The drive to 500,000 miles started with an errand of just 3 miles. By age 16 I was already hooked on the open road, so when mom asked me to drive to the convenience store for a gallon of milk, I bolted for the door. “… and you can take my car,” she added with a smile. I screeched to a halt in my Nikes just before getting out the door, turning around suspiciously. “Really?” I confirmed. “Keys are in it,” she said.
My own hot rod at the time was a hand-me-down 1986 Chevrolet Celebrity Classic. It was the kind of car you’d picture your grandma driving: Cloudy-day gray color, vinyl roof, whitewall tires with wire hubcaps, and velour bench seats front & rear. It was a fine ride and served me well for my first year as a motorist. But mom’s car, well, driving that was something special. Mom had a Sherwood Green Metallic 1993 Acura Legend L Sedan. It was a far cry from my old Chev in terms of amenities. And its 3.2 liter V6 made the car feel like a catapult in comparison to the tired old 2.8 in my Celeb.
Which is why, on that trip to Red Sands Market in St. George, Utah, I redlined the Legend all the way to the store and redlined it back. It’s probably a good thing mom didn’t see me barreling into the neighborhood practically on two wheels as I took the curve. Hey, I was 16. But that drive ingrained in me a true spirit of driving that I would never forget. The Legend for so many reasons became my dream car, and it gave me grins every time mom entrusted me with it.
Despite having already become very active in the Legend online enthusiast community, it took a few years before I had the means to join the ranks of Legend ownership. Meanwhile, I’d upgraded to a Phoenix Red 1989 Honda Prelude Si, outfitted in all manner of high school “flair” (chrome wheels, fog lights, giant Wings West spoiler).
After high school, I spent a two-year stint as a (car-less) volunteer church service representative, returning when I was 21. My mind had long-since been made up: I wanted–no, needed, a second generation Acura Legend coupe.
I plunged into diligent searches online for several weeks. Decent Legends were selling for upwards of $10-12k. My heart was set on Milano Red or Granada Black but there was something compelling about the Desert Mist Metallic 6-speed coupe I found on Autotrader in San Jose, California. I followed my heart (but probably not my brain, as I hopped on a plane with $9,500 cash in a Ziploc baggie in my pocket) and took a one-way American flight to the Bay Area to retrieve my new baby.
The Legend came with all original paperwork including the $41,885 sticker. Eleven years later, I still have that car. March 26, 2014 will be the 11th anniversary of my purchase date. I was 16 when I first drove a Legend. Now I’m 16 years beyond that, and it’s still my favorite car. How in the world did I get so committed to an automobile? It’s a story that’s unraveled over more than a decade of travel.
My Legend had just 95,000 miles on the odometer when I took delivery. Today, it’s sitting at 528,911. My work commute has usually been light – so don’t even begin that whole “Oh, you must drive a lot for work,” talk. My miles are primarily joyrides. Pure adventure. Sure, I went through the years using the Legend as a daily driver – 3 college degrees, 6 different houses, 4 employers. But on weekends, the road was mine. I took every opportunity to explore this beautiful country from behind the wheel. And the road was filled with memorable drives.
In the summers, I traveled to every annual National Acura Legend Meet (“NALM”) since the first event in 2005. NALM took me to cities from Las Vegas to Dallas to Morristown, NJ, and plenty of places in between. I began to build a reputation on the Legend forums as “Road Trip King.” And the miles that I put on my Legend weren’t always easy ones.
I got stuck in a snowbank in winter 2005. I also drove it into Mexico twice. In 2006, my dad and I drove it to Fairbanks, Alaska, then back to the lower 48. In both 2007 and 2008, I road raced the car at triple-digit speeds on a closed highway in northern Nevada at a 100-mile-long event called the Bonneville 100.
On countless occasions, I took it off-roading, like the time I drove it down a 4×4-worthy, rocky 19-mile dirt road near the Great Salt Lake. In 2009, I competed in an autocross event in Branson, Missouri. I’ve never heard Michelin tires howl quite as much as mine did that day.
But with each of these trips, the Legend wagged its proverbial tail at any opportunity for adventure. Most of these were well before the days of GPS and smart phones. I would hit the road with a stack of Mapquest printouts, a giant road atlas, and a CD case full of “Jock Jams” mixes. Such a primitive way of travel made for a much more raw road-tripping experience compared to what we have today.
Maintenance needs for my Legend coupe along the way were predictable. I built a relationship with Acura service advisors at dealerships in Utah, Nevada, and Arizona thanks to my frequent visits to all three states. My oil changes (162 in total) were always performed like clockwork at/near 3,000 miles with 5W30 oil. The Legend has gone through 7 timing belts and water pumps, including its originals. Here are some fast facts I pulled from a detailed Excel spreadsheet which tracks my records back to new.
First page of Excel maintenance tracking spreadsheet with records back to new
Changed Once:
• Brake master cylinder at 80,000
• A/C system recharge at 203,677
• Vehicle speed sensor at 319,842
• Differential fluid at 345,522
• Fuel pump, main relay at 399,745
• Oxygen sensors at 434,740
• Blower motor at 479,319
• Front upper control arms at 509,030
• Front brake rotors at 516,346
Other Maintenance Stats (Numbers Include Originals to the Car):
• 10 manual transmission fluid changes
• 7 air filters
• 7 timing belts & water pumps
• 6 batteries
• 5 windshields
• 5 fuel filters
• 4 sets of spark plugs
• 4 EGR (engine gas recirculation) valves
• 3 radiators
• 2 rear transmission mounts (72,390 and 279,266 miles)
• 2 alternators (400,392 miles and 506,964 miles)
The “90K” scheduled services were the most expensive maintenance items I ever had to do, with intervals every 2 years or so. I forever resisted the “mod bug,” despite pressure from fellow enthusiasts who wanted me to alter the car’s appearance or performance. My only indulgence was with wheels. I went through 13 unique sets of wheels and tires, trying everything from 19” Racing Harts to 17” Lexus IS300 wheels.
