drivetofive

Mustang Mania: MAA & Marti Auto Works

Posted in Arizona on April 10, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (NSX): 97,756

Odometer (ILX): 73,721

Any classic Ford lovers out there? The Ford Mustang is turning the big 5-0 this year, and that’s a pretty big deal. America’s favorite pony car has sold over 8 million units since its debut in 1964. Chances are, most of us have ridden in one or even owned one at some point.

Phoenix local Sam Haymart has been involved with a commemorative drive to celebrate the Mustang’s anniversaries every 5 years since the 30th anniversary event took place in 1994. His program is called Mustangs Across America (MAA). This year, the event has surpassed any prior registration count: 518 vehicles. Most of the participants are taking on the full enchilada: A 2,400-mile drive from Los Angeles, California to Charlotte, North Carolina. Man, I wanna join in!

The end point, Charlotte, is home to a Motor Speedway where a big Mustang birthday bash is being held, sponsored of course by Ford Motor Company. Tonight, they’re in the Phoenix area so I met up with the group at a western-themed place called Rawhide on the south end of town, not far from Interstate 10. Tomorrow night, they’ll be in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and from there, they’ll continue the eastward journey stopping in the cities identified on the map above. If they’ll be in your area, it’ll be worth your while to rendezvous with the group and take part!

This made me excited for the 10th Annual National Acura Legend Meet (NALM) coming up in late July.

Check out the photos below from my visit tonight to the designated meeting point.

Rawhide welcomes visitors from over 90 countries each year. The site is a replica of an 1880’s town.

Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’ – RAWHIDE! I know you’re singing it with me now.

Here’s a peek inside Rawhide. There’s food, entertainment, and – of course – a mechanical bull you can ride if you’re over 48 inches tall.

Giddy on up. Let’s take a look at some of these cars. “Wicked Pony” on the plate. Yeah, pretty sweet.

Believe it or not, I’m a fan of this green color.

Here’s a glimpse of what the rest of the parking lot looked like this evening.

Mustangs of all years are welcome at the event. Most are later-model cars, but a few die-hards had brought out their classics to put on some serious miles. There were license plates from all around the country represented.

This participant had his or her map and clipboard ready to go on the dashboard.

“You Have to Understand: It’s All About the Car.” I need that plate frame!

Cars & Coffee / Supercar Saturday Pictures

Posted in Arizona, Car Show on April 8, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 529,140

Odometer (ILX): 73,452

Car culture in the Phoenix, Arizona area is alive and well year-round. On any given weekend, you’re bound to see a fair share of classic and collectible cars. One of the events that I attend regularly is called Cars & Coffee. An entire parking lot fills to the brim every first Saturday of the month, and I took my 1992 Acura NSX out this past weekend.

Here are a few of the other vehicles in attendance.

This one really puts a size differential into play. A Nissan GT-R dwarfs my friend Neil’s Berlina Black NSX.

It’s easy to see that “anything goes.” The diversity of vehicles in attendance at C&C was evident.

Nice rides all around.

This event is one of things worth getting up early on a Saturday for.

Oh, and did I mention a Bugatti Veyron was in attendance. We’re looking at a couple million dollars right here.

Makes my NSX and this Porsche seem so humble in comparison.

My friend Chase showed up in his 26,000 mile beautiful NSX, too. In the background you’ll notice a Volvo much like the one that Irv Gordon drove to 3,000,000 miles not long ago.

Another red NSX. They were scattered throughout the show! This was a 1996 with 40,000 miles and a bunch of performance goodies.

Of all the cars in attendance, this one intrigued me the most. This is called a Facel Vega. It was produced from 1962 through 1964 in France and powered by a Chrysler engine.

I loved those subtle tailfins with integrated brake lamps.

Rallying the troops for the next event: Supercar Saturday. About once every six months, a Scottsdale-based company called Supercar Specialists hosts a road rally of sorts that I’ve attended on a few occasions.

Here, a hundred or so cars got together for a cruise to the mountains.

Even an Enzo Ferrari made came out to play.

Meeting & mingling with other car owners before heading to the hills.

