Didn't Get Lexus-bought Acura- Dont Get Mad :)

[90LS400Lexus]

OK, OK, First- I know- what was I thinking?

Ok, to update, I did not get the 98 LS400, 90 LS400, 93 ES300 or the 85 Mercedes 500SEL that I have been considering lately. For some strange reason, I passed the 98 LS400 being carried on a roll-back truck one day on my lunch hour. It was going the direction of the Lexus dealership, so perhaps something was wrong with it? It was advertised on the internet, so I was thinking someone out of town may have bought it, but then thought no, since it was on a local truck. The 90 LS400 was $5500 and I think it was not worth it- considering it had the same woes that my old 90 had, that I was wanting to get away from.

The 93 ES300 was nice, but not $5000 nice. In addition, on the ES forums, I noticed some of you here was there and someone had mentioned some bad things about the 93-older V6 in the ES, but the V6 in my 93 Camry was still super, but it was a 1-owner, well maintained car- so that may have been a major factor.

Some of you know I was wanting a diesel Mercedes (300SD), but no luck in finding one locally at a good price. All seem way overpriced. I did almost buy a 1988 Mercedes 560SEL, but the high parts cost and knowing it had the very costly and complex rear air suspension- I passed on it to, but for only having 150K and in excellent shape for $2550- I wish now I had of bought it. <_<

Ok- the Acura comes in here- I spotted a 1992 Acura Legend 4dr for sale the other day in a shopping plaza parking lot with a for sale sign. To keep an already long story a little shorter- I ended up buying that car today (after closer inspection and test drive) and will be picking it up next week. It has high miles (196K), but 100K of them are freeway miles and it has had the same owner for the past 9 years. The exterior is very nice- interior is as well, but it needs a good cleaning. What I like about it is being a base model (base, L and LS offered) it has cloth interior- which I personally prefer over leather seating.

Everything operates properly- which is a plus (including A/C- which was something my LS needed repairs on). It is not perfect, but for what I bought it for, it will suit me for what I will be using it for- work car. The tranny is not as smooth shifting as the LS400's was, but I think the harsher transmisson on these cars are normal. I know someone here also has a early 90s Legend. Going to find out who so I can get some info about these cars.

I plan on keeping this car for a work car, but hopefully by next year- I will have another 1995+ LS400 in the drive. Surely I will find a good deal on one by then. :)

[90LS400Lexus]

OK- now I know who owns/owned a 92 Acura Legend- it was "93LSowner". Is he still around?

Perhaps I can send an e-mail.

[RFeldes]

I hope it works out for you, but expect your return as the LS is hard to get out of one's system. We will welcome you back with open arms, Good Luck, hope to see you back.

[SKperformance]

I loved the look and drive of the older Legends.

I almost bought a 96( can't remember the exact year) legend coupe special edition with a yamaha 6 speed. I loved it even though a bit cramped.

But my hose was broken into when i returned home after the test drive, i took it as an omen and waited to find a good ES after 4 weeks of no car.

[eturner]

I had a 04 Acura RL and put 48K on it in 10 months. I traded it for a 02 LS430 with 13K, which stays in the garage until the weekends. I then purchased a 98 LS400 with 72K for work. I enjoyed the RL but it was not as roomy as the LS. The RL will run like a bullet. I have friends who still have Acura Legends and they love them. But I am a LS man from now on.

[90LS400Lexus]

Yeah, some of the last of the 2-door Legend GS's came with a 6-speed. The 2-doors are a bit shorter than the 4-door I think. The 4-door Legend (91-95) seems to be as roomy as my old 90' LS. One thing I really like about this Legend is that is also has a supple ride- in some ways smoother than my LS, but my LS had bad front struts. If I am not mistaken, I think that the 91-95 Legend has a slightly longer wheelbase than the LS400. Another thing about this Legend that suprised me was the fact that it was still 100% squeak and rattle free, despite the 196K miles. My Lexus had a few more, but as mentioned, I think the Lexol damaged my dash on my Lexus, but I may be wrong. It is the plainest base model, but it still has ABS, airbag, A/C and all power. The 91 Legend LS also had passenger airbag, the "L" model added it for 1992 and all for 1993. The trunk also appears to be roomier than the trunk in my LS- in addition, the rear seat folds down for additional space- which I think was a feature my 90' LS400 lacked.

I just hope that the powertrain holds up as well as it has in my LS. The LS has a 1st rate powertrain.

I really like the 96-04 RL, much better than the latest RL- which appears to much like a sports car, rather than a luxury car. 48K in 10 months? You really was on the road wasn't you? Suprising how quickly the mileage can rack up on a car when you do a lot of driving on the freeway. <_<

I really do miss my LS400- I have regretted selling it ever since I dropped it off at the ladies home that purchased it. It really was/is a good car. I actually saw it yesterday- which is another story- (see "my old LS400 was crashed" topic).