There were two key times when I had to make a choice about potentially letting the Legend go. The first was in 2007 when at 299,000 miles, I had a freak encounter with two (!) suicidal deer near Austin, Texas. My battered Legend still got me safely home to Arizona, but State Farm didn’t see the value in replacing the entire front clip on a car that had clearly already been used up from a mileage perspective. I knew better than to let it go. I had the car fixed to factory specs and with new OEM parts, though it cost me dearly out-of-pocket. 100,000 miles later, at 399,745 miles, the original fuel pump died. Miraculously, I was only a mile from my home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Faced with a substantial repair bill, I had to choose whether it was time to finally retire the Legend or put it back on the road. I chose the latter.
That was the only time my car has ever been on a tow truck. Today, the car isn’t without its share of issues. The power steering pump leaks, the differential seal leaks, and the original clutch is barely hanging on for dear life. But the car fires up reliability just as it always has.
In March 2011, the Legend had 467,000 miles on it. A few friends had encouraged me to start tracking my progress to 500,000, so I created a WordPress blog called “Drive to Five.” It wasn’t long before Acura headquarters picked up on it and started following along on my journey. A representative reached out to me about potentially celebrating my half-million mile mark at the main office in Torrance, California. “Seriously?” I thought. “That’s awesome they even care!”
The long-awaited day came on November 4, 2011 when I had strategically orchestrated my drive from Phoenix to LA so that I could turn 500,000 on a red-carpet rug on-site at Acura’s office. The timing was perfect.
Best of all, Acura liked my enthusiasm for the brand and asked me soon thereafter to be part of a launch campaign for the all-new 2013 ILX model.
On June 12th , 2012, I was handed the key to a Silver Moon 6-speed 2013 ILX with 16 miles on the odometer. “Let’s see if you can put 500,000 on this one too,” said John Watts from Acura’s Digital Marketing team. And thus an entirely new chapter was started. The ILX, by the way, has over 70,000 miles on it now. Guess that means I’m 14% of the way to yet another finish line in this endless road trip that is my life.
Truly one of the best Hondas and one of the least appreciated. It is an excellent example of the era when Honda overengineered their cars and the durability of your car, Tyson, shows exactly why I say so. It’s hard to think of a car which would demand such little of its owner in terms of repair and replacement of major components over such a distance.
Funny, too, that you came from a 3rd gen Prelude, which are also among my favorites of the company’s products.
Well, he did do 7 timing belts and 7 water pumps, which is an average of one every 71,000 miles, most people would have probably been done with the car after the 2nd or 3rd. I don’t recall if these are interference engines or not, which might explain all the changes…better safe than sorry. I can’t imagine that was easy, or cheap, even if he did do them on his own. I don’t see any clutches on the list, but she couldn’t still be running on her original clutch can she?
Still the original engine/clutch and for Christ’s sake, those are mostly maintenance items. No rebuilds of any kind, etc. You’re being intentionally dismissive of a very significant achievement.
Peter Gilbert’s Saab 900 SPG says call me at 1,000,000 buddy
http://www.jsonline.com/business/29181064.html Not to mention the Saab was driven through salty Wisconsin winters. Looks like this Acura hasn’t had to deal with that. Maybe the next 500k
Dude had to replace the transmission at 200k miles. Not convinced.
I sold Saabs in 1989, towards the end of their independence. They were far closer to Yugos than Toyotas. One hitting a million anything says far more about the owner than the car. I saw a used car lot that had a 2004 Accord with over 400k miles and a 2007 civic with 270k, and this was two three years ago. Both cars had higher asking prices than a similar age Saab would have, never minding that similar mileage Saabs of the past decade exist.
I drive a ’93 900S with over 200k. The build quality seems spot on. The entire car feels solid, in the way of an old school Mercedes. Yes granted the gearboxes were never designed for the kind of power the SPG models produced but my 5 speed seems to be doing good with the 130hp 2.1 naturally aspirated motor.
No I’m not, take off the sensitivity hat. Read my post below, you did however write “with no replacement of major components” timing belts and water pumps are fairly major components. They are “wear items” but fairly more significant than serpentine belts and brake pads.
You statement makes not sense. You contradict yourself. Timing belts are a maintenance item and most people who know anything about such replace the water pumps at that same time due to cost savings. A domestic car with this amount of miles would have more squeaks and rattles that I could stand. Most interiors of domestic cars would be all to pieces at this point too. Go back to drinking your GM Kool Aid.
T-belts and water pumps are maintenance items on these cars.
Not sense? Perhaps before you go and critique someone, you should probably proof read for grammar….
I will refrain from posting in this thread any further, I can see where this is going.
Uber Alles Honda Honda
Uber Alles Honda Honda
Uber Alles Honda Honda..
There, is everyone feeling better?
The timing belt is a maintenance item — it’s listed as such on the maintenance schedule of most Hondas with belt-driven cams (i.e., most Hondas) — it’s just an aggravating, time-consuming, and thus expensive one. (The belt itself generally costs less than $75; it’s getting at it that’s the problem.)
The water pump falls into a gray area because it’s neither a maintenance item nor usually even a wear/failure item; more often than not, it’s a preemptive repair. If you were a consumer magazine tallying the maintenance and repair costs of a long-term test car, you would probably end up mentioning the water pump in the text, but deducting it from the cost totals unless the water pump/timing belt replacement was actually occasioned by the pump failing or leaking.
I don’t think he’s being dismissive; it is quite an achievement no doubt! My eyebrows raised at 7 timing belts and water pumps as well…
Nitpicking here: he said seven including the originals, which means he changed them 6 times. I assume that’s part of the 90k service he mentions as being “expensive”.
I’m curious too about the clutch. That would be amazing, to have it last that long, including the autocrossing he did.
Show me ANY Chevy that made it half a million miles, Carmine. The car is on its original clutch and timing belt and water pump runs about $1000 on these cars. Honda makes a very good product.
