Everyone knows Silverstone is the fastest.
When pushed off a cliff
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Why mod it?
- Thread starter Benelli90
- Start date
When pushed off a cliff
Great year.
I agree that the NSX is something special. Very special. I also agree that just about everyone here could have a 348, Exige or 911 if they wanted one. Each car has its strengths and weaknesses (some more than others). I consider the NSX to be the best of the bunch FOR ME. Reliable, great looking, a blast to drive, etc. But what if I want a little 'more NSX' than what my current one has?
Let me say that 5 years ago, I swore that I would not mod the car either. Guess what? Mildly modded now. If done well, it can enhance the spirit of the car. Really. Don't believe me? Try driving a 6 speed. Try driving a car with a Zanardi suspension in the mountains.
So then the question becomes, what is a mod? Honda made a whole host of changes to the NSX between the various models and years (NSX, NSX-S, NSX-Szero, NSX-R, NA1, NA2, 02+) What if I put some of those parts on the car. Honda DESIGNED them to enhance the car. Is this a mod? I guess it depends on how you look at it.
What if I don't want my old battery, but something lighter when it dies? Better brake pads for what I do with the car? Seats that are more supportive on the track, etc.
I guess my point is that Honda sold a series of cars targeted at the average of all of us. Probably not PERFECT for any of us. Some people want GPS or a better stereo. Some people want more power. Some want more a lighter/stiffer/more nimble car. I'd LOVE for my car to corner like an exige. I don't want an exige, unless it is in addition to my car. I can enhance my car in that direction. Its a slippery slope, and everyone has somewhere they are happy with.
Tell you what. You are in N Ga, and I am in TN. I'll let you drive mine if we get to catch up at a regional meet. It has HIDs, Tubi and a 6 speed. You tell me if you HONESTLY prefer the halogens, stock exhaust system and 5 speed.
I agree that the NSX is something special. Very special. I also agree that just about everyone here could have a 348, Exige or 911 if they wanted one. Each car has its strengths and weaknesses (some more than others). I consider the NSX to be the best of the bunch FOR ME. Reliable, great looking, a blast to drive, etc. But what if I want a little 'more NSX' than what my current one has?
Let me say that 5 years ago, I swore that I would not mod the car either. Guess what? Mildly modded now. If done well, it can enhance the spirit of the car. Really. Don't believe me? Try driving a 6 speed. Try driving a car with a Zanardi suspension in the mountains.
So then the question becomes, what is a mod? Honda made a whole host of changes to the NSX between the various models and years (NSX, NSX-S, NSX-Szero, NSX-R, NA1, NA2, 02+) What if I put some of those parts on the car. Honda DESIGNED them to enhance the car. Is this a mod? I guess it depends on how you look at it.
What if I don't want my old battery, but something lighter when it dies? Better brake pads for what I do with the car? Seats that are more supportive on the track, etc.
I guess my point is that Honda sold a series of cars targeted at the average of all of us. Probably not PERFECT for any of us. Some people want GPS or a better stereo. Some people want more power. Some want more a lighter/stiffer/more nimble car. I'd LOVE for my car to corner like an exige. I don't want an exige, unless it is in addition to my car. I can enhance my car in that direction. Its a slippery slope, and everyone has somewhere they are happy with.
Tell you what. You are in N Ga, and I am in TN. I'll let you drive mine if we get to catch up at a regional meet. It has HIDs, Tubi and a 6 speed. You tell me if you HONESTLY prefer the halogens, stock exhaust system and 5 speed.
I like keeping mine looking stock and dont want to change it on the exterior but had no problem deciding to add performance mods that only make it 'better, faster, and stronger' than it was before. :biggrin:
If you have a NA1 why not add some headers. Honda knew the NA1 manifolds were lacking thats why they changed them for the NA2s. Might as well throw in an exhaust too. Even though it was a low production car, the engineers still had to make some sacrifices (headers/exhaust, etc) that can be improved by moding it.