I had a 04 Acura RL and put 48K on it in 10 months. I traded it for a 02 LS430 with 13K, which stays in the garage until the weekends. I then purchased a 98 LS400 with 72K for work. I enjoyed the RL but it was not as roomy as the LS. The RL will run like a bullet. I have friends who still have Acura Legends and they love them. But I am a LS man from now on.

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[92Lex]

Has the headgasket been replaced yet? These cars are notorious for overheating and blown headgaskets...otherwise they're great cars. I had to replace the headgasket on my sisters 91 Legend w/ 140k a couple of months ago.

[VMF]

i own a 1991 acura legend with manual tranny:)

let me know if u have questions

[90LS400Lexus]

92Lex- You are right- this is the only bad thing I have heard about them. I am not sure if it had been replaced. It has 196K- so I hope so. I have spoke to some people with over 250K on the original headgasket- so if it has not been changed, I am hoping this is one with a "good" gasket. :)

The 1988-1991 (perhaps even the 92-95) Mazda 929's are also notorious for bad headgaskets. The one went out on my grandfathers 1990 929 when it had 172K. It has a 3.0L V6. Have heard that the ES300/Camry V6 are also known for this. I know that the V6 Toyota truck/4-Runner engine (late 80s to mid 90s) are very well known for headgasket problems. Seems like a common V6 virtue.

Did you replace the gasket yourself?

Has the headgasket been replaced yet? These cars are notorious for overheating and blown headgaskets...otherwise they're great cars. I had to replace the headgasket on my sisters 91 Legend w/ 140k a couple of months ago.

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[90LS400Lexus]

Thanks VMF - I had forgotten that you also had a Legend. I was thinking that 93LSowner was the only one here with one. Have you had to replace your headgasket? Any other problems?

Thanks again.

i own a 1991 acura legend with manual tranny:)

let me know if u have questions

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[92Lex]

Yeah, I replaced the headgasket myself. It's definitely not an easy task...there's a whole lot of parts to remove. The crack was so small that it didn't even show up on a compression test.

Most Honda's also have a problem with the IACV.

[atoyoT]

OK, OK, First- I know- what was I thinking?    

Ok- the Acura comes in here- I spotted a 1992 Acura Legend 4dr for sale

Be glad it has cloth as the leather would be utterly trashed. You probably picked it up cheap, under four grand, am I right? I had considered an early RL or even a Legend a few years back but my brother who is an Acura dealer mechanic told me they had problems, head gaskets and ABS problems to be exact. He recommended the LS400. I picked up my 95 LS400 for 8 grand, 141K on the clock. No major issues with it. You'll be back. Better choice than the 500SEL though, IMHO. Same fella on Mercedes shop, right?

[90LS400Lexus]

Yalp, that was me on the Mercedes boards.

Under $4K? Yes, way under that- I am actually getting the car for $2200. Book value is much higher than that.

Hopefully it will last me for a while.....

[silvermate]

those are nice, i had an Acure Vigor some years ago, it was a nice vehicle.

the only thing i absolutely hate about honda/acura is the jerky transmition shifting, it is so annoying, not smooth at all..........thats one of the many things i love about my Lex, can't even feel the tranny shift.

make sure the TB has been changed a couple of times in that thing, with that mileage....... those engines are very sensitive to that, and if the TB goes, the engine goes.

[VMF]

nope, didnt have to replace the gascet on the legend, may b on cars with manual tranny engine does not work in the same patterns as it has to work on the cars with automatic trannies. the only part that was replaced in the engine was the crankshaft pulley which blew apart. i was not able to find a one for engine with manual tranny and i installed one from the engine with automatic one and they are balanced differently so now when engine idles i can feel slight vibrations.

[90LS400Lexus]

I agree with you 100%. The transmission was one of the first things I noticed that I was not wild about when I was driving it. The 1st to 2nd shift was very noticable- in fact, it was jerky. Like you said, the transmission shift in the LS400 are virtually unnoticable, so it is a big change. I was not expecting the Acura to have a harsher tranny than the Accord though. From what I have read, this is normal. Seems like the company made a transmission improvement on the 1993 models.

However, I have owned Honda cars in the past (4 Accords, 1 Civic and 1 Acura Integra), so I am used to the shifts on the Honda-Acura cars and I think I will get used to this one in time. I was suprised it was a "jerky" as it was, because it was not that noticable on my old 1991 Accord, but the 90-93 Accords have a very distinct "whine" or whistle to them when they shift, especially from 1-2, even when new.

My aunt bought an Accord brand new in December of 1990 and I remember being very impressed with the build quality, but the transmission performance suprised me- I was not expecting the harsh shifts/whistling.

They could have gotten a 5-speed and bypassed the automatic transmission woes. If fact, my uncle wanted a LX 2-door, 5-speed model, but she wanted a EX 4-door, automatic model, so they settled on a LX 2-door, automatic. It was her car anyway- so she should have been able to get what she wanted. I never understood why she agreed on the 2-door. Quite pricey- even in 1991, an LX 2 door Accord was $17,000- they are not much more than that now for an LX, but the 2005 Accord EX w/leather and automatic/navigation can surpass the $30K mark.

