I like to think of myself as a Legend enthusiast.
Back in '95, I was working doing stereo and alarm installs for a local shop. That's where I had my first experience with the Legend. I LOVED doing the CD Changer installs on those since it was so damned easy, then I got to sit and listen for a few minutes after.
Anyway, this is also when I first got to drive one, and I liked it from moment one.
However, I have been a Prelude owner/enthusiast since I bought my first one (1982 G1) in 1992. I got my 1988 in 1994 (and that went to Honda Heaven last year), and I got my 1997 in 1999 (and still have it). Even more, I bought my first Honda - a 1978 Civic CVCC - in 1986.
Then, I came across a package deal of two wrecked Legends with enough parts to make one good one in January 2006. I got them, had them shipped, and got to work. They were a 93 LS 5 speed and a 94 auto GS, and the LS was the one to fix up (94 was really wrecked). I had it on the road two months later and the love began.
These Legends were both white, and I told myself in 94 when I got my second 'lude that I would never own another car that wasn't black. So, that was always in the back of my head. Someone on here had the unfortunate happen and wrecked his black Legend, but it didn't look trashed. I became interested and investigated, but the body wasn't very good and I'm a bit of a perfectionist. BUT, someone posted links to other Legends on his thread, and I investigated one. I had the guy send me numerous pics, we exchanged a lot of emails, and I made the decision. I gathered up the cash, and took a plane from Columbus OH to Raleigh NC on a Friday night after work, leaving my 93 at the airport. I checked out this black on black Auto GS the next morning, and HAD to have it. It was not pristine by any means, but the interior was quite nice and the rear quarters were like BRAND NEW (it was a NC car all its life and rust was no place to be found). So, the fact that the antenna was broken, some trunk trim was missing, the muffler and the catalytic converter had holes in them, the rotors were warped, the paint job wasn't a very good one, he didn't have any original keys, the CD changer wasn't sounding right, and the TRANS wasn't shifting right didn't turn me away, especially since I knew that I'd be making this a 6-speeder anyway. I negotiated, and we did NOT have a deal. I went back to the hotel, thought about it for a while, and thought "I can fly home for $125, or I can go there and give him another $100 and DRIVE home." So, I ran (literally, on foot) back to his work place, made the deal, and drove it back to Columbus, bad trans and all, and without even having a title in hand! That was an awesome feeling and I made it home safely, but second gear was pretty much gone after the trip.
So, in June, the 6-speed went in, the 93 LS was cleaned up, and that got sold it before it even hit the AutoTrader magazine ad that I got. I took care of all the other little mechanical things on the GS (except the cat, since I will do that when I put my OBX headers on that I already have) and I have driven well over 10k miles since then. I had some woman in Lowe's parking lot ask me about it yesterday (whether I liked it or not) and I simply said "I LOVE this car." And, I really do.
I also have made some contributions to all my friends here on the forum along with Matt (SR5guy) in fixing people's problem (which would have also been a problem for me) with manual Legends and TCS and modified chips. We figured out the checksum methodology, tested it to make sure it worked, modified TunerPro to take care of it, gave Beav the info so he could fix BeavEdit, and (Matt) fixed some bad chips so that people had their TCS again. We also worked together to test and determine that an auto ECU could be converted to a manual, and I was able to use that myself for my 6-speed swap. But, I can't take even nearly 50% of this credit, as I was mostly Matt's tester and "Guinea Pig" so to speak. But, I was devoted and "enthusiast" enough to butcher a perfectly good ECU to add to the cause.
I still have my 97 Prelude, and I love that car
for what it is. But, I have this Legend, and yeah, it is my daily driver, too, but does that make me less of a "Legend Enthusiast?" I really don't think so. I plan to have it for the next 20+ years (no joke!) since I'm moving to Chicago where I will rarely need a car, so it will last me quite possibly the rest of my life. My Prelude will probably go after a total of 16 years of Prelude ownership, and I will probably try to get some sort of German turbodiesel so I can utilize biodiesel since gas is getting so damned expensive (sorry, the Germans have the whole turbodiesel thing down pat). But, the Legend WILL stay.
Finally, I feel that "Legend Enthusiast" should not be defined third-person. In other words, we ought not look at others that may consider themselves "Legend Enthusiast" and discount their feelings in any way/shape/form. "Legend Enthusiast" will mean something different to each and every one of us, and that's a GOOD thing. We are not cookie-cutter people and we are all different! Some of us may own Legends and decide to own them longer than others, while others may not even own one and really just love the cars, but for some reason or another for that individual, they just don't. He or she may still be a "Legend Enthusiast" in his/her mind, and it's really not for us to say otherwise.
So, for anyone that considers him/herself a "Legend Enthusiast," go right ahead and do that. You feel; therefore, you are.
Happy 2008 everyone!
MW
