drivetofive

Group Drive: Mount Graham, Arizona

Posted in Arizona, ILX, Road Trip on August 17, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 531,438

Odometer (ILX): 91,696

Trip Distance: 390 Miles

Just a half hour after eating the biggest plate of chicken enchiladas of my life, I was already regretting it. The road I was carving up in my 2013 Acura ILX was so curvy, it was making me nauseous. After 8 or 9 miles of zig-zagging up the side of one of Arizona’s tallest mountains, I got stuck behind a slow-moving pickup truck. Joe, from the passenger seat, said, “Good, maybe my lunch will go back to my stomach now.” Ha! I guess I hadn’t been the only one holding my breath and hanging on for dear life! At least it wasn’t like that time when I was 8 years old and lost my lunch in the backseat of my aunt Jodi’s SUV.

Arizona Highway 366, also known as the “Swift Trail,” climbs southern Arizona’s Mount Graham in the Pinaleño Mountains at 10,717 feet in elevation. It’s open from May through November and was designated a state scenic parkway in 1993. There are some great resources online about this road but due to its remote nature, I’ve never been able to make it over there and check it out until yesterday. Here’s one very detailed write-up, with the following excerpt:

The Swift Trail, with twenty-nine paved miles and the remainder gravel, begins seven miles south of Safford on U.S. 191. Turn southwest on Arizona Highway 366 and ascend a gently sloping bajada studded with creosote, mesquite, and acacia trees toward the looming Pinaleño Mountains.

The temperature can (and did, for us) vary by up to 30 degrees from the base of the road to the summit! “It’s like driving from Mexico to Canada in an hour and a half,” said one author. Joe and I watched as we passed 4,000; 5,000; 6,000 foot signs. This road maxed out at over 9,000 feet! The landscape changed dramatically, too. The desert floor gave way to taller trees and every curve offered a new viewpoint of the valley below. Guardrails? Non-existent. This was a two-hands-on-the-wheel driving experience. With exception for shifting gears, of course, because in my case there were plenty of high-RPM shifts through 2nd, 3rd, and 4th gears to power up the steep grade and keep the momentum.

Just check out this road!

For this experience, I was joined by a few friends. I present to you, the contenders:

Tyson’s 2013 Acura ILX 2.4: 201 horsepower

Paul’s 2013 Acura TL SH-AWD: 305 horsepower

Matt’s 2014 Infiniti Q50S: 328 horsepower

Our day started out in the Phoenix area with a quick breakfast stop at the Krispy Kreme store on Superstition Springs Road in Mesa off US 60. No road trip is complete without appropriate fuel, right? Or in this case, a sugar rush. From there, we made our way eastward through the mining towns of Superior, Miami, and Globe. Miami, Arizona is the “Copper Center of the World” (or at least that’s what their entrance sign below said).

About 80 miles from Globe, we arrived in the small town of Safford. The best Mexican place in town, Casa Mañana, was bustling with hungry midday lunch traffic, but we enjoyed the menu and hospitality before heading southbound on Highway 191 toward Swift Trail Junction. There, we’d be taking Highway 366 all the way to the summit of Mount Graham, some 29 miles later.

Matt and Alan took the lead in the Q50, Paul and Peter followed suit in the TL, and Joe and I brought up the rear in the ILX. I knew I’d be making some photo and video stops along the way and didn’t want to hold the other guys up. Besides, did I think I was going to be able to set the pace with a full 100 horsepower fewer than either of them had under the hood? No thanks!

Still, I gave the ILX tires and suspension a pretty good beating. The rev-happy 2.4 liter spent most of its time in the 3,000 to 5,000 RPM range as we made our ascent. After our short delay behind the slow pickup truck (and after our stomachs had the chance to settle just slightly), Joe and I zoomed back to an exhilarating pace and made our way up the switchbacks. Finally, we made it to the end of the paved road where the other guys had already started taking a few pictures. Despite the fact that the temperature at the base of Graham was 100 degrees, we were now in 67 degrees and enjoying it immensely.

I couldn’t resist exploring a bit down the dirt road ahead, so we followed that for a couple of miles which led us to a campground. The downhill return to Safford went quickly – so quickly, in fact, that I could smell burning tires and brakes. My sweet tooth got the best of me and I succumbed to a pit stop at “Taylor Freeze” for a root beer freeze in the town of Pima. A phenomenal Arizona sunset closed out the day as we returned to the Phoenix area. In all, the drive took us about 9 hours round-trip including the breaks and the lunch stop. Another adventure in the books for me — and for all of us.

Thanks for being a part of it! Here are the rest of the photos and a short video.

Peter and Joe up front in the ILX

Lunchtime!

Those “creamy enchiladas.” I think there was an entire tub of sour cream on this plate.

It’s almost as if my ILX and Paul’s TL were having a fight and didn’t want to park next to one another.

