drivetofive

Acura ILX Trip: Why, Arizona

Posted in Arizona, ILX, Road Trip on July 14, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 522,599

Odometer (ILX): 44,920

Trip Distance: 370 Miles

An instant message conversation with a colleague at work went something like this on Friday.

Apparently my coworkers know me too well. I can’t sit still for long.

It’s times like these during the peak of Phoenix summer heat when the 4 million of us who live in the Phoenix metropolitan area ask ourselves, “Why?” Why do we live in this oven of a city? The answer shows up in the fall when Mother Nature unplugs the heater and we bask in perfect winter weather from October through May.

The word “Why” took on a whole new meaning this weekend. “Why” is a place in southern Arizona. It’s a place so small and insignificant that even my Garmin Nuvi GPS unit didn’t know what it was.

You’re telling me there’s no other town named Why for at least 2,800 miles from here? This place must be special. I was determined to see what this little speck on the map had to offer. As it turns out, the drive was most rewarding. On a cool summer morning (that’s 96 degrees at 8:16 in the morning for us Phoenicians), I set out westbound on Interstate 10 in my 2013 Acura ILX 6-speed.

At Arizona Highway 85, I headed south for 35 miles to Gila Bend.

This blog entry brought to you in part by Fertizona: Arizona’s largest agricultural fertilizer and crop protection retailer. (Not really, but I thought the name was clever).

Gila Bend: Home of 1700 friendly people and 5 old crabs. The 5 crabs’ names, by the way, are written out on the smaller sign below. Seriously!

After passing through town, which didn’t take longer than a minute or two, I headed even deeper south. Next stop: Mexico.

Without a passport, I wasn’t going to get too far, but there were plenty of shops willing to sell me a Mexican insurance policy. Here’s one such example where they actually sell Mexican insurance at a DRIVE-THRU. Can I get a chimichanga with that policy?

Just a bit down the road in Ajo, Arizona (Ajo is Spanish for “garlic”), I found the ultimate one-stop shop. Cactus, jelly, copper, onyx, jewelry, T-shirts, blankets, pottery, rugs, and… swords?! Good to know!

Ahh, here we go. Getting closer – the sign told me I was just 10 miles from Why. Rocky Point, at 103 miles from this sign, resides in Mexico. It’s a popular summertime destination for Arizonans seeking beach-time. It is, in fact, the closest beach to Arizona. Remember that country song, “Oceanfront Property In Arizona”? Well, that ocean’s in another country.

We now learn why Why is called Why. The map below from my GPS illustrates it best. When the unincorporated town was formed, it lied at the intersection of Highways 85 and 86. They roads came together at a “Y.” Since the law at the time required a town’s name to be at least 3 letters long, it was spelled out W-H-Y. Safety concerns later on prompted the creation of a traditional “T” style intersection instead of the original Y.

At last. I made it. Surprisingly, there’s enough customer traffic for a few businesses to stay afloat out there.

Here’s that piece of road that’s now curved where it used to go straight down.

No trip to Why would be complete without a stop at the Why Not Travel Store.

Because you can get Free Why-Fi. Love it.

I made a bathroom break out back and continued on my way. I’d seen all that Why had to offer.

At only about 25 miles from the Mexican border, it was ironic that Madonna’s “Borderline” chose to play from my iPod on the ILX’s 7-speaker Premium Audio System at this time. I rocked it out with plenty of volume.

Eastbound on Highway 86, I had the road to myself. Except when I passed this guy. He didn’t even flinch when I laid on the horn.

The next place of any significance on my drive was Sells, Arizona. Sells was pretty quiet except for the marketplace. It’s on Indian land and is the capital of the “Tohono O’odham” Nation. A service station by the name of Sells Gas sits on the main drag through town. I bet they… sell gas.

Over the course of my 6 or so hours behind the wheel today, I encountered dozens of border patrol vehicles. The Ajo-Why-Sells-Tucson area is a hotbed of immigrant activity. For this reason, it’s heavily policed. I was stopped briefly by officers here, just east of Sells on Highway 86.

For a brief moment while I neared Tucson, I thought I’d driven my ILX into Dr. Seuss’ Whoville. Wasn’t there a Who named Cindy Lou Who? Apparently Cindy Lou Who opened up a restaurant out here called Cindy Lou’s Cafe. Tacos are only $1.25!

Now we’re cookin’.

Last stop on the journey was a meet-up with my friends Nick & Kurt in Tucson for a bite of Mexican grub.

Hope you enjoyed the trip to Why! Now, if I could only find out if there are towns named Who, What, and Where.

In high-mileage news: My friend Jason linked me to a website about a 2005 Honda Accord Coupe EX V6 that’s gone the distance. Here’s the thread on the 7th Generation section of the DriveAccord.net forums.

The odometer reads just over 506,000 miles. The car was owned since new by a territory salesman in Minnesota and every service record is accounted for. The timing belt was changed every 100,000 miles. Reportedly, the only items which have failed are the starter, the power steering, and the battery.

The new owner paid $6,000 for the car. He plans on modifying it with visual & suspension upgrades. I’d leave it alone!

Over and out.

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Reader’s Ride: Michael’s 2009 Acura TSX

Posted in Reader's Ride on July 11, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 522,586

Odometer (ILX): 44,444

Please allow me to introduce another fan of the Acura brand to you today. The model year 2009 marked some (literal) big changes for the Acura TSX sport sedan. The 2nd generation TSX got longer and wider than its predecessor which debuted in 2004. My new friend Michael from Chicago owns a stunning Vortex Blue 2009 Acura TSX and he stopped by to visit while road-tripping through the area on Tuesday evening.

Here we are. Michael’s car has 55,658 miles on the odometer.

He is currently 1,740 miles from home and he is confident that the TSX will get him home safe and sound. I’m sure it will, too. He said his oil life indicator still shows 90% useful life remaining.

These two sport sedans have each served as a gateway to the Acura brand, inviting young professional buyers to experience the brand and work their way up the ranks to other Acura models.

I’m a huge fan of this Vortex Blue color. I’d be interested in seeing how it compares next to Acura’s new “Fathom Blue Pearl” which debuted on the 2013 ILX.

“Beak” grilles. Though brutally criticized since their birth in 2009, I think that Acura’s signature “shield” front end has matured gracefully over the years.

Here’s the cockpit of Michael’s ride. It’s a heck of a lot cleaner than mine would be during the middle of a road trip.

There’s something addicting about Acura ownership. It seems none of us are content with just one car in the garage. Michael’s other ride is a 1994 Legend LS coupe automatic in Milano Red. We took my Legend for a spin around the block.

Michael shared these pictures with me of his own Legend. It’s equipped with JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) one-piece headlamps and factory foglights. Unlike my car, his has a 4-speed automatic transmission.