If you have a NA1 why not add some headers. Honda knew the NA1 manifolds were lacking thats why they changed them for the NA2s. Might as well throw in an exhaust too. Even though it was a low production car, the engineers still had to make some sacrifices (headers/exhaust, etc) that can be improved by moding it.
There is no right or wrong answer to this, there are many who enjoy driving this car stock and there are people who consider modding a car as a means of personalizing their own car. Personally i'm modifying my car so I can have a car as close to a NSX-R as I can possibly can since Honda decided not to sell them over here. Either way people have the right to enjoy their NSX however they like be it modifying it or keeping it stock.
I don't think that is the issue here. Ignorance is bliss. You can't just pass the pipe then ask your friends why they do drugs? It is called the go-fast crack pipe for a reason. You have to actually hit the pipe a few times before asking where/how-it-is/why your peers keep finding themselves waking up in some weird spot the next morning.
Personally, I don't know what happened. All I know is I bought a pristine, reliable, heavily Zymol'd NSX and ended up with a unibody club sport racer with no interior and a license plate on the back.
I'm going to have to go-ahead and disagree here. I think many of the original factory engineers have since developed a pretty good vision for what to do with these things. www.supergt.net
Benelli90;89523y5 said:
You have a lot less to talk about? Come on, if you catch the mod bug like the rest of us then you could be talking about fuel maps or how much turn signals weigh. Doesn't that sound more interesting.
What's that. Kia Spectra? :biggrin:
One can only help but to assume you are referring to the 6 speed.
Purists? No, No, No, Not so.... Make yourself at home. We accept all here. You'll come around in time. Want to try some new brake pads? :smile:
Excerpts from original post...
If not, then maybe you don't want to spend the money... or, maybe you don't totally buy in to the "Engineered by Honda" concept.
No matter what the case might be for you, there are just as many reasons to mod the NSX as there are moders. Most people that I know mod their car to improve looks, performance, and/or reliability (yes, even reliability).
So, what's your reason for keeping your aftermarket parts?
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This is NOT intended as a flame, but are you going to replace your aftermarket exhaust and intake with OEM parts?
If not, then maybe you don't want to spend the money... or, maybe you don't totally buy in to the "Engineered by Honda" concept.
No matter what the case might be for you, there are just as many reasons to mod the NSX as there are moders. Most people that I know mod their car to improve looks, performance, and/or reliability (yes, even reliability).
So, what's your reason for keeping your aftermarket parts?
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A perfectly engineered car [does not equal] A perfect car for everyone.
Why do you think they come in different colors? Everyone knows Silverstone is the fastest.
Word.
I recognize the compulsion I have not to leave well enough alone, so I bought my NSX with exactly the mods I thought I might eventually want. Took me maybe a year of extra searching, but saved me five years of doing it myself.
The NSX is a superb car in stock form, but it is not particularly individualistic or awe inspiring from a performance standpoint. I like having one that is both.
Re: rubber...
Its a given that tire technology has advanced tremendously in the past 15 years. Performance and technology standards are so much higher today than they are 15 years ago, and to deny that is to be severely narrow-minded.
Another point bringing up the stock wheels/tires were that the were:
205/55-15
225/50-16
I'll take a 235/40-17f and 275/35-18r PS2, SO3, Goodyear F1, Advan Neova over the stock dinky 15/16s anyday.
It sounds like you and NSXtacy are ones who believe that "Tires were designed for Car X and vice versa". In almost all cases, tires from a manufacturer are paired up with a specific vehicle during negotiations between the tire and auto manufacturer. Rarely are tires specifically designed for a particular car model. This is seen more on high-end supercars (and recently the E92 M3 with Michelin). I'm not 100% sure if the tires listed were designed specifically for the NSX but I would highly doubt it, unless you have any links/proof to say that the tires were indeed designed and not just paired with the NSX...I don't agree w/ your dismissal of the original OEM NSX tires.
The 15+ year old Yokohama A-022H have been the most prolific of all the OEM NSX tires over the years (ie. Bridgestone RE010 & RE040), and even trump other aftermarket offerings (ie. Bridgestone RE050 & S0-3, Michelin PS2, Goodyear F1-GSD3, and BF Goodrich T/A KD). There is absolutely no denial of that.
