20 years ago from Acura

[curtsr]

20 years ago Honda beefed up the Acura brand. It's line-up featured a car with a bold name that conjured up lofty expectations. It's name...

Legend:

The "massive" Legend makes the NSX diasppear:

Just to stir the pot- still the original TB/WP...

I always appreciated the Legend, saw this car and was bowled over. It belonged to my tech's Mom who had bought it new as her "divorce car". We were working on installing a Zanardi wheel on my NSX and restoring cruise control- which was lost when the PO installed a Momo "Jet" steering wheel. The Legend never saw snow and never even had it's Acura sheepskin covers off until yesterday which is why the seats look incredible.

So I'm selling our all-family-used '07 Fit to fund this affair. Pocket a little change on the deal and I think come out way ahead in the long run. That's what I bought the Fit for- the long run- but I think that this Legend will be around for a while too.

150-200K miles life expectancy for one of these would be average I would guess.

So open questions please:

What do you think? Think the like-new 91 Legend prospects for 10 more years of "normal" use?

Do you think that moving from the '07 Fit (21K miles) backwards to the '91 Legend (27K miles) and pocketing some cash is the smart play? The Fit is the bottom of the Honda line. This 91 Legend, NSX excluded, was at the top. Given the age difference in moving from the bottom to the top, does this make sense? I ask because I am too close and am biased by infatuation.

Please tell me how I could pass on this 27K mile BEAUTY in virtually the same colors as my NSX? Because I clearly am unable to assess this on my own.

Thanks!

 

[GrounDDesignS]

Man, that is nice.
The interior is just stunning.

 

[Miner]

20 years ago Honda launched the Acura brand. It's line-up featured a car with a bold name that conjured up lofty expectations.

Just to stir the pot- still the original TB/WP...

She is super clean for 20 years old. One more year and she'll be legal to drink alcohol. The Acura brand is 25 years old now. The first generation Legend came out in 86 as a 4 door and 87 for the coupe and the Integra in 87 or 88. I had an 89 Legend coupe and it was my best car. I drove it for 10 years and sold it with 175,000 miles and it was still (nearly) flawless.

I believe the first 5-10 years of Acura were the best years of the company. Your Legend had the potential to be a super luxury car with Acura talking about all wheel drive, then in the mid 90's they seemed to change course and make their cars European, got rid of the names and some of the soul. My 02 TL is a great car, and a decent sucessor to the Legend, but not as much fun as my first generation Legend.

My 2 cents about Acura. Love your cars, esp the colors.

Miner

 

[Brylek]

Plus both of your cars have C series engines .

Too bad you don't have a NA2, you would then have a C32a in the legend and C32B in your NSX.

 

[NetViper]

Wow, very nice. I would love one of those for a beater. (not that yours is a beater... its in great shape)

 

[RJD1022]

The Legend is a true classic and that looks like a great example.

I personally think Acura started going the wrong way when they renamed the Legend to the RL.

If you told someone you have a Legend, they knew what it was, but if you stopped 100 people on the street and told them you had an RL, I bet 90 of them couldn't tell you who made it.

Acura went from being a leader, to trying to pretend that their cars were as good as Mercedes Benz because they named them the same way.

 

[curtsr]

The Acura brand is 25 years old now.

Miner

Correct. Fact lost in the excitement. :redface:
edited OP

Plus both of your cars have C series engines .

Too bad you don't have a NA2, you would then have a C32a in the legend and C32B in your NSX.

Never even considered that!

 

[ekin95]

Looking good! My Dad had 3 Legends back in the day and man were they sweet. I scanned a few pics of the first one he had, rumor was there were only 3 like these around and Senna drove one like it but whs knows. The Legends were soooo nice back then and turned heads all the time. This one had an OEM kit on it w/ the Enkie or BBS (can't remember) 16 or 17", and back then those were huge. :biggrin:

 

[SaleenS7Rs]

I loved that car back when I was a kid. I got pretty close to buying one as my first car. It had all the emblems gold plated and some sweet wheels nice and classy. I really doubt you can find a legend with under 27,000 miles these days.

 

[chudson1549]

I had a 91 white then a 92 vineyard. both two-doors before I got the NSX..good cars

 

[Track Addict]

Congrats on the purchase! Looks fresh off of the showroom floor!

Glad to see it has a new owner that will appreciate and keep it as clean as the first owner.

 

[Oyagi]

I still miss my 92 Legend sedan. Bought it in 2004 from an old man, bone stock with 50,000 kms on the odo. Super clean and so luxurious. Sold it eventually because I *thought* a 2001 Lex IS300 was more suited for me, which was fun but I regretted losing the smooth ride of the Legend. To me it was like a Japanese 7 series sedan or even a Jag XJ in styling.