This body looks pretty great for a 19-year-old car! It has around 230,000 miles on it.

Love the look of the rear spoiler with the 1994-95 Legend coupe trunk lid.

This car makes me miss the red Legend LS coupe that my mom used to own. Here are a couple of pictures from June 2010 when I had three Legends at my house.

My neighbors were rolling their eyes when I took these photos for sure.

The rest of that photoset from 3 years ago is posted here in the Acura Legend forums.

Thanks, Michael, for swinging by and paying me a visit! I hope to return the favor the next time I’m rolling through Illinois.

For anyone who can’t get enough Legend talk, stop on by the WordPress blog called Project 130R which is put together by my friend Erik. He’s recently featured two very clean 1st generation Legends that belong to my friends James and Ryan. Check out Project 130R at the link here.

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Independence Day Trip to Utah

Posted in ILX, Road Trip, Utah on July 8, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 522,581

Odometer (ILX): 44,274

Trip Distance: 1,727 Miles

Happy Independence Day! Lured by cooler temperatures up north, I saddled up in the Acura ILX last Wednesday and set out on a long-distance journey to the motherland of Utah. Highway 93 northbound from Phoenix was surprisingly quiet for a holiday.

I wasn’t alone, though. Along for the drive was my friend Matt who works for Nissan / Infiniti at the company’s proving ground just south of Phoenix. Matt brought a pre-production model 2014 Q50 Sport Hybrid. The Q50 goes on sale August 5th, but Matt was given special access to this test car for evaluation purposes.

The numbers grew yet again when another friend, Jeremy, hopped in the caravan in St. George, Utah the following morning.

At that point, we had 3 Japanese luxury brands represented.

Jeremy, Matt, and I showed our patriotism on July 4th with colors that were as close to Red, White, and Blue as we could muster:

2006 Lexus IS350 in Matador Red Metallic
2013 Acura ILX 2.4 in Silver Moon Metallic
2014 Infiniti Q50-S Hybrid in Hagane Blue Metallic

These cars, while each one distinct in its approach, all compete against one another in a sport luxury sedan category. For 200 miles from St. George, Utah to Nephi, Utah, we paced each other on Interstate 15. Jeremy’s Lexus is powered by a 306-horsepower, 3.5 liter V6 gasoline engine. It puts power to the wheels via a 6-speed automatic transmission. Paddle shifters on the steering wheel offer the driver control over which gear is selected.

The Infiniti is the most powerful of the 3 vehicles. The Q50’s powertrain is referred to as a “Performance Hybrid” system. Power is delivered to the rear wheels via a 3.5 liter gasoline engine coupled with an electric motor. Together, those two systems work either in unison or independently to maximize efficiency and power. Net horsepower is 354 — over 150 more horses than I had at my command while piloting the ILX.

To be fair, the ILX was the only 4-cylinder vehicle in our escapade, and it beats out the other two from a pricing perspective by quite a bit.

The Q50 starting price is $36,700 and equipped as a Hybrid with Sport package, comes in closer to $50k
Jeremy’s IS350 priced out at $35,440 when it was new
The ILX starts out at below $27,000. My 2.4 liter 6-Speed Premium is $29,200 according to Acura.com.

Specs aside, no doubt we had our fun cruising in tandem along I-15.

Soon, we approached Utah Valley and the unmistakable Rocky Mountain peaks referred to as the start of the Wasatch Front. These mountains are notorious for Utah’s “greatest snow on earth” during ski season.

My friend Branson borrowed the ILX and he visited some noteworthy landmarks in northern Utah that I thought I’d share:

The “Metaphor” statue along Interstate 80 in deserted western Utah has long perplexed motorists who drive past it. Created in 1986 by Swedish artist Karl Momen, it stands 87 feet tall and is made of concrete. It’s also sometimes referred to as the “Tree of Life.” We simply don’t know much else about its meaning, but if it’s offbeat, you know it gets me excited.

Just 25 miles further west, nearing the Nevada state line, lie the expansive Bonneville Salt Flats. The flats cover 44,000 acres of public land and are the remnant of an ancient Lake Bonneville which has since evaporated, depositing salt in the area. Due to the salt flats’ incredibly flat surface, they became a popular place to race vehicles & motorcycles.

The first carriage race was held here in 1911. According to the information sign on-site, by the 1960’s, jet and rocket powered cars had broken the 600 mph barrier. The Bonneville Speedway itself is 10 miles long and is home every year to various racing events such as “Speed Week.”

When Branson visited the flats on Sunday morning, they were under water. During rainy seasons, the area is flooded.

The salt flats are a beautiful place to admire the vast nothingness that exists in remote western Utah. Unfortunately, due to salt being harvested from the flats, they’re shrinking in size.

Here is a link to some pictures from when I took my Legend there in June 2007. Eighty miles north of Salt Lake lies my birthplace – Logan, Utah. It was refreshing to experience temperatures like these, having come from the Arizona fireplace.

I met up with some Honda-fanatic friends. Ryan is the proud owner of a black Honda S2000. He took my mom for a drive and she was all grins.

I joined Matt, Ryan, and Tyler for a drive up the Logan Canyon Scenic Byway, US Highway 89.

Tyler’s 1990 Prelude Si 4WS 5-speed is in amazing shape and I’ve blogged about it before.

One of the stops while going up the canyon was “Ricks Spring.” Once thought to be producing water from a deep aquifer, a series of dye tests later revealed that this water outflow from a cave in Logan Canyon actually comes from the Logan River. The water is extremely clear and chilly.

On Saturday, I attended the Cache Valley Cruise-In car show, a 4th of July tradition for my family. My brother Bentley’s 1968 Chevy II Nova Super Sport looked phenomenal. The car is sitting on a fully adjustable coilover suspension and American Racing wheels. Bentley recently had the brakes upgraded to Wilwood components with cross-drilled and slotted rotors.

This is one mean machine. It’s powered by a small block 350 cubic inch motor which has been bored to 388 cubic inches. The registration form for car show entry asked for owners to fill in horsepower ratings. Bentley wrote in: “Enough.”

The Nova has a 5-speed manual transmission and factory A/C. I still haven’t driven this thing!

Baby Beckam enjoyed the show as much as the rest of us did.

While I haven’t driven the Nova, I did have a special driving experience while in Logan. My step-dad Todd owns a 1951 Plymouth Cranbrook sedan. This baby blue 4-door has a 6 cylinder under the hood.

More importantly for me, it’s equipped with a 3-speed manual, column-shifted transmission. This was the first time I had the opportunity to drive a “3 on the tree”! It was quite intuitive once I got the hang of it. The biggest challenge was remembering that the clutch engagement point was really high, and the brake engagement point was really low. Fancy footwork is required!

