What’s the longest you’ve stored a automobile? Some vehicles get handed down by households for generations. I’m an Acura addict and have owned over automobiles from the model in my 25 years of driving. One of them, nevertheless, has extra particular which means than the remainder, since I’ve had it now for half my life.
Beginnings
The Acura Legend was the flagship of the American Honda model between 1986 and 1995. It was provided in each sedan and coupe variants, and between 1993 and 1995, two-door coupes got here with a particular 230-horsepower “Type II” 3.2-liter V6 powerplant mated to an out there six-speed handbook transmission. At about $41,000, it was an costly automotive for the time, however as we’ll quickly talk about, it is a excellent instance of “getting what you pay for.”
On March 26, 2003, at age 21, I flew from Las Vegas to San Jose with $9,500 money in a Ziploc bag in my pocket. My sights had been set on a Desert Mist Metallic 1994 Acura Legend LS coupe that I had discovered on the market on-line a couple of week prior. It had 95,000 miles on the odometer so it was a bit of bit previous break-in, however I used to be assured the automotive would serve me effectively as a every day drive. Twenty years and 490,000 miles added later, it has certainly.
The automotive will flip 30 years outdated this October, because it was manufactured in October 1993 for the 1994 mannequin 12 months.
Two Decades of Travels
How did I rack up half 1,000,000 miles? My Legend and I’ve visited 37 states. Many individuals ask if I’ve had a protracted commute, however the miles have largely been accrued totally on weekends since I’m an avid road-tripper.
My most memorable voyage was an 8,000-mile journey to Fairbanks, Alaska and again with my dad in 2006. The route took us by a number of the most scenic areas of North America together with the Yukon Territory and even a small city known as “North Pole” with a Santa Claus-themed home that operated as a present store.
My second-favorite journey was to an excessive reverse finish of the continent on a 2019 highway journey to Key West, Florida and again. When I took a photograph of the automotive at the southernmost level, I used to be solely 90 nautical miles from Cuba. If a bridge existed to drive there, I in all probability would have taken it.
The automotive has additionally been into Mexico twice, together with a weekend journey to Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point), Sonora, about 70 miles south of the United States border. Needless to say, this Legend has taken me to some unimaginable and thrilling locations.
500k-Mile Achievement
Several years into my Legend possession, I used to be already effectively into the 400,000-mile vary after I first related with of us from American Honda to share the story about my automotive and its longevity. In truth, it was at round 467,000 miles when certainly one of Honda’s staff routed a hyperlink for my blog to some of his colleagues, and ultimately the Public Relations group received ahold of it.
Things escalated when a consultant known as me to ask if I wished to be a part of a half-million-mile celebration at the company workplace in Torrance, California. Together, we chosen a date of November 4, 2011, and I orchestrated fastidiously to roll the milestone at a selected place on that date – a feat made tougher by the truth that I might be touring from Phoenix to the Los Angeles space which was a 400-mile trek. Here is a video Acura produced after I achieved the milestone.
Mechanical History
Being the analyst that I’m, each greenback spent on the Legend’s upkeep over the previous twenty years has been documented in an Excel spreadsheet. Based on that knowledge, I can inform precisely what it’s taken to get so far. Even although I acquired the automotive at 95,000 miles, I inherited service data again to new from the prior proprietor.
Highlights embrace:
- 182 oil modifications (common interval of three,214 miles utilizing 5W30 typical oil)
- 8 battery modifications
- 6 timing belt and water pump modifications
- 4 windshield modifications
- 3 radiator modifications
- 3 spark plug modifications
- 2 alternator modifications
- $39,135 whole spent on upkeep over the automotive’s lifetime
Yikes – for the $40k spent in upkeep, I may have purchased a second automotive fully. Would I’m going again in time and do this? Not an opportunity. To today, the automotive stays on its unique engine, transmission, and clutch. The axles are additionally unique, and the suspension is generally untouched except for one of many rear higher management arms.
Cosmetically, the automotive has been touched up a number of instances on the outside, a few of which was vital after I hit two deer on a visit to Texas in 2007. That was a visit I’ll always remember. The upholstery has additionally been redone.
Current State
The Legend continues to see common use, as I make a degree to get it out of the storage about as soon as per week to stretch its legs. The automotive has taken me to 17 annual National Acura Legend Meets (NALMs) across the nation, together with a journey from Phoenix to Wichita and again in 2022. In all, the automotive noticed about 5,000 miles that 12 months.
Mechanically, I’d nonetheless belief the automotive to the moon and again (once more), however I’ve been deferring some upkeep for some time that I’ll in all probability handle after the 600,000-mile mark. Among the problems:
- Timing belt and water pump at the moment are 12 years outdated
- Power steering fluid leak
- Oil burning and leaks
- Cruise management stopped working
- Some instrument cluster bulbs are burned out
None of the above has offered a dire scenario, though I’m conscious that if not addressed, they will escalate into bigger points.
Future Plans
More adventures look forward to the Legend, and I will likely be making the drive to the 2023 National Acura Legend Meet in Lexington, Kentucky the primary week of August. At my present tempo, I’ll seemingly rejoice the 600,000 milestone round 2026, which coincidentally aligns with the 40th anniversary of the Acura model’s launch in 1986. Maybe American Honda will accomplice with me on one other red-carpet get together? Now there’s an concept.
Do you have got an analogous story a couple of automobile that’s turn out to be a long-term member of the household? Share it within the remark part under or in our ongoing sequence entitled “My Classic Car.”
