- 2,568
- Wonderland
- zyla-corps
- N/A
Welcome back. 
The past few months have been interesting. I assume that most people who are familiar with my car habits would have expected me to sell this car by now and jump on another sub $1k deal that would leave me on another sinking ship. But, much to everyone's surprise, including myself, the car is still sitting in my driveway to this day. Now, mind you, I have searched for a few cars casually throughout the thread's term of absence just to see what's out there, but even when I felt mildly interested in getting a new car, that feeling only lasted for a little while, and then my love for the Legend would recrudesce.
It's odd. I honestly foresaw myself ridding the Legend sometime last month. From around the beginning of October to just before Thanksgiving, I was hooked on a '94 Altima that I taught myself how to drive manual in. It was cheap, yes, but it was a good car; the worst issue being the weathered clearcoat. After waiting and waiting for the opportunity to purchase said Altima, the desire to own it gradually faded. The thought of owning a car with more potential than the Legend and that was manual was nothing short of awesome, but something held me back from sealing the deal. Around the beginning of December, my appreciation for the Legend surpassed the level I held for it upon purchase, and since then I have maintained holding the car in a high respect.
A lot of the issues with the Legend aforementioned in the original thread were merely previous owner errors that were easily amended. The head gasket issue I thought it had? Oh, no, that was simply just an overfilling of oil that was pushing droplets out of the valve cover gasket and onto the manifold. Never thought I'd own or let alone drive a car with the three times the amount of oil needed to run efficiently. The car uses 4.2 quarts. I think you can do the math.
It was an interesting day when the oil was changed, but it was fantastic. The feeling of that V6 at idle speed with fresh oil at the proper level did wonders. No more vibration, no more smoking upon startup.
I'm not sure if I ever mentioned the issue with the steering, but it would fluctuate from smooth to heavy while turning. That happened to just be a shortage of power steering fluid. All fixed now.
The transmission still seems a little tight between shifts, but it could either be the age, or just in need of a simple fluid change. It shifts fine despite this feeling, and there is no smell.
The big dent in the quarter panel... yeah, that's still there. But it's not as bad as it was. My dad was nice enough to pound it out a bit with a hammer and a table leg.
Those are all the major issues I remember mentioning in the other thread that seemed to make everyone wary, but thankfully they weren't as severe as I and many of you feared.
You're all aware that I fancy the thought of owning a car that can get out of it's own way, and something that can be tuned to handle a fast corner. At first, I was seriously in doubt of finding mods for this poor thing. I even had trouble finding a new fender. After many days of meticulous web surfing and site browsing, I came across a website that can provide me with the body parts that need to be replaced, including the quarter panel! Somehow the body shop will be able to cut out the existing one, and weld the new one into place. That'll be an interesting day, but it won't be happening soon.
This is currently looking to be a lengthy process ('cause of all the expenses I have to deal with right now), but you know what? I just can't say that it won't be worth it. I've loved this car since day one deep down; I still do, and I know that pretty soon I'll be able to throw a majority of my income at her. I still have plans for the car, and I actually have been on many wonderful drives with it. It makes me a bit sad that the car isn't very photogenic right now, because taking pictures of my car is something that I adore, and take pride in. It's a winding road with this car, see... I never know what's gonna come next. I'm not sure how I'll view it when I wake up the next morning. Interestingly enough, I always run back to it. I have patience with this car. Maybe that's because it is the right car for me. The past two were simply just me getting my feet wet, I suppose. Experience is a great teacher. I'll stand right here and admit to my dumb choices with the last cars. (Won't admit that stripping the Legacy out wasn't fun as hell though.)
I recall the post where @Katiegan conjectured that the Legend would be sluggish and passive, and growl at me after a spirited drive or a day at the track, if that ever happens. Well Katie ya big goof, I got news for ya. The car itself is actually rather light (3100lbs, roughly), and that V6 has opened up quite a bit throughout my ownership; it pulls rather nicely for the age of the car and power output.
I'm not saying Jasmine is a racecar, or that she has the potential to hang with STis and Evos. Oh no. But she has enough guts to have a good amount of fun in. I've also discovered that '94-'97 Accord coilovers will fit on my generation of Legend. I've also found a rear sway bar for it. The mods are out there, I just gotta look hard for 'em. And, I know you're thinking it, but I'm not gonna take out the interior. At most, the back seat will come out and rest in the garage if I ever feel a need for weight loss.
Now let's crack down on the things I've fixed/replaced:
Oil change (roughly 2000 miles ago)
Power steering fluid replenish
Fuel filter
Air filter
Heater hose
Climate control unit (thank god, just in time for winter too)
Speedometer cable
Various fuses
Brake pads
Tail light bulbs
If you haven't noticed, the car has a wink mirror in it now, because it had no rearview mirror at all when I got it. Figured I'd jump right on that opportunity.
Here are the current things I need to replace/repair:
Front bumper cover
Grille
Driver-side fender
Driver-side quarter panel
Rear-driver-side door
Hood
Hood dampers
Driver-side tail light
Weather stripping
Glass buffing?
Glove box hinges
Center console hinge
Sound system
Steering rack (it's shot)
Tie rods (currently on-hand)
Alignment
Valve cover gaskets
O2 sensors
Fuel pump
Transmission flush
Don't let the long list fool you. It's missing a few things, I'm sure, but you can see for yourself in photos of the car that it's in respectable shape, and I'll say now that it performs well for it's condition. Whatever wreck this car got into in the past really banged up that front end and got everything all skewed. It's easier to see in person, though. I'd rather not make a mod list, as those can change over time, and surprises are always fun. So for now, I hope everyone can enjoy the car with me and watch it transform from a dented monster truck into a rare JDM street machine. I've got this, guys.