Just when I mastered the art of 3-speed shifting, the car’s gas pedal stuck to the floor and we had to shut the car off and coast into a service station. Oops! Thankfully, we got the Plymouth back up and running the following morning.

A phenomenal Cache Valley sunset closed out Saturday night.

On Sunday morning, we were off for more sightseeing. Golden Spike National Historic Site is a very important landmark among railroad enthusiasts. It’s located 32 miles west of Interstate 15, near Brigham City, Utah.

Golden Spike is the famous location where, on May 10, 1969, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads came together, completing the very first coast-to-coast, transcontinental railroad. Golden Spike gets its name from the fact that a spike made of 17.6 carat gold was the last spike to be driven. The actual golden spike is on display in Palo Alto, California. It was donated to Stanford University in 1892 by its owner, David Hewes.

There’s some fascinating information about the golden spike here. When the individual teams of railroad workers started getting closer to one another in 1869, they worked feverishly to reach a meeting point. The Central Pacific team was so productive that they they laid a record-setting 10 miles of track in a single day.

Today, reproduction locomotives are on display at the site. There are daily 1:00 p.m. demonstrations.

Matt and I set out on our return trip to Arizona and we were met with some adverse weather near Cedar City, Utah. The Q50 and the ILX were surefooted enough to get us to St. George safely for the evening.

By Monday morning when we completed the final stretch, the sun had peeked out yet again. I took a couple of “retro” pictures in Fredonia, Arizona at an abandoned service station. I wish I could have the opportunity to see inside this one.

I doubt this service station ever stocked the 0W20 oil that would be appropriate for my Acura ILX.

Hey, check out that gas mileage! In the 399.2 miles driven since my last fuel-up in Hurricane, Utah, my ILX has averaged 35.8 miles per gallon. I bet my friends in the Lexus and Infiniti are jealous now.

Thanks for joining for the trip!

I really like this tribute to Honda engineering that was released a few days ago. Enjoy!

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Motor Oil

Posted in Legend, Maintenance on July 2, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 522,576

Odometer (ILX): 42,547

My great-grandpa Hansen opened the very first automotive service station in northern Utah’s Cache Valley in 1923. The automotive industry has always been in my blood. At one time Grandpa Hansen sold Texaco oils.

Later it was Parco.

And at some point, his station sold Chevron brand.

Great-Grandpa Hansen is pictured here with my grandmother as a baby in January 1931.

Grandpa ran the station until Labor Day 1967 when he retired and sold the building. His 40+ years in the fuel service industry ingrained in my family a love for the automobile. The station is seen in the background here, with my uncle Jeff’s 1955 Chevy in the foreground.

This is a fun movie ticket that we have as a reminder of what it was like to spend $0.15 to go to a movie. Notice the expiration date was March 15th, 1932. I would’ve loved to explore his service station. It’s since been bulldozed.

Eighty years later, I’m still supporting the motor oil industry but as a consumer rather than a vendor.

The oil and filter in this car have been changed 161 times.

One of the most common questions I get from readers who learn of my mileage on the Legend is, “What oil are you running in that thing?” The answer may surprise many. The Legend runs on conventional 5W30 oil and always has. I’ve never used any motor oil additives, never used Seafoam. The only “treatment” of any sort that the car has received is an occasional bottle of Chevron Techron in the fuel tank. Now, this begs the next question: “How often do you have the oil changed?”

The short answer: FREQUENTLY.

As seen in my maintenance spreadsheet, I’ve stuck with a 3,000 mile interval for my entire ownership of the car, even if it means having the oil changed mid-cross-country-trip. For this reason, my car’s been in dealership service bays as far east as Princeton, New Jersey, as far west as Fife, Washington, as far south as Austin, Texas, and as far north as Fairbanks, Alaska. I’ve got every corner of the country pretty much covered.

The Owner’s Manual to my Legend calls for an oil & filter change every 7,500 miles. There’s an accompanying sticker on the airbox in the engine bay that says the same thing.

However, a footnote to the Maintenance Schedule section on page 144 also indicates that “severe driving conditions” warrant a more frequent change.

Severe driving conditions are defined as follows:

Driving less than 5 miles per trip
Driving on rough, muddy, or de-iced roads
Driving in extremely dusty conditions
Extensive idling or driving long periods at slow speeds
Towing a trailer

In such cases, the oil change interval is shortened to every 3,750 miles. I consider Arizona driving conditions about as severe as they get.

My other Legend, the 4-door sedan GS 6-speed, is in storage with the battery disconnected. It gets driven every 2-3 weeks for varying distances. However, the mileage takes awhile to accumulate. Case in point: Between October 17, 2012 and April 15, 2013 (6 months’ time), the car was only driven 278 miles. But, I still have the oil changed every 6 months regardless of mileage driven.

My ILX, at 19 model years newer than the Legend, asks for a vastly different approach to oil maintenance. The car comes with 0W20 oil. Is this oil conventional or synthetic? It depends on who you’re asking. I’ve googled this endlessly and seen various types of responses. One commenter even stated that he knew of three distinct versions of Honda 0W20 oil!

As for the oil change interval, the ILX owner’s manual throws out the notion of mileage-based changes entirely. Instead, the driver is asked to schedule maintenance based on a computer readout in the middle of the instrument cluster called the “Maintenance Minder.” I can get to my Maintenance Minder by toggling through a few other screens (mpg, estimated range, etc). It reads out as a percentage. On a fresh oil change, it’s reset to 100% oil life remaining.

When I got the ILX, I was told, “Schedule your oil change when it hits 15%.” Well, I had gotten to 5,000 miles and it still said 50%! As someone who has clung to 3,000 mile changes my whole life, the idea of continuing to push the car to 2 or 3 times that mileage seemed absurd. I went ahead and had it changed at 5,000 miles, and I’ve stuck to that interval ever since. Is it wasteful and unnecessary? Probably. But it works for me. I can easily keep track of when the car’s due for service. And I don’t mind enjoying the Customer Lounge amenities at my local dealership frequently.

We’ll see if my technique gets me to 500,000 miles in the ILX or not. I’m curious what my readers think. Weigh in on the comments section: When do you get your oil changed?

On Monday night, I met up with my friend Armando who has a super clean pearl white 1992 Subaru SVX. This is Armando’s second SVX. You all met the first one back in May. It was good to catch up with him.

I’ve always thought this was a cool design, especially in the black and white two-tone like Armando has.

At around 180,000 miles, he’s just getting broken in.

I wanted to share another classic car of yesteryear with the blog today as well. This is my step-dad’s 1951 Plymouth Cranbrook Sedan. He’s owned it for over 35 years.

This beauty has a 3-speed manual transmission on the steering column. I’m going to take it for a spin when I visit northern Utah later this week. The ILX and I are off to Logan, Utah to escape the Phoenix heat for a few days.