Starting the ascent up Highway 366

Made it to the top! Or, at least where the pavement ends.

Three Japanese luxury sport sedans

Venetian Ruby is a great color on that Q50

Quick stop at the campground after doing a little off-roading (sorry, Matt & Paul!)

Back to the highway we go

Photo op at scenic viewpoint

Just can’t get enough of these Arizona skies

Cars were looking good!

Fuel stop in Thatcher, Arizona at Shell

Taylor Freeze. Stop there sometime for a shake or malt!

17 Comments »

Reader’s Ride: Dillon’s 2004 Acura TSX

Posted in Reader's Ride on August 14, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 531,435

Odometer (ILX): 91,191

It’s finally time to recognize one of D25’s most loyal readers and someone who has contributed content various times to the blog. Dillon from North Carolina is known in some circles under the alias “Hondatalover” and his concept car renderings have inspired many to make updates to their cars, including the manufacturers themselves. Here’s an example of one of his Photoshops. More of his custom ILX models are featured in this thread on Acurazine.

Special ILX

TLX coupe!

Dillon’s personal car is a 112,000-mile Premium White Pearl Acura TSX.

Dillon sent me these current photos of the car on a scenic back road in North Carolina.

Even the interior is still spotless at 10 years old.

I’ve always liked how the needles on the TSX gauges are facing down when the car’s off.

That OEM spoiler is a nice looking upgrade.

Here’s a little interview I had with Dillon to get some background on his car.

List the Honda & Acura products you’ve owned in order.

1998 Honda Accord LX, 2004 Acura TSX (current)

How did you first learn of Acura? What inspired you or your family to buy your first?

Learned from Acura through Bell Ford, a local in-town, dealership when mom was looking to buy a pickup. I spotted the TSX and walked over to it and mom came over with me and the sales man. We started looking around at the car and mom eventually asked for a test drive. Then it was ours in 2008. 🙂

What about the Acura brand has kept you so loyal?

The quality of the product at its competitive price. The driver focused driving dynamics and the styling as well will snag any buyer looking for a entry-premium or near-premium car.

What’s your favorite song or album to blast while driving your TSX?

Is this where I post all of my Pandora stations? I honestly can’t say one in particular. 80’s Rock if I really had to but I’ll listen to everything there is if it sounds good. It all depends on the road, who I’m with and my mood.

If you could were to offer feedback to Acura about the company’s current model lineup, what would it be?

A more focused sedan lineup with a coupe or two that offers core signature Acura technologies and maybe even some firsts for the brand. My advice to the designers is to step outside of the box and put their passion on paper and have it finalized and thoroughly refined. The marketing could be more raw and exciting as well. I feel the brand needs to stay focused on their performance luxury, and not so much as comfort luxury strategies. Otherwise I love the brand no matter what and even want to be a part of it.

Thanks, Dillon, for sharing!

Before anyone clicks away, and on the subject of Acura TSX’s, check out the latest from East West Brothers Garage.

Kevin, the “East” brother, is currently midway through an adventurous cross-country drive from Washington, DC to Los Angeles, California by way of about 4,300 miles of sightseeing. The car of choice is a 2012 TSX Special Edition 6-speed.

Photos are being posted along the way, so make sure you check out the EWBG Facebook Page to watch the updates.

Nice bike rack!

11 Comments »

Test Drive: 2015 Acura TLX V6

Posted in TLX, Vehicle Reviews on August 12, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 531,389

Odometer (ILX): 91,150

Rain, in Phoenix? I never thought the first feature I’d be experiencing on Acura’s most advanced vehicle ever would be its rain-sensing windshield wipers, but it was. I’ve been watching for this car to hit the streets since I saw the cover pulled off the prototype in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

My local dealership, Acura of Tempe, currently has 3 TLX demo cars in stock. All are V6, front-wheel-drive models with the Advance (top-line) trim package. My friend Daniel, who you’ve already met and who drives a sweet Acura TL, met up with me for this rainy-day test drive of Acura’s all-new midsize sedan. Most of my readers will already know that this car debuted as a replacement for the now-discontinued TL and TSX models, and it’s sized in between the two.

The TLX that I drove was powered by a 290-horsepower, 3.5 liter V6 engine and Acura’s signature “Precision All-Wheel Steering” (P-AWS).. A few dealer add-ons (window tint, wheel locks, and side moldings) drove the price to just above $44,000. The Crystal Black Pearl exterior was nicely complimented by an “Espresso” (fancy speak for “Brown”) interior. I liked the combination, and as crazy as it would be to own a black car in Arizona, I think that’d be my top pic from the color palette.

So how about that driving experience, eh? Well, I wasn’t even in the car for more than 3 seconds when my right hand went down to reach for a shift a lever that wasn’t there. That’s because the car I had was equipped with a push-button transmission. A pull-back on the “R” button sent me into Reverse, but not before I cranked my ventilated seat to “high” setting via the touch-screen climate control. In all, my drive route was no more than 5 or 6 miles, but it was enough to experience the driving dynamics in both surface street & freeway settings.

