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Hey everyone, I hope posts like this are allowed because pretty much every other forum I've been on jumps down your throat when you post a thread that basically says "Hi I'm new and now I'm going to ask a bunch of questions that have already been answered 100 times". The only reason I'm starting a new thread is because I'll have some questions that are unanswered AND hopefully some of the things I say in general will give me a response that will be interesting to read.
Before you hear about my new car and what I have to say, you should know a little about me. I'm 18 and this is the 3rd car I've owned. Don't immediately think I'm some dumb kid who's going to ruin a perfectly good car. I went thru my "ricer" stage with my first car when I was 16 and my head has been on straight ever since. My previous cars were Acura Integras and it looks like I couldn't help but stay in the Acura family. My new pride and joy is a 1992 Legend (LS?) 2 Door 5-Speed coupe. Let me tell you, I fell in love with Legends the first time I saw a really clean 2-door. I'm not hating on the 4-doors, but I think the coupes just look really sexy. I also have to admit that I'm floored with the luxury this car presents...people are stunned when I tell them it's a 92, especially once they get inside...it's twice as nice as my 95 GS-R was!
My last car, the 95 GS-R, was stolen and stripped. I loved going fast in that thing...I was in the high 14s on the quarter mile...something that would be very hard for my Legend to pull. But with this car, I don't care about going fast, I just want to look good and have a really nice car to ride in. My first plans are to restore it to stock-looking mint condition. Who cares what rims you have on a car if it's crumby on the inside and has oxidizing paint on the outside? Which brings me to my first few points/questions...
This car wasn't perfect when I bought it 3 weeks ago, but it was damn near close...here's some things that need to be improved upon:
1a. [Passanger Seat Leather] it's cracked and even broken at some parts...overall it's not disgusting and it's still comfortable to sit in...but it's nowhere near as nice as the rest of the car...how much does it cost to have it restitched/restored? Or should i just look into buying a whole new seat?
2a. [Odometer] this seems to be a common problem with the Legends...it's not completely broken, but it's random in when it captures my miles...sometimes I'll take an entire trip and log 200 miles...other times I'll drive for an entire week and the thing won't budge. Is there an easy fix? Or do I need to replace the whole cluster?
3a. [Idle] after reading the "coolant" thread, this had me sweating because I've dealt with blown headgaskets before and they murder my wallet. My Legend idles generally around 300-500rpms...but sometimes at a stoplight or when I come to park, I notice it bounce up to 600-700rpms for a split second...then back down to 400 or so for 10 seconds...then back up to 600-700 and so on....I went behind my car after startup and white smoke was coming out of the tailpipe (and my heart dropped)...but then when I went onto the road I noticed half of the cars out there had white smoke and I realized it was about 50 degrees that day. What's your take?
4a. [Gauge Cluster] something really common in the Honda scene was to pull out the cluster and then replace 3 or so bulbs so the whole cluster lit up a different color. The stock color isn't doing it for me and I want to stick some red bulbs in there...can anyone tell me what size bulbs light up the main parts of the cluster (speedometer, tach)? Also, my Climate Control lights seem to be out (they don't light up when the headlights are on), is a fuse blown or do I need to replace the bulbs behind the buttons?
5a. [Mileage] i normally wouldn't buy a car with 157,000 miles but I was too in love to say no. Given that the odometer has been broken since the previous owner had it (he owned it for 9 months), it's probably safe to assume this car is well over 160,000. I checked the FAQ but is there any immediate service that I should take care of?
Now, as for my plans... like I said, I'm not trying to go fast or make a really in-your-face show car...I just want simple looks that set my car apart in a crowd and make people drool. Here's my ideas so far...
1b. [Fix it first] I'm not going to spend a lot of money making it look good until everything on the list above is taken care of. I only put this on here so everyone knows that I have my priorities straight and I'm thinking carefully about what I'm doing.
2b. [Painted Trim] Another common theme with Hondas in general is this nasty black exterior trim that all of our cars seem to get from the factory. On the Legend, it starts at the front lip, heads towards the sideskirts, then ends at the rear valence. What I've seen a lot of people do with Integras and Civics is remove the piece from their car, lay it out on newspapers, and then spray it with Duplicolor paint in a can with 3 or 4 coats nice and even then top it off with a Duplicolor clear coat. They mount it back on their car and nobody can tell the difference. Has anyone done this with their Legend? Pictures? Furthermore, where was the paint purchased (Kragen didn't have it)? And most importantly, is there anywhere with instructions on how to remove these exterior pieces?
3b. [Headlight and Taillight Touchup] The first thing (and probably only thing) that I disliked when I saw the Legend was the amber that's all over the car's lighting. The corner lights are obviously going to get the ebay special clear treatment, but the bumper lights and taillights are what concern me the most. I read on another site that there is no replacement for the bumper lights and if you want the amber gone you have to chisel it out yourself. Is this true? Something we did a lot with our Integras was put red vinyl over the amber parts of our taillights or mask off the white reverse portion and then spray the rest red. Refer to this thread and this article to see what I'm talking about. Can any of you offer any solutions for getting rid of the amber in my taillights? Lastly, I was thinking of baking my headlights and then spraying the inside black like my friend Greg did in this thread...does anyone think blacked out headlights would look good on a WHITE Legend?