Gotta love that color.

Yet another Formula Red NSX.

And Chase’s car again.

After distributing maps to the day’s destination, everyone got in their cars and rolled out in a giant caravan.

Start your engines.

There’s a sexy black Lambo.

I followed my friends Kelvin and Neil as we made our way toward the Interstate 17 northbound onramp.

A couple more taken by others.

Hope you enjoyed the pics!

7 Comments »

Reader’s Ride: Daniel’s 2012 Acura TL

Posted in Reader's Ride on April 6, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 529,120

Odometer (ILX): 73,359

The ultimate in Touring Luxury, this is one TL that’s dressed to impress.

Having previously owned a Honda Accord coupe, Daniel knew he wanted to step things up a notch and get into the Acura game. That’s why when he landed a promotion at work, the next logical step was to reward himself with a handsome new car. Enter the Crystal Black Pearl 2012 TL.

Daniel’s TL was one of perhaps only a handful that were originally outfitted in “SHIELD” attire as part of a promotional campaign with the Avengers movie. SHIELD = Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement Logistics Division.

Initially branded with a SHIELD sticker on the front doors, Daniel removed that but left the unique accessory wheels and OEM body kit.

With just 41,000 miles on the odometer, his car still looks and smells now. The lip spoiler on the back window is a nice subtle upgrade.

Daniel and I took the TL to lunch and I must say, it was one smooth ride. I especially enjoyed the ventilated seats.

The neighbors stopped by in their new Dodge Durango and asked if they could be part of the photoshoot. Sorry, guys!

Here’s what the SHIELD TLs looked like in show form.

Thanks, Daniel, for sharing your passion for Acura! Let’s get together again soon.

Hey, check out this awesome cross-country road trip in a BMW 5 series. The thread is 7 pages long but if you’re like me, you’ll be addicted. Thanks to my friend Lou for the link.

Around the Country in 80 Days

2 Comments »

Friday Photo Challenge – Cast Your Vote!

Posted in Blog, Reader's Ride, Utah on April 4, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 529,106

Odometer (ILX): 72,982

Of course it rained the day after I washed the Grand Canyon dirt off my ILX. Oh well.

I love photo scavenger hunts, so I created one. On February 7, 2009, I went for a scenic cruise in northern Utah’s Cache Valley on a brisk sunny day. My 1994 Acura Legend had 364,980 miles on it at the time. I stopped to take this series of pictures. The location didn’t really have any significance. I probably just felt like pulling over to document the scenic mountain range in the background. The intersection was 1950 North, 200 West, in Logan, Utah.

The idea struck me. How closely could my friend Ryan duplicate the photo with the street signs, 5 years later?

I sent it to him, to my mom, and to my friend Tyler. Let’s see how they did.

Original

Ryan’s Audi

Mom’s Lexus

Tyler’s Honda

Who gets the prize?

I guess I should decide what the prize is, too.

Have a great weekend, all.

30 Comments »

Brad’s Visit Part 2: Grand Canyon Skywalk, Arizona

Posted in Arizona, ILX, Road Trip on April 1, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 529,096

Odometer (ILX): 72,767

Trip Distance: 354 Miles

111 years ago, President Theodore Roosevelt said:

“The Grand Canyon fills me with awe. It is beyond comparison—beyond description; absolutely unparalleled throughout the wide world… Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is. Do nothing to mar its grandeur, sublimity and loveliness. You cannot improve on it. But what you can do is to keep it for your children, your children’s children, and all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see.”

Sixteen years later in 1919, the Grand Canyon was officially named as a national park. I echo President Roosevelt’s sentiments and encourage any of you who’ve not yet seen the Grand Canyon to plan a trip there soon.

A little background on today’s destination: The “Skywalk” attraction didn’t come around until about 7 years ago. It’s a horseshoe-shaped glass platform 70 feet in length that extends from the canyon wall. Anyone who’s afraid of heights should steer clear, but for me it posed a unique opportunity and I was thrilled to finally get the chance to experience it. The $31 million structure is said to be able to withstand a magnitude 8 earthquake and is engineered to hold the weight of 822 people @ 200 pounds each. Max capacity is set at 120 people, though.

