Daily driver?

[MadMaxx]

I'm on the hunt for a reliable daily driver. I need something comfortable, and that can get out of her own way. I owned a 3K VR4 in the past, and liked it..but wanted to try something different.

I'm looking at the early gen NSX (91-92). Any pitfalls? With the current (total crap) market prices, what should a nice example go for?

I'm not looking for heavy mods or anything... for my speed kicks, I have a Viper

Thanks
MM

------------------
1996 Viper RT/10
Smooth tubes n' filters
Mopar 8.5 wires

 

[Edwardo]

Max,

Welcome to the forum! I recognize your user name from the Viper Alley forum. I have an account there but I don't post because for some reason I cannot log in.

Anyway, the answer to your question is "yes" you can use the NSX as your daily driver. I say this with confidence because I use mine as my daily(I only have one car). It is literally bullet proof as you can see from the mileage on some of these cars. The clutch and transmission are very light and easy to use. The view out of the car is second to no other exotic.

There are some issues to contend with on an NSX though as far as daily driving. Much like your Viper, you will not want to park it in some places....placed you NEED to park. The NSX is also extremely low to the ground so you will have to negotiate driveways the same as your Viper. One last negative is the safety in wet and rainy conditions. Although this car has traction control, you still have to be very careful due to the low center of gravity.

The latter issues are minor and you have dealt with the to some extent.

Again welcome to the forums Max. By the way, should I pm Red5 and tell him where you are?

 

[MadMaxx]

Thanks for the welcome and good info!

Nooo! Don't tell Red i'm here :lol: Does his cone-dodgeing self hang out here too?

I figured they should be a good commuter (2 mile trip one way every day) as they are honda/acura underneith that aluminum skin

How fast is the 0-60 on an early NSX?

Thanks!
MM

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by MadMaxx:
Any pitfalls?

First, check out the FAQ (click FAQ on that bar at the top). There's lots of good information there.

Pitfalls (other than the usual inspection for condition, clean title, etc):

- Timing belt and water pump replacement - this is recommended by Honda for every 90K miles or 6 years, whichever comes first, but has not been done on many early NSXs. Cost ~$1200-1400.

- Snap ring transmission problem (see FAQ, Troubleshooting - Transmission) - affected certain NSXs, identifiable by transmission number (not VIN), fully fixable for affected NSXs by replacing snap ring and upper transmission housing at a cost of $1500 parts and $1000 labor or you can save the labor by doing it the next time you need the clutch replaced

- Window regulators (see FAQ, Troubleshooting - Power Windows) - affected '91-93, can be prevented by installing a part that costs $16 for a pair (one for each side), to prevent having the regulator fail and buying a new one (~$350-400 per side).

- A/C - make sure it works on both sides at all speeds. Repairs can be expensive.

Originally posted by MadMaxx:
With the current (total crap) market prices, what should a nice example go for?

Prices for a really nice early NSX have hardly budged for several years. Expect to spend around $33-35K for one with below-average miles and extremely well maintained and absolutely no "issues". You can spend less but usually that means it may need some deferred maintenance and/or repairs and/or have lots more miles. Check out the "Pricing" section of the FAQ under the "Buy Sell" heading - it's really good.

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by MadMaxx:
How fast is the 0-60 on an early NSX?

Most magazine tests were around 5.2 to 5.3.

You really need to look through the FAQ. Test numbers are under the "Technical Info" heading, in the section called "Performance".

 

[Edwardo]

Max,

Red5 does not hang out here. I was just ribbing you about that as I know you and Red get in to it all of the time on the Viper forum.

Nsxtasy is right. Take a look at that FAQ. There is a plethora of information on the NSX in that section.

You may also want to check with some owners in the SC area. I am sure there are meetings in that area wherein you could get a bit of seat time in the NSX.

 

[MadMaxx]

Thanks for the info! I'll try and find some owners in the area.

I'm 6'2", will I have trouble fitting in the car? I had a hard time w/ the Lotus Esprit, but I fit perfect in my old 3000GT VR4 and the Viper.

Are there any major differences in the early cars and the 94+ cars?

MM

 

[Edwardo]

Max,

You should not have a problem. I am 6'4 and I fit. It is a tight fit though for me.

 

[huckster]

you should fit no problem

im 6'2"(although coach always said 6'4"

) and i fit just fine.