This Plymouth is up for grabs for $3,800 if anyone out there is interested.

In closing, I visited a friend who had this sitting on her bookshelf.

Published in 1983, I wonder how many of the techniques in there would still apply for today’s vehicles?

I’ll have to order myself a copy and read up! Have a safe and enjoyable holiday.

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Legend Oil Change & Random News

Posted in Legend, Maintenance on June 26, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 522,572

Odometer (ILX): 42,344

Welcome summer! Love those weekend highs.

Today, the Legend coupe went in for an oil change and I added yet another page to the 2-volume set of maintenance records that date back to 1994.

The oil had last been changed on February 14th at 519,701 miles, so it’s definitely taken me awhile to rack up nearly 3,000 miles on this one. For $43.78, I was out the door with fresh 5W30 oil and a new filter. It’s worth noting here that I’ve never topped off the car’s oil level between changes. I’ve checked the oil level mid-change and it’s always been within allowable limits.

The mechanic did make mention on my paperwork of some leaks that I may need to address before my big trip to North Carolina later this year for the National Acura Legend Meet. Namely, the power steering rack and the differential (both of which are original to the car).

Acura of Tempe, Arizona must be feeling patriotic, because they had this Vortex Blue TSX Sedan and Milano Red TSX Wagon parked at the entrance to the service department. They just need to park a white one in between them!

While waiting for the service, I had time to check out the all-new MDX that went on sale recently. Those signature “Jewel Eye” headlights that we’ve also seen in the new RLX are appearing here as well.

The MDX is powered by a 290-horsepower 3.5 liter V6 that delivers impressive fuel economy at 28 mpg highway. That seems really great for an SUV of this size and weight. Remember, this thing has a third seating row for passengers and can accommodate 7 comfortably!

The interior appears to be nicely appointed, too.

Apparently, this latest Acura MDX – when equipped with some of the higher end Technology or Advance packages – can be outfitted in Forest Mist Metallic with Eucalyptus (green!) leather interior.

I haven’t seen a green-on-green car since my dad’s 1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport! (pictured in the background here with my younger brother who is now 25):

Next week’s Independence Day holiday will mean extensive travels for the ILX, but it won’t be going too far this weekend.

I found a lot of random stuff to share over the last several days. First, some NEW Acura news.

2015 Acura TLX Spy Photos

Brenda Priddy Spy Photography caught the 2015 Acura TLX out for hot-weather testing in Death Valley. This car will reportedly be the successor to the current TL. Temple of VTEC has a photo album here.

Can’t wait to see more about this exciting new model.

Drive to Five New Member

My friend William has a 2000 Honda Accord sedan 5-speed that he and his family have driven since brand new. It rolled 500,000 miles a few days ago outside the base where he’s stationed in Georgia.

Congrats, William!

And my friend Spencer also hit a milestone in his Cashmere Silver Metallic 1994 Legend LS coupe 6-speed. Notice how he managed to get 234,567.0 on the odometer with 901.2 on the trip meter. Clever thinking (and some pre-planning) there!

Spencer’s car looks great for its age and mileage!

Curbside Classic Feature

Check out this write-up by Brendan Saur of Curbside Classics which is a nice discussion about the evolution of the Legend and its successors. Brendan did a great job of capturing the highlights of Acura’s flagship, from the original 1986 Legend to today’s 2014 RLX.

Blasts from the Past

If you’ve got 7 minutes to spare, this YouTube video is a fun 1995 comparo between the then-new 1995 Nissan Maxima and some other luxury competitors, including the Acura Legend LS.

Link here since it won’t let me embed.

My favorite comment was during the acceleration test when the narrator claimed the Maxima had better performance because it “powered ahead of the Lexus, the Mercedes, and the Legend.” Notice that he didn’t say “the Acura.” This exact point is why Acura abandoned the Legend nameplate in favor of the alphanumeric “RL” name. People were associating the car with the name “Legend” more than with the name Acura.

Look how they throw the car around those cones at 3:24!

And yet another throwback: This is a scan from my high school yearbook (year 2000). Even back then, I took a great deal of pride in my car, a 1989 Honda Prelude Si. In fact, I made sure to get the exact same parking space every day – right along the street where I could keep a close eye on the car AND have it be protected from receiving dents from careless fellow classmates.

Around that same timeframe was when my family had a 1993 Legend L sedan. I must’ve been keeping an eye on classifieds because for some reason I clipped these two out of the Pioneer Shopper that came out every Thursday!

It seems odd to see such a pricetag on a 1993. It’s also hard to believe these clippings are from 15 years ago.

Sure wish I could get $17,500 out of my 1994 today!

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ILX Sunday Drive on the Apache Trail in Arizona

Posted in Arizona, ILX, Road Trip on June 23, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 522,443

Odometer (ILX): 42,221

Trip Distance: 179 Miles

Time for a little 4×4 action in my luxury car… again.

In March 2008, I took my Acura Legend where (maybe) no Acura had gone before: a dirt road that was once the main way to get from Roosevelt, Arizona to Apache Junction, Arizona. The total drive distance when going this route is 45 miles. To avoid the dirt road and go around it on paved streets, the distance is significantly longer at 79 miles. The “Apache Trail,” as it became named, is also known as Arizona Highway 88 and to this day is one of my favorite roads to drive.

Here’s the video for those who’d rather watch than read:

My friend Matt and I decided to do a little Sunday drive and some sightseeing in the Superstition Mountains east of the Phoenix valley, so we set out in two vehicles: My 2013 Acura ILX, and his work-issued 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. Highway 88 is lined with rivers and lakes, including Canyon Lake pictured below.

For the most part, it’s a fun, twisty two-laner with very few passing lanes. There are two one-lane bridges to cross.

We made our way toward Tortilla Flat which was once a common stopping point when the Apache Trail was more heavily traveled.

Quick pit stop in Tortilla Flat for a bathroom break. We parked next to a nice 370Z 6-speed.

The misspelling about the “dinning” room entrance at the Tortilla Flat restaurant is almost too far fetched to be true. I think they’ve left it there intentionally to add to the quirkiness of this place. The walls are absolutely covered with $1 bills. I would have added my own, but I needed to save my $1 bills for a car wash later in the day. You’ll see why.

Though once home to a motel, Tortilla Flat is now just a place to grab food and supplies.

The road continues paved for several miles beyond Tortilla Flat, but then:

For the next 22 miles, we curved around rocks & rivers as we made our way toward Roosevelt Lake on the graded dirt road.

There were several one-lane bridges to cross. This one crossed over Fish Creek.

The ILX handled the adverse terrain with poise. I did have to disable the traction control system to get maximum grip – on some of the washboard ruts, the system would disable power to one of the front tires and keep me from maintaining momentum.

