402,000 Mile Acura Legend

[Accumulator]

"A-men" on what you say. Some of these cars get so foolishly expensive to service/own as they cross north of 100k miles that it makes little sense to try to keep them going..

Heh heh, "hush your mouth"....the A8 is right around 100K and Accumulatorette won't replace it no matter *what* it costs me



I somehow suspect that an Acura is a bit less painful than the Euro stuff. When *I* looked over his expenses, they didn't even register as significant to me!

 

[tom p.]

LOL....we'd better check the hourly labor rates at the Acura dealers. I suspect it's close to everything else out there. FWIW, what car is cheap to take care of today??

 

[4cruizn]

Wow man that Legend looks stunning! Great job on maintaining it.

Thank you!!

You've NEVER replaced the rotors?

No, I haven't...

a climate where there is not a lot of salt

Great climate is a definitely huge help to keeping a car this old in top shape. I love it here.

Its not stop and go 400K+.

Exactly; lots of highway mileage here. This car barely works the motor in 6th gear at highway speed with the cruise control on. Low RPMs.

its an outstanding car. the steering is smooth and an unbelievably quiet car.

Legends are certainly not without their quirks - just like any used car. Legends are notorious for failure of head gaskets, speed sensors, window regulators, etc. Most of these cars have seen their share of wear and tear... and I'd dare say most owners don't adhere to a maintenance schedule as rigid as mine, so there are fewer and fewer of these on the road today.

I would not hesitate to buy that car if it was for sale! The maintenance records alone make that car invaluable! I also love the Type S wheels!!

Thanks man, the 02 TL-S wheels make the car look a bit newer. In all I've owned 12 different sets of wheels for this car over my 7 years of ownership. I change it up often.

While I was initially amazed by the condition, I felt somewhat deflated once I reviewed the $$$$ spent to keep the car in this condition. Not cheap! In reality, many cars could have that showroom-new condition if you threw enough money at them (and had an attentive owner/driver).

I fully agree - I think there are a lot of vehicles capable of this longevity if maintenance is kept up, but I also think people need to get out of the "100k is too many miles" mentality. Gone are the days when that was all you could expect to get out of a car before starting to sink serious money into it.



I have 417,000 on the car now. Over the last ~100,000 miles, all maintenance items have been routine and/or wear items except for the fuel pump, alternator, and clutch master cylinder. And while those items certainly weren't cheap, when allocated over my 100,000 miles of driving, this car on a cost-per-mile basis is a better value "to me" than a newer car with a payment and higher insurance premiums (.. and you still have to spend $ on maint with a new car). To each his own. I can appreciate both sides of the argument.



Had the car in a small Easter car show last weekend in Utah.

 

[byalegend]

I fully agree - I think there are a lot of vehicles capable of this longevity if maintenance is kept up, but I also think people need to get out of the "100k is too many miles" mentality. Gone are the days when that was all you could expect to get out of a car before starting to sink serious money into it.



I have 417,000 on the car now. Over the last ~100,000 miles, all maintenance items have been routine and/or wear items except for the fuel pump, alternator, and clutch master cylinder. And while those items certainly weren't cheap, when allocated over my 100,000 miles of driving, this car on a cost-per-mile basis is a better value "to me" than a newer car with a payment and higher insurance premiums (.. and you still have to spend $ on maint with a new car). To each his own. I can appreciate both sides of the argument.

:werd: I'm approaching 200K on my '92 Legend, and I've never had it break down on me. I had it up on a lift a couple weeks ago, and the only problems we saw were a leaking cam plug and some wear on a brake line. The roof needs to be painted because of clear coat fade, but it has no other major issues. It still drives like it did when I bought it 13 years ago, and it starts on the first crank every time. I've learned to do the maintenance and repairs myself to save money, so I've saved about $3K in the last year alone. This is a car I plan on keeping forever - love it!

 

[ThatGuySkye]

This makes me wanna go buy a legend to commute in. LOL

 

[Accumulator]

In all I've owned 12 different sets of wheels for this car over my 7 years of ownership. I change it up often...

That somehow strikes me as really cool!



Thanks for the recent pics, I always enjoy seeing how (well) it's holding up :xyxthumbs

 

[JJ_]

what Microfibre do you use to remove the wax?

 

[2007TBSS]

Incredible.

 

[BluBrett]

At this rate I'm sure the car is near 450,000 miles? I have looked at this post so many times. Is it hard waxing around the L E G E N D letters?



Edit: just saw the 417,000 mile thing post.

 

[Intercooled]

Great thread. I just today went to the bank and paid off my 2006 H2. I have 31K on it. I love my Hummer and now that they arent making them any more I want to keep it for a long time to come. Its so nice not having that payment anymore. This thread has really inspired me to believe that it is possible to do. I always thought too, that after 100K the vehicle is on its down turn and its time for another. Hopefully i can post here 10 years from with my H2!

 

[sontakke]

This is a great thread. However, that spreadsheet gave me a pause. Here are just few entries from it. The prices charged are astronomical for some of the items (over $300 for brake cylinder cap with built-in switch??). Also some items seems to be repeatedly being changed.



Main relay & fuel pump & fuel filter replace $950

Replace front wheel liners $400

New master cylinder and new PS fluid $411

New clutch master and slave cylinders $414

Brake master cylinder cap & switch $300

Brake master cylinder $342

Radiator tank $463

Bunch of timing belts and water pump; every 60-90K $900 each

 

[AcuraYYZ]

He had it serviced at the dealer, therefore the higher costs. Why did you not use a private mechanic specializing in Honda or Japanese vehicles?

