I posted this on another thread. It maybe a little helpful here. Good luck with your decision.
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/140806-Science-of-Speed-SOS-twin-turbo-vs-Lovefab-turbo
I read this thread and others when I was going through the boost/not to boost and if so which system to install decision. Most everyone on this thread has some valid points of view. Turbo2go's experience speaks for itself and his views among others weighed heavily as I went through the thought process. I’m sharing this for other folks who may be on the fence about this or any other modification.
Once you have your NSX, how do you plan to use it? Some like to look at their car most of the year in the garage. Nothing wrong with that if you really value your car is an investment. Some are weekend or car show driven, some are track rats, some are daily drivers and some are a little bit of some or all of the aforementioned. All of these scenarios should dictate how or even if you should add boost or modifications. My car is a weekender that gets one or two long trips and track time at NSXPO each year. Plus, I have no intention of ever selling it so I’m going to enjoy it and make it my own with select mods including boost of some sort. I have always liked the look and handling of the stock NSX. I had a bone stock 91 in the past but my 02 being a Targa lacks the stiffness of the 91. After driving a 500 HP Lambo and a Ferrari, I found the additional HP intoxicating even for street use. Turbo2go is correct. My 91 and maybe my 02 in a professional’s hands could keep up on a tight road course with most cars. But, I don’t aspire to that level so one HPDE a year is a fun learning experience for me. To me, the value of my car is in how much fun I have driving it and the adventures and friends my son and I have found along the way. With all of that in mind I started my research.
I decided that I wanted the look of my car to remain stock down to the wheels (except the exhaust as most of us change that) and that anything that I added to the car would be as close to OEM or JDM as possible or it had to look like the factory installed it. Basically, a sleeper with some hidden updates or upgrades. I took a ride in a CTSC and a Lovefab turbo car. The SC car seemed to have a more linear pull than the turbo but much less HP. But the SC would mean losing my OEM engine cover so that was out. But I did some research on a few different turbo kits. All were high quality kits from reputable venders like Angus and Lovefab. However, the SOS seemed to fit my requirements and Chris was awesome to work with. (BTW, I live in Texas so there are no EPA tests to worry about so turbo it is.) My NSX Guru in San Antonio was also part of this process so he knows what I’m looking for when it comes to installation. It must look like Shigeru Uehara and the factory did it. My HP goal was whatever 8 lbs. of boost will get me as long as it’s under 425 rwhp. The stock NA2 engine and clutch is strong enough to handle the power as long as I’m not constantly dumping the clutch or hitting the rev limiter in every gear. With installation, there was no cutting except for the small wire braces attached to the driver’s side spat for the intercooler to attach inside the quarter panel. The turbos are tucked up against the underside of the heads so they aren’t seen except when the car is on a lift and even then they are hard to see. All of the pipes were powder coated black (an option that’s offered by SOS.) so looking from the top of the engine bay the only noticeable change is the black blowoff valve in place of the airbox. And most importantly, I had one of the best tuners in the country do the tune when the installation was completed. I modded the chassis and suspension with NSX-R braces and sway bars plus Bilstein shocks on the stock springs. In keeping with my "Sleeper Theme", I updated the ignition system with a keyless system. (The starter button is mounted where the key would be inserted). I installed the Grom Bluetooth adapter for the OEM stereo system and exchanged the OEM voltage meter in the cluster with a rare boost gauge from Grupe M, manufacturer of the original gauges. So to the untrained eye the car looks perfectly stock.
The point of this very long description is to illustrate one man’s thought process to mod or not mod his NSX. The bottom line is it’s your car, do what you want with it. But, save yourself some aggravation, don’t do it on the cheap and do it right with the best parts and installation available. Sorry for the novel but, I hope this is helpful to someone.
Epilogue: I had the honor of meeting and discussing in detail my turbo installation with Shigeru Uehara, a man who normally doesn’t like mods to his designs, at NSX Fiesta this past October. After seeing the pictures of my installation, he said it looked good and was conservative enough to remain reliable. He asked a lot of questions. Though he may have been just being polite, it’s very reaffirming to get approval from the master.
It's been 19K miles since the turbos were installed and no issues. I've been running the stock clutch the entire time and with 98K total miles on the clutch it has not slipped. But, I don't dump it. I let the car get rolling before I throttle up.
I'm using a piggyback F\IC and the OEM ECU. Like I said, I wanted the most Factory like installation and I have the HP set where I want it at 415 to 420 rwhp. To me that's the NSX's sweet spot. Traction control still works well and the car doesn't get all squirrely. It's a nice linear pull like what you'd expect from naturally aspirated or SC. In fact, that's one of the things that drew me to this kit.
The kit comes with 750 cc injectors and a larger fuel pump to handle the need for fuel. In fact the kit comes with everything you need to do this right. But installation is the key. I'm lucky in that I have a NSX tech that's been working on these cars since 91 and he's a bit anal about the smallest details. Also, I have a great and reputable tuner to make sure it all runs smooth.
Though, the temperature in the engine bay is noticeably warmer, my temperature gauge shows the engine running a little cooler than before. I use water wetter in the coolant system for both the engine and turbo system. I think the heat issues on the new NSX have more to do with the total propulsion package. Electric motors produce a fair amount of heat as do turbos and the several computers that operate that car. Combined I'm sure it gets pretty toasty in there.
The system on my car works very well. The only issue I seem to have is that I will get a O2 sensor code when I drive the car at a higher or lower altitude. The ECU struggles to adjust for the change right away and throws the code. Usually the code goes out on it's own when the ECU adjusts. But in a couple rare instances I've had to reset the ECU by pulling the clock fuse. That's pretty rare. So far I have no regrets. The additional power is fun but, I don't drag race idiots that want to see if theirs is bigger than mine. I drive it as if it were a 500HP Lambo or Ferrari. Go fast when the road is clear and dry. And as for mpg, I still get just over 26 mpg on the highway if my foot isn't in the turbos and about 12 mpg in the city because it's fun getting to 35 mph in a hurry.
Here in Texas we are blessed with 75 to 85 mph speed limits on the open roads and also some very tight curvy roads that 30 mph is a challenge. So there are plenty of places to play without getting into too much trouble.
I hope this is helpful.