I found the TLX eager to accelerate and ultra smooth in doing so. Of the transmission’s 9 speeds, I think I only got it up to 5th. Tire spin from a dead stop comes easily with the torquey V6, especially on wet pavement. Fit and finish exceeds expectations, with tasteful woodgrain accents on the door panels and soft-touch materials throughout the cabin. Daniel commented that the level of refinement exceeded that of his 2012 TL by quite a bit. Wind & road noises were heavily muted in the cabin. Accelerating onto the Interstate 10 onramp, I dipped deeply into the throttle and loved the sound of the engine at 5,000 RPM, awakening from its refined state.

It’s tough to find fault with the TLX. Adam, the sales representative who accompanied us, reported that it’s entirely possible for even the V6 engine to achieve MPG in the 40’s in “Economy” mode. That kind of efficiency, coupled with the amenities that Acura is great at providing, make for a compelling package deal. Adam encouraged Daniel to engage “Sport Plus” mode during his test drive, and even from the back seat I could readily feel the difference in engine performance, shift points, and suspension as the car transformed into a more raw driving experience: higher revs, tighter handling, and more pronounced gear transitions.

If Acura were to offer a 6-speed manual transmission in the TLX I’d be pondering an upgrade from the ILX, but as for right now I’m content to row my own gears. I’m looking forward to checking out the 2.4 liter 4 cylinder TLX as soon as it’s available, as well as the Super Handling All-Wheel-Drive version, but for now I stand impressed at what the TLX offers. I’ll post a more detailed review as soon as I get access to the vehicle for more than just short test drive.

Huge thanks to Sales Consultant Adam Ferguson for taking the time to introduce us to the TLX. He mentioned during my test drive, “It’s nice to be on a test drive with people who already know about the car!”

Here we have the TLX in Crystal Black Pearl.

Rear perspective.

These gauges are familiar as the layout is similar to what I’m already used to in my ILX.

“Espresso” interior. Nice color!

Passenger side interior.

Just getting back from our test drive.

Parked with the 2012 TL & 2013 ILX.

Three Acuras in a row.

Great looking car from this angle.

Side by side: 2012 TL, 2015 TLX

Daniel at the wheel for a test drive.

Man, those Jewel Eye headlights on the TLX sure make my ILX projector HID bulbs look dim!

For those local to the Phoenix, Arizona area, drop Adam an email at adam.ferguson@acuraoftempe.com and he’ll show you around the TLX.

Here’s a video review on the TLX posted today by Sofyan at 2theRedline.

17 Comments »

Playing in Phoenix’s Papago Park

Posted in Arizona, Hikes, ILX on August 10, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 531,389

Odometer (ILX): 91,003

It’s been a relaxing last couple of weekends in town since the whole NALM adventure in Los Angeles. I’ve lived in the Phoenix area for 8 years and it wasn’t until yesterday that I took the time to hike Papago Park. There’s a sandstone rock formation there called “Hole In the Rock.” Many years of wind erosion (6 million+ years worth) have left an opening in this gigantic rock. It’s believed that ancient Hohokam Indian tribes used the openings and sunlight to track the solstices.

If you look very closely (and excuse the poor quality of my iPhone photography) you’ll see miniature people standing inside the opening in the above picture. To access that area, the very short trail goes around the back side of the rock and up a series of steps. I was walking at a good pace and it took me only about 8 minutes to get up to the viewpoint.

On approach, the view is something like this.

And here’s the view while sitting in the opening.

Made it!

Stay tuned to RNR Auto Blog for a review coming up of the Legend coupe & sedan. My friend Ruben and I got together for some pictures and test drives of the Desert Mist Metallic twins this afternoon.

In other news: Y’all remember that guy from Idaho with the 410,000-mile TSX who joined me for a drive over the 4th of July? Well, unfortunately he had a little run-in with a pickup truck a few weeks ago and his car has been under reconstruction.

The great news is that the car is already repaired. In a short matter of time, Josh is now back to pounding the pavement in his tried and trusty workhorse. Follow his detailed account of his TSX rebuild on TSX Travels.

Have a great week!

6 Comments »

2theRedline Reviews: Acura NSX & Acura Legend

Posted in Blog, Legend, NSX on August 6, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 531,321

Odometer (ILX): 90,629

When Sofyan Bey, 2theRedline Editor, visited Phoenix a few weeks ago for the Death Valley trip, he took the time for an in-depth look at my cars. Having soared to nearly 60,000 YouTube subscribers in just a couple of years, Sofyan’s detailed and engaging auto reviews have become widely popular. Enjoy these special features he put together on my 1992 NSX and my 1994 Legends.

Thanks, Sofyan!