Those Vigors you mentioned are neat cars. A lot of people do not know that they are 5-cylinders. A bit rare these days- you do not see many of these cars.

those are nice, i had an Acure Vigor some years ago, it was a nice vehicle.

the only thing i absolutely hate about honda/acura is the jerky transmition shifting, it is so annoying, not smooth at all..........thats one of the many things i love about my Lex, can't even feel the tranny shift.

make sure the TB has been changed a couple of times in that thing, with that mileage....... those engines are very sensitive to that, and if the TB goes, the engine goes.

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[VMF]

i was thinking about 2 door accord

top of the line fully loaded 2 door accor with navi and manual trannt is 28k

[90LS400Lexus]

If something happens I do ever need a headgasket replacement, about how $$$ am I looking at? Someone on the Acura forums said $2000. This sounds like highway robbery. I am not paying much more than that for the entire car.

[92Lex]

$2k is about right...it's a labor intensive job. I'd rather just drop a new motor in...it's much easier that way.

[90LS400Lexus]

Well, I called the local Acura dealer today and they said it would be $1750 + tax.

I called another shop that replaces headgaskets (local independent shop) and he said they would do it for $800.

I just wanted to get a heads-up incase it ever did need this. I can live with a $800 repair much easier than a $1800 repair.

I am supposed to buy the car tomorrow. For peace of mind, I asked the seller today if he would mind if I had my mechanic to check out the car and he agreed. I should have told him that to start with.

If it checks out OK, I will go ahead and buy it.

$2k is about right...it's a labor intensive job. I'd rather just drop a new motor in...it's much easier that way.

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[VMF]

lol whole car is around 3k and theywant to charge 2k?

nonsense!

i ased my mechanic he said he will charge 400 for the labor

if i arrange to get the parts myself

[90LS400Lexus]

I know- its ludicrus.

Actually, its $2200 for the car and $1800 for the HG (if ever needed from the Acura dealer). Someone on the Acura forums said $1750 was the "get you in" price. Usually turns out to be $2500 repair.

I have been browsing the Acura Legend forums and there are over 40 pages of people complaining of overheating/headgasket woes. I have never seen so many complaints of one problem of any car in my life. What I find odd is that the MSN autos and Consumer Guide do not mention anything of this being a "trouble spot" on these cars.

For peace of mind, I am going to take the car to a shop tomorrow and have the engine checked before I complete the deal. I know that it is only a $2200 car, but that could quickly sky-rocket if the HG is indeed bad and I just do not know it. No problems appear now, but I want to get a mechanics opinion. One repair shop told me $800 for a HG replacement, but I am not sure how reputable they are.

I will know for sure tomorrow.

lol whole car is around 3k and theywant to charge 2k?

nonsense!

i ased my mechanic he said he will charge 400 for the labor

if i arrange to get the parts myself

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[90LS400Lexus]

To update- I finally bought the car today. The HG was fine. No oils where they were not supposed to be.

Its definetly not as smooth as my Lexus was (in some areas), but in other ways I like it better. Both are old cars, so it is only natural that they have their quirks. <_< :) I have confirmed that it is a base model (base, L and LS were offered for 92'). A "base" model can easily be spotted by no "L" or "LS" badges on the trunk, as well as black exterior door handles, side mouldings and mirrors. I think the "L" adds colored-keyed mirrors and handles, but only the "LS" adds the color-keyed side mouldings- someone correct me if I am wrong.

I drove the car about 100 miles today (highway and city driving combined) and thankfully had no problems. Things I like about this car that I did not like about my Lexus is it has NO front suspension clunks, NO interior squeaks or rattles (the Lexus had some rattles and ticks), a working radio, more comfortable seats, easier to use door locks, better/faster operating windows, larger trunk w/folding down rear seat, easier to use door handles & interior locks, better handling, but with softer front suspension, cloth interior (preferred). Also- I do not have to worry about any LCD going black.

What I liked about the Lexus that I do not like about this car is the harsher shifting transmission, less power, the Lexus was rear wheel drive, does not have remote entry (not bad considering it is a heavy car that weighs about a little less than a 1st generation LS and about the same as a 2nd generation LS), & braking not as strong (despite also having 4-wheel discs w/anti-lock), but may be due to worn pads. I know that the rotors need turned. It also requires premium fuel, which I dislike. The rear suspension seems to be a bit firmer than it was on my LS with the Toyota struts, but still softer than it was with the KYB GR-2 on them.

I had forgot to check the front axle covers and tonight I "remembered" to look. One of them are busted. :( I do not think the replacement for the cover, or even the CV joints are that expensive. Last time I priced one for an Accord and a Camry- it was like $170 parts and labor for both sides.

Here are some photos of the car. It was not cleaned in the photo. It is really dirty and needs a good cleaning. I think it will make a good work car and will suit me until I find a newer LS400 perhaps next year.

Thanks again for the information.

[90LS400Lexus]

Had meant to post this- a "side by side" photo of the Acura and my old Lexus: