Honda Legend 1997

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Discussion

t.boydy

Original Poster:

203 posts

69 months

Wednesday 16th October
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Afternoon,

Really don't know how it happened but I bought and collected a 1997 Legend yesterday. Never knew I wanted one to be fair!

One owner from new, 63k miles, stacks of history etc...

Best gamble with it, 15 days MOT left to run smile

Will sort pics out asap

Anyone else got one?

Tom

t.boydy

Original Poster:

203 posts

69 months

Wednesday 16th October
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[url]|https://forums-images.pistonheads.com/569468/202410165785102

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C5_Steve

4,826 posts

110 months

Wednesday 16th October
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Wow, you really don't see these anymore! That looks in really good shape as well, nice!

Always had a soft spot for the coupe.

soad

33,452 posts

183 months

Thursday 14th November
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Probably (much) easier to spot a Lexus LS400/GS300 these days, although can find a few on eBay now and again. smile

Toyota Camry/Soarer (V8) nearly extinct also. frown


bolidemichael

15,100 posts

208 months

Thursday 14th November
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I can see that it's passed its MOT with zero advisories, well done!

Also -- the odometer seems to have failed in 2010 or so, so every MOT reports '0 miles' with '0 miles' covered! On what is the mileage of 63k based?

danb79

9,647 posts

79 months

Thursday 14th November
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Rare as hens teeth! Superb car cool

Cambs_Stuart

3,116 posts

91 months

Thursday 14th November
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Fantastic, 90's Japanese Luxo barge. What's it like to drive? Does it need any work?

t.boydy

Original Poster:

203 posts

69 months

Thursday 14th November
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bolidemichael said:
I can see that it's passed its MOT with zero advisories, well done!

Also -- the odometer seems to have failed in 2010 or so, so every MOT reports '0 miles' with '0 miles' covered! On what is the mileage of 63k based?
We had it on the lift the day before the MOT ran out and found that the rear pads on the N/S had fell to pieces! So a panic call to our parts supplier, discs and pads arrived at 10.30 in the morning with the MOT booked for 1pm!

The previous owner noted his journeys and mileage on pieces of paper, added it all up and roughly 63k. Will find out when the odometer gets sorted. I have continues the theme with writing every journey and mileage smile

Tom

t.boydy

Original Poster:

203 posts

69 months

Thursday 14th November
quotequote all
Cambs_Stuart said:
Fantastic, 90's Japanese Luxo barge. What's it like to drive? Does it need any work?
It's amazing to drive, more comfortable than my modern E350 Merc!

It does need a 'few' bits..... Will list them so everyone can have a laugh

Tom

t.boydy

Original Poster:

203 posts

69 months

Thursday 14th November
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So, thanks for moving the thread to here smile

To summarise from the 'smoker' thread...

Wasn't advertised. Bloke walked into my work and said he had this old Honda that he couldn't drive anymore and would I be interested. I said no sorry, then he mentioned it was a Legend....!

Fast forward 2 hours... Was at his house and having a poke around. Offered him the said £500 and he said no. Shook his hand and thanked him for his time.

Now fast forward 2 weeks later, he calls out the blue and said come and get it if you still want it! I was at his door in 30 mins.

No word of a lie, when it drove away the owner and his wife got emotional.

It was only when i got back to work i realised he owned it from new, had every service stamp, every MOT etc from new....

Apart from 18mpg i'm loving driving it everyday

Will sort more pics out asap, it's filthy at the moment

Tom

Inspire

273 posts

186 months

Thursday 14th November
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Some internal pictures, when you get a chance, would be ace! Well done on the purchase.

Thanks

Rob

t.boydy

Original Poster:

203 posts

69 months

Thursday 14th November
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Inspire said:
Some internal pictures, when you get a chance, would be ace! Well done on the purchase.

Thanks

Rob
Will sort pics out asap, not a problem smile



t.boydy

Original Poster:

203 posts

69 months

Thursday 14th November
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Right....... A bit of history of said LEGend....

Vehicle was originally purchased new from B & H Motors, 1460 High Road, London.

First registered 8th August 1997 to the gentleman I purchased the car from on 15th October 2024, so some 27 years in the same ownership.

Colour is Eucalyptus Pearl green (colour code G-83P) with Black leather interior. Spec of these are pretty good, 4 electric windows ( 2 of them work but we will come back to that later), electric sunroof, climate control, 6 disc cd changer, heated front seats, remote central locking, plenty of airbags, traction control, cruise control etc. Which for a ’97 model car I don’t think is to bad.

It’s got service history right from its PDI on 7th August 1997, first service carried out 21st August 1998 with 4167 miles, next on the 18th September 1999 with 10149 miles, 7th August 2000 with 16588 miles to include coolant and brake fluid change, 4th August 2001 with 22296 miles, 20th July 2002 with 28028 miles to include coolant change, brake fluid change and cambelt, 4th August 2003 with 36302 miles, 21st July 2004 with 40635 miles, 19th July 2007 with 45599 miles, 23rd July 2008 with 46628 miles, 28th July 2009 with 48026 miles, 1st August 2010 with 49156 miles.

That’s when the odometer failed.. but service’s carried on annually from independent garages (invoices supplied). During 2007 the owner moved jobs/retired so the Legend wasn’t doing journeys to London for work so was used to ‘potter’ about. As mentioned, a hand written note stated the rough mileage over the years since the odometer failed. If this is correct then the car has ticked over 63k miles. Will only know the true mileage once the odometer is fixed, apparently the mileage is stored in the ‘brain’.