I got a picture with our two transport vehicles. The 2013 Nissan Pathfinder was featured back in March on a trip to Bagdad, Arizona. It’s a Middle Eastern-spec vehicle with speed in kilometers per hour on the gauge cluster.

Saddle up – we’re off again.

Matt and I traded off taking the lead on the drive. I ate his dust for a good part of it. I think my ILX will probably be due for an engine air filter change at its next service. The suspension did a great job of absorbing the uneven road. There were a few sights to see along the way, including the Apache Lake Marina.

Soon we were just 12 miles from the junction with Highway 188.

A few more bridges, and we were home free.

The road descended in elevation until we again met up with the Salt River. From there, we followed it upstream toward the Roosevelt Dam.

Some of you may recognize this place from a drive a few weeks ago when I went with several friends to check out the Roosevelt Dam and its impressive accompanying bypass bridge.

It was a great trip and one that I’d highly recommend!

I’ve got a few other random news bits before signing off for this weekend’s entry:

1) In November 2012, I drove the ILX back to Phoenix from southern Utah, and I took a picture at the historic Marble Canyon Lodge on Highway 89A in northern Arizona. Phoenix news station 3TV ended up using my picture in an article this week after the lodge burned down. Check out slide 6 of 6 with the ILX parked out front! Screen capture below.

Pretty sad to see the 1920’s lodge end up like this.

2) Anybody hear about Irv Gordon’s latest in his 1966 Volvo? He’s only 30,000 miles away from hitting 3 million miles!

Here’s the video. This guy’s an inspiration. I’ve tried contacting him to introduce myself but haven’t had any luck yet.

3) I scanned some old Legend promotional materials this week. I’ve got a huge collection of magazine articles and brochures related to all things Acura, but specifically about the Legend. Here’s a reprint from Road & Track magazine.

It’s kind of fun to read the specifications for the Legend Coupe & Sedan from a “Preferred Pre-Owned” brochure.

4) It’s 4,052 miles from Scottsdale, Arizona to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska on the Arctic Circle. This would be the road trip of all road trips. My friend Ben told me he’s interested in doing the drive someday, and the more I look into it, the more obsessed I get with it. Would anyone like to come along?

5) Congrats to my friend Chase from Austin, Texas who just picked up a 2013 Fathom Blue Pearl Acura ILX 2.0 on Friday!

Just 23 miles on the odometer when he took delivery!

6) Speaking of ultra-low mileage, ever heard of a 50+ year-old vehicle with fewer than 10 miles on the odometer? It’s really possible. A friend today told me about a classic car gold mine of sorts in Pierce, Nebraska: a Chevy dealership that’s been closed for decades and which houses dozens of “new” cars that have never been sold. A 1958 Cameo pickup truck with 1 mile on the odometer seems like a pretty unreal find, but it does exist. The truck, and nearly 400 other vehicles, will go up for auction this September as the owners of the now-closed dealership (now in their late 90’s) liquidate everything.

Video here:

Have a great week!

15 Comments »

Original 1992 Acura Legend Owner: Ben’s Story

Posted in Legend, Reader's Ride on June 19, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 522,442

Odometer (ILX): 41,793

Commitment: Can you imagine keeping the same car for over 20 years? That’s what my friend Ben has done. He’s been a proud Legend owner for twice as long as I have. As for many of us, his love for Acura started before he even had a driver license. This story centers around his 1992 Acura Legend LS coupe that he bought brand new. I hope you’ll enjoy some of the highlights of his ownership experience as much as I enjoyed learning about them.

Ben’s car is still wearing its original “3D” series California plates dating back to its in-service date in 1993. California plates have since sequentially moved forward to today’s “7A.” It’s extremely rare to see a vehicle still wearing its first combination. And look at that stack of registration stickers – 20 of them, stuck on top of one another.

Ben’s Legend story started was 14 years old when he first took a ride in his friend’s father’s 1989 Seattle Silver Legend sedan and was amazed at the smoothness and features it had.

When Ben was 19 years old, he bought his Frost White Legend coupe with black interior from Acura of Mountain View in Mountain View, California (the building has since been converted into a pool hall). The asking price was $29,995 and it was the last 1992 Legend on the lot.

I still remember the day I saw it for the first time, and the following day when we bought it. I still remember the salesman, Steve Cheng. I wonder where he is today. I wonder if he’s still selling cars. If so, it would be cool to re-enact the key handoff (with the unused keys) in the Tyson tradition! If we could find him, he would probably be in his 60s today. I remember he told me after we bought the car that I had made the right choice. I had previously had my heart set on a 3G Nissan Maxima. He said that long after the Maxima is gone and forgotten, the Legend would still be a nice, classy car, and he was right!

Ben’s car had just 65 miles on the odometer when he took delivery. He still has all of his original paperwork as well as documentation on the car’s complete life history. These are a couple of pictures from before he added an OEM spoiler and some 16″ Legend GS wheels to replace the 15″ stock 7-spokers.

Below is a photo essay of some of the highlights of Ben’s ownership experience.

When the car was a week old – Lake Cachuma

Spring 1993 at the University of California – Santa Barbara campus

1993 Mission San Miguel, Central California

Shadow pic, 1993

Ben has owned several other very elite rides over the years, including a BMW M3, Toyota Supra, and Acura NSX, but he’s hung onto the Legend longer than any of those. As the years went by, he racked up the miles traveling to Legend meets and other destinations.

February 26, 1997 – Ben parked his Legend in “Sport Car Only” parking. Seems fitting!

April 13, 1997 – Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara

May 4, 1997 – Twin Peaks, San Francisco

May 4, 1997 – Coit Tower, San Francisco

June 12, 1997 – Ben’s first recorded attendance at an organized Acura Legend meet. This event from 16 years ago has since been succeeded by dozens of meets across the country. Today’s National Acura Legend Meet – NALM – carries on in spirit the intent of this historic meet-up. It’s something special to meet & interact with other individuals who share our passions.

Here’s a line up of the cars, and their owners, who were in attendance at that first meeting.

The later half of 1997 became a very busy year for Ben, as he attended sometimes multiple meets per month. Here’s one from July 19, 1997.

I wonder if any of these other folks still have their Legends today besides Ben.

September 19, 1997 – Exact Motorsports meet

September 20, 1997 – BMWCCA Rally. This was Ben’s first (and only) rally experience, after having been invited by a friend who had a 1992 BMW 325i.

October 11, 1997 – Legend Meet

November 2, 1997 – Legend Meet. This is a great close-up of the pioneer of the online Legend community as we know it: Jim Trinh. His green 1991 LS sedan, named “Vivian” became famous in the late 1990’s as the feature car for website Legend.org.