 

[djdrock]

Poor Honda/Acura. Like most motor companies, they have lost the ability to create cars that just give you that warm and fuzzy feeling. I HATE the new cars of today. Look at this 2012 TL. The door windows are getting so small soon they will be peepholes.

Pathetic.

 

[curtsr]

I still miss my 92 Legend sedan.

That looked awesome! Very tasteful and I'm sorry that you miss it.

 

[Jimbo]

Yeah, I miss my Legend Coupe. Of course, later on Honda/Acura ruined the look and appeal. It had such nice flowing lines. Later it became blocky and chunky looking and when the time came to replace I went with a SC-400 Lexus.

 

[KSXNSX]

Poor Honda/Acura. Like most motor companies, they have lost the ability to create cars that just give you that warm and fuzzy feeling. I HATE the new cars of today. Look at this 2012 TL. The door windows are getting so small soon they will be peepholes.

Pathetic.

I think some design elements have more to do with crash test standards and federal regulations than ability, such as the smaller windows and larger body panels/higher hood/beltlines you speak of.

Other things like the beak, that's allllll capability--or lack thereof.

 

[Swift]

That legend if you keep it nice and drive it on the weekends will last 300k+.

But it looks like an L model with leather trim...with SE rims. But damn MINT!!! so awesome!

Have it appraised and go through a good insurance company for collectors.

 

[TURBO2GO]

I hate to say this but that series of Legend was to me already worse than the previous. I had an original Legend LS coupe. Man what a car that was. Acura was such a winner back then. It was car of the year...

Then like Jimbo, I too went to an SC400 then to some Germans and then to an NSX...

 

[bobert486]

honda/acura and other japanese makes were on the 90's were on top of their game. I too had a Legend; it was a 1994 black on black GS sedan. it looked so sinister when I lowered it. I had it until 2008 at 220k miles and sold it for a bmw with manual trans, what a mistake. stuck with the bmw for now, its been the most unreliable car I have ever owned. Its quirker than the legend and subaru SVX.

I think some design elements have more to do with crash test standards and federal regulations than ability, such as the smaller windows and larger body panels/higher hood/beltlines you speak of.

Other things like the beak, that's allllll capability--or lack thereof.

I read somewhere that the higher shoulder line is because consumers like the cocoon sensation because it makes them feel safer. Though I kinda agree, my Nissan 240sx has seat that felt like you were sitting on the floor.

 

[PoohBEAR]

love the Legend!!! I know this crazy fool n' numb nuts not to mention his name that has a few of them in the garage. I am sooOooo jealous of him Ahem Graham ahem

 

[Dynamic-uzed-auto]

Omg that thing is so clean, I too have an 07 fit as my long run beater but would die for one of those to replace it, good luck and watch out for head gasket blowing when you reach 150-180k miles

 

[quack]

Congrats on the purchase! Looks fresh off of the showroom floor!

Glad to see it has a new owner that will appreciate and keep it as clean as the first owner.

+1 its in immaculate condition! vs a fit? while the fits cool for what it is. It doesn't rate on coolness like "that" legend, also you mentioned you get to pocket cash too!

 

[curtsr]

That legend if you keep it nice and drive it on the weekends will last 300k+.

But it looks like an L model with leather trim...with SE rims. But damn MINT!!! so awesome!

Have it appraised and go through a good insurance company for collectors.

You are correct, L model with SE wheels and dealer-installed rear spoiler and wind deflector. Main visual difference with LS is the LS would have body colored side moldings instead of black. Soft-close doors and an old school 7 band graphic EQ in the dash!

Here's the Fit that it replaces:

I'll miss it because it is really is a fun little go-kart but the Legend is just too sumptious. And the right colors!

 

[Sumeronthechain]

The seats looks nice, but the rest of that car does not do anything for me.

 

[sylcurt]

Wow, this thread makes me recall my 1995 Legend Coupe LSS (I think it was LSS?) It had the factory ground effects package, subtle but still a bit nasty (for the day) and the Type II engine...although automatic, that thing could move....always seemed to rev higher than most cars, but it was instant accelleration when you stepped on it....Pearl white, and had the OEM rims with winter Blizzaks, and summer Bridgestones on a very nice tasteful chrome rim....black interior was nicer than anything out there today...seats were so comfortable...a real crusing car for sure . Sold it to by my first TL, because I needed a bigger backseat/4 doors...ouch!!! About 100,000 kms (60,000 miles) when I sold it in 2000-absolutely perfect shape...but what an engine.....