Carmine, timing belts and water pumps are regular maintenance on many cars. Like any car that has a timing belt and water pump. Most times, the pump isn’t leaking, but it is replaced when the cover is off.
Not to diminish the Acura achievement, as these were great cars, but I would imagine you could find a number of Caprices in any 1980s/early 1990s taxi fleet with that number of miles or more. Same goes for the Crown Victorias that followed.
Speaking completely from the experience of a taxi fleet operator, you are comparing apples and oranges. A Chevy 9C1 could go about 700,000 km as a taxi and then it was not worth fixing any more. By that time every component except the frame and body panels would have been replaced. This does not mean they were bad cars, it means taxi use is incredibly rough on the cars.
Well, my friends Lumina was at just under 400K when the timing chain went, and he decided he wanted something newer, with more features and more power, but if had decided to fix it and keep it I have no doubt it would be past 500K now, that car required a water pump about every 90K, it ate one TH125 at 105K and the 2nd one was in it until the end at 385K, only 2 a/c compressors and about 5 alternators.
It too was maintained to the T, with synthetic oil changes every 3K and all of the other maint items following the severe service schedule in the manual, his replacement car, another Chevrolet should be cracking the 200K mark in the next couple of months.
Why does it always have to be an argument with people on this site sometimes, jeeez. I complimented the author, it shows determination and keen eye towards up keep and care to keep ANY car around for a half million miles, but it can be done, even with a terrible inferior GM car, remember the article 3 or 4 years ago about the guy with the Fiat Brava that made it to 500K in California?
I couldn’t find a 500K mile Chevrolet easily at hand, but there is a nice 312K mile 2009 HHR on ebay if you’re interested I could give them a call.
There are actually a lot of Chevy (mostly trucks) here in Norway with around 500.000 kms (300.000 miles) and still running. I have seen some old rusty Suburbans with over 800.000 kms (500.000 miles) on the odometer.
I have written it many times before, nothing can compare against an conservative built american car. Body on frame, V8, automatics, RWD. Take a Buick 455 , TH400 and GM 12-bolt rear axle. Indestructible. A GM or a Ford (or maybe even a Chrysler, who knows?) with the right drivetrain would give better realiability and economy over the years.
In Norway any japanese car from the early 80s is very rare on the road today, but you can still find som Caprices, and other B-bodys on the road, rusty, for sure, but Chevrolet has the highest age when wrecked in Norway, an average of 30 years. Mercedes and Volvo have an average of ca. 25 years.
But, the Honda here is impressive, no matter what, but yes, you can find a lot of Chevys that will go a least that mileage. But the best american cars in terms of reliability was made in the 60s, 70s and some in the 80s.
I have to say that the Honda looks very clean and nice for that mileage. And it’s a nice story 🙂
But the best american cars in terms of reliability was made in the 60s, 70s and some in the 80s.
In terms of “the best American cars”, you might be right, since you left out Japanese cars in your statement 🙂
I wouldn’t really generalize about many 70s and 80s American cars as being all that reliable. As we all know, most of the worst stinkers from Detroit came during the 70s and 80s. I don’t need to name them, do I?
Here’s another perspective: American cars from 60s might have been mechanically simple and fairly robust, but one never really saw super high mileages like this back then. I would challenge anyone to find an American engine from the 60s – 80s that ran 500k miles without having been rebuilt once (or more often). A 500k mile American engine was simply unthinkable back then.
I speak from experience, having worked for two taxi cab companies in the early seventies, which had fleets of Dodges and Chevys. The large Yellow cab operation in San Diego had a large fleet of Chevy sixes, and they had a rebuild shop that did nothing but rebuild the engines and swap them out as they wore out. 200-250k miles was about the outside maximum, and that was doing well. Often it was more like 150-175k. I talked to the guys who did this.
That’s not a condemnation of Detroit, it’s the fact that modern materials and machinery create engines with much better and more consistent tolerances built with better materials, and allow such high mileage. This is the case with all modern cars; they’re generally much more capable of longer mileages than engines of the good old days with the right maintenance.
Well, I could have said the best cars ever to been made was made by american manufacturer in the 60s and 70s. Not all of the cars, but if you read what i wrote, I talked about (maybe my english is a bit bad 🙂 ) the traditional american car. The BOF, V8, Auto -RWD solid axle.
Do you find a better engine/drivetrain than the 460/C6 9 inch rear axle?
Or a Cad 500 , TH400 12 bolt?
No, I don’t think so. Toyota has some good combinations. You find a lot of AMC 4 liter and AW4 -trans with high mileage, you can find some Diesel Mercedes, and others. But in the end in our world it’s the rust that kill the cars, not the engine/drivetrain.
And yes, I have owned a couple of american cars that have reached very high mileage. Even a (as one of the worst in terms of reliability…) 1980 Buick Skylark 2,8, with well past 200.000 miles on the odometer, and it’s still running as a daily driver today. I have a 67 Riviera with “only” 175.000 miles on it’s original 430 engine. It’s very smooth.
The International SV series of engines that were only made from the 60’s-early 80’s are proven 500K mile engines. Of course they were designed as a truck engine with the knowledge that the owner of a MD truck expects it to last a very long time and they used better materials and just generally overbuilt them compared to the majority of other engines from the era. In the light duty vehicles I know of several owner who have put 500K on them and it is very common for them to last that kind of mileage in MD applications though in those applications they have the benefit of a larger oil capacity and frequently an oil to water oil cooler.
With proper maintenance the Ford 385 series engine can also last a very long time even with a carb. In MD applications they frequently saw 500k the only “car” engine, used essentially as is, that was capable of living in the MD world for long periods.
One of the biggest reasons for the increase in engine longevity is the switch to fuel injection. That significantly reduced washing oil off the cylinder walls, the resulting oil dilution and the carbon build up and coking of the pistons and valves. Of course better oils, tighter tolerances, better metallurgy and other new tricks like roller cam followers and PTFE coated pistons has certainly helped make modern engines longer lasting than those of yesteryear.