(photo credit – Hualapai Indian Reservation)

From our hotel in Kingman, Brad and I headed out in the ILX on an overcast Sunday morning and drove up US Highway 93 to the eastbound turnoff toward to the Skywalk, taking us through the trailer town of Dolan Springs. The attraction is located on the Hualapai Indian Reservation, and thus a part of our entry fee went toward a surcharge for entering the Indian land. Guess they’ve gotta make that $31M back somehow! The last 9 miles of our drive on Diamond Bar Road were graded dirt/gravel, but that didn’t deter us. You’ve all seen me off-road the ILX before.

The ILX felt right at home in the desert environment.

The Skywalk experience far exceeded expectations for me. After parking the car, we checked in and picked up a map of the area. Included in the fare was a full meal as well as a shuttle ride to 3 different destinations and thousands of photo opportunities. The first was called Hualapai Ranch. It was an attempt at re-creating an old Western town, complete with a saloon and some stables. We had our lunches there, and the portions & quality were great. I went with the baked chicken.

The second stop, Eagle Point, was where action revved up. The tour bus stopped and Brad and I raced off among a stampede of foreign-language-speaking tourists. The canyon in all its splendor was there for the viewing. It was unnerving to stand at the cliff’s edge and be buffeted by strong wind gusts. We were ushered through a metal detector and got busted for attempting to take our cell phones onto the Skywalk – d’oh! You see, no “personal effects” whatsoever are allowed. No cameras and no phones. Into a locker those items went. We put disposable booties over our tennis shoes and took a step outside on the 4-pane glass with our eyes affixed on the canyon floor some 4,000 feet beneath us. It was unreal.

There were actually gaps between the panes in the glass floor wide enough to stick a finger through. I knelt down to show that to Brad and to poke my finger through the opening, and the lady standing next to me nearly passed out while watching me. She was clutching onto the hand railing so hard her knuckles were white. Ha! An employed photographer was on-site to take our pictures – for a fee, of course.

The final stop of the Skywalk shuttle bus was to Guano Point, so named for a mining operation that took place there in the 1930’s where bat guano (dung) was extracted from the area. The view surrounded us as we made our way to the end of the point. Brad and I met people from all over the world as we offered to take pictures for others.

Fulfilled in our mission, we headed back toward the Phoenix area via Stockton Hill Road to Kingman. A Las Vegas tour bus stirred up a huge cloud of dust ahead of me on the 9-mile dirt road that surely left my ILX needing its nostrils (air filter) needing to be cleaned or replaced once more, but it was well worth it. Drive to Five attraction rating: 5 stars.

Here are a few of the pics from our trip, as well as a very short video.

Pierce Ferry Road, eastbound from US 93.

About 21 miles from the West Rim, we confronted this sign.

Made it! Parking lot was paved despite the road being unpaved.

Lunch at Hualapai Ranch, after being greeted by these two cowboys.

Not bad!

The gift shop also had homemade fudge. We tried a few samples. Okay, a bunch of samples.

Eagle Point – a windy day but with great visibility.

Magnificent views all around.

Skywalk pictured here at left. Future plans for the area are a high-end restaurant, a museum, and other amenities.

The Skywalk gets two thumbs up from Brad. Check out those stylish booties.

This was my favorite perspective – just sitting down and looking through the glass.

Our photographer encouraged us to take this one.

More admiring the views from Eagle Point.

Warning sign from the mining equipment at Guano Point.

Back on the road again, stirring up a cloud of dust. I had to laugh at the people who were taking their convertible Mustangs on the road with the tops down. Hope they hit the car wash before returning those rentals.

Quick roadside photo op on the unpaved portion of Diamond Bar Road.

Who needs asphalt anyway?

Brad and I pit stopped for a few minutes to admire the Joshua Tree forest.

The colors of the desert were so vivid.

Dirty dirty.

Finally back at the house, and taking the old NSX out for a bite to eat. Nice GQ pose, Brad. Hey, follow this guy under “@bm89” on Instagram. He’s meant to be famous!