In all likelihood, 9-out-of-10 NSX'ers would prefer the Yoko' A-022's over the rest if they were still readily available...
*Nota Bena: purposely omitted the Dunlop SP8050
Its a given that tire technology has advanced tremendously in the past 15 years. Performance and technology standards are so much higher today than they are 15 years ago, and to deny that is to be severely narrow-minded.
Another point bringing up the stock wheels/tires were that the were:
205/55-15
225/50-16
I'll take a 235/40-17f and 275/35-18r PS2, SO3, Goodyear F1, Advan Neova over the stock dinky 15/16s anyday.
I think you can always improve upon a design...
On the NA1 cars the factory head pipe is restrictive and made of cast iron, I opted for stainless steel headers that gain 12-20 HP.:smile:
The factory exhaust is too quiet.:redface:
The car looks a lot meaner in the rear if you run 285/35R18s with a 3-4" lip :biggrin:
The stereo is way too weak Plus CD changers are a thing of the past, go IPOD interface with 160GB of music storage.
The shift knob is too long and the NSX-R shift knob feels much more comfortable.
Once you do a couple of mods, its get easier...
On the NA1 cars the factory head pipe is restrictive and made of cast iron, I opted for stainless steel headers that gain 12-20 HP.:smile:
The factory exhaust is too quiet.:redface:
The car looks a lot meaner in the rear if you run 285/35R18s with a 3-4" lip :biggrin:
The stereo is way too weak
Plus CD changers are a thing of the past, go IPOD interface with 160GB of music storage.The shift knob is too long and the NSX-R shift knob feels much more comfortable.
Once you do a couple of mods, its get easier...
Re: rubber...
What about how the oem tires were designed to be biased in a way that makes the front tires pull outward and the rear tires pull inward? I would think in this case that those oem tires were designed specifically towards the nsx. Unless I'm wrong..... correct me of course.
What about how the oem tires were designed to be biased in a way that makes the front tires pull outward and the rear tires pull inward? I would think in this case that those oem tires were designed specifically towards the nsx. Unless I'm wrong..... correct me of course.
Re: rubber...
I'm not sure about the front pulling outward and rear inward. A tire size is a tire size, and you don't specify when you purchase ANY tire specifically RF, LF, RR, LR when you purchase the tire, so it's hard to imagine that the tire manufacturer would design the sidwall to differ from pulling inward and outward for 2 specific tire sized used on the NSX. ex). What if you had wider wheels and used the rear size in the front and a larger rear?
Regardless, that side-wall characteristic was a goal/characteristic that the tire manufacturer wanted, which applied to any car that it was used on. (As is Michelin's PS2 having different rubber compounds from the inside of the tire to the outer shoulder.)
=these are characteristics designed/marketed by the tire manufacturer and car manufacturer. Dosn't mean that the tire was designed for the car. Otherwise Dodge could say that the PS2 was designed for the new Viper because it has 2 different rubber compounds. (but the new BMW M3 has special M3-specific PS2s designed for that car... info on that is limited and i'm skeptical/interested in what they changed to the original PS2. These days its all about marketing, it could just be a ploy to make BMW owners only replace the tires with Michelin - which is a deterrent to using any other brand b/c it's not 'compatible'. These kinds of situations are often marketing-based in the negotiations between tire and auto manufacturer.
I read that on prime as well. It didnt say what credible source that came from.
I'm not sure about the front pulling outward and rear inward. A tire size is a tire size, and you don't specify when you purchase ANY tire specifically RF, LF, RR, LR when you purchase the tire, so it's hard to imagine that the tire manufacturer would design the sidwall to differ from pulling inward and outward for 2 specific tire sized used on the NSX. ex). What if you had wider wheels and used the rear size in the front and a larger rear?