I very much agree with you Eric. The materials, better oils, tolerances and fuel injection etc. would make an engine made today a better engine than yesterday. But, many of todays engines er overengineered, in Europe a lot of drivers with much smaller engines than you have in your cars, has developed a lot of problems. Problems with the turbo, problems with the Dieselpump, problems with camshafts, problems with EGR and sludge. This works finewithin the first 10 years of the ownership (usually). But then, when the turbo goes away when the Audi A3 is 14 years old, and a new one costs about 6000 USD to fix (in Norway with nearly 200USD an hour at a workshop) The car either ends up as a parts car, or wrecked. At 14 years old the odometer reads about 120.000 miles ca.
When my carb needs to be changes I’ll pay only 500 USD for a new one and changes it within an hour. That’s the big difference.
Yeah, yesterdays metallurgy and materials was of a poorer quality, but the manfacturerer (especially the americans) oversized the parts, and it would last, it would last very long. But, it is a differnce from a Chevrolet 350 engine, in terms of materials, compared to a (from the same time) Cadillac or Buick engine. Cadillac used for an example a lot of nickel in their engines.
A water pump is not a maintenance item, you’ve just been fooled by the Japanese automakers and/or dealers who sell it as a maintenance item. Yes it is a wear item and as such it will eventually wear out and how frequently they wear out does vary greatly from brand to brand and even from engine to engine within a brand. Now I’m not saying it isn’t a good idea to replace them when they are timing belt driven and you are doing the timing belt and it is one that won’t last through two timing belt intervals.
Eric, when I was at Chrysler, we routinely did water pumps whenever we did a timing belt.
I also agree with Harvey and Paul are saying. Cars are indeed better now than in the past, and especially fuels and lubricants are vastly improved. I am not sold on small turbo engines. Any one I have driven has guzzled gas at a rate a lot higher than the EPA rating. I had a Ford Escape 1.6 turbo for a rental and the thing used almost as much gas in traffic as my Acura, 11.5 L/100km and it certainly didn’t go like the Acrua, either. It also scares me when I look at the tach on these small engines, they spin at really high speeds. Don’t want to take a Cruze turbo up the Coquihalla Highway when it is ten years old!
At our shop right now sit an american 04 (I believe) deville with just under 500k miles and guess what… It even still has it original northstar, which amazed me as its oil pan gasket was leaking and the owner said had been leaking for most of its life. Only now was it getting bad enough to replace. Funny our mechanic doesn’t turn even the hardest work away ( replaced a 7.3 diesel in a f-450 party bus that was more than 32′ long) has been letting this job languish and a royal p.i.a…
“Well, he did do 7 timing belts and 7 water pumps, which is an average of one every 71,000 miles, most people would have probably been done with the car after the 2nd or 3rd. ”
That’s because you’re used to GM cars and reflexively dislike any vehicle that isn’t American.
I didn’t get ‘dismissiveness’ from his statement at all. He was just stating surprise that the Legend took 7 tb and water pumps. Seemed high to me as well.
Of course, I’m a sucker for Trooper transmissions, so….
It was really cool how Acura honored him; as well I admire his devotion to his car. I usually max out at 225-250k miles….
So they gave you the ILX for free? That was nice of them.
You showed a determination to keep a car that you really liked, thats very cool. Most people would have been done with the car way before that. For most people a car is only a 4 or 5 year commitment at the longest before they lose interest and swap for something new and shinny.
My friend almost made it to 400K with his 1993 Lumina coupe, but he decided to get rid of it and get a new Monte Carlo when the timing chain finally gave way after 385,000 miles in 2007, that car would probably have over 600K by now. The Monte is up to 190K already and it shows no signs of slowing.
Congrats and happy motoring!
Yes, exactly. The ILX “arrangement” was that I’d blog about the car for a year. Well, I did that, and at the end of the year, instead of taking the keys away, they sent me the title. They probably didn’t want it back as I’d already put around 50,000 miles on it, haha. And you hit the nail on the head, I never thought I’d commit to the Legend for 10+ years, but Acura stopped making a 6-speed V6 coupe after the CL was discontinued post-2003 so I had no logical replacement in mind. I’ve always been a coupe guy.
Keep rolling with the Monte Carlo! Onward to 200k.
I loved the first and second generation Acura Legend coupes. They are beautiful cars. I owned a series of Honda Preludes (86, 91 totaled, 93) and always wanted to upgrade to the Legend coupe, but they discontinued them. I got 200K on each of the 86 and 93 cars. Accidents took them away. People keep hitting me. But the 91 4 wheel steering car was my favorite. Black on black. I was stopped at a traffic light and hit in the back by a Ford Taurus driven by an 89 year old retired Eastern European airline pilot with diplomatic immunity going over 60mph. He pushed me into two per cars. Every body panel except the drivers door was damaged. The sunroof never closed again. The entire car was half its normal length. The trunk was in the back seat. Everything outside the wheels was crushed inside. But that car still drove and did not leak a drop of gas. I referred to it as my Prelude Hatchback. It’s a testament to how well made these cars are. I never did get a Legend. I now have a Honda Civic SI coupe, which is sort of a replacement for the Prelude. It actually has more usable room, especially the trunk. Acura seems right have lost its way. The ILK is really just a dressed up Civic and not really in the same class as the Legend coupe. Keep at coupe going. Shoot for a million miles.
That’s when Honda and Acura made nice looking cars. More recent Hondas and Acura model cars are ugly looking by comparison. I wouldn’t be caught dead riding in an Acura of today, they’re so ugly!
Although I agree that Honda/Acura styling isn’t at its highest point, I wouldn’t go so far as to call them ugly. I much prefer Acura’s toned-down grille treatment over the gaping trapezoidal and “spindle” grilles of Audi, Lexus, Kia, etc, etc.
