Quick! Learn me 1997 Acura RL!

Some dude wants to trade cash plus a cherry 1997 Acura RL for my Bronco. It's got 160K miles and looks to be in good shape. Clean title, never been hit.

So....

Oil changes and rive it forever?

Is the RL a Vigor or a Legend? If Legend, they have the same trans issues that make Odysseys trouble, and maybe an earlier V6 that has some lifter type Gremlins.

Old guy can't remember initials.  If you hadn't said Acura, I might have talked about Lincoln's or Audi.

In reply to Streetwiseguy :

Legend

You will eventually get an answer from Bobzilla.  Back in that era he was a service writer for an Acura shop. Whatever he says is fact, not opinion. 

Streetwiseguy said:

Is the RL a Vigor or a Legend? If Legend, they have the same trans issues that make Odysseys trouble, and maybe an earlier V6 that has some lifter type Gremlins.

Old guy can't remember initials.  If you hadn't said Acura, I might have talked about Lincoln's or Audi.

Legend, but it's a longitudinal V6, not transverse.

C35A engine, KA9 chassis

So, NSX motor with forged rods? Sweeeet.

RL/legend have nothing to do with any other Honda product. The 3.5 is based off the first generation 90*V6 that was the basis for the NSX. They sit longitude style.  Great car but at that mileage it’s going to needhead gaskets. Check the upper ball joints front and rear. Those are weak spots. 

Knock sensor harness likes to get chewed and destroyed. Timing belt is due every 90k or 6 yeas iirc. 

They’re good cars. Being Japanese built and having no Honda counterpart does make them more expensive in parts. They are great cruisers but get pretty abysmal fuel economy. Think low 20’shighway high teens city. 

No not an nsx engine. This is a sohc based off the C series. 

In reply to bobzilla :

Are those equipped with a 5 speed auto?

In reply to Slippery :

Should be a 4-spd. 

Streetwiseguy said:

Is the RL a Vigor or a Legend? If Legend, they have the same trans issues that make Odysseys trouble, and maybe an earlier V6 that has some lifter type Gremlins.

Vigor and Legend are the same thing, but Vigors had a five cylinder version of the old Accord F engine and Legends had six cylinders.  None of them were transverse.

Guy I used to work for's brother bought a black on black Legend with a blown automatic, drove it up here from South Carolina in 3rd gear, and did a 6 speed swap.  Which was extra fun because the FIREWALL is different manual to auto - Honda likes to make a different shell for every option.

Later, he swapped the 3.2 for a 3.5, using the 3.2s cams, and this also needed a lot of one-off bits because of course Honda made hardpoint changes at the same time, so the engine mounts for one wouldn't work with the other.  And there were other things, he spent a solid week of 12 hour days doing the swap.

It sounded frickin' glorious with the Remus exhaust, though.

Short answer:  Do the deal!

Actually first generation Legends were transverse C27’s. Very much like that era accord. Also the sterling was identical to that first generation 

I worked at an Acura dealer around the time these came out, and I drove a lot of them.

I like them in a weird sort of way. They're sort of like a Toyota Avalon. Cushy, felt big for 90s standards, not very fun to drive, but relaxing. I remember the steering feeling SO light which was sort of annoying, but I bet it's nice for long trips. I don't think they have the same auto trans problems of the later RL either.

I never could wrap my mind around the longitudinal mounted engine for a FWD car. Never made sense to me.

I never heard the Vigor and Legend described as "the same thing" before. The Legend was slightly larger, (114 in WB) and became the RL. The Vigor was smaller (110 in WB), and became the TL.

No deal. Kid was an idiot, Acura had NO oil in the crankcase, and no record of a timing belt ever having been done in all of the car's 165K miles.

So, uh, anybody want a Bronco?!?

In reply to CyberEric :

I said for years that Honda was 36” away from a luxury rwd sedan then freaked out and sent it back to the front wheels. 

Also agree, the vigor and legend were similar but not the same. When the legend became the 3.5rl the vigor became the 2.5tl. 

CyberEric said:

II never could wrap my mind around the longitudinal mounted engine for a FWD car. Never made sense to me.

 

Plenty of Audi and Subarus came in FWD that are longitudinal also...

aw614 said:

CyberEric said:

II never could wrap my mind around the longitudinal mounted engine for a FWD car. Never made sense to me.

 

Plenty of Audi and Subarus came in FWD that are longitudinal also...

Renault also and Dodge Intrepid and it's kin, too

This thread makes me want a Vigor, now. 

bobzilla said:

Actually first generation Legends were transverse C27’s. Very much like that era accord. Also the sterling was identical to that first generation 

I'm sure even Honda wanted to forget about that car.  

Knurled. said:

bobzilla said:

Actually first generation Legends were transverse C27’s. Very much like that era accord. Also the sterling was identical to that first generation 

I'm sure even Honda wanted to forget about that car.  

I want an 827 SLi