to show a brightly-colored GT-R tattoo on his thigh. I said, “Awesome; I wish I had the car but I just have the sweater!” I guess Nissan people are just as passionate about their cars as Honda people are.
The occasion for the day was the 5th annual Future Collector Car Show (FCCS), an event that started in 2016 as a small production sponsored by ClassicCars.com to recognize and embrace the movement of the ‘new’ definition of classic. The show has grown and evolved over the years, attracting 150 vehicles for the 2020 program that were selected via an online application process that kicked off last fall.
I had the lone representing Integra, while there were a couple of RSXs on the roster. Here are some links to prior years’ coverage of this event. (I’ve been to all five!)
Over the course of the day, I got the chance to reconnect with a lot of great friends and I enjoyed lunch at Mellow Mushroom while taking a break from the social scene. The variety of vehicles on display was wide, and while most were modified, there were a few super clean ‘preserved’ original cars like this sweet 1980 Prelude.
One of my faves was this older Lexus SC sitting on new IS wheels.
Three “Bullitt” Mustangs in a row! One had the license plate “CHSECAR” (chase car)
Wandering High Street
And bumping into friends
Meanwhile, my 1992 Integra sedan was on display, and I’d left a For Sale sign sitting on the dash in case anyone had interest in sending me a message to inquire.
At the end of the day, I received just 1 text message. It was from a high-school-age kid who came to test-drive the car 2 days later. Except, he couldn’t drive a stick. So I drove him around. He didn’t end up making an offer. I actually discovered how frustrating it can be to deal with car buyers. A few of the things I observed or heard:
“What’s the lowest you’ll take?”
“Does the car need anything now or in the future?” <Hello, it’s nearly 30 years old, the answer is YES>
“Will you take $XX plus 10 monthly payments of $XX?”
“If only you were in X location.”
“Can I trade you my XX vehicle?”
“Why are you asking so little?” <This one surprised me>
“You know Blue Book on this car is only XXX.” <Facepalm. I hate ‘Blue Book’ when it comes to vintage cars>
“You’ll regret selling it.”
“I wish I had the money, but I have XX kids.”
“I like the 2 door better.”
I survived all of that, and a legitimate offer did come, however, from a nice gentleman named David in Tampa, Florida who is a dedicated Honda-fan who’s restoring a 1989 Prelude “S” model. We corresponded a little by email and then text, and arranged his visit for Tuesday January 21st.
Below are a few photos from the transaction as well as photos he sent me from his drive home.
Gift I made up for David of his digital car rending from Darren at I Drew Your Car.
Final odometer reading after a successful journey to the other side of the country.
Congrats, David! Here’s a 1-minute video memorializing the occasion.
PS – If you haven’t already done so, check out the YT Channel “Out Motorsports.” My friend Jake and his crew of skilled journalists are going to publish regular updates on car reviews, performance/track events, and more.
drivetofive 