I agree. They’re not ugly looking. Just not as good looking as when Acura started. My uncle Mike has a 2001 Acura 3.5 RL sedan. When it first debuted, I thought it was ugly looking. Overall, it wasn’t ugly, but the grille made the face look ugly to look at. But by comparison to the Lexus of the time, it was quite attractive. And don’t get me started on the Killed In Action cars. It’s incredible that they’re still on the market here in North America. The Soul is the ugliest looking thing they’ve sold here in the USA. And the commercials you see with the dancing rats make the vehicle even worst.
They aren’t ugly, their details are ugly. The basic cars/CUVs are just bland.
CUVs?
Great piece on one of my favorite cars of all time. Goes to show you that Hondas and Acuras are built to last.
Great story Tyson! It’s be interesting to see how your new one does.
The early 90’s were the all-time high point for Honda…and Japan in general. Overengineered cars that didn’t break, as long as you could keep the body in good shape. A co-worker of my wife’s got 400,000 out of his ’92 Subaru Legacy.
Kudos to Acura for recognizing your 500K Legend.
Thank you! Yes, I was thrilled that they took interest in my story. It’s not uncommon for these cars (as well as other long-lived examples from various brands that commenters have mentioned) to go that far, but the fact that mine did it with 100% dealer maintenance painted a story that Acura wanted to share in social media.
Very enjoyable story. It’s nice to know that we have Acrua’s version of Volvo’s Irv Gordon right here. 🙂
Do you still have the Legend? I really like these Legend 2 doors. One of these would be hard to beat for a long-term ownership car. What is interesting is the stuff you have not had to replace – power window switches/risers, power mirrors, power seat motors, A/C compressors, HVAC system vacuum or electric actuators, and all of the other little shit pieces that nickle and dime the rest of us who drive older cars that are not 90s Hondas. Congratulations on choosing well and sticking with it.
Yes, the Legend coupe is still my pride and joy though I’ve added to the fleet with a same-color, same-year 1994 Legend GS sedan and a 1992 NSX. Actually, I still value the Legend so much that I keep it in the garage, and the new ILX outside in the driveway. The Legend was one of only 27 made in 1994 in Desert Mist Metallic / Taupe / LS Trim / 6-speed manual so it’s pretty rare. Thanks for the kudos. And I want to meet Irv Gordon so badly.
WOW. I have put 3 or 4 trucks over the 300k mark but this is really something. I like the way you kept it but really like the way you used it. Way to use a car to have fun. There are several “trips of a lifetime” in my rearview mirror but I have to take my hat off to you.
The photos of the car driving to Hondas headquarters reminds me of the episode of “Married…With Children” where Als going to get a new Viper when his Duster turns over 1,000,000 miles and the car gets wrecked right before he makes it.
Haha, exactly. Man, I stressed about that date. I “over-budgeted” on miles so badly on my trip from Phoenix to LA that I had to lap around the block multiple times before going to the red carpet reception. I ended up turning 500,000.1 on the red carpet so it worked out perfectly.
When I started reading your post, I had no idea of the final turn it would take! Great car and great story! Congratulations!
With kids of my own coming on board as drivers, My fleet keeps growing as I have not sold a car in many years. When the occasional larger expense or damage comes along, I have to make a decision on how to proceed with the older cars. I’m quite inspired by your experience.
Your lead photo appears to be Sedona. My wife and I were drove through there in our new to us 1989 Ford Thunderbird LX. I was inspired to take a few pictures as well. Your camera skills are much better than mine were 20 years ago.
I love Sedona, and that T-Bird looked right at home there. Arizona truly has some amazing sights. Part of the objective of my blog is to share some of the state’s great roads and offbeat destinations. I’m systematically crossing about 50 or more “must-see” sights off a list with my weekend drives. Hope you’re planning to come back and see us again soon.
Well this really makes me refer selling my 98 3.2TL, a short-Legend. At 160k, I started having fears of blown headgaskets… Especially after our 07 Outback suffered that at 36k miles. I sold the car in mint condition for $5k and bought my wife the 2012 Accord. Nice car but not nearly as great as the Acura.
The Honda J Series V-6 is not known for head gasket problems, whereas the Subaru flat four is. In fact, the J Series is famously tough. It is even used as an outboard motor on boats.
“I sold the car in mint condition for $5k and bought my wife the 2012 Accord.”
Holy crap, someone got a good deal.
Great story. I remember the first time I drove one of these and thinking how solid it felt. Completely different and much more tank-like than the first gen Legend. It was one of those cars (like the ’92 Camry) that really felt like it could go a million miles!
The Acura Legend coupe was a Honda I actually liked long ago. A real beauty. Need I say what “unique” feature those had, which OEMs had eliminated years ago? 😉
As far as keeping a car that long as a daily driver, I don’t think so, but perhaps if I had kept my avatar, I may be telling a similar story! I’ll never know, but congrats on such an achievement.
BTW, Wifey and I stopped overnight in St. George in 2002 while on our 25th anniversary trip, and I don’t recall seeing your car!
Do tell on the “unique” feature?
Is it the ability to go 500k miles without having to rebuild the car? Or is it something else?
What was the unique feature in reference? The roll-down rear windows, the power actuated door closers, something along those lines? It was definitely an over-engineered car. At a $42k pricetag, it was definitely priced accordingly. I was living in CA when you went through St. George in 2002, but my family all still lives there and I’m actually headed back a week from tomorrow for the Easter weekend. Love southern Utah.
Since St. George is on the road from Las Vegas to Salt Lake City, I strongly suspect I’m not the only CC reader who’s passed by, admiring the mountainous scenery along the way.
Congratulations on hanging in there with your Acura!
Makes me even more angry that my ’91Integra GS was stolen at 187K. That car was bulletproof. I thought I was good with an original clutch at that mileage; obviously I had a lot more miles to go…
That series Legend really earned the name. They are exceptionally well made cars. Congratulations!
