[StimulusPackage]

OK, I am in need of some advice from the Legend gurus.. Mainly, LegendGS, Mike Diaz, B+O, 4cruizin, PSA, Piniyx, 91LSMAN, Daddymac117, bboarder71, Pito11213, Alperovich, smokinfastlegend, BentleyonDubs, and countless others who I can't think of right now. As some of you know, I sold my GS to Daddymac117 a few weeks ago and subsequently purchased a 1994 Acura Integra GS-R to replace it. A couple of weeks ago it was stolen and now I am in the market to replace it. I have looked at a 2001 Lexus GS430 but for some reason possibly cannot leave the Acura Legend community. What I need are honest opinions on whether I should purchase the Legend I took a road trip to look at today. (Also, that price is not set in stone. I have already negotiated it down somewhat.) I will provide what I saw wrong with the car and if anyone can point anything out or just have general comments and opinions it would be greatly appreciated. Your opinions really mean a lot in this decision. Also, I would like to say now I see how torn up Tyson felt about his car because after sitting in this coupe I felt really weird as I felt I could really see myself in this car if I didn't purchase the Lexus. The coupe isn't that bad! Anyway, on with the pics!

Outside Pics

Interior Shots

Engine Bay

Undercarriage

 

[91LS 3.5]

Nice lookin coupe IMO, does have the little issues though drivers seat wear, and the scratches on the fender which is cosmetic and the undrcarriage looks surprisingly clean as well you told me it idled for 25-30 mins with no overheating which is great, If you cant find a Lexus and your HARD test drive proves no overheating as well then I think you've got yourself a 6 speed!

P.S. remember on the test drive to drive the SHIT outta this car, drive hard because you need to see if it has any cooling system issues, I doubtt you wanna learn of any on I95 on the way home!

 

[Tyson]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Two thumbs up. It's got some cosmetic flaws, but most cars of this vintage do. They aren't that bad. Driver's seat wear is consistent with the mileage. Milano Red on Ivory is a rare find, especially in a 6MT coupe. That's the combo I wanted initially (and still lust after). Looks to be an OEM radiator and the fact that the upper radiator hose isn't bulged out is a good sign. The thing that would seal the deal for me is if the seller can/will provide records for a timing belt & water pump change, as well as any other maintenance. I think the price is definitely right, if what's on the sign is truly what they're asking and the title is clear.

Assuming everything checks out on the test-drive, I'd say based on what I can see in the pictures that it's a good buy.

I'd ditch the pin stripe and gold emblems, but otherwise it's great (and has rare OEM fogs to boot).

Edit: I'd agree with others, though; see if you can identify the source of the coolant splatter and it wouldn't hurt to try and negotiate into sub-$6k territory. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[IkeRay]

if you can get him closer to $5500 for it then i would say deal, also check his records to see when the timing belt was last done, if at 80k miles, you have a good 20-25k miles until it needs it again, if any sooner than that, its going to be creeping up on you soon.

random side note, i dont like the gold package on a red coupe :no:

 

[FallenAngel]

Ask directly if he knows where the coolant splatter is from. Give it that hard test drive.
Don't eye the oem fogs too much, just make sure they work along with all the lights and electronics.
Remember to take a look at the drive belts as they usually indicate if the timimg belt/water pump was done too. Check to see if its got the spare, no biggie but you can use it to knock off a little more. Good buy for 6k or less.

Don't know if you saw this or if it happened to get in the pic, but does anyone know if theres a bolt missing here?

 

[Socol]

First of all, I don't know if all the rust inside the engine bay and under the car is a norm on the east Coast, but for me it’s a big let down. After looking at the photos I got a "gut feeling" if you will, that this car hasn't been taken care of throughout its life. I wouldn't pay more than $5 to $5.5 K for it; as I'm willing to guesstimate that there is close to $1K of small parts that might need to be replaced (Lots of rusted bits). But don't let that discourage you, I'm just one of those who would rather pay a little more and get "the best" of what available. Finally, if you do decide to buy this Coupe or any other Legend, shell out the $40 or $50 and get it Hydrocarbon tested before you buy.

 

[StimulusPackage]

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Two thumbs up. It's got some cosmetic flaws, but most cars of this vintage do. They aren't that bad. Driver's seat wear is consistent with the mileage. Milano Red on Ivory is a rare find, especially in a 6MT coupe. That's the combo I wanted initially (and still lust after). Looks to be an OEM radiator and the fact that the upper radiator hose isn't bulged out is a good sign. The thing that would seal the deal for me is if the seller can/will provide records for a timing belt & water pump change, as well as any other maintenance. I think the price is definitely right, if what's on the sign is truly what they're asking and the title is clear.

Assuming everything checks out on the test-drive, I'd say based on what I can see in the pictures that it's a good buy.

I'd ditch the pin stripe and gold emblems, but otherwise it's great (and has rare OEM fogs to boot).

Edit: I'd agree with others, though; see if you can identify the source of the coolant splatter and it wouldn't hurt to try and negotiate into sub-$6k territory. Good luck and keep us posted.

Thanks man, your opinion really means a lot considering you are the road trip king and especially have experience driving close to 200K on a Legend coupe. I did squeeze the hose after letting the car run for about 25 min. in 95 degree heat today to see if it would overheat and the needle didn't budge past where it is in the pics. In regards of the water pump/timing belt, I can get that job done locally cheap as my sis-in-law's boyfriend is a shop manager at one of my local dealerships. I can get the parts and probably pay about $150 for the labor. The coolant splatter did surprise me as well. I am just about at the 6K mark, I am pretty sure I can get it lower. I'll keep everyone posted.

if you can get him closer to $5500 for it then i would say deal, also check his records to see when the timing belt was last done, if at 80k miles, you have a good 20-25k miles until it needs it again, if any sooner than that, its going to be creeping up on you soon.

random side note, i dont like the gold package on a red coupe :no:

Agreed, I am hating the gold package. Yuck!:vomit:

Ask directly if he knows where the coolant splatter is from. Give it that hard test drive.
Don't eye the oem fogs too much, just make sure they work along with all the lights and electronics.
Remember to take a look at the drive belts as they usually indicate if the timimg belt/water pump was done too. Check to see if its got the spare, no biggie but you can use it to knock off a little more. Good buy for 6k or less.

Don't know if you saw this or if it happened to get in the pic, but does anyone know if theres a bolt missing here?

All electronics were good to go except the radio lights were dim and the passenger side fog bulb was blown. AC was ice cold and heat was good as well. Spare tire was in the trunk as well. Lastly, I don't know if anyone noticed it or not, see how the left side of the trunk lid is not flush with the body? That seemed a little odd to me. Title is clear as I do have the carfax here. Vehicle was involved in a minor fender bender in 2003 but I have to contact NYPD to see the extent of the damage. (To mainly see if it has anything to do with the trunk lid or was the front bumper repaired like the owner stated. I couldn't really detect anything upon inspection.) Frankly, I don't think I am going to offer more than $5500 for the car since I have to drive a good distance should I pick it up and rent a trailer and tow it back up to NJ. Keep the replies coming and thanks in advance forum members!

 

[FallenAngel]

Saw the trunk bit, did you also see the area just above the actual bumper and below the trunk? I figured thats why you took that angle for the pic. I've seen a few cars like that and can't tell you if its a natural warp(I'd bet against it).
If you can, drive down with a friend to pick it up if you decide to get it.

 

[stevieray]

JT, that's not horrible but it's got some "ifs" in my book. Like Tyson said, the bolster wear is consistent with the mileage and that bumper damage is no big deal as Milano Red should be pretty easy to color match. I did notice the trunk lid misalignment and that may be nothing more than the latch not properly lining up with the striker.

I am questioning what appears (to me at least) to be some dirt/grease caking at what looks like the back of the splash shield. Rear diff seal, maybe? This would be about the mileage where they tend to start leaking. Easy to diagnose, though---if you can see diff fluid running down the frame rails & exhaust and it smells like ass, that's it. Problem is that it's about $5-600 labor to replace a $8 seal.

I'm also a little concerned about various screws & bolts being rusted in places where they typically don't do that. To me, that's a tad unsettling. My '95 doesn't have a speck of rust in those areas. I would thoroughly background check / CARFAX this one as there were an assload of flood damaged cars that came out of TX, LA, & MS after Katrina & Rita without salvage titles. Pull back the carpet in the driver's side footwell and see what it looks like underneath. Should be relatively clean if the car has never been wet. Also, why is the lower 1/2 of the A/C condensor so funky looking? If it were me, this car would spend a day with an experienced Acura tech on a rack. If it checks out OK (TB/WP done, no hydrocarbons, good axles) $5500-6000 would be a fair price, IMO. Good luck---

*EDIT*---I'd also ask why the padding on the top A/C hose is damaged and is slightly out of alignment. I believe that spatter on the top of the engine is where they recharged the A/C and it spit some ester oil and/or r-134 because the high side cap is missing.

 

[Neil4Speed]

Personally, I think it seems like a great buy! Of course car prices are quite different up here. That seems to be as good as a model as you will get if thats the car your looking for. Very good value. Just make sure you do a hydrocarbon test, thats the important thing. Timing belt + WP are just a plus.

 

[Kenso]

I believe that spatter on the top of the engine is where they recharged the A/C and it spit some ester oil and/or r-134 because the high side cap is missing.

x2. Looks like the UV leak tracer dye that shops often add to the system when they recharge it. Hopefully it doesn't have any leaks, make sure it cools ok. Might have just had the system topped off, doesn't necessarily indicate anything negative, just that it has been serviced recently for whatever reason.

 

[Alperovich]

nice lookin coupe. :hitit:

 

[Drizzle359]

See if you can bring the owner down to $5,500 b/c you still have to spend money to get her up to par!!

 

[ari_one]

Overall looks quite nice, however as noted by others the rusted brackets and vacuum lines under the power steering fluid seem strange. Also it looks like the drivers side rear light has been replaced, look at the difference in the backup light lenses. Looks like its been detailed for sale but that makes it really hard to tell how well it was really taken care of. Good luck.

 

[legendtype2]

Not bad at all... just a lil concerned about that coolant splatter and trunk misalignment. I'd ask if TB+WP was done. EVen though it's maintenance item and does not factor into the price it does make a difference. I'd take it to a mechanic and do a thorough inspection before making your decision. It's so tempting to just jump on it b/c hey it's got oem fogs, rare red, and it's a f'ing 6 speed!! what else do you want in a legend huh? But make sure most things check out especially cooling system. Good luck!

 

[Mike Diaz]

I'm going to venture to say the head gaskets have already been replaced. That upper A/C hose has been bent to all hell, which means they probably didn't want to refill the A/C, so they worked around it. That's what I usually do, but I don't mangle the a/c hose.

It looks like if you can have a body shop touch up the fender and I'm sure there's a few small spots in other places they can take care of. Pull those disgusting emblems off and replace those. replace or repair the leather on the driver seat and it looks like a deal.

I would spend $6k on the car if it drove perfectly. That means no clunks, rattles, grinding, wobbles, anything. If it drove anything less than that, start deducting.

I like the car, it looks like a winner.

 

[antik]

Nice find. I'm a little skeptical about the bolster wear at that age but I've got one car with 206k and no tears in the original leather and the other has 134k or so and looks immaculate... combined with the appearance of the rear seat, i'd say the interior was rarely cleaned.

+1 to stevierays comment about the rust in the engine bay. That also is quite disconcerting... especially the rusted steel lines coming off the power steering reservour: I've never seen that before!

Take a look at the rotors on the car... I'm particularly interested in shots of the calipers and rotors. The last time I saw a car that was a little rough, the calipers had a lot of rust and it was a show-stopper for me: 206k on my original calipers and there's no rust to be found.

The trunk misalignment looks a bit like something was in the trunk but hadn't cleared the lid and the lid was slammed shut... springing it. Greek might be right about the rear end collission though: I see what he's saying about the misalignment.

If it were me and the car has records and drives well, I'd want to spend around $6k for her but I'd have her in for a thorough cleaning (could just be the lighting but the car looks very drity to me: inside and out), body adjustment, and a full respray (I hate how red fades!)

And yes, I've seen the black backing on the gold emblems on red cars before. *shrug*

 

[Pinyix]

Should I buy this car?

Nope. You should probably give me the address for safe keeping as well.

But seriously, that is one nice car. I don't have much experience with buying used cars, but from what I see, thats a good find. Theres nothing I see that would deter me from buying it but whatever you pay, make sure you have some cash left over to pay for anomalous repairs. Take these guys advice, be cautious, be ready to do a bit of work here or there and be ready for a bunch of jealous forum members. You can't go wrong with the red legends :beerchug:

 

[Neil4Speed]

I don't really think it needs a re-spray, probably a good proper Cut and Polish will give the paint its original depth.

 

[EarlThePearl]

Looks like a really nice 6 Speed Coupe. The one thing that really concerns me about the car are all the rusted bolts and parts that are in the engine compartment. Flood damage?