 

[nygoat03]

why not do alot of the work urself??

 

[Florida-LS]

Car looks amazing!



I love those seats! No one makes seats like that anymore!?! I miss comfy seats...

 

[dklac096]

Beautiful car and pics. I be jealous.

 

[turboawd]

4cruizin - congrats on owning a classic! that era of hondas/acuras are the best.



if you don't mind me asking, where did you get the protective clear film that is on the plastic part of your doorsills? is it an adhesive film that sticks onto the plastic doorsill?



thanks, and great job maintaining the legend.

 

[Accumulator]

..Why did you not use a private mechanic specializing in Honda or Japanese vehicles?

-AND-

why not do alot of the work urself??

Speaking as somebody who has his Audi and GMC/Chevy dealers work on those cars, it's not alway easy to find somebody who'll keep you 100% satisfied, and that can be crucial when you're keeping a car for a long time. No argument against independent shops (I take a few of my vehicles to those), it's just a matter of having the right vehicle/shop combination and sometimes a dealership works out great.



Lots of reasons to do/not do mechanical stuff yourself, including knowing the limits of your abilities and simply not wanting to spend your time doing that instead of doing something else. Same with doing your own detailing for that matter.



Heh heh, some of the best mechanics I've ever known no longer do *anything* themselves these days. They're busy doing other stuff and would rather spend their money than their time (now that they have more money than time and I'm sure that does factor in). These are the guys who used to take care of all my imported cars, but now they don't even change their own wiperblades and they wouldn't wrench on somebody else's car for a thousand bucks an hour.

 

[4cruizn]

This is a car I plan on keeping forever - love it!

Good call!!

This makes me wanna go buy a legend to commute in. LOL

You should. They can be found cheaply but as with any used car should be checked out carefully for known problems. PM me if you decide to move forward with it and want any Legend-specific advice or feedback.

That somehow strikes me as really cool!

I guess changing the wheels is how I manage to not get bored driving the same car for nearly 8 years.

what Microfibre do you use to remove the wax?

Honestly I don't know what brand they are - most of my microfibers are the blue ones that come from Griot's Garage.

Incredible.

Thanks!

Is it hard waxing around the L E G E N D letters?

Yeah, that area can be a bit of a pain. Toothbrush comes in handy sometimes

Hopefully i can post here 10 years from with my H2!

I hope so too! Good luck with your Hummer.

The prices charged are astronomical for some of the items (over $300 for brake cylinder cap with built-in switch??). Also some items seems to be repeatedly being changed.

Correct - here's your list again:



Main relay & fuel pump & fuel filter replace $950

Yes, this one hurt, especially because I was at around 399,750 miles and was so anxious for a big milestone!



Replace front wheel liners $400

These are mostly my own fault. Lost some of the plastic screws that held them in and tried to get by without them. The wind would catch it, tire would rub, and eventually it gets ripped out.



New clutch master cylinder and new PS fluid $411

Yeah, spendy. 382,000 miles for this service.



New clutch master and slave cylinders $414

This one was at 90,012 miles. So technically I got 292,000 out of a clutch master cylinder.



Brake master cylinder cap & switch $300

This was at 54,000 miles - before I owned the car. There were also a number of other items done at this appt besides the master cylinder cap - checklist of maint items for a 50k service; alignment; oil change.



Brake master cylinder $342

This was at 80,000 miles - also before I owned the car. Has not been changed since.



Radiator tank $463

This record is from 63,000 miles, before my ownership. I had the radiator replaced at 169,000 with a Koyo and then at 328,000 with Honda OEM.



Bunch of timing belts and water pump; every 60-90K $900 each

Yes, unfortunately this is standard Honda protocol. I'm coming up on another one currently. Otherwise it's been nothing but oil changes since the 400k mark.

Why did you not use a private mechanic specializing in Honda or Japanese vehicles?

why not do alot of the work urself??

In my shopping around locally, the "specialty" shop rates are nearly as expensive as the dealership, and I have the peace of mind knowing that the dealerships know me and my car and take care of both. Flexible scheduling, loaner cars, customer lounge, and 100% OEM parts. I don't have the time, know-how, or tools to do my own maintenance. I'd rather pay someone else to do it because I can get more value of my time doing other things. Detailing is an exception. I ALWAYS decline a wash at the dealership.

I miss comfy seats...

They are very comfy! Easy to make a 1,000 mile drive in this car and not get fatigued.

Beautiful car and pics. I be jealous.

Thanks

where did you get the protective clear film that is on the plastic part of your doorsills? is it an adhesive film that sticks onto the plastic doorsill?

Yes - the "Dealer Must Remove" film I originally got on Ebay. It's just a sticky-back plastic. It came in a 200 foot roll, 2 feet wide. It's perforated and you can tear off however much you need and then cut to fit.



Here is one distributor I found.



Dealer Must Remove - Self Adhesive Auto Floor Mats - Car Floor Mats - Carpet Protection Film

Lots of reasons to do/not do mechanical stuff yourself, including knowing the limits of your abilities and simply not wanting to spend your time doing that instead of doing something else.

Bingo! You know where I'm coming from.



Just under 420,000 miles at this point FYI.

 

[turboawd]

Thanks for the link for the protective film!

 

[Eisen Hulk]

Such a great thread.



My 99 TL just broke 200k a couple of weeks ago.