Regardless, that side-wall characteristic was a goal/characteristic that the tire manufacturer wanted, which applied to any car that it was used on. (As is Michelin's PS2 having different rubber compounds from the inside of the tire to the outer shoulder.)
=these are characteristics designed/marketed by the tire manufacturer and car manufacturer. Dosn't mean that the tire was designed for the car. Otherwise Dodge could say that the PS2 was designed for the new Viper because it has 2 different rubber compounds. (but the new BMW M3 has special M3-specific PS2s designed for that car... info on that is limited and i'm skeptical/interested in what they changed to the original PS2. These days its all about marketing, it could just be a ploy to make BMW owners only replace the tires with Michelin - which is a deterrent to using any other brand b/c it's not 'compatible'. These kinds of situations are often marketing-based in the negotiations between tire and auto manufacturer.
Re: rubber...
Yes, the cord of the OEM tires is wrapped differently between the left and right side tires. It's called "Scuffing" or "Ply Steer".
See NSX WiKi for more info...
http://nsxprime.com/w/index.php?title=Tire_Tech&diff=456&oldid=329#OEM_Tire_Specs
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Yes, the cord of the OEM tires is wrapped differently between the left and right side tires. It's called "Scuffing" or "Ply Steer".
See NSX WiKi for more info...
http://nsxprime.com/w/index.php?title=Tire_Tech&diff=456&oldid=329#OEM_Tire_Specs
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Re: rubber...
when i looked up the oem 15/16 tires for the nsx on tire rack, they listed the Yokohama A022H1. But you specified left front, right front, left rear or right rear.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compa...W&speed_rating=Y&speed_rating=(Y)&RunFlat=All
I think the earlier viper did have specific tires for them also. It was due to size and only they were running that size at that time and ONLY that one maker sold them. I don't know however if the actual construction of the tire was any different from the others.
when i looked up the oem 15/16 tires for the nsx on tire rack, they listed the Yokohama A022H1. But you specified left front, right front, left rear or right rear.
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Compa...W&speed_rating=Y&speed_rating=(Y)&RunFlat=All
I think the earlier viper did have specific tires for them also. It was due to size and only they were running that size at that time and ONLY that one maker sold them. I don't know however if the actual construction of the tire was any different from the others.
Good question, which I was pretty certain would come up. My logic (again only my own) is that Comptech was the only aftermarket parts which, after installation, Acura would still consider the car under warranty. Heck I was talking to a former NSX mechanic from Nalley Acura the other day and he said they actually sold Comptech parts in the parts department...which was news to me.
Bottom line, the 1st owner hardly ever drove the car without the Comptech parts since they were installed just after delivery. That being said, I would like to have a 94 OEM cold air intake and exhaust sitting in the garage in case I want to revert to completely stock.
Also I personally like the sound of the Comptech exhaust, and am skeptical that I will like the OEM one as much. To me it sounds like an NSX, but in reality it's not the sound the original engineers had designed and I accept that as truth.
I enjoy mine everyday
Wow that is the sweetest Brooklands NSX I've ever seen!
Drops like the stone it's painted to match:biggrin:
As for the thread you can buy a really nice designer suit ,but it won't fit like a suit custom made to your exact measurements. The NSX for example is for the general market as a NSX-R or Type S are narrowed down for a more particular crowd. The NSX-R and Type S are modded NSXs ,but from the factory. They are still modded NSXs though so apparently even Hondas engineers felt the car could be improved upon.
Ski_Banker
Suspended
That's right. 190mph terminal velocity. How fast is yours? 175 without the fatties you usually lug around in the passenger seat? :wink: :biggrin:
I have gone back and forth on the modding thing. So far the only things I have changed on my daily driver '94 NSX is the seats, shocks, springs, sway bars, exhaust, and intake. I still run the OEM wheels and OEM tires, and there are no body modifications at all (except for the full conversion to all 'Honda' emblems). I had a set of Prodrive GC-06D wheels in 17/18 and a carbon fiber front lip, but sold them to go back to the OEM appearance. The car looks so clean and proper to me like this. Maybe it is because that is the way the car looked when I first saw one and said, 'I must have one of those in my life,' and went from there.