9 Comments »

Acuraholics Anonymous: Readers’ Rides

Posted in Reader's Ride on August 3, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 531,316

Odometer (ILX): 90,485

Let’s reposition the spotlight today on some OTHER people besides myself who love to drive fine automobiles.

First off, Mirel.

You’ve all met Mirel before when I introduced his 1993 Legend LS coupe 6-speed to you last August. Now, he’s taken on a new project. A few days ago, he took delivery of his 5th Acura Legend. This time, it’s a 1994 LS coupe automatic that’s had only 2 previous owners and logged a mere 122,000 miles since its birth. Mirel is planning on performing some necessary body work on the car but it runs and drives like a new ride. I took it for a spin myself. Best of all, the car is equipped with all sorts of fun add-ons like the OEM spoiler, factory keyless entry with leather pouch, and CD changer.

I feel right at home when I arrive at a house that has two Legends and an RL living there.

Cayman White Pearl is stunning in the Phoenix sunlight. It’s a good thing I was wearing shades.

The interior is all original and smells amazing. Even the original floor mats are well preserved.

Just a baby.

His and Hers Legend coupes.

Congrats on the latest acquisition, my friend!

Moving on to our next contestant: James.

You met James back in February when I featured his pearl white 2005 Acura TL on the blog. Now, he’s upped his game and moved into a 2007 TL Type-S in ultra-rare “Moroccan Red Pearl.” James’ Acura ownership history dates back a long time to when he had a 1994 Legend LS coupe 6-speed in pearl white. Prior to that, he was a Honda driver, having owned Preludes. Apparently he and I have similar taste in cars!

This new TL-S arrived on a transport truck from Kentucky a few days ago after James had sealed the deal online sight-unseen. Now that’s a great looking pair of cars in the garage!

The Type-S has a 286-horsepower 3.5 liter V6 that scoots this sports sedan up to speed at a rapid pace. I took the opportunity drive both James’ 2005 TL and his 2007 TL. While they share the same foundation, the cars have distinct personalities. I found the Type-S to be more nimble-handling and a good deal quicker. Both have silky smooth shifting transmissions. From a tech perspective, the Type-S is far superior with its integrated navigation system.

Nice looking trio of Acuras in the driveway.

2005 TL, 2013 ILX, 2007 TL

Check out those two-tone leather seats.

2005 TL gauges at 186,000 miles

2007 TL gauges at 106,000 miles. The Type-S version got special red accents as seen here.

“Moroccan Red Pearl” was a 2007-08 offering only. It’s a stunning color in person.

What a nice looking car that is!

Thanks, James, for letting me take your new baby for a spin!

Next up, Jeff.

Jeff in Las Vegas is one of my longest-term “Acura friends.” He and I first met in 2003 when I bought my Legend. At the time he had a 1993 L 6-speed coupe in Canterbury Green. I shared a little about his story once before. (photo here from 11 years ago)

In 2006, he traded that Legend in for an ultra-rare black 2003 Acura CL Type-S 6-speed which he still owns today. Now, as of a couple of weeks ago, Jeff is also the proud owner of a 2008 Acura TL Type-S 6-speed. He sent me these pictures of his black cars together looking shiny and fresh. Not shown: Jeff’s Acura MDX. He is a true fan!

Congrats, Jeff, on the new ride! I want to take that TL for a spin the next time I’m cruising through Sin City, Nevada.

Now, Walter.

Who could forget Walter and his beautiful “2015 Legend Concept” that debuted on Drive to Five back in January? Walter needed a parking space for his pride and joy for a few hours yesterday so I was honored to have it in my driveway.

Those Vossens are just a perfect match for the lines of this beautiful coupe. The car has undergone a full brake upgrade since its first feature here.

I’ve had a couple of friends join the NSX family in recent weeks, too. JT from New Jersey picked up a beautiful Spa Yellow, and Hass from Detroit picked up a Berlina Black. Congrats to both of you guys!

Thanks to any of you who have ever shared your car purchase stories with me! Keep them coming.

Also a quick thank-you to my friend Kyle, the detail master, for spending some time with me today and shining up the ILX. Kyle’s beast is a 2005 Pontiac GTO 6-speed with a growl that’ll set off a car alarm from a block away.

The ILX got a full wash & even some tire dressing.

Still door ding free at 90,000 miles.

Now, something fun to close out today’s epistle.

As you all know, my friend Alex is on his way home to Florida from NALM in California in his 1994 Legend LS coupe. He’s been keeping us all up to date on his status via the Legend forums as well as the Legend Owners Facebook Group. It appears Alex has decided to take the long way home (but who could blame him, in such a sweet car?). A few days ago, he posted this picture taken at the Colorado/Nebraska state line on Interstate 76.

Well, seasoned NALM attendee Ben immediately recognized the location and remembered that he’d stopped there on his way to NALM 2011 in Morristown, New Jersey in his 1992 LS coupe. This was the photo he’d taken.