4b. [Lower It] Most people make the mistake of buying rims first and because larger rims usually raise the car up a little AND have smaller tires, it just doesn't look as good as it should. I want to slam my Legend about two inches all around...maybe 2.5. However I know from experience that going that low will require a camber kit if I don't want to buy new tires every three months. Does anyone have reccomendations for which camber kit to go with? For that matter, which spring + shock combination retains the most ride comfort? I understand lowering your car reduces ride quality, but I'd still like somewhat of a nice ride...it is a luxury car after all. Lastly, has there been any problems getting LCA bolts out? My Integras had to have them drilled out because they were so old that they rusted off on the inside, will my Legend have the same problem?
5b. [Sound System] the previous owner installed an Alpine deck and upgraded all of the speakers and to put it lightly, it sounds great. Everyone has complimented me on the sound clarity and quality. He also left all the wires that he had going to his trunk for his subwoofer and amp so that I could do the same. I've always hated sub boxes because they slide around and generally look tacky. I've seen some boxes that are made to "blend in" with the car's trunk and normally fit snugly into a corner. Are there any of these boxes out there for the Legend? I already have my subwoofer (10 inch Alpine Type R) picked out and I plan on getting an amp that won't under or overpower it as well.
6b. [Wheels] so far back on my list simply because they are so expensive and because this is the one upgrade that I'm still completely undecided on. It's hard because the Legend is a luxury car, so I definitely don't want "racing" wheels with thin spokes and aggressive designs...but at the same time I'm not a stunna so I don't want "bling bling" wheels that are all chrome. I'm looking for some 16 inch wheels (17s would be pushing it and 15s are too small) that are clean with a thick design, maybe 5 or 6 spokes...not too aggressive..a chrome lip is okay...but generally I just want them to flow with the design of the car and don't take away focus from the whole car. I'm completely lost because that is a very selective type of wheel, so I'm hoping you guys will have some good suggestions.
7b. [Flip Up LCD Screen] I'm looking wayyy down the line, but I think for the "complete" luxury package, I'm going to have to have a 5-7 inch screen coming out of my dash. I haven't put any serious thought into it nor is my heart set on it but any opinions/ideas/experiences are more than welcome.
This thread has been insanely long by my standards but it's only because I'm so excited about this car. You don't have to reply to everything [technically you don't have to reply to anything], but I'd really appreciate any feedback you leave and if someone could answer my questions (as many as they can), that would be great because, as you know by now, I'm new to the Legend scene, but I'm eager to learn!
Before you hear about my new car and what I have to say, you should know a little about me. I'm 18 and this is the 3rd car I've owned. Don't immediately think I'm some dumb kid who's going to ruin a perfectly good car. I went thru my "ricer" stage with my first car when I was 16 and my head has been on straight ever since. My previous cars were Acura Integras and it looks like I couldn't help but stay in the Acura family. My new pride and joy is a 1992 Legend (LS?) 2 Door 5-Speed coupe. Let me tell you, I fell in love with Legends the first time I saw a really clean 2-door. I'm not hating on the 4-doors, but I think the coupes just look really sexy. I also have to admit that I'm floored with the luxury this car presents...people are stunned when I tell them it's a 92, especially once they get inside...it's twice as nice as my 95 GS-R was!
My last car, the 95 GS-R, was stolen and stripped. I loved going fast in that thing...I was in the high 14s on the quarter mile...something that would be very hard for my Legend to pull. But with this car, I don't care about going fast, I just want to look good and have a really nice car to ride in. My first plans are to restore it to stock-looking mint condition. Who cares what rims you have on a car if it's crumby on the inside and has oxidizing paint on the outside? Which brings me to my first few points/questions...
This car wasn't perfect when I bought it 3 weeks ago, but it was damn near close...here's some things that need to be improved upon:
1a. [Passanger Seat Leather] it's cracked and even broken at some parts...overall it's not disgusting and it's still comfortable to sit in...but it's nowhere near as nice as the rest of the car...how much does it cost to have it restitched/restored? Or should i just look into buying a whole new seat?
2a. [Odometer] this seems to be a common problem with the Legends...it's not completely broken, but it's random in when it captures my miles...sometimes I'll take an entire trip and log 200 miles...other times I'll drive for an entire week and the thing won't budge. Is there an easy fix? Or do I need to replace the whole cluster?
3a. [Idle] after reading the "coolant" thread, this had me sweating because I've dealt with blown headgaskets before and they murder my wallet. My Legend idles generally around 300-500rpms...but sometimes at a stoplight or when I come to park, I notice it bounce up to 600-700rpms for a split second...then back down to 400 or so for 10 seconds...then back up to 600-700 and so on....I went behind my car after startup and white smoke was coming out of the tailpipe (and my heart dropped)...but then when I went onto the road I noticed half of the cars out there had white smoke and I realized it was about 50 degrees that day. What's your take?