🙂

Love this sexy ride.

Hope you enjoyed the trip!

Sometime this weekend I get to install a $120 replacement foglamp assembly and a burned out bulb on the ILX. My driver’s side foglight bulb lasted 71,400 miles before burning out, and the passenger side has had a crack in it for several thousand miles. Time to get that front end fixed back up.

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Brad’s Visit Part 1: Phoenix – Flagstaff – Kingman, Arizona

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

Odometer (Legend): 529,074

Odometer (ILX): 72,728

Trip Distance: 306 Miles

How would you like to walk out on a glass platform and look at the ground nearly 4,000 feet below? Would that give you a little bit of vertigo? (photo credit: Hualapai Indian Reservation)

This weekend’s adventure was a visit to a hole in the ground that’s neither the deepest nor the widest in the world, but is nevertheless famous due to its size and colorful landscape: The Grand Canyon. My friend Brad flew in from New York to enjoy the view at one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Despite the fact that I live in the Grand Canyon state, I sure haven’t spent much time there lately. I’ve only been a few times that I recall. One was was eight years ago, in March 2006 when my Legend had 211,000 miles on it.

Keen Acura fans’ eyeballs will notice those 2004-2006 Acura TL 17″ wheels I was sporting at the time.

Another trip to the Grand Canyon was a railroad trip to the south rim in May 2011. To a lot of people (both Arizonans and otherwise), the G.C. is a “see it once, never go back” type destination. What they don’t realize is that the canyon offers a vastly different perspective depending on each of the various viewpoints available.

After enjoying brunch on Saturday morning in Tempe, Brad and I quickly hiked to the summit of Arizona State University’s “A” Mountain. A gigantic yellow A, there since 1955, proudly communicates Tempe’s school spirit.

Later that afternoon, we headed northbound on Interstate 17 in the ILX toward Flagstaff, Arizona. Along with the elevation gain from 1,100 feet to 7,000 feet, the temperature dipped accordingly. 87 degrees became 67 degrees by the time we arrived at historic San Francisco Street in Flagstaff.

We wandered around for a few minutes and stumbled across the community’s oldest pizza place – Alpine Pizzeria which first opened 41 years ago. Dessert was served up at the Galaxy Diner, a Route 66 relic that I visited on my Twin Arrows drive back in September 2012. The hot fudge sundae was every bit as tasty as I remembered it being. After indulging, we hit the road once more and tuned in to XM channel 74 – we’d had enough pop music for the day. Instead, our playlist was opera. Brad’s a big-time opera fan and a frequent flyer of the Metropolitan Opera in New York. I’m making an effort to diversify my musical interests, so I enjoyed a sampling of some of his favorite pieces.

It took us about two hours of driving westbound on I-40 across the pitch black night to arrive at our nightly destination in Kingman, exhausted but satisfied from a successful day. The next morning, we would be wowed by one of Mother Nature’s most amazing features in scenic panorama view.

For that, check in tomorrow. It’ll be worth your while.

Here are a few pictures from Saturday’s fun.

Brunch at NCOUNTER in Tempe. I recommend the “loaded” omelet.

The 1918 Hayden flour Mill has served as an area landmark for nearly a century. Tempe’s main street is named “Mill Avenue” for it.

Admiring the view of Tempe from the hike on “A” Mountain.

At the summit – only around 1,400 feet but it was a stair-stepping experience and still left me a bit winded!

Flagstaff, Arizona. Home of the Northern Arizona University Lumberjacks.

So, Brad accidentally dumped an entire shaker of peppers onto his slice of cheese pizza at Alpine. And then he STILL ATE IT.

Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Church on Cherry Street – love the architecture here.

Galaxy Diner, a great spot for food since the 1950’s.

Our waittress’ response when I ordered a hot fudge sundae: “We’re out of ice cream.” My disappointment reached epic levels. She must’ve seen it in my face, because soon she cracked a grin and said she was kidding. Sundaes for all!

Giving this XM channel a whirl for a change. I didn’t even know it existed. Look at me being all cultured.