I’m insanely jealous of you. You are so very fortunate to live where rust is rare. I’ve had 2 Honda Preludes and here on the East Coast, rust is just way to friendly to be able to keep a car that long.
How has the interior held up. My 212,000mi Prelude desperately needed the driver’s seat reupholstered but everybody wanted $900 to do it right.
B
That is a good looking car. Did Acura take your car for their museum in exchange for the new one? I don’t know if I’ll get another 200k out of the engine and trans out of the 86 Jetta, so far no oil burning or noise/shifting problems, but you have me beat on the clutch, I replaced mine once (rear main leak). Great story on a great car!
Hey, they did park my Legend in the Honda Collection museum for the day (attached pic), but I ended up driving it home. Thanks for reading the story!
I definitely took notice of the original clutch. If you know how to drive a manual-transmission car, clutches will last indefinitely. I’ve had four manual cars and never had to replace one despite six-figure mileages. Automatics will eventually fail. If this had been a slushbox, my guess is that there would have been at least one $3000 tranny rebuild in there.
I also like how he decided to keep the car on the road after the deer accident. I had the same dilemma a few months ago and decided to keep my 226,000 mile BMW 325Ci because it had new tires and struts. I had considered dumping it for a manual car, a 540i in particular, but I just couldn’t see my car off to the junkyard.
Great story on a car I know little about.
To me, it takes two things to complete an outstanding accomplishment like this – determination / stubbornness and a car that fits your body and personality. Well, perhaps that is more than two, but there is simply no way anyone could achieve this with a car that was uncomfortable to them.
Tyson, well done. May you continue to have excellent adventures and may this new one fit you as well as your high miler.
Haha, exactly Jason. The Legend is a real joy at 75 mph on the open road. Comfortable handling without being boring. It was not uncommon on some of my high-travel summers to do 12-15 hours on the road per day on some of my cross-country drives. Thanks for the congrats!
Great story. There is nothing quite like a good long road trip. Yeah, just getting in your car and drive! BTW, five windshields? I hope they gave you a “buy ten, get one free” punch card. Repeat customers deserve that kind of thing.
Believe it or not, I do use punch cards for some items. My local dealership does a buy-4-get-one-free oil change. I use it frequently. Windshields, not so much. I have had pretty bad luck with them! My 2013 ILX needed 2 chips filled by about 50,000 miles and one of them is starting to spread again.
Old Acura Legends were great cars. I had a 90 Legend sedan from new. kept it 16 years and 228,000 miles. I sold it to one of my employees in 2006. He put another 50,000 miles on it, before it was destroyed in a wreck. After 16 years, the cloth upholstery was still good. There was some rust, and the clear coat had all burned off the car. Having been left out in the southern sun for all that long, I was not surprised or dismayed. All newer cars are built so much better than just a few years before. I now have a PT Cruiser, that is nine years old, and will go for at least another couple of years before being replaced. As age catches up with me, I suppose the next car will be the last car. I will try to buy something that lasts like the last two.
Stories like this make me reconsider getting the transmission replaced in my 326,000 mile 1995 Ford Explorer. The transmission guts are good, its the case that is worn out and has the typical high mileage 4R55E slop in the servo bores which causes a sloppy 2-3 shift when hot. the 1-2 and the 3-4 shifts are solid, and the 2-3 shift is fine when its not 80+ degrees outside. The body mounts are tired, so it creaks a bit like an old GM FWD A-body. It’s a used truck, but not used up yet, I still take it on epic road trips, and it still gets 20+mpg on those road trips.
Mine’s still working on its original engine, though its been resealed, a couple new timing chains, a couple water pumps, a couple fuel pumps, still has the factory A/C compressor with charge, and power steering pump
My play-car 77 Chevelle… I know I’ve put 60,000 miles on it myself, but I have no idea how much is original mileage on it, but it still wears all the factory smog controls, and the original Chevy blue painted engine, that I re-sealed for the first time, it ate a transmission, and has needed the suspension overhauled on it, but its a good reliable interstate cruiser, actually more reliable than the Explorer.
As a regular reader of Tyson’s blog, what impresses me is how he has no hesitation to jump into a 500K+ mileage car and drive across the country. In 2013 he speedily drove back and forth from Phoenix to the National Acura Legend Meet in Asheville, North Carolina in just a few days. Read his account to appreciate how beautifully that old car performs. Yes, he’s OCD about maintenance (his blog is obsessively detailed and honest about that) but what a great old car. At $41K when new, this Legend clearly was not inexpensive but the long term value is amazing.
OTOH, Carmine definitely has a point about how, with regular maintenance, many cars will prove hundreds of thousands of miles of service – all of us most likely can provide examples. When I look at the odometers of many of the Lincoln Town Cars in livery service in NYC that I’ve been in during the last few years, I regularly see 300-400K+ numbers and the drivers indicate they are still performing well.
I’m even more impressed with how many old Japanese cars, especially Accords, will provide hundreds of thousands of miles of service with minimal maintenance. Their manufacturers were doing something right in those years.
The great thing about sleds is their rebuildablility. A Town Car is just a Ford under the skin. All the parts from an Crown Vic bolt right on. They have heavy frames. They can go high mileage. Can’t do that with a FWD unit body.
“They can go high mileage. Can’t do that with a FWD unit body.”
500k on the Legend is not high mileage? LOL!
Hey, thanks for reading 🙂 Yes, even at 500k+ I am still confident enough about the Legend to hop in at a moment’s notice and drive it wherever. For any who wanted to follow last August’s trip, I put on about 4,000 miles in 6 days and 6 blog posts. The first is here.
http://drivetofive.wordpress.com/2013/08/21/nalm-day-1-moriarty-new-mexico/
Great story. I think it is the cost/complexity of repairs that ‘kills’ most cars today. I had a 155k mi Saturn L300 that i really liked, but the lineup of typical repairs needed to keep it going were simply too expensive to swallow. Sometime in my life (here in the rust belt) i would love to try and keep a second vehicle a long, long time – cost no barrier. It would be a great feeling for sure, but not a daily driver with the rust we have here.