After seeing this, the wheels in my mind got spinning. “Haven’t I stopped there before, too?” I thought. So I went rooting through my archives. Well, sure enough, I stopped at that same Nebraska line in July 2012 on my way to NALM in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the ILX.

The world is just too small. Now, my readers, a challenge I give unto you. Someone go take a picture of your car at that same sign. Send it to me. I’ll think of a prize to reward you with.

12 Comments »

Drive to the Wild West: Tombstone and Fairbank, Arizona in the ILX

Posted in Arizona, ILX, Road Trip on July 31, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 531,295

Odometer (ILX): 90,167

Trip Distance: 372 Miles

When my friend Chris from Maryland was planning his visit to Arizona, he said, “I want to see a saloon. Take me to an Old West town.” I knew exactly which destination would fulfill those wishes: Tombstone.

Just a day after arriving from our trip to Los Angeles for the National Acura Legend Meet, Chris and I again hit the highway in search of a new adventure. And this time, we traveled back in time 135 years to a town that they say is “Too Tough to Die.” It’s a town of legends (get it?) and history that fills volumes.

Compare to the May 2011 picture, when I took the Legend there.

Our first stop was the Boothill Graveyard. We took a self-guided tour and noticed that most of the headstones were marked “UNKNOWN.” The ones that did have names on them were mostly dated from the late 1800’s. Here’s one example of an inscription we found on a headstone:

Here Lies George Johnson, 1882

He Was Right, We Was Wrong

But We Strung Him Up, and Now He’s Gone

We parked the ILX and proceeded to walk around in the muggy afternoon weather. Tombstone’s history dates back to 1879 when it became a boomtown thanks to the nearby silver mine. During those years, a guide educated us, the town’s population soared to around 10,000 residents, which was even greater than the population of Los Angeles at the time. A series of destructive fires in 1882 wiped out over 100 businesses. Additional fires in the mines themselves, depletion of ore, and the falling price of silver led to the decline of Tombstone. Today, it’s home to only about 1,300 people and the town survives primarily on the tourism industry.

On October 26, 1881, a historical gunfight took place in an empty lot behind the O.K. Corral. Lawman Doc Holliday and 3 other officers fought it out against 4 cowboys who were suspected of murder. Thirty shots were fired, resulting in injury or death for everyone involved except for Wyatt Earp. Earp lived on until 1929 when he died at the age of 80. Chris and I watched a gunfight reenactment and got our photo afterward with some of the actors.

The main road through town, Allen Street, is closed to car traffic. However, carriage rides are available and the town is very pedestrian-friendly. Chris and I went to the Crystal Palace Saloon for lunch. The “shroom and Swiss” hamburger was phenomenal, but my favorite item on the menu was the fried ice cream for dessert.

This courthouse cost $45,000 to build in 1882 and still stands today with a visitor center in the lobby.

Heading north from Tombstone, I decided to change up the trip a little bit and do a little ghost towning. My friend Leif had once told me about a townsite called Fairbank off Highway 82 in southern Arizona, and I happened to notice how close we were to it thanks to my Garmin Nuvi GPS unit as we were departing from Tombstone.

Just before a border patrol checkpoint, Chris and I veered west into the San Pedro Valley and about 8 miles later we arrived at what was once a bustling railroad town in the late 1800’s. In 1890 and 1894 the area flooded. An earthquake in 1897 altered the course of the San Pedro River, knocked railroad tracks out of place, and devastated some of the structures in the town. It’s almost as if Fairbank was destined to be a ghost town from the very beginning. Fairbank has been abandoned since the 1970’s and today amounts to just a few decrepit structures and a 1920 schoolhouse that was restored in 2007.

Heading on in via a very short, perhaps 1/4 mile, one-lane dirt road.

Parked at the gate to the townsite.

Chris heads on in.

This building was once a post office and mercantile.

The signs posted on these buildings say that they are condemned due to being unsafe.

We didn’t take the time to hike all 1/2 mile to the San Pedro riverbed, but I enjoyed the green vegetation and it was a nice change of scenery from the rest of the surrounding desert.

Continuing on Highway 82, I had my first experience with geocaching when Chris and I started heading north on Highway 90. Geocaching is defined as a recreational activity in which participants use a global positioning system (GPS) to hide and seek containers (“caches”). Chris downloaded a geocache app to his iPhone and started guiding me on where to make some turns so that we could find it. I took this picture of the ILX just before Chris (in the background) hit the jackpot.

Hidden within the chain link fence’s post in this residential neighborhood was a small container attached to the lid. Once we unscrewed the lid, we found inside a small plastic bag with a folded piece of paper and a pencil where we would fill in the date and our names. It’s like a treasure hunt! I had a blast.

Nice view of Newman Peak just east of I-10 near Picacho on the way back to the Phoenix area.

