awelliott

Hi all,

Newbie question here. I've had an 87 L coupe/5sp for 15 years and have really enjoyed it. It has nearly 270k miles on it, and I'd hop in and drive it from here (Alabama) to Alaska without a second thought.

While my 87 has been ultra reliable, needs nothing, and is still fun to drive, I've been thinking about buying a G2/6sp. Good, low-mileage examples are getting more difficult to find, so I think now is probably a good time to do it.

My question is pretty general. I'd like to know from those of you who have owned both G1 and G2 Legends your impression of the G2 versus the G1. I've never driven a G2, but I have an idea of the driveability traits from reading. What I'm looking for is more of a general impression of the reliability, parts availability, and maintenance costs of the G2/TypeII/6sp versus my G1/5sp. Thanks....

 

4cruizn

This coming from someone who has driven their G2 to Alaska and back (this past May), here's what I'd say.

Hang around the G2 forums for awhile and you'll see a few of the common problem areas to watch out for. Most importantly is the cooling system; be sure and triple-check everything related to the cooling system on any G2 you consider purchasing. They are notorious for HG failures and associated overheating.

I have owned a G1 sedan 5-speed (LOVED it, very fun to drive car) and I now have a G2 coupe 6-speed and a G2 sedan 6-speed. They are fun, but in a different way. Sometimes I miss the G1 -- the car felt so light and nimble. My G2s just aren't quite as easy to throw around, but the long-haul highway drives are oh-so enjoyable. I'd highly recommend making the step up to a G2 if you have the means to do so. Acura, as you know, over-engineered the Legend and it was far ahead of its time, mechanically, cosmetically, and otherwise.

Re: maintenance costs, I can't really comment on that for the G1 because I only had it for about six months, but besides ticking lifters, it was bulletproof. With the G2 Legend, it's been mostly preventive maintenance. Over the past 30,000 miles, I've had nothing but routine oil changes on my coupe, which is now at 271,000 miles. I've owned it since 95k.

Someone said it well, though, that just because you can afford a Legend doesn't mean you can afford to maintain a Legend. I think that's probably true, because when things DO go wrong, it's easy to drop a couple grand in repairs. You're probably already familiar with the fact that Acura OEM parts command premium prices. Hope you can find some valuable information here on the forums and let us know if you have any specific questions.

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telafonic

I have both right now.
The '87 5-spd is more fun to drive, but not as elegant/refined as the G2, but as you probably know, it drives very predictably. The overall handling is better on the G2, but it feels more like a big, heavy car that needs to be prodded to do what you want, where as the G1 feels quick and light and ready to go where you want it. The G2, like Tyson mentioned above is great for cruising and kind of taking it easy. It has more torque, so you don't have to throttle it as much as the G1, but they are still very similar motors as they really kick in at the higher RPM's. The G2 doesn't feel as fast sometimes, but it's faster, and quieter.
Stock audio system is better, the sound deadening probably helps with that too.
Stock headlights are quite a bit better too, and the G2 has a sexier, classier, sleeker look. There is less visibility in the G2, partly due to smaller side mirrors.
I would have to say that mechanically I've had more problems with the G1, but that could be attributed to age of course. It still starts on the first turn of the starter about 85% of the time, the G2 usually takes longer. The G2 seems more sensitive to rough driving, the G1 seems to take a lot more abuse without complaining. The G2 is more complicated and therefore expensive problems are a greater possibility.
The 6-spd will probably feel clunkier and slower shifting than your 5-spd, but it's a very good setup and gets better mileage on the highway. Tyson has the original clutch with over 270k miles.
I would say that mechanical parts are both available pretty easily, but G2 parts seem to be more expensive.
Also with the G2, you'll have to worry about door dings more, since the side moldings are body-colored (on most).
G1 for me is great for daily driving, G2 is great for cruising (road trips) and dates.

EDIT: But of course the most important make it or break it difference is the 'lights on' chime on the G1 sounds better than the G2's.