December 7, 1997 – Autocross Event

December 13, 1997 – Legend Meet

April 11, 1998 – Legend Meet. In a future post, I’ll discuss more about what I’ve learned from Ben about how the Legend’s online following got its start. He was there for the early days and is still every bit as involved today.

1998 – Willow Springs Racetrack, California. Ben put his Legend to the test.

1998 – HID headlights installed. Ben was one of the first to install this upgrade on his Legend. This update as well as other are discussed on a website he put together in the late 1990’s.

1998 – Meet with various makes & models

Fall 1998 – Visit to Honda headquarters in Torrance, California

March 13, 1999 – Winery visit in Santa Cruz Mountains of California

May 6, 1999 – NSXPO Scenic Drive

December 12, 1999 – Legend Meet

February 25, 2000 – Hitting 100,000 miles on Interstate 5 near San Diego, California

May 18, 2000 – Racing at Thunderhill

The Legend looks right at home with all these sports cars.

Fall 2002 Legend Meet – San Luis Obispo, California

One of Ben’s Legend’s first trips out of California was for the National Acura Legend Meet in 2007 in Nevada.

This was the NALM 2007 group at a gathering hosted by Acura of Las Vegas.

Since 2009, however, it’s been on multiple cross-country trips in connection with the annual National Acura Legend Meet.

NALM 2009 in Branson, Missouri

2009 Legend meet in Los Angeles, California

NALM 2010 in Salt Lake City, Utah

Canyon drive in the mountains east of Salt Lake. Pictured with my Legend.

At Rocky Mountain Raceway – racing on the 1/4 mile dragstrip

NALM 2011 in Morristown, New Jersey

NALM 2012 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with Legend mechanic Matt Wallace

And with another car that you all should recognize.

NALM 2012 drag races

Today, Ben’s car has 183,835 miles on it.

He’s based in China and only travels back to the U.S. a few times a year, but the car is regularly exercised and it has become an icon at the annual NALM due to its ownership history and condition.

When I asked Ben what’s kept him driving the Legend for all this time, he said:

It was my first brand new car, and has been with me for almost my entire adult life. It was with me when I graduated college, been through several job changes, friends have come and gone, other cars have come and gone, I’ve moved several times (including in and out of the country), but through all this, the Legend has been a constant in my life, and has never let me down or left me stranded at the side of the road.

Ben added that he also kept the Legend because he hasn’t yet seen a worthy replacement for it. His maintenance history with the Legend has been meticulous since the car was new:

Every 3000 Miles: Oil/Filter Change
Every 7500 Miles: Minor Service
Every 15000 Miles: Medium Service
Every 30000 Miles: Major Service
Every 75000 Miles: Replace Radiator
Every 90000 Miles: Replace Timing Belt, Water Pump

He’s on his 3rd battery, 2nd set of radiator hoses, 3rd set of brake rotors, and has replaced other parts as needed.

Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS)
Driver Interior Door Handle
Driver Exterior Door Handle
HVAC Blower Motor
Brake Master Cylinder
2 CD Changers
Aspirator Fan
A/C Compressor clutch (a result of driving through a river)
1 Set Shocks
Driver Window Regulator
Left and Right Rear Window Exterior Trim
Driver Side Window Switch
Catalytic Convertor Heat Shields Upper and Lower
2 Bose Amps (1 under recall in the late ’90s)
1 Set CV Joints
Taillights
Cupholder

The car will be undergoing a very extensive service prior to a cross-country trip from California to North Carolina in a couple of months.

Following are a few more notable landmarks that Ben has visited on his Legendary travels:

Continental Divide

Four Corners. This should look familiar!

Musical highway near Lancaster, California. The grooves in the road play a song when driven across. The road originally was funded in part by Honda because it was used in Civic commercials. Residents complained about the noise levels, and the road was paved over in 2008. However, due to its popularity, it was rebuilt in a more remote location. I’m definitely going to travel out there soon!

Mount Rushmore – South Dakota

Bonneville Salt Flats – Utah

Redwood Trees – Northern California

Golden Gate Bridge

Crater Lake, Oregon

It’s fitting to note that Ben’s love for Honda & Acura span beyond just this one single car. Over the years, he’s owned several others.

September 13, 1998 – Ben’s 1989 Legend L 5-speed

Year 2000, his 1992 Grand Prix White on Black interior NSX

Another shot from 2002

Later on: Ben bought a brand new 2005 Silverstone on Black Honda S2000.

And finally: July 30, 2005 – Taking delivery of his new 2005 Acura NSX-T 6-speed manual in Silverstone Metallic with Black interior. He still has this car today, and it has fewer than 7,000 original miles on it. Truly a collector item.

First odometer reading.

Few people have had the luxury of taking delivery of a brand new Acura NSX. Ben is one of them.

The S2000 and the NSX together

And the Legend and NSX together

Quite the impressive lineup of cars!

Much like I’ve done over the years with my Legend (see “State Lines”) blog entry, Ben has made an effort to get a picture of his Legend at every state line he crosses. He’s achieved quite a few! 32, to be exact. Here they are, in alphabetical order.

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

South Dakota

Texas

Utah

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Ben’s car will cross through 10 more “new” states during his drive this August to the National Acura Legend Meet in Asheville, North Carolina. Thanks, Ben, for being a loyal Drive to Five follower and for sharing your story with me! I look forward to seeing you at NALM!

15 Comments »

ILX Trip to Utah: Buckskin Gulch Hike

Posted in Hikes, ILX, Road Trip, Utah on June 17, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (Legend): 522,393

Odometer (ILX): 41,757

Trip Distance: 1,101 Miles

Lace up your hiking boots for this one!

Here’s a 4-minute video of the action. Watch for the dancing by my friend Rustin toward the middle of the sequence.

Kid’s got rhythm! 😉

From the hustle and bustle of the Las Vegas Strip to one of the most remote, rugged canyons in the southwestern United States, the Acura ILX saw it all this past weekend. Since it’s just a 5-hour drive for me from the Phoenix area, Las Vegas is a frequent destination. My friend Kevin and I headed out last Thursday afternoon and set our sights on Sin City.

The Las Vegas Strip is a 4.2 mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard. A little known fact is this stretch of road is not in fact located within the City of Las Vegas, but rather in the unincorporated towns of Paradise and Winchester. The allure of the city brings in nearly 40 million visitors per year, and it’s home to over 20,000 conferences per year. Since all of those visitors need places to stay, 15 of the world’s 25 largest hotels are located in Las Vegas.

Kevin and I stayed at the castle-themed Excalibur Hotel that’s been around since 1990.