Come back tomorrow! The fun’s just getting started.

2 Comments »

Interview for Hemmings Magazine Feature

Posted in Arizona, Legend, Reader's Ride on March 29, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 529,055

Odometer (ILX): 72,010

Hemmings is the world’s authority in classic car news and classifieds. For anyone who’s into the collector car hobby, you’ve already heard the name before. My friend Scott’s Lotus Esprit made the cover of Sports and Exotic Car in December 2011.

It’s hard to believe, but cars from the 1990’s are now becoming classics. Several weeks ago I was approached by author Jeff Koch about a feature story he was putting together on high-mileage vehicles. We got together on Wednesday for some Q&A and then a photoshoot of the Legend in nearby Papago Park.

Jeff: Would you mind popping the hood?
Me (“eek” face): Sure, but I think it’s gonna be dusty in there.
(as the hood goes up)
Jeff: Are you kidding me? There is no way in hell anyone who reads the magazine is going to believe this car has half a million miles on it.

Ha! A little while later:

Jeff: You said that’s stock ride height?
Me: Yeah
Jeff: Jeeze, it looks like it’s sitting on the bump stops from this angle.
Me: Well, that’s what my Legend enthusiast friends call the “500,000 mile sagging suspension.”

Jeff told me that my paperwork/documentation on the car was “the most complete I’ve seen in 20 years of doing this.” That’s what I like to hear.

We had a great time. He liked the roll-down rear windows and the automatic door closers. I offered to put my new-in-the-box driver side floor mat in for the interior photo-op, but he said he would rather take the picture of my floor mat that had a hole in it. The hole was worn by the heel of my shoe over many years and miles of travels, and thus it helped tell the story of my Legend.

We ended up getting some great pictures and we’ll probably see the article sometime later this year. Jeff said this will mark the first time an Acura Legend has been featured in the magazine. Sweet!

Thanks Jeff for taking the time to meet with me!

Be sure and check out Jeff’s blog here for the latest on all the cool cars he gets to photograph and review.

Before you close that browser, take a quick peek at my friend Stephen’s immaculate 1994 Legend GS.

Feast your eyes on that depth of that Granada Black Pearl paint. Would you believe this car has 218,342 miles on it?

Thanks Stephen for following the blog and for sharing these pics with me/us!

Here’s a sneak peek of where I’m off to this weekend. Tune in next time for a full report.

4 Comments »

Throwback Thursday: Meguiar’s HQ Meet 2008

Posted in California, Legend, Road Trip, Throwback on March 27, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 529,050

Odometer (ILX): 71,848

Anyone who’s ridden in my Legend knows that I’m a clean freak when it comes to my car. My friend Alex one time gave me a pair of booties that I could slip over my shoes before getting into the car. Was it a joke or was he serious? I guess I’ll never know. Years ago, I even bought a roll of protective “dealer plastic” on Ebay that I keep over the carpet on the door entry areas.

Here’s part of my current detailing arsenal.

From a young age, my dad instructed me in the ways of car finish maintenance. Our car care products were always Meguiar’s brand. Did you know that Meguiar’s has been around since 1901? It’s no wonder they’ve mastered the right types of products for keeping a vehicle looking its finest.

Six years ago, in March 2008, I traveled from Phoenix, Arizona to Irvine, California (roughly 800 miles round-trip) to attend a detailing seminar at the Meguiar’s US headquarters. There are some photos I captured while en route on westbound Interstate 10.

Upon arrival in Orange County, I met up with two fellow Legend fans: Penny and Steve.

Penny drives the Sherwood Green 1994 Legend GS sedan 6-speed, and Steve drives the Taffeta White 1995 Legend L sedan automatic. Believe it or not, Steve bought that Legend brand spanking new and he still drives it today.

Penny, double-chinned Tyson, and Steve.

Here are some photos from a similar meet that had been held the year prior.

What are your car detailing products of choice?

2 Comments »

1995 Acura Literature: “Preferred Pre-Owned”

Posted in Brochures on March 25, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 529,040

Odometer (ILX): 71,797

Many thanks to my friend (and Acura sales & leasing consultant) Paul at Ed Voyles Acura for sending me some awesome literature in the mail!

