TireKicker Time Machine: 1986-1992 Volvo 240 GL

The 1986-1992 Volvo 240 GL.

Boxy, slow and Spartan.

Still, I (almost) kick myself for not having bought one new and I'd love to find a solid one for the right price today...but the Volvo 240 is finally approaching an age where the true survivors are becoming few in number.

TireKicker Time Machine: The Half-Million Mile Acura Retires (Sort Of)

Most recent odometer reading of Tyson Hugie's 1994 Acura Legend 6-speed Coupe.

Last August, we did a piece on Tyson Hugie, a young man whose virtually flawless 1994 Acura Legend 6-speed Coupe was nearing the half-million mile mark on the odometer.

Well, as you can see, he and it got there...but there's more to the story...including a well-deserved rest for the 18-year old big Coupe...and a new Acura in Tyson's life.



Acura hands Tyson the keys to a new ILX.

Acura, thrilled with the publicity from Tyson's 500,000 mile Legend, has rewarded him with the use of a new 2013 Acura ILX for the next year, after which it's his (he'll be responsible for the tax implications).  It's an arrangement that lets Tyson rack up the miles in a way no press fleet vehicle would be allowed, and he's already making the most of it. You can follow along on his blog.

TireKicker Time Machine: 1963 Ford Falcon Sedan

1963 Ford Falcon Sedan.

After this week's really rough 1970 Chevrolet Bel Air, here's a TireKicker Time Machine with a bit more hope in its future...a 1963 Ford Falcon sedan.

TireKicker Time Machine: 1970 Chevrolet Bel Air

Some TireKicker Time Machines are well cared-for, almost museum quality pieces.

And...some aren't. But there's beauty in surviving against the odds, and this 1970 Chevy falls into that category.

TireKicker Time Machine: 1986-89 Porsche 911

Front view of a classic '80s Porsche 911.

After a much too long absence, TireKicker Time Machine is back as a regular feature...and we start with a car I literally stumbled across and photographed mere minutes ago.

TireKicker Time Machine: 1994 Acura Legend Coupe



Tyson Hugie's 1994 Acura Legend Coupe. Not your typical 18-year old car.

Confession: I've been neglecting the TireKicker Time Machine feature. Partly because it's 17 million degrees in Phoenix this summer but also because I'm looking for the exceptional.

Turns out I found it in the summer of 2009...and just needed reminding.

The picture above is of a 1994 Acura Legend 6-Speed Coupe belonging to a young man named Tyson Hugie. And it's a recent photo.



Tyson Hugie, Michael Hagerty and Tyson's 1994 Acura Legend Coupe in 2009.

That's us, a little over two years ago, meeting for the first time when I was doing a story for television on people who keep their cars for 100,000  200,000 miles or more. Tyson more than qualified...his Legend had 378,000 miles..and was not only running...but virtually flawless. That was our only meeting. We've stayed in sporadic touch by e-mail since.



Rear view of Tyson Hugie's 1994 Acura Legend Coupe.

Tyson's a huge believer in maintenance. Anything that breaks gets fixed fast, and there's so much attention to upkeep that nothing much breaks.

And if you think he keeps it nice by not driving it much...remember that mileage? 378,000 two summers ago? Here's the odometer from this past weekend:



Tyson's 1994 Acura Legend Coupe odometer reading as of this weekend.

That's right...now closing in on half a million miles. Tyson has driven 113,774 miles in 26 months. That's 4,375 miles a month. Testing two cars a week, I do maybe 2,000...2,400 tops. How's he do it?

He drives places. Interesting, faraway places:



Tyson and the 1994 Acura Legend at the Alaskan border.

There are a lot of interesting adventures and insights wrapped up in getting a car to the 500,000 mile mark...and Tyson tells them best in his own blog devoted to getting there: DriveToFive (Legendary Quest for 500,000 Miles). He'll hit that milestone soon at this rate...so bookmark it now and start enjoying the ride.

TireKicker Time Machine: 1980 Honda Accord LX

Say hello to the car that changed the world. It looks unassuming and frankly very small now, but from 1976 through 1981, this was the Accord that showed that Japan in general and Honda in particular was deadly serious about making very good small cars.

                          

Five years after exploding Ford Pintos and imploding Chevy Vegas, the idea of a small car built to a standard and not to a price was an appealing one to American drivers. The first-gen Accord was jewel-like. And the demand was huge. Dealers were charging $1,000 over sticker price...and getting it.

TireKicker Time Machine: 1978 Chevrolet Caprice Classic

(UPDATE:  Sharp-eyed TireKicker reader Paul Duca spotted the clues that this is in fact a newer Caprice. We've been able to narrow it down to 1982, '83, '84 or '85. Hit the comments section if you can help us pinpoint it to a single year. We'll change the headline and tags once we've got the right vintage)

It wasn't that long ago that you couldn't drive a city block without seeing three of these.

Oh, wait...it was that long ago. 32 model years since this '78 Chevrolet Caprice Classic rolled off the showroom floor...20 model years since its clean, classic lines were replaced by the dumpy upside-down bathtub models that themselves are becoming (mercifully) scarce.

                          

Hard to believe it now, but this was the downsized full-size Chevrolet...and GM was thought to be taking a big risk when it introduced this body style in the fall of 1976 as a '77 model. 637 pounds lighter than the previous generation, 10 inches shorter and 4 inches narrower.

What nobody realized until they saw the new one was just how badly the Caprice needed a diet. The big Chevy had been packing on the pounds since 1971 (kinda like Elvis at the time).

The new Caprice rapidly became its own benchmark.

TireKicker Time Machine: 1966 VW Type II Transporter

Some vehicles just produce an involuntary smile whenever I see them...the VW Type II Transporter (or Bus) is pretty close to the top of that list.

Sure, they were noisy and slow (and one stranded me and a group of other 12 year olds on a 100-degree afternoon for several hours)...but finding one in either unmolested or reasonably restored condition is a real treat.

Truth is, you don't see many of these as anything other than basket cases or hippie van re-creations (and occasionally both)...so something that looks like it's still 1966 is a wonderful thing.

The tip-off that it's a 66?  There are only two clues. Can you spot them? Hit "comments" if you think you know.

Needing a few spares for your camper or beetle? Access a wide range of VW parts online at www.worldcarparts.co.uk

TireKicker Time Machine: 1971 Chevrolet El Camino

Now here's a genuine survivor....a 1971 Chevy El Camino that hasn't been jacked up, painted metallic whatever or any other attempts to make it look "bad".

                          

In fact, these delicate paint accents, hand-done and signed by the artist, are the only appearance mods to this 39-year old El Camino. And from the looks of them, they were probably done in the 1970s.

TireKicker Time Machine: 1962 Chrysler 300

                    

No, not a 300H...just a 300. But who's complaining?

                           

Judging by the temporary plate, this '62 recently found a new home and it appears the new owner was having some work done at this local shop.

Like yesterday's '55 Chevy Two-Ten, this big Chrysler appears to be all original and mostly all there.

TireKicker Time Machine: 1955 Chevy

Welcome to a new feature...TireKicker Time Machine. And what better way to start than the car widely credited with beginning the "modern" era of post-war cars...the 1955 Chevy.