The past few months have been interesting. I assume that most people who are familiar with my car habits would have expected me to sell this car by now and jump on another sub $1k deal that would leave me on another sinking ship. But, much to everyone's surprise, including myself, the car is still sitting in my driveway to this day. Now, mind you, I have searched for a few cars casually throughout the thread's term of absence just to see what's out there, but even when I felt mildly interested in getting a new car, that feeling only lasted for a little while, and then my love for the Legend would recrudesce.
It's odd. I honestly foresaw myself ridding the Legend sometime last month. From around the beginning of October to just before Thanksgiving, I was hooked on a '94 Altima that I taught myself how to drive manual in. It was cheap, yes, but it was a good car; the worst issue being the weathered clearcoat. After waiting and waiting for the opportunity to purchase said Altima, the desire to own it gradually faded. The thought of owning a car with more potential than the Legend and that was manual was nothing short of awesome, but something held me back from sealing the deal. Around the beginning of December, my appreciation for the Legend surpassed the level I held for it upon purchase, and since then I have maintained holding the car in a high respect.
A lot of the issues with the Legend aforementioned in the original thread were merely previous owner errors that were easily amended. The head gasket issue I thought it had? Oh, no, that was simply just an overfilling of oil that was pushing droplets out of the valve cover gasket and onto the manifold. Never thought I'd own or let alone drive a car with the three times the amount of oil needed to run efficiently. The car uses 4.2 quarts. I think you can do the math.
It was an interesting day when the oil was changed, but it was fantastic. The feeling of that V6 at idle speed with fresh oil at the proper level did wonders. No more vibration, no more smoking upon startup.
I'm not sure if I ever mentioned the issue with the steering, but it would fluctuate from smooth to heavy while turning. That happened to just be a shortage of power steering fluid. All fixed now.
The transmission still seems a little tight between shifts, but it could either be the age, or just in need of a simple fluid change. It shifts fine despite this feeling, and there is no smell.
The big dent in the quarter panel... yeah, that's still there. But it's not as bad as it was. My dad was nice enough to pound it out a bit with a hammer and a table leg.
Those are all the major issues I remember mentioning in the other thread that seemed to make everyone wary, but thankfully they weren't as severe as I and many of you feared.
You're all aware that I fancy the thought of owning a car that can get out of it's own way, and something that can be tuned to handle a fast corner. At first, I was seriously in doubt of finding mods for this poor thing. I even had trouble finding a new fender. After many days of meticulous web surfing and site browsing, I came across a website that can provide me with the body parts that need to be replaced, including the quarter panel! Somehow the body shop will be able to cut out the existing one, and weld the new one into place. That'll be an interesting day, but it won't be happening soon.
This is currently looking to be a lengthy process ('cause of all the expenses I have to deal with right now), but you know what? I just can't say that it won't be worth it. I've loved this car since day one deep down; I still do, and I know that pretty soon I'll be able to throw a majority of my income at her. I still have plans for the car, and I actually have been on many wonderful drives with it. It makes me a bit sad that the car isn't very photogenic right now, because taking pictures of my car is something that I adore, and take pride in. It's a winding road with this car, see... I never know what's gonna come next. I'm not sure how I'll view it when I wake up the next morning. Interestingly enough, I always run back to it. I have patience with this car. Maybe that's because it is the right car for me. The past two were simply just me getting my feet wet, I suppose. Experience is a great teacher. I'll stand right here and admit to my dumb choices with the last cars. (Won't admit that stripping the Legacy out wasn't fun as hell though.
)
I recall the post where @Katiegan conjectured that the Legend would be sluggish and passive, and growl at me after a spirited drive or a day at the track, if that ever happens. Well Katie ya big goof, I got news for ya. The car itself is actually rather light (3100lbs, roughly), and that V6 has opened up quite a bit throughout my ownership; it pulls rather nicely for the age of the car and power output.
I'm not saying Jasmine is a racecar, or that she has the potential to hang with STis and Evos. Oh no. But she has enough guts to have a good amount of fun in. I've also discovered that '94-'97 Accord coilovers will fit on my generation of Legend. I've also found a rear sway bar for it. The mods are out there, I just gotta look hard for 'em. And, I know you're thinking it, but I'm not gonna take out the interior.
At most, the back seat will come out and rest in the garage if I ever feel a need for weight loss.Now let's crack down on the things I've fixed/replaced:
Oil change (roughly 2000 miles ago)
Power steering fluid replenish
Fuel filter
Air filter
Heater hose
Climate control unit (thank god, just in time for winter too)
Speedometer cable
Various fuses
Brake pads
Tail light bulbs
If you haven't noticed, the car has a wink mirror in it now, because it had no rearview mirror at all when I got it. Figured I'd jump right on that opportunity.
Here are the current things I need to replace/repair:
Front bumper cover
Grille
Driver-side fender
Driver-side quarter panel
Rear-driver-side door
Hood
Hood dampers
Driver-side tail light
Weather stripping
Glass buffing?
Glove box hinges
Center console hinge
Sound system
Steering rack (it's shot)
Tie rods (currently on-hand)
Alignment
Valve cover gaskets
O2 sensors
Fuel pump
Transmission flush
Don't let the long list fool you. It's missing a few things, I'm sure, but you can see for yourself in photos of the car that it's in respectable shape, and I'll say now that it performs well for it's condition. Whatever wreck this car got into in the past really banged up that front end and got everything all skewed. It's easier to see in person, though. I'd rather not make a mod list, as those can change over time, and surprises are always fun. So for now, I hope everyone can enjoy the car with me and watch it transform from a dented monster truck into a rare JDM street machine. I've got this, guys.
