So this is my 1991 NSX.
It took me about three years searching on and off to find one I liked. I had found many lemons beforehand or I would call or go check it out and it was sold just that morning. I could only assume those were as nice as they seemed in the ad. I had grown cautious because I usually go check out a car that seems too good to be true in the ad and you check it out in person and it is flawless, until you put the car on a lift.
When I saw this one, it seemed too good to be true...all maintenance was up to date, the car was clean inside and out, bone stock, and the car was local. I jumped on it ASAP and it was pretty great. Seals were leaking, but no drips, otherwise it was perfect. My autobody and detailing friends could not believe how clean this car was.
Anyways, I took the car to Autowave to get it checked out and fix all the little problems. Nothing IL has suffered, by the way. Just the oil leaks, installed a window fix-it thingy, and the oil pan was slightly dented. The window fix-it thingy is a billet piece to replace a plastic piece that tends to break when the windows start slowing down, which then breaks the window regulator. Doing this is preventative maintenance. They had also noticed a bunch of aftermarket coolant hoses, so I had all 20+ hoses replaced. Cost a small fortune, but worth it to know all is good with the car.
Modifications include: ITG Foam Filter, Downforce Air Intake Scoop, CT-Engineering headers, Pride v2 exhaust, Prospeed Chip, and AIT Harmonic Damper round out the engine mods. I further increased the acceleration via weight reduction through replacing some stock parts with lighter, removing the spare and tools, and removing the stereo and other non essential parts. The car is now less than 2,800 lbs. The end result is a much quicker car and it sounds so good I never miss the stereo. Future mods will be to replace that long 2nd gear with a short gear set and go with a shorter final drive, along with more weight reduction. It should be capable of high 12s at the moment. And after the gears and more weight reduction, I should be happily in the mid 12s. I am used to fast cars, so I need at least that much to be happy with a sports car.
Suspension modifications include Bilstein HDs and Tein S.Tech Springs, 17x8" and 17x9" Enkei RPF1s wrapped in 215/40/17 and 255/40/17 Falken RT-615Ks. Then it was all topped off with a custom alignment. The balance is better than stock. It just feels totally planted, handles like it's on rails, and its steering is telepathic. When it breaks loose, it is far more controllable than when it was stock. Brakes are stock, as they work just fine for the street. I will be changing to EBC yellow stuff pads, along with steel braided lines and racing fluid in the future though. Those pads are perfectly capable for even a dedicated track car and they work great on the street, so it is good stuff. It should definitely round out this fine package.
I am very happy with how the mods are making this car feel. My only problem with the car was lack of power. But at this rate I am almost perfectly content with it, which is saying a lot considering I have driven many exotics and the all mighty Nissan GT-R. This may not be as fast, but it's fast enough, and it satisfies in every other area. I love this car and I intend to keep it forever, along with my 300ZX Twin Turbo. Two dreams realized. -- huyracing, 138,000 miles
kshankar says:
06:17 AM, 02/17/12
Huy,
Awesome car and nice story! This reminds me of my 93 RX-7 that I sold years ago and regret selling. That was a car I wanted to keep forever. BTW, why don't you show pics of your 300ZX TT? What year is it?
huyracing says:
09:36 AM, 02/17/12
sorry i had intended to post one for the Z, but forgot. i will get on that.
rocket_ says:
01:43 PM, 02/17/12
clean as hell. nice.
huyracing says:
01:43 PM, 02/18/12
thanks guys, i don't own or build cars to impress anyone but myself, but it is nice when others don't hate me out of envy.
wheelmccoy says:
05:52 PM, 02/18/12
Well done.
Hate? Nah. Anyone who shows so much care, love, and knowledge of the NSX deserves respect. You are writing for the enthusiast crowd. :)
ptcdawg says:
06:27 AM, 02/19/12
Envy?
Get over yourself. That said, nice car.
cynic783 says:
09:09 AM, 02/19/12
nice car. question: how is it possible to modify the transmission ratios
huyracing says:
12:25 PM, 02/19/12
cynic, you replace the gear set. its like rebuilding the transmission, you just use different gears.
ptcdawg, its a fact of life. something about insecure men needing to one-up each other makes my life a little more annoying. i have had countless people come up and say "nice car" in parking lots and then the tall tales begin about all these cars that are faster than mine... the whole time the guy looks like he's gonna cry and attack me all at once. im sorry i make people feel that way, but not my problem. and i wont get over myself because i am awesome.
wheelmccoy, appreciate it. i have dedicated half my life to cars. i didn't grow up in a car family so i knew nothing about them other than how to drive them from point A to B. i went to driving schools and began racing, i went to school and became an ASE certified/ Toyota certified technician, i learned to weld and helped build race cars, i worked in the aftermarket industry selling parts and building some crazy cars. i never made a name for myself because i never cared to, but i was a part of it all in my time. i had considered opening up a shop, but things did not work out. i have since moved onto another industry though and only remain as a well informed enthusiast.
anyways, thanks... whether you love me or hate me, it means i am doing something right.
nyccarguy says:
01:29 PM, 02/20/12
HUY - Hats off to you and your beautiful car!
revs29 says:
01:34 PM, 02/20/12
Absolutely gorgeous. Very tasteful mods too. When I bought my AP1 I really wanted an early NSX instead, but my wife set my price ceiling too low and told me that if I was going to get a weekend car it had to at least be a convertible.
huyracing says:
01:46 PM, 02/20/12
thanks guys.
as i have said before, the S2000 is a great car much in the same vein as the NSX... except its much cheaper to own. i am really jealous of some of the hardware Honda gave it, as it was technology derived from high end NSX's like the Type R's. i would love one some day as well to add to my collection. the NSX has more prestige, I guess you could call it... but the S2000 is its equal in performance and fun at least. part of what makes the car for me is the exhaust noise through a proper exhaust... absolutely exotic, but at a lower pitch than a Ferrari. after a day driving Ferrari's and Lamborghini's on a track, I take my car through the tunnel and it puts a smile on my face.
subytrojan says:
05:49 PM, 02/20/12
Sweet ride! I dig the Enkei RPF1s because they remind me of the wheels that used to be on the McLaren Formula One cars.
I hope you do a write-up on your former Z32 and STi, too!
huyracing says:
09:18 PM, 02/20/12
thanks man, i dug up the few photos i could find of the Suby... i forget all the details though, but i submitted some of what i remember. the Z has been submitted as well, but i need to take more photos. i only recently got a camera phone, so my photos are limited sadly.