Here’s a screen shot from the Excel spreadsheet where I keep track of my inventory. In total, I have collected 75 items that pertain to general Acura interest (ranging from full-line model brochures to press kits, greeting cards, postcards, paint chips, things of that sort). Then, I have a separate 50 or so items that are specific to the Legend (brochures, promotional videos, posters, etc). It’s become quite the library! I talked about some of it here.

Here’s a new piece that I picked up just this past weekend. It’s a 12 x 12 detailed brochure on the 1991 Legend sedan that I got from my friend Mark in Los Angeles.

Acura, like most luxury automakers, has a very robust program in place to resell its lightly-used vehicles. Even back in the mid-1990s, there were advertisements like this one that made “original owners want to buy them back.”

Along with that campaign were printed various types of literature, including this pamphlet and booklet that Paul sent to me. These were printed in 1995 and contain detailed information about the Preferred Pre-Owned program as it related to the NSX, RL, Legend, SLX, TL, Vigor, CL, and Integra models.

The brochure has 24 pages of detailed information about what WAS and WAS NOT covered in the Preferred Pre-Owned vehicle warranty program. One of my favorite recommendations in the brochure was: “As an aid for the next owner, keep all maintenance receipts with the vehicle if it is sold.” Something that I love to see when I’m browsing the classifieds is a vehicle that’s fully documented back to new. I’d be far more comfortable buying a 200,000 mile car with full maintenance history than one with 100,000 miles and zero paperwork.

Toward the end of the booklet there’s one page called Required Maintenance Record. I don’t think these 14 boxes would have lasted me very long, considering my Legend’s maintenance spreadsheet now contains 236 lines of data.

Perhaps the best part of the whole package was a postcard attached to the back cover. The idea here was that owners could register themselves as members of the Preferred Pre-Owned program.

I wonder if I should fill one out for my Legend and just see what they do with it when it gets there?

Side Note: For any who are interested in picking up a really clean RSX 6-speed, have a look at this beauty:

My friend Buck is getting ready to part with his 2002 RSX Type-S. It’s immaculately maintained with only 91,500 miles on the odometer. The interior is black leather. The RSX is customized with 17″ wheels from the 2007-08 Acura TL Type-S. For inquiries, reach me at the email listed in my “About” page and I’ll put you in touch with Buck. The car is located in southern Utah.

Thanks for looking!

2 Comments »

ILX Drive: Los Angeles, California

Posted in California, ILX, Road Trip on March 23, 2014 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 529,038

Odometer (ILX): 71,667

Trip Distance: 764 Miles

Anyone hungry? I know where you can find a donut that’s 32 feet in diameter.

This weekend, I hit the highway and headed to the Golden State. It only takes me about 6 hours to get from my house to Los Angeles. Unfortunately, sometimes it can then take 6 hours to get from the suburbs of LA into LA, but that’s another story altogether. Gotta love southern California traffic sometimes. It was a great couple days of fun in the sun for me and for a few friends. My friend Jeff was visiting from Calgary, Alberta so we had coordinated the weekend around his visit.

My Acura ILX knows Interstate 10 well, having traversed that road just a couple of weeks ago for the visit to Palm Springs, California. I threw the gear selector into 6th and sailed off at 3,200 RPM with a full tank of gas. My only two stops on the drive out were in Quartzsite, Arizona (for string cheese and a Muscle Milk – some of my preferred road trip snacks), and Palm Desert, California (for a 91-octane gas stop at Chevron and a bite to eat at Burger King). One thing I noticed as I descended toward sea level was the tangible power gain from the ILX 2.4 liter. Its 201 horses seem to breathe a little easier at that elevation.

I’ll highlight just a few of the memorable activities from the weekend. I’m a huge Back to the Future fan, having seen each of the 3 movies in the series probably a dozen or more times. Next year on October 21, 2015, I better be doing something exciting because that’s the date that Marty McFly traveled to when he departed from 1985. I recently learned of the real-world locations of some of the movie’s scenes. One of them was the McFly house in Pacoima, California not far from Interstate 5, pictured here in a screen capture as part of “Lyon Estates.”