My ’08 TL has just over 90K on it now. I hope it holds up as well as this one!
Wow, very cool. I had a ’91 JDM Honda Legend coupe back in the day, what a great car that was.
I wish I still had my 1993 Accord EX 5-speed wagon. I know that car would have easily surpassed 500k miles. It was rust that did it in – my mechanic said the rear suspension was rotting out badly so at 250k miles it was time to let it go. My wife actually cried when we left it at the dealership! That car NEVER let us down. We bought it with 100k miles from the original owner – it came from Washington state and still looked brand new when we got it. The original owner was meticulous with that car and had all the records from new. We truly enjoyed that car every day for the 11 years we owned it.
Great article and such a cool ending. The rapper Ludacris still has his ’93 and isn’t getting rid of it anytime soon. Always thought those Acuras had really nice seats and about the best leather in the business.
Whilst I’m no fan of Hondas at all, it seems like most people can’t appreciate the committment it takes to keep running a car through to this sort of mileage. Most cars are scrapped between 100 – 200k miles. The parts costs will probably never come close to the depreciation he would have had on the number of cars he’d bought instead of keeping just one on the road.
I know how much committment it takes because I run a Mercedes with over 500k on the clock, and I have no plans to part with it.
KJ
Great story, Tyson. Cheers.
In about 20 more years you’ll catch up to Albert Klein and his 1.6 million mile 1963 model Beetle.
http://southcentrefinecars.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/the-volkswagen-beetle-with-more-than-1-million-miles/
This was Honda/Acura’s pinnacle as far as I’m concerned, I had more exposure to the sedans but I do consider the coupe one of the best looking cars of the 90s, hell of the last 25 years. Damn shame modern two doors all have to have 350z proportions, this is how they should look!
Congrats on the achievement, and it’s great to hear that Acura officially recognized it. Takes dedication, but also when you’ve put that many miles on a car I’m sure it’s like a member of the family at this point. Those Legend coupes were beautiful cars, too, in my opinion one of the two best-looking vehicles they’ve ever produced. (The other one being the red beauty sitting next to it in the final photo…)
Acuras in that time frame were definitely built to last. There’s a fellow on a message board I frequent who has a ’93 (I think) Integra GS-R with almost 300K miles, original engine and transmission. His has also been autocrossed, run at VIR and CMP, and in general has not been babied–but it keeps on providing reliable service.
Thanks Chris, and I’m glad you like that old Formula Red NSX too. That was a 30th birthday present to myself in late 2011. Total grin-machine. I shared the whole story on it here:
http://drivetofive.wordpress.com/2013/12/17/my-1992-acura-nsx/
I can’t imagine someone driving that many miles for pleasure. It must have been a nice-riding car to want to spend that many hours in it.
At first I was pretty impressed with reaching that many miles…but after seeing all the “maintenance” performed, I’m less impressed.
I sold my last car (GM 3800) at 300k miles a few years ago. It virtually didn’t need any of those repeated “maintenance” items this car did. I’d be embarrassed to type how little maintenance I performed on the car (1 air filter for instance). I don’t always agree with Carmine, but that is a LOT of work done!
A friend of mine recently had her engine rebuilt on her relatively new Accord (4 cyl) and it’s now at the dealer for transmission issues. The older I get, the less I believe the hype.
Nice car! These are nice and dependable cars. Congratulations on getting to 500000 miles. I used to drive taxi and remember a few that made it that far. Fords with 302 v8 engines and 200 I 6 engines. Slant six dodges and Plymouths would do it too. GM good luck. As personal cars the most dependable I had were full size Fords and Lincolns and worst were GM full sized. I don’t buy small cars but if I did acura would be top of the list.
Great story Tyson! And a very nice car as well, I looked at a couple over the years. The owner that you bought it from probably figured it had 90xxx miles on it and was getting close to being done. I wonder if she has any idea….
It looks like you have a garage full of choices to make every morning, enjoy them!
Thanks, Jim! Yeah, I’ve actually kept in close contact with the original owner over the years. In fact, she flew to LA to be there for the 500,000 mile roll-over! She is great. She went to a BMW 5-series and last I checked, she’s in a Lexus IS but now looking at a Tesla. I saw her in October and we took a pic with the car.
http://drivetofive.wordpress.com/2013/10/26/tucson-in-the-legend-reunited-with-original-owner/
I got my driver’s license in 1972 and my first car in 1975. I’m honestly not sure I’ve driven 500K miles in my life. And I love to drive, take lots of road trips, and have commuted for nearly 40 years. Where do all you high-milers go???
What a wonderful story about a strikingly beautiful car!
Sadly, I haven’t seen a Legend Coupe in a LONG time!
I wish the Big Three made cars like this. I know that the Panthers and 3800 GM cars could go the distance, and because of that, I have no problem recommending a Panther or GM H-Body to anyone looking for a car of that size.
Tyson, I think you have helped me to narrow down my choice for my next car.
Many of you are familiar with my little Olds https://www.curbsideclassic.com/my-curbside-classic/my-new-curbside-classic-2001-oldsmobile-alero-brougham-there-is-a-special-and-totally-irrational-feel-in-my-merry-new-oldsmobile/.
I still love the little car dearly, but I know that there is no way that car will ever see that kind of mileage. Today it turned over 123k, and while it’s still comfortable, looks pretty good (despite some rust courtesy of this awful winter), and cruises down the highway very nicely, the electronics are going to be the death of it. For example, it’s not uncommon for the ABS and traction control to quit working while in motion, resulting in me having to shift to neutral and shut off the car and restart it while in motion, which usually resets the computer. Lately, if I can’t avoid a pothole, the car stalls out. The gas mileage has dropped considerably, to where it has the power of a Six, but the thirst of an Eight! I had it looked at, and the mechanics claim there’s nothing wrong with it…
I’m hoping to do a couple of long distance trips with it soon, and I hope to get through summer, with the hopes that a job prospect will provide me with a nice down payment for a car. I looked at a Honda Civic the other day…it’s looking better and better by the day, and especially now 🙂
Those photographs are priceless. Particularly the two with the Celebrity and the Prelude… not just the cars, but the outfits too. I’d kill to have era photographs of myself with my first cars.