4a. [Gauge Cluster] something really common in the Honda scene was to pull out the cluster and then replace 3 or so bulbs so the whole cluster lit up a different color. The stock color isn't doing it for me and I want to stick some red bulbs in there...can anyone tell me what size bulbs light up the main parts of the cluster (speedometer, tach)? Also, my Climate Control lights seem to be out (they don't light up when the headlights are on), is a fuse blown or do I need to replace the bulbs behind the buttons?
5a. [Mileage] i normally wouldn't buy a car with 157,000 miles but I was too in love to say no. Given that the odometer has been broken since the previous owner had it (he owned it for 9 months), it's probably safe to assume this car is well over 160,000. I checked the FAQ but is there any immediate service that I should take care of?
Now, as for my plans... like I said, I'm not trying to go fast or make a really in-your-face show car...I just want simple looks that set my car apart in a crowd and make people drool. Here's my ideas so far...
1b. [Fix it first] I'm not going to spend a lot of money making it look good until everything on the list above is taken care of. I only put this on here so everyone knows that I have my priorities straight and I'm thinking carefully about what I'm doing.
2b. [Painted Trim] Another common theme with Hondas in general is this nasty black exterior trim that all of our cars seem to get from the factory. On the Legend, it starts at the front lip, heads towards the sideskirts, then ends at the rear valence. What I've seen a lot of people do with Integras and Civics is remove the piece from their car, lay it out on newspapers, and then spray it with Duplicolor paint in a can with 3 or 4 coats nice and even then top it off with a Duplicolor clear coat. They mount it back on their car and nobody can tell the difference. Has anyone done this with their Legend? Pictures? Furthermore, where was the paint purchased (Kragen didn't have it)? And most importantly, is there anywhere with instructions on how to remove these exterior pieces?
3b. [Headlight and Taillight Touchup] The first thing (and probably only thing) that I disliked when I saw the Legend was the amber that's all over the car's lighting. The corner lights are obviously going to get the ebay special clear treatment, but the bumper lights and taillights are what concern me the most. I read on another site that there is no replacement for the bumper lights and if you want the amber gone you have to chisel it out yourself. Is this true? Something we did a lot with our Integras was put red vinyl over the amber parts of our taillights or mask off the white reverse portion and then spray the rest red. Refer to this thread and this article to see what I'm talking about. Can any of you offer any solutions for getting rid of the amber in my taillights? Lastly, I was thinking of baking my headlights and then spraying the inside black like my friend Greg did in this thread...does anyone think blacked out headlights would look good on a WHITE Legend?
4b. [Lower It] Most people make the mistake of buying rims first and because larger rims usually raise the car up a little AND have smaller tires, it just doesn't look as good as it should. I want to slam my Legend about two inches all around...maybe 2.5. However I know from experience that going that low will require a camber kit if I don't want to buy new tires every three months. Does anyone have reccomendations for which camber kit to go with? For that matter, which spring + shock combination retains the most ride comfort? I understand lowering your car reduces ride quality, but I'd still like somewhat of a nice ride...it is a luxury car after all. Lastly, has there been any problems getting LCA bolts out? My Integras had to have them drilled out because they were so old that they rusted off on the inside, will my Legend have the same problem?
5b. [Sound System] the previous owner installed an Alpine deck and upgraded all of the speakers and to put it lightly, it sounds great. Everyone has complimented me on the sound clarity and quality. He also left all the wires that he had going to his trunk for his subwoofer and amp so that I could do the same. I've always hated sub boxes because they slide around and generally look tacky. I've seen some boxes that are made to "blend in" with the car's trunk and normally fit snugly into a corner. Are there any of these boxes out there for the Legend? I already have my subwoofer (10 inch Alpine Type R) picked out and I plan on getting an amp that won't under or overpower it as well.
6b. [Wheels] so far back on my list simply because they are so expensive and because this is the one upgrade that I'm still completely undecided on. It's hard because the Legend is a luxury car, so I definitely don't want "racing" wheels with thin spokes and aggressive designs...but at the same time I'm not a stunna so I don't want "bling bling" wheels that are all chrome. I'm looking for some 16 inch wheels (17s would be pushing it and 15s are too small) that are clean with a thick design, maybe 5 or 6 spokes...not too aggressive..a chrome lip is okay...but generally I just want them to flow with the design of the car and don't take away focus from the whole car. I'm completely lost because that is a very selective type of wheel, so I'm hoping you guys will have some good suggestions.
7b. [Flip Up LCD Screen] I'm looking wayyy down the line, but I think for the "complete" luxury package, I'm going to have to have a 5-7 inch screen coming out of my dash. I haven't put any serious thought into it nor is my heart set on it but any opinions/ideas/experiences are more than welcome.
This thread has been insanely long by my standards but it's only because I'm so excited about this car. You don't have to reply to everything [technically you don't have to reply to anything], but I'd really appreciate any feedback you leave and if someone could answer my questions (as many as they can), that would be great because, as you know by now, I'm new to the Legend scene, but I'm eager to learn!