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by MadMaxx:
I'm 6'2", will I have trouble fitting in the car?

The only way to be sure is to try one.

Some owners have modified the lower seat cushion to add headroom. There's a modified cushion available from Dali Racing.

Originally posted by MadMaxx:
Are there any major differences in the early cars and the 94+ cars?

Look in the FAQ, under the General Info heading, at the section called "Changes by Year".

 

[Spider]

For those who use their nsx as a daily driver, how many sets of tires do you go thru each year? and how much does it cost you? Is it true they only last 7-8 thousand miles?

 

[MadMaxx]

My daily drive is 2 miles 1 way. I wouldn't drive in the rain, as i'd use the jeep for that

Just as a side note, I've changed the viper tires once so far in ownership... 340each on the rear and 290each up front IIRC. Pilots aren't cheap

How bad are the NSX tires? Why such a short time on tires?

MM

 

[Spider]

Geez... 2 miles to work? ..I'd walk to work, much better for you

I know nothing about vipers, but nsx tires are specific to each corner, so no swapping, rotating or anything. AND, if your tire shop doesn't know any better and puts them on wrong... you're screwed.

 

[MadMaxx]

LOL
That would be a sight to see... but i'd be one healthy guy!

I'll have to remember that about the NSX tire arrangement. Do the wear fast from the camber angle or???

James

 

[gheba_nsx]

"My daily drive is 2 miles 1 way"
Are you doing some tour with sleeping in a Hotel? Or you have two homes and you swap every da? Or ...

Ok maybe you it is 2 miles going and 2 miles coming back...

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by Spider:
For those who use their nsx as a daily driver, how many sets of tires do you go thru each year? and how much does it cost you? Is it true they only last 7-8 thousand miles?

Using the revised '93+ alignment specs, the OEM tires should last anywhere from 5K to 8K miles in the rear, and 10K to 16K miles in the front.

These are current prices on the Tire Rack website for the '91-93 stock sizes:

Bridgestone RE010
front $144
rear $179

Yokohama A022H
front $165
rear $205

Prices from Discount Tire Direct for members of the NSX Club of America with the member discount may (or may not) be less than the Tire Rack prices; check when ordering.

Originally posted by MadMaxx:
How bad are the NSX tires? Why such a short time on tires?

The OEM NSX tires are outstanding!!! They are extremely sticky. They were designed specifically for the NSX, and each tire was designed for a specific corner of the NSX, so you order a "left front" tire, for example. They wear quickly partly because they are high-performance tires and high-performance tires wear quickly, partly because they were designed with great handling and performance as their primary design objective, not long life. You can read more about the OEM tires in the "Tire Tech" section of the FAQ.

 

[MadMaxx]

Originally posted by gheba_nsx:
"My daily drive is 2 miles 1 way"
Are you doing some tour with sleeping in a Hotel? Or you have two homes and you swap every da? Or ...

Ok maybe you it is 2 miles going and 2 miles coming back...

2 miles one direction... and 2 miles back

hehehe...

MM

 

[tpearsall]

An early NSX is great daily driver!! For the headroom try it out. I'm 6', but am tight with the stock cushion since my height is mostly body, with short legs. I would have never fit with a helmet. The Dali racing seat cushion fixed that.

Before I bought the NSX I was debating getting a mid-80s Ferrari garage queen, but am SOOO happy I went with the NSX. IMO it is the only exotic that can be a daily driver even at 2 times the price.

 

[MadMaxx]

I'm all legs... hopefully i'll fit. Most low-profile cars I fit in fine, it's just cars like the Lotus Esprit where I had troulbe (knees hit the steering wheel contantly).

I also almost when the Ferrari route... I was inches from a purchase but it went sour in the 11th hour and I haven't really looked back.

MM

 

[Spider]

Thank you nsxtasy for the usual thorough response

So that will work out to be roughly $1200 for tires a year, not including alignment.

But say if we don't plan on doing any agressive (track) driving or taking it over 100 mph, would there be anything wrong in going with all-neutral settings and using "standard" performance tires ? Just curious.

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by Spider:
But say if we don't plan on doing any agressive (track) driving or taking it over 100 mph, would there be anything wrong in going with all-neutral settings and using "standard" performance tires?

Well, you could probably extend your tire life somewhat that way, yeah. But then the question is, why would you want to spend