Gambling is big business here! The gambling revenue of the Las Vegas Strip is $6.2 billion per year. This city never sleeps. I’ve been on the Strip at all hours of the night – there are perhaps even more pedestrians out at 3:00 in the morning than there are at 3:00 in the afternoon due to the brutal desert heat!

We met up with a couple of other friends who were visiting from Calgary, Alberta. Kevin and I are in the front seats; Jeff and Jason in the back. The ILX was quite accommodating for the 4 of us and all of our gear.

Jason had never tried In-N-Out Burger before, so that was a must-see before we headed to Utah to do some hiking. All these great dining opportunities in Las Vegas, yet our Canadian friends wanted to have burgers!

100 miles north of Vegas on Interstate 15, we arrived in my hometown of St. George, Utah and got settled in.

I showed my friends a few sights around town, including a great sunset viewpoint on the “Red Hill.”

St. George a community in the far southwest corner of Utah. It’s home to 74,000 people.

My sister-in-law recommended a stop at a place on St. George Boulevard called Swig. This place specializes in custom-flavored sodas. The top-selling beverage is called a “Dirty Dr. Pepper,” which includes coconut syrup.

Saturday morning was hike day, starting bright and early at 6:30 a.m. Another friend, Rob (back seat, red hat) joined the party and we headed out on the 2.5 hour drive from St. George to the hike trailhead of Buckskin Gulch.

My mom and step-dad, Todd, followed in the 2003 Lexus GS430 as we paralleled the Utah-Arizona state line on Highway 389 eastbound.

After a pit stop in Kanab, we continued 38 miles east on Highway 89 until we found a dirt road called House Rock Valley Road. It was time to get the ILX dirty. Aside from washboard ruts, the road conditions were pretty friendly for a passenger vehicle. This type of road would definitely be impassible for a two-wheel-drive vehicle in inclement weather, though.

In just over 8 miles, we arrived at the trailhead for the Wire Pass hike and the Buckskin Gulch.

This same trailhead is used to access a geologic formation called “The Wave.” However, hiking to The Wave requires a special permit, of which only 20 are issued per day. We weren’t selected for that hike but decided to explore that same area in a different direction.

We parked our dirty cars and started gearing up for the hike ahead. With temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, we knew we had to pack plenty of water.

Pit toilets are available but there are no other amenities at the trailhead.

Blue skies and warm temperatures made it a perfect day to explore the great outdoors.

From an informative sign at the Wire Pass trailhead:

You’ll find no designated trails, developed campsites, signs, or facilities inside the wilderness boundary. The terrain is rugged and hiking conditions can change with the weather. Hikers should be in good physical condition and know how to navigate in a primitive backcountry setting.

The following sign warns hikers about the importance of being prepared.

For the first 20 minutes or so of the hike, we walked along this dried up riverbed.

For the next 2.5 hours, we hiked deep into the wilderness through this awe-inspiring canyon. Buckskin Gulch was dry on the day that we hiked it, but during rainy season carries a high volume of water. It’s a tributary of the Paria River, which itself is a tributary of the Colorado River. Below, Jeff and Kevin are first arriving at the area where the passageway starts to narrow.

The canyon’s length is 13 miles and there’s only one place where hikers can exit mid-way through (called, appropriately, Middle Trail). That means once you’re in the slot canyon, there’s no way out for at least several miles. Here, Cathy and Rustin are leading the way through one of the very narrow sections. Can you imagine a wall of water coming at you if a flash flood happened here?

The width of the canyon varied anywhere from 2 feet to 40 feet, and the terrain of the canyon floor was diverse, too. Sometimes we were trudging through very fine sand and other times we had to step across river rocks.

It’s impossible to capture the perspective of just how massive some of these rock formations towered over our heads. Around each corner, there was a new surprise.

Hieroglyphics from native Indian tribes were found on some of the rock formations. Natural arches are found in various places along the hike.

It’s incredible to see how nature has formed these sandstone passageways over hundreds of years. Here I’m pictured with Kevin and Jeff.

There was only one area where we encountered water, and it was easily passed via some logs and rocks which we could hop across.

One account that I read online said that during rainy seasons, the water level in places could require swimming.

Enjoy the rest of these pictures that were captured on the hike, either by my camera or by others in our group.

Tyson, Jason, Rustin, Jeff, Cathy

Jeff, Rustin, Cathy, Jason, Kevin

This is the location where we stopped to have lunch and empty the sand from our shoes. Most of us had packed peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.

Photo-op with my mom at our picnic spot.

The return to trailhead seemed to go a lot more quickly than our descent. In all, we were hiking for nearly 7 hours and we only experienced a small section of what Buckskin Gulch has to offer. It was a relief to get back to the cars and rest our legs.

Get me some water!

Heading back out on House Rock Road, the ILX kicked up a cloud of dust for the 8-mile drive until meeting up with Highway 89 again.

As a testament to Acura comfort, even on a road with conditions like these:

These two tired hikers in the backseat were STILL able to fall sound asleep.

Here, we were reunited with Highway 89 which would take us back to Kanab, then St. George for the evening. It was good to be back on a smooth road. As I got up to 65 mph, I left a cloud of dust behind me as the wind blew off the car.

That was our hike experience! Glad I was able to spend some time with friends. We loaded up the car at the close of the weekend and reminisced about the good times we had shared. One day I hope to go back and hike Buckskin in its 13-mile entirety.

I had to top off with some 87 octane instead of Premium this trip, but didn’t notice any adverse performance.

Thanks for coming along!

The only use the Legend has had in the last few days was a drive last night to dinner, when ironically I was passed by a Bellanova White Pearl ILX Hybrid!

In closing, enjoy this ILX “A-Spec” rendering that was sent to me courtesy of digital artist (and Acura fanatic) “Hondatalover.” I need those wheels! Thanks, Dillon, for sending.

4 Comments »

One Year Anniversary with the Acura ILX

Posted in ILX on June 12, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (ILX): 40,530

Exactly one year ago, I drove away from Acura of Tempe, Arizona driving a 2013 Acura ILX 2.4 with just 16 miles on the odometer. Today, I can say with conviction that I have enjoyed each of the 40,514 miles that I’ve driven it since.

Here’s how the year breaks down. Fast facts:

1,213 gallons of premium fuel used
106 blog posts including this one
33.4 average miles per gallon
14 states visited; 4 ghost towns; 2 national parks; 2 national monuments
8 oil changes with 0W20
1 recall
0 speeding tickets
0 unscheduled maintenance
Longest single road trip: Phoenix, Arizona to Milwaukee, Wisconsin (3,700 miles round trip) – July 2012

Memorable Milestones & Locations

10,000 Miles: August 10, 2012 in Banning, California on Interstate 10 westbound. Post here.

20,000 Miles: November 5, 2012 in Gap, Arizona on Highway 89 southbound. Post here.