Determined to scout this out, I headed up I-405 first thing on Saturday morning to cross that off my list. Traffic, thankfully, was flowing smoothly throughout the day – I must’ve gotten lucky. The early morning ‘marine layer’ had yet to burn off so it looked a bit overcast, but temperatures were in the mid-60’s and it was a perfect morning to do a little sightseeing. Finding the McFly home was a piece of cake since I had the address in-hand. As I rounded the corner onto Roslyndale Avenue, the street immediately looked familiar to me. It didn’t look like anyone was home, so I pulled the ILX into the driveway for 30 seconds and snapped a photo.

Here’s the movie screenshot and my own version below it.

Mission: Accomplished. Next up, I headed southbound on I-5 and made a special visit in Orange County about 60 miles later. My friend Mark in Laguna Hills had invited me over to pick up a few Acura goodies he wanted to part with. He hooked me up with an OEM car cover for the 91-95 Legend coupe, a 1991 Legend sedan promotional brochure, and an Acura banner. Score!

Back in the saddle I went, ricocheting northbound on I-5 again. (I probably drove 150 miles without even leaving the Los Angeles Metro area that morning.) I met up for lunch with my friend and colleague Vince who works in Acura Public Relations. I’ve interacted with him on the ALV program and most recently at the Detroit Auto Show. It was great to catch up with him. Our lunch locale of choice was a cozy retro diner in Culver City called Dinah’s. I do highly recommend the mushroom burger & sweet potato fries!

The ocean beckoned, so for the rest of my day I joined up with Jeff and others for an afternoon at Manhattan Beach. While parking was a bit of a challenge (and it doesn’t help that I won’t settle for just any parking space), I got settled in and tried my hand at a couple games of beach volleyball. We all enjoyed a beautiful sunset from the pier later that evening.

This morning, my friends and I had breakfast at 26 Beach in Venice, known for its varieties of French toast. After that, I had to stop by Randy’s Donuts on La Cienega in Inglewood for a photo-op. Randy’s dates back to 1953 and its Wiki page talks about 16 movies that it’s been featured in, including Iron Man 2. Here’s a picture of Tony Stark reclining inside the donut from Iron Man 2.

And my ILX pictured there earlier today.

My last stop before taking off for home was a car show sponsored by 742 Marketing that my friend Aaron had invited me to. Aaron’s ILX was one of over 200 vehicles registered. His ILX is vastly different from any other. It started out as a bone stock Bellanova White 6-speed, but he’s since customized it with a custom quad exhaust, sport suspension, aftermarket wheels, and many other enhancements. His next upgrades will be made under the hood, as he told me he’s hoping to hit “beyond 400” horsepower. You go Aaron!

I pulled off a 33.1 mpg overall trip, not too shabby considering some more-spirited-than-normal driving in LA to take advantage of that great sea-level performance. Another fun weekend road trip in the books. The long, straight stretch of Interstate 10 through the desert was a fine place to spend Sunday afternoon. Thanks for tagging along!

The rest of my trip’s pics will follow in sequential order. First was my dinner stop in Palm Desert on Friday.

Here’s what the Back to the Future street looks like. Familiar to anyone else?

The famous house. I wonder if there’s a DeLorean in the garage.

Thanks, Mark, for this awesome Acura banner! It will go in the garage soon.

I spy! Check out that Silver Moon ILX Hybrid on Interstate 405. I spotted about half a dozen ILXs on the road during my travels in/around Los Angeles.

A couple of GPS screen shots to consider. It’s not uncommon to see 7-lane-wide freeways in LA. Each of the “up” arrows on my Garmin Nuvi meant that I was okay to be in any of the 5 center lanes.

What a mess of cities!

Lunch at Dinah’s in Culver City, famous for its fried chicken since 1959.

The place was bustling at noon on a Saturday.

Mushroom & Swiss = top notch.

Notice the “Culver City” signage in the background in my picture here with Vince. He knows a lot about the history of the area and its infrastructure.