Last 3 years he has only used it to go from his house to church twice a week (12 miles) and the local Sainsburys once a week (5 miles)….
The original handbook is present and correct, still has the original Honda supplying dealer business card. Every MOT certificate is in the file along with lots of invoices!

Regarding the number plate, when registered it was assigned R274 VLW, which could only have stayed on the car for a short while because its 1st MOT has the plate LIL 2***, this number is on his wifes car today! In 2012, the number plate it has on today M16 BUP was assigned/registered to it. He told me the story of said plate. His grandchildren purchased the cherished plate for him as a present, the significance of the plate is M (he was born in May), 16 (was born on the 16th) and BUP because they used to call him Buppy when they were children!

I’m very tempted to put the original plate back on the car and give him back the M16 BUP on a retention certificate.

Wow, didn’t realise I could waffle on so much! Apologies and if you have read this far, thank you. Have I missed anything out on it’s history?




To be continued………


t.boydy

Original Poster:

203 posts

69 months

Thursday 14th November
quotequote all
So, was collected and driven back by a member of staff. I followed thinking what have I done, why did I buy it and what am I going to do with it??!!

Back at work and in the yard and all the staff came out to take the p155. Having been sat for several months unloved, it was rather dirty with moss nicely growing in certain areas, nice! So, the one lad who laughed the most at my latest financial disaster was assigned the job of cleaning it 😊

Insured and taxed it and at 5pm I was off home (pub) for my maiden journey, it’s 2.6 miles to said home and in that short time it felt great. The seats are like armchairs and it’s whisper quiet. Although alarmingly the fuel gauge moved on that short journey, it does that often!

We are very busy at work so apart from a wash and a levels check, I decided to dump my Merc in the yard and carry on driving the new steed. First load of fuel went in and off I went, wafting around in a £500 car that I knew nothing about, what could possibly go wrong? As part of my job I travel to carry out estimates on vehicles that require restoration/repairs. Just so happened day 3 of ownership, I had to do a 50 mile round trip to a customers, obviously took the Legend…. Didn’t miss a beat, well it had a funny noise on L/H bends but hey ho!

The following weekend I treated it to the quickest of quick machine polishes, wow it a big car! Will post pics of the results honest! Now it was a little shiny green machine, I started to like this car, like a lot… Carried on driving it everyday, then realised MOT was due in 3 days… No worries, got it booked in for 31st Oct at 13.00. Thought we best have a little look to show willing, thankfully one of my guys is a true Honda fan (Lee I blame you for this purchase) and he got it on the lift for a good look round. I mentioned the ‘cha cha cha’ noise in passing so wheels came off the rear, started taking the pads out and the material fell on the floor…. That will be the noise then!

Obviously, parts for Legends are plenty full….. BUT, seeing at they share a lot of the braking parts with other Honda’s, pads were on the shelf at our motor factors (thanks Autosupplies) discs were ordered and delivered the next day, the day of the MOT… Thankfully Lee go the car on the lift, replaced rear discs and pads, road tested and parked on the front ready for it’s MOT with 45 mins to spare. My other tech Dave, took it round for the MOT and the tester couldn’t believe what good condition it was in underneath, so 40 minutes later a clean MOT was received and I could then make a plan going forward.

As I bought it with only 2 weeks mot, I wasn’t going to spend much money until I knew it was a ‘goodun’
More fuel went into the surprisingly small tank and I carried on driving it everyday. Full service kit ordered and fitted.
So far in the 4 weeks in my ownership it has covered 700 luxurious miles, it just gets better and better! Apart from the fuel, £260 of super unleaded has so far been pumped into the tank, to be fair I still have ¾ of a tank left as of today.

Right, next instalment will be the issues with it and the plan going forward 😊 Oh and what i have purchased so far........


Thanks again if you have got this far

GeniusOfLove

2,253 posts

19 months

Thursday 14th November
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Absolutely love it. As a 1997 car and something sold in the US it should have a standard OBD port and you might be able to read the mileage out of that with any scanner.

Looking foward to hearing more about it.

bolidemichael

15,100 posts

208 months

Thursday 14th November
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I like the idea of returning the cherished plate to him, then again, it gives it character as per the plate on my CL600.

Alwayzsidewayz2

76 posts

107 months

Thursday 14th November
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Huge soft spot for these, yours looks a belter

I test drove a 1994 Model a few years back with a view to getting a cheap lux saloon. It had done over 140K but drove so smoothly

SadI had a look underneath the one I was looking at buying and it reminded me of the Titanic, but goodness a lot of car for the monies

jamie w

179 posts

178 months

Thursday 14th November
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Like this a lot, both car and back story. Further updates would be welcome!

As an aside why is it that 1997 feels recent to me and my 27 years from 1997 to 2024 seem to have gone a heck of a lot quicker than my 27 from 1970 to 1997... confused

Mr Tidy

24,297 posts

134 months

Thursday 14th November
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That's a lovely bargain Barge!

I like the idea of returning the plate, if the previous owner has anything to put it on.

t.boydy

Original Poster:

203 posts

69 months

Friday 15th November
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Thanks folks, nice to know the car is appreciated

Few pics from a quick clean…