We turned over 90,000 miles right around there!

Thanks for joining on the trip!

Just a couple more parting shots today – first, Chris had free reign of the NSX on Tuesday while I was at work, and he found a great road called South Mountain where he took this picture overlooking the Phoenix downtown area.

Later that day, he drove himself to the airport in the Legend coupe. Having owned a 400,000 mile 3rd generation Prelude Si, he has an appreciation for cars with higher mileage.

And finally, a well deserved shout-out to my friend Alex. Despite the fact that his Acura Legend did not even have an engine or transmission installed in it just a couple of weeks ago, he got his car together in time to drive it all the way across the country: from Warm Mineral Springs, Florida, to Los Angeles, California, for this year’s NALM. Not only that, but he’s now on his return trip (5,000 miles into it, currently in Chicago) and a couple of days ago passed through my hometown in southern Utah and sent me this photo at the state line. Keep on trucking, Alex!

4 Comments »

10th Annual National Acura Legend Meet – Part 2

Posted in California, NALM on July 28, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend coupe): 531,277

Odometer (Legend sedan): 146,014

My favorite comment of the entire second day of NALM was: “Look, it’s the rolling retirement home!” when Kevin’s 1994 sedan “Old War Horse” pulled into the Islands Restaurant parking lot in Thousand Oaks, California. Kevin and Alan had a good laugh about it. They do pride themselves in being among the most distinguished of Legend enthusiasts.

No NALM is complete without a chance to put our cars’ suspensions to the test. Tommy was the ring leader for Saturday’s canyon drive, having traversed the two-laners between in the Santa Monica Mountains many many times in the past. He took the lead in his Canterbury Green Legend sedan as we rode out of the Hampton Inn in Thousand Oaks. My friend Stephen took the copilot seat in the Legend coupe. I hoped for the best with my clutch, knowing full well that it (being the original to the car) was hanging on for dear life. I had no intention of driving aggressively but still wanted to at least keep up with the pack.

Tommy picked a great road: never-ending twists on Mulholland Drive with scenery that delivered awesome views. Not that I was paying much attention to the scenery – my eyes were instead glued to Duane’s Legend GS sedan in front of me. I got a howl or two out of my Michelin tires. Sergey who was following me noted (not surprisingly) a lot of body roll from my car. Soon we reached the crest and began our descent to sea level. Blue skies gave way to an overcast marine layer, but temperatures were comfortable and Stephen and I rolled the windows and sunroof down to enjoy it.

Our destination for lunch was Neptune’s Net, a famous seafood place along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Famous, I say, because it was featured in the movie The Fast and the Furious. We did our best to safely park 25+ Legends along the highway before running across four lanes of traffic and settling into the two tables on the outside patio which Gabe, our ring leader, had graciously reserved for us in advance. The fish tacos were calling my name so that’s what got my vote on the menu. Aside from being completely covered in cilantro which is one food I’m not a fan of, they were delicious. I also sampled some of Ben’s French fries and Stephen’s chicken strips. Fried food seems to be something that Neptune’s does well!

Gabe handed me a walkie talkie and assigned me as one of the shepherds for our next stretch of road. I obediently waited until most of the group had rolled out, then took to the wheel and confirmed that all of the cars in our caravan were accounted for. One unlucky Legend owner was shortly thereafter pulled over for a window tint violation, but otherwise the drive southbound on Pacific Coast Highway went well. A left hand turn on Kanan Road took us back up and over the Santa Monica Mountains and toward Highway 101. We had an appointment at a dyno shop so that some of the Legend owners could evaluate performance of their motors by testing them for horsepower and torque. I had a close call with a concrete parking curb that started to pull my front bumper off after catching an underside splash shield, but survived the incident and it’s hardly detectable that it ever happened.

Once again we braved Los Angeles traffic upon departure. I’ve decided that the 405 and 101 freeways are rarely flowing without incident. Our evening was relaxed, with a dinner reservation at Islands Restaurant just a few miles from the host hotel in Thousand Oaks. The special treat later that night was when Legend owners started throwing their car keys at me and letting me take their cars for test drives. One thing I love about being a part of this car enthusiast community is the level of pride that each owner takes in his or her vehicle. And despite the fact that we all drive the same model of car, I felt like each one had a unique personality and feel. Huge thanks to Duane, Dave, Alex, TJ, James, and Evan for entrusting me behind the wheel of their babies. This is a pic with long-time friend Denny.

On Sunday morning, we made our way to a weekly event in Woodland Hills called Supercar Sunday. When our group of Legends pulled into the mall parking lot around 8:00 a.m., the area was already nearly full of a wide variety of show cars. We got a sneak peek at a new Dodge Challenger Hellcat, got up close and personal with a suicide door 1967 Lincoln Continental with laser-sharp paint work and body panels, and even a couple of 1981 Deloreans. My favorite car, though, was a Sebring Silver 1992 Acura NSX parked up the row a little bit. Super clean with only 65,000 miles on the odometer, I could tell it was well cared for. We weren’t looking over it longer than 2 minutes when the proud owner, Yoav, came up to give us the story on it. He is the editor of Petrolicious and has had a lot of nice cars in his automotive past, but he says the NSX is something special. He took a few moments to gaze upon our lineup of cars and introduce himself to our group. Thanks, Yoav, for your time! Here I am with Ben, and with Yoav’s 1992 NSX.

Gabe took the floor back at the Hampton and conducted an awards ceremony. Alex Alperovich swept 3 categories in his Milano Red 1994 LS coupe: Most Potential, Longest Drive, and “Sleeper.” His trophy collection is expanding quickly! Gabe raffled off a number of Legend-related prices. When he pulled two jugs of Honda “Type 2” coolant out of a box and put them on the counter, the collective crowd said, “Oooooooh!” Everyone wanted those. Duane from Folsom, CA was the lucky winner in that case.

Chris and I were rip-raring to hit the highway and head east, so we grabbed some Del Taco and did just that. I got used to seeing my Legend GS sedan in my rearview mirror for the next 7 hours or so. The big surprise was about 90 minutes into the drive when I received a text message with, “You just passed us!” One of the NALM attendees was driving along (in a non-Legend) on Freeway 210 and had spotted Chris and me driving along. Sure enough, I later received a picture he’d taken of us. Talk about timing!

Our drive through the I-10 desert was uneventful aside from some raindrops in Palm Springs and some haze climbing out of the Indio valley to Chiriaco Summit. It was great to get home! Many, many thanks to the NALM ground team (Gabe, Tommy, Graeme, and whoever else may have played a role) for their efforts in pulling off a great event.

Awards Summary:

Best Sleeper, Most Potential, Longest Drive: Alperovich (Alex )
Lowest Mileage: ArizonaLegend (Chuck)
Highest Mileage: Tyson
Cleanest USDM: SteveC (Steve)
Cleanest JDM: Sergey (not on forum)
Lowest Ride: Juan (not on forum)
Honorable Mention: Tyson
Best in Show G1: Mikeo (Mike)
Best in Show G2: Davecfprez (Dave)
Best in Show RL: 1BadKA9RL (Eric)

Here are the rest of my pictures. There will, soon I’m sure, be photos posted here on the forums too.

Video! Footage is courtesy of Chris.

Two “canyon run” videos from Sergey who was following me.

My Legend sedan, Ben’s 1992 LS coupe, and Alan with his 1994 LS coupe.

Dave’s award-winning (“Best JDM”) 1994 GS sedan 6-speed with only 98,000 miles.

Alan’s coupe again. Just love that paint color.

Saturday morning’s rollout to the canyon cruise.

Arrival at Neptune’s Net in Malibu.

Chowing down on some of the west coast’s best seafood.

Alex and Chris decided to climb down to the beach and get wet in the Pacific.

Looking back at Neptune’s.

Ben taking a picture of me, taking a picture of him.

Group overlooking the Pacific.

Heading out again – this time, off to the performance/dyno shop in Van Nuys.

This photo captured by Sergey’s brother along Pacific Coast Highway.

Getting dyno tested!

Group of onlookers.

Sunday morning’s view out room 245 of the Hampton Inn. A glorious sight indeed.

Traditional “trunk liner” signing with Kevin from Duluth, GA. Each of the last 3 years, I’ve left a special inscription in silver Sharpie on the fabric that covers the underside of his trunk lid. It’s a tradition we will continue to carry on.

Thanks, Kevin, for the privilege!

Chris getting a feel for the coupe.

Southeast Acura Legend guys: Alex (FL), Alan, (FL), Tyson, Evan (TN), and Kevin (GA).

Me with Alex. Showing off my two awards from the ceremony.

Headed home on I-10 with Chris in our twin Legends. This shot taken during a fuel-up near Palm Springs.

A hot entry into the Arizona state line from Blythe, CA. Welcome home!

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10th Annual National Acura Legend Meet – Part 1

Posted in California, NALM on July 25, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend sedan): 145,443

Odometer (Legend coupe): 530,701

I can’t believe I’ve been going to NALM for 10 years now! Each time I come to this event it’s a giant family reunion.

Along with a few other long-distance travelers, I made a 430-mile drive across the hot desert from Phoenix and arrived in Thousand Oaks, California around 6:45 p.m. on Thursday evening, just in time for the meet & green and kick-off activities. Master of Ceremonies Gabe Teran had developed a Legend-specific trivia game for the 30 or so participants in attendance. Our brains were racked as he asked for specifications like horsepower and torque figures and year-over-year model changes. I admit that even I, after having owned 9 Legends, could not answer many of his detailed inquiries!