So why did I change what I changed?
Seats: Wanted to get more head room. May switch again to an even lower set.
Sway bars: I do not like slowing down for turn. It took away most of the bodyroll.
Shock/springs: Wanted a lower and more aggressive stance and turn-in.
Exhaust: Car was too quiet before. Now it sounds like a true sports car.
Intake: You should hear that VTEC switch over now that it can breathe.
I have spent a large chunk of my life, and almost all of my days since getting my drivers license, behind the wheel of an NSX. It is one of those cars I never get tired of and do not have to fiddle around with very much. I love it the way it is, and if it was fully stock tomorrow I would love it just as much.
So why did I change what I changed?
Seats: Wanted to get more head room. May switch again to an even lower set.
Sway bars: I do not like slowing down for turn. It took away most of the bodyroll.
Shock/springs: Wanted a lower and more aggressive stance and turn-in.
Exhaust: Car was too quiet before. Now it sounds like a true sports car.
Intake: You should hear that VTEC switch over now that it can breathe.
I have spent a large chunk of my life, and almost all of my days since getting my drivers license, behind the wheel of an NSX. It is one of those cars I never get tired of and do not have to fiddle around with very much. I love it the way it is, and if it was fully stock tomorrow I would love it just as much.
haha, lol. That's funny right there. Atleast your silver stone stays silver stone after you wash it. My berlina black always ends up "wanting" to look silver stone after a few minutes outside after a wash.
This is indeed one of those exceptions. The OEM tires for the NSX - originally the Yokohama A022H - were designed specifically for the NSX. The tires were developed and tested at the same time as the car was developed and tested, using various prototype tires at the same time as prototype cars were tested. The design features are well-described in the FAQ.
At the time the car was introduced, Yokohama printed and distributed a booklet telling all about the development process.
Almost 100 NSX owners also heard all about the development process in a technical seminar at NSXPO '97 by a representative from Yokohama, who opened his talk with a laugh: "I would like to welcome and express our appreciation to you, some of our most frequent repeat customers."
Wrong.
And your front tires will rub, at least some of the time.
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The FAQ and Wiki is not a good primary source. Just because they were designed at the same time dosnt mean they were designed for the nsx. Show a good primary source outside prime that proves this and i'll agree.
If you can show me the packet that said the tires were designed for the nsx, i'll agree. As of now, it's just speculation.
Sorry I don't know the sidewall. Mr Fangio of the Forum. But still 205/225 is very narrow.
They havn't on this car:
:wink:
dude, thats a bad ass car......
Hey, those canards on the front of the car and even that front spoiler.... If they provide any large amount of down force, wouldn't that potentially just rip off the front lower bumper?
Hey, those canards on the front of the car and even that front spoiler.... If they provide any large amount of down force, wouldn't that potentially just rip off the front lower bumper?
It's okay... Slow and 'stock' compared to the new "Unlimited" NSX we're working on :biggrin:
Not so much the canards, but the splitter made a HUGE difference at corners above 45mph. I was skeptical and truly wondered about its effectiveness until it was tore off (not from the pressure) but from an 'off' into powdery dirt ripping the splitter off.
The splitter was fine at speeds above 170mph. We added those 2 silver vertical supports just to be safe, but no problems, didn't rip off the bumper...
Without the splitter the car understeered HEAVILY in 'riverside' at buttonwillow - a 75-85mph sweeping corner, as compared with it on, the car was much more neutral (and physically heavier on the wheel - a side effect to aerodynamics) -which was really cool, very similarly to how a Formula Mazda Pro car on high speed corners are much harder to turn because of all the aerodynamic downforce...
What he says:
What he means:
:biggrin:
Oh goodie, an NSX with a big advertisement for a so-called "gentlemen's club". That's really classy...
Damn it, you racers have all the cool shit. i want one.... :frown: And still NOT look like a idiot for having one on the steet. Splitter with supports that is. The canard thing just don't look right even if it is full functional.
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