30,000 Miles: March 1, 2013 on Loop 101 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Post here.

40,000 Miles: June 2, 2013 in Globe, Arizona on Highway 60 westbound. Post here.

Complete maintenance history:

I celebrated today’s anniversary by going to a Piano Guys concert with a friend tonight. These talented artists are from my hometown in St. George, Utah but I went to their show tonight in Mesa, Arizona. Here’s one cover song they did a great job on:

Here’s to many more miles ahead! Thanks for coming along on the journey!

7 Comments »

Detroit Trip: Metallica Concert

Posted in Concerts on June 11, 2013 by tysonhugie

Odometer (ILX): 40,469

For once, the Acuras stayed garaged without a single mile being put on them for a weekend. I hung up the car keys and grabbed my carry-on bag for a 4-day, 3900-mile round-trip to Michigan.

Southwest Airlines transported me and a few of my friends to Detroit, Michigan for the 2nd annual “Orion Music & More” festival, headlined by Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and about 30 other bands. This was our hot rod for the weekend: a 2012 Ford Fusion SE with 25,000 miles on it. I’m pictured here with our friend Raul.

Ahh, Detroit. Motor City. This was once home to nearly 2 million people (circa 1950) but as of the 2010 census is now populated by only around 700,000. The city’s decline is very evident in the architecture of downtown, which we’ll see a bit later. This was only my second visit ever to Detroit. The first was in January 2012 when I saw the Acura ILX Concept reveal at the North American International Auto Show.

We stayed at the historic Fort Shelby Hotel which dates back to 1916. Accommodations were very nice! The city of Detroit is trying hard to bring life back to downtown.

On Saturday morning, we took a walking tour of the area. Across the waterway lies the city of Windsor, Toronto, Canada. Detroit is the only major U.S. city along the Canadian border from which one travels SOUTH to enter Canada. There’s a tunnel underneath the water connecting the two cities. It was completed in 1930.

This is a look at the U.S. – Canadian border line with the General Motors HQ in the background. The lowest floor of the General Motors building has a showroom where we wandered around and checked out the latest offerings.

Later that afternoon, our shuttle bus ride took about 20 minutes and we rolled across the bridge over the Detroit River to Belle Isle Park. I’m seated here with Raul, with Linh and Matt in the seat ahead of us on the bus.

Entering Belle Isle. The island itself is only about 1.5 square miles in size.

Aside from all the music, Orion offered a lot of other entertainment, including a custom car & motorcycle show. It’s a well-known fact that Metallica lead singer James Hetfield has always loved cars.

James’ “Skyscraper,” a lavender 1953 Buick Skylark, is pictured at bottom right in the below. At top left, we’re chilling at one of the Met Club lounges, and at top right I’m getting electrocuted by a fake electric chair. One of Metallica’s songs, called “Ride the Lightning,” is a reference to getting electrocuted.

Near one of the 5 stages at Orion, 1950 Buick undergoes some bodywork. This car is not unlike the 1950 Buick that my grandfather owned during his 20’s. Love that toothy grille!

Surprise! While we thought that Metallica would only perform on day 2, they ended up taking the stage in mid-afternoon under the fake band name “Dehaan.” Thousands of people stampeded to watch, including ourselves.

Rocking out.

The second day of the festival, things got wilder still. Determined to stake out our spaces at the front of the concert, we went a full 4 hours early. I was an arm’s distance from the railing. It’s estimated that 40,000 people were in attendance at the show, so I definitely lucked out!

Deftones lead singer Chino Moreno got the crowd energized during the hour-long set.

Finally it was time for Metallica to close out the show. We heard some of our favorite songs and some rare ones, too. The crowds were intense. At one point everyone was crammed so tightly together that we simply swayed together. Every so often a brave crowd surfer would come along and we had to watch our heads to avoid getting kicked in the face.

Here’s a video that captures some of the action.

For having played together over 32 years, Metallica still rocks.

Detroit harsh winter climate takes its toll on vehicles. Detroit has a “humid continental climate” that’s influenced by the Great Lakes. The cars out there are a lot different than I’m used to seeing in the Arizona desert. For one thing, I noticed a ton more domestic vehicles on the road – presumably due to the area’s roots as the hub of domestic manufacturing.

Here’s one ride that definitely outshines most of Detroit’s vehicles: my friend Waseem’s 1990 Acura Legend LS sedan. I’ve known Waseem for a number of years through the Acura Legend online forums. He and I both attended last year’s NALM in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and he stopped by my hotel to pick me up for an exclusive ride in his Legend on Sunday.

This is one 23-year-old Acura that doesn’t look its age.

Stunning from every direction.

Best of all, it’s the top-line LS with an “Information Center” in the instrument panel. This fun little computer has all kinds of neat features, including MPG figures. Oddly enough, the 2nd generation Legend (model years 1991-95) did not offer anything of the sort.

Waseem picked me up and we explored a little of downtown Detroit from the comfort of his 97,000-mile Legend.

Our key destination was this massive 18-story building from 1912 called Michigan Central Station. Originally constructed at a cost of $15 million as a train station, it’s sat vacant since the last Amtrak train pulled away in 1988. Waseem and I got a few pictures from outside. The building is currently surrounded by a chain link fence and barbed wire. It appears the future of Michigan Central Station is uncertain. A couple of times, new uses have been proposed (including making the building the new home of the Detroit Police Department), but funding has become the key road block.

High Mileage Stories

My friend Chris has been around Drive to Five long enough to be featured with his Honda Preludes. He did some junkyarding near his hometown in Maryland this past week and came across a vehicle that has achieved an impressive milestone. This 1997 Toyota 4Runner ended up getting junked after a whopping 522,587 miles. That’s exactly 268 miles further than my Legend has traveled at this point. Hat tip to Toyota for such a feat! I’ve always loved this video series (be sure to watch all 3 parts!) where Top Gear tried destroying a Toyota pickup in every possible way, yet it lived on.

Here’s another one that’s pretty special. Randy Balingit-Hartmann bought a 1989 BMW M5 brand new in his early 20’s. Today, he’s still driving it and has logged over 400,000 miles. Randy is so committed to his M5 that he says he’ll “be buried in it.” I appreciate Randy’s enthusiasm for keeping an old car on the road!

Great to be back on the road!

4 Comments »

drivetofive

Acura ILX Trip: Why, Arizona

Reader’s Ride: Michael’s 2009 Acura TSX

Independence Day Trip to Utah

Motor Oil

Legend Oil Change & Random News

ILX Sunday Drive on the Apache Trail in Arizona

Original 1992 Acura Legend Owner: Ben’s Story

ILX Trip to Utah: Buckskin Gulch Hike

One Year Anniversary with the Acura ILX

Detroit Trip: Metallica Concert

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