It was a comfortable 72 degrees in the parking lot when we were outside shooting the breeze later in the evening. Such a refreshing break from the oven that is my home.

Here are a few photos from that day’s westward drive on Interstate 10. Thanks to TJ for capturing this one of Chris (in my sedan), me (in my coupe) and Alex on the road.

It’s a trip to watch my own car come up in the sideview mirror.

Lunch at Carl’s Junior in Quartzsite, just about 19 miles before crossing into California. Chuck’s car, at far left, is a 1993 LS coupe 6-speed with only 31,000 miles on it.

Fueling up in Palm Desert, CA. At one point on the trip, the 4 of us compared gas mileage and discovered that my GS sedan got the best of the group. Here are the quantities of gasoline each of our cars took to drive the same distance (roughly 130 miles).

Chris – 4.2 gallons
Alex – 4.77 gallons
Tyson – 4.72 gallons
Chuck – 4.8 gallons

Alex stopped to get a picture at the border to CA. He drove his car about 2,600 miles to get to this event.

Chris and I with an enthusiastic thumbs up after enduring some HEAVY delays on freeways 210, 134, and 101 approaching Thousand Oaks. Kicking at a clutch pedal gets kind of old when you’re rolling in stop and go traffic!

Today, Friday, was where the fun really got started. After feeding on breakfast from Hampton Inn, I headed out solo toward the American Honda main office in Torrance. Traffic on the 405 freeway was, not surprisingly, flowing at a crawl or not at all. I pulled up behind a Silver Moon Acura ILX at one point and it ended up being a couple of guys from Acura’s advertising agency, Mullen. Sure enough, they parked right near me at the visitor lot at the Honda office.

A Crimson Garnet ILX 6-speed was sitting on display in the lobby.

I had a nice visit with Vince Manganiello from Acura Public Relations.

Sadly, during my visit I received a parking violation from Corporate Security for backing my car in! Apparently that’s not allowed. Lesson learned. The best part was that the officer filled in “2000” as the year of my car. Hey, I guess it looks 6 years newer than it is!

Next, it was time to cruise .8 miles down the road to the private Honda Collection Hall: A facility where Honda has stashed away one-off and early production vehicles that are notable in the history of the Honda/Acura brands. The gang of Legend drivers had already arrived – when I pulled into the parking lot, the Legends lined the parking lot as far as the eye could see. Dave Heath who oversees the Auto Shows & Exhibits for Honda was kind enough to give our group some great background. Then, he turned us loose to explore the facility and check out the cars. Special vehicles of note were a yellow Integra Type R with only a few thousand miles on it, and the first ever 1994 Honda Accord built.

We pulled our Legends around to the back of the building for a photoshoot at a loading dock. By 2:30 p.m., we were ready to roll out en masse and return to our host hotel in Thousand Oaks. Traffic was the pits, as expected, but everyone made the 55 or so mile drive back safely (though it took almost two hours).

Here are some stats about the cars:

28 Legends, representative of first, second, third, and fourth generations
14 second generation Legend coupes
9 second generation Legend sedans
13 manual transmission cars
2 original owner cars: Ben with a 1992 LS coupe and Steve with a 1995 L sedan

Grab bag of pics to follow! Hope those of you who weren’t able to attend in person will enjoy these.

Chris’ arrival at the hotel.

Chris Martin, Tyson, Vince Manganiello

Chuck’s shirt reads “You’re Looking at a Legend.”

1986 Legend sedan on display

Thumbs up!

Catered lunch

Acura RLX on display outside. The RLX is Legend’s successor. I got the chance to drive & review one last year.

Dave, Tyson, Penny, and Ben

Checking out the Phoenix Red 1991 Legend coupe. It had only 300 miles on it!

Dave getting comfortable in the 1991 NSX. Looks good on you, Dave!

Dave also wins the award for coolest – er, hottest – engine bay. He has airbrushed flames!

Photoshoot from behind the museum.

I couldn’t even fit all the cars in the camera viewfinder!!

I got to ride in the backseat of my own car on the way to tonight’s dinner at Toppers Pizza. I like being chauffeured around!

Dinner group 1

Dinner group 2

It’s been a phenomenal day with friends! Stay tuned — tomorrow we’re taking a drive up the canyons!

17 Comments »

NALM 2014: Next stop, Los Angeles

Posted in NALM on July 23, 2014 by tysonhugie

This evening, my neighbors were peeking out their front room windows, nodding in confirmation. “He’s crazy.”

What they saw in my driveway was a group of 10 Acura Legends.

The attendees for tonight’s pizza party at my place came from places far and wide: Two from Florida, even.

Tomorrow, most of us will head westbound to Los Angeles, California for a multi-day event centered around our car club.

Here are a few other pics from the evening.

Even in the shade, with a straw hat, lounge chair, and box fan on the highest setting, Alan was sweating. The Phoenix area hit a record 114 degrees today.