Haha, I know – isn’t that prom pic with the tux & white shoes cheesy? Throwback to 2000. Honda liked it enough to throw me in a commercial last fall.
Thanks Perry for the share! I appreciate it.
And thanks to all for the comments and encouragement. Yes, my maintenance has been meticulous and even “over” ambitious – I change radiators before they leak, I change timing belts before 90k, I keep a very keen eye on problem areas to catch things BEFORE they become an issue. That being said, the Legend has paid for itself over and over again. Yes, the clutch is original and gives my left leg a real workout.
I’m still driving the car regularly, though the ILX 6-speed is the new daily. Legend is just under 530k. You can follow my mileage updates on my blog, Drive to Five. http://drivetofive.wordpress.com
No prob; these cars don’t get a lot of love and after reading about high mileage Benzes and Volvos which usually have had a lot more major work done on them to get to this mileage, it was certainly a necessary post.
Also, as a lover of Hondas (the old ones, anyway), I’m happy to have another person around.
In case it’s of any interest, here’s the video that Acura put together about the November 4, 2011 “Drive to Five Celebration” when the car rolled 500k.
That is an impressive story and a fine car indeed! I can’t think of anything more fun than a road trip across western USA, so I’m not surprised you rack up mileage so fast.
I love the look of these Acura coupes. It’s still very modern looking and a nicely proportioned big coupe. Very classy, and miles ahead of anything domestic at that time. I think Honda was at it’s peak then, especially in regard to styling. I can only imagine it being a damn fine grand touring machine as well.
Definitely a very cool story.
I hope to one day have such a long lasting relationship with a car.
I was gonna ask if all the Acuras in the last picture were yours, but you already mentioned the NSX.
Must be a sight to see that garage.
I wish Acura still made coupes like that. With the 6 speed specially. At least the TL still(?) carries one.
Any plans on going for the million?
Thanks Leo. Yes the cars in the last pic are mine. I bought the Legend coupe in 2003. The Legend sedan (also a stick shift, pretty tough to find) in 2008. I’ve put only 12,000 miles on it in 6 years (currently at 144,000). The NSX came along in late 2011 (currently 97,600) and then ILX in mid-2012 (currently 73,700). Neighbors just roll their eyes when I show up with a new Acura or when one of my Acura-owning friends stop by.
As for the 1M mile mark, I’ve no doubt the Legend is capable, but I’m racking the miles up too slowly now to do it in my lifetime. Here’s the ILX which I’m in most days.
That was a great story, thanks for sharing! I have always loved the Legend coupe, it has gorgeous lines. But it does really need bigger wheels! Not crazy big but a set of tasteful 19″ rims really sets off the aggressive look of the car.
And I am extremely jealous of your garage, I love the all Acura lineup and especially the NSX. And I am sure you know the ILX has it’s haters, but I like the look of the car and I bet it makes a perfect “daily driver” compliment to all your classics.
One big thing to consider about your 500k achievement: I am willing to bet that even after 500k+ miles, your Legend is still a very nice car to spend time in. Except for the leather they really seem to age very well, and leather is easy to replace or just take extra special care of. Those 500k+ Chevys or Fords or whatever might last that long mechanically but the rest of the car doesn’t usually age as well.
Thanks for reading! Indeed, a different set of wheels can entirely change the look and feel of a vehicle. In all, I went through 13 sets of unique wheels/tires on the Legend. It’s now back on the factory 16″ wheels. I posted a pic of each of the sets in here.
http://drivetofive.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/shoes/
The ILX is a great daily. It’s got the drivetrain and underpinnings of the tossable and fun Civic Si sedan, but with Acura amenities. AND I’m getting 33+ MPG which is better than the Legend ever achieved.
Re: Leather, I had my seats recovered in the Legend back in 2004 with fresh “Katzkin” two-tone. They’ve held up great. There are a couple of recent interior pics here, including one I’ll attach to this post.
http://drivetofive.wordpress.com/2013/10/09/20-year-birthday-for-the-legend/
Nice sets, it appears you have a thing for chrome wheels huh?! 🙂
I always liked the dark grey or black wheels myself. But those 17″ RSX-S wheels look really good, the offset it perfect for the Legend. I also like the EVO5’s on it, but I prefer OEM usually. And I see you got the good color interior too, all of the Legends I have seen have the tan interior and the grey was more to my taste. My best friend had a red Legend coupe with the tan interior and manual trans, that was the one that made me love those cars. Then he got an NSX and I fell in love with that too.
Sounds like you got the “good” ILX too, with the Si drivetrain, really nice deal from Acura. You must have been flipping out, getting a free car just for keeping your own Acura so long!
Great article. A 1988 Legend Coupe started this situation. All 2000, all daily drivers.
Awesome collection of RLs! We’ve owned a couple of those in my fam as well. My mom has a blk/blk 2000 Premium that we loved (attached pic). A little over a year ago, I blogged about one that had gone nearly 500,000 miles and looked great. http://drivetofive.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/acura-rl-472000-miles-in-10-years/
Great story. My sister-in-law had a Legend coupe for a few years, and she was quite happy with it. I’m not a big Honda fan, but I’ll take an old, well maintained Acura any day. A friend of mine has a 2001 TSX coupe that he bought a few years ago to replace an ’89 Prelude that rusted away. The TSX had been sitting for a while, and at the time it had over 200,000 km. He replaced the tires and brakes, and it easily passed safety and emissions testing. It’s a daily driver, and he has no plans of getting rid of it any time soon. I expect that he’ll look for another Acura when the TSX finally dies.