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TonyTheBullet

I find that I developed an extreme case of paranoia after getting the G2. The G1 was cheap to fix, almost everything could be replaced with Accord parts and most problems were easy to diagnose. With the G2 i find that I spend more time looking at the temp guage than focusing on the road. In terms of driving (stock G1 vs Stock G2), the G1 is way more fun to drive. Just shift into S3 and step on the gas and it takes off, you can make sharp turns at high speeds and the engine sounds ohh so good at high rpm. I think the G1 can outhandle a G2 any day. On the otherhand, you feel like a different person in the G2. You don't have to hold your head down in shame when you park in an upscale area. I miss the G1 so much that I am considering buying a G1 coupe as my second project car. The fact that you can buy a decent one with a bad engine and replace the engine and tranny for under a $1000 (parts and labour) makes the idea so much more tempting. I read in a thread here somewhere that the G1 has a higher power to weight ratio than the G2. You can pretty much buy any G1 and be sure that if nothing BIG would go wrong and if it did you wouldnt go broke. With the G2 you have to be really careful. I searched for 6 months and in the final 2 months I was test driving atleast one every weekend before I decided to get mine. Again, be VERY careful when buying a G2.

I don't mean to discourage you from upgrading to a G2. You'll know it in your heart when you have found THE ONE and when you do..you will get over the G1 like you never had it

telafonic

Ha, yeah I watch my gauge more than I should too.
G2 definitely has a better power/weight ratio, even with the lightest G1 versus the heaviest G2. I'm not sure how a non GS or LS coupe compares in handling, but since that's what he is looking at getting, the GS is way flatter (less body roll) and handles higher speeds better on corners. Even though the G2 has higher drag coefficients, it doesn't really feel like it.

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awelliott

Thanks for the thoughtful responses. I guess I'll have to mull it over awhile.

The BHG issue is scary, but so is the possibility of breaking a timing belt on a G1. I made the mistake of letting a dealer replace the timing belt on my G1 - 25k later I lost my engine. When I pulled the covers, there was way too much slack in the belt, it looked like the dealer had failed to properly adjust the tensioner. Anyway, my understanding is that the G2 engines are non-interference - correct?

As for the G2, I can afford to maintain it, but I like turning my own wrenches as much as I can. Also I like the fact that the local boneyard usually has a great selection of G1s that I can cannibalize, but I have yet to see the first G2 Legend there, so the prices of parts would be much, much higher. I'd probably be much less "involved" with a G2 since there's more electronic gadgetry and much less availability of used parts. I'd really miss figuring out what's wrong and scrounging the parts out of the boneyard. The ideal thing would be to keep both, but it's wildly impractical to keep 4 cars - I can't get rid of my pickup, and my wife would kill me if we cut loose the Odyssey.

Anyway, at least I know the issues; I just have to figure out what's most important. I guess the first order is to drive a G2/6sp to see if they drive as good as they look. I figured the G2 would be more of an interstate cruiser, and that's more of the type of driving I do now. However, the notchy shifting comments I've seen on the forum surprised me - if it is anything like an 85 Laser I once had, I'll definitely stick with my G1.

Thanks again for all the help - this forum is great!

telafonic

Cool, best of luck to you.
Let us know if you get another Legend. You have any pics of your G1?

Oh, and BTW, the G2 engine is an interference engine also. In fact the C32 in the G2 is really a bigger version of the C25/C27 in the G1, so they have many similar characteristics.

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action2288

One thing to remember is that G2 Legends require premium gasoline, the most expensive of the three grades.

- action

TonyTheBullet

^
Really? I thought I was just being anal for goin the extra mile and putting in premium in the car didnt know it was required

TennesseeLegends

G2 ride smooth if you take care of them

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awelliott

Thanks. I'll get a pic or two up in the near future.

Man, I hate to hear that the C32 is an interference engine also. Hopefully it will never become an issue....

TonyTheBullet

^
It only becomes a problem if you drive around with a Timing Belt thats about to break

awelliott

Or if some dealership mechanic doesn't tension the new one correctly and your 90k belt becomes a 20k belt. ]8^(

TonyTheBullet

Then it just gives you an excuse to put an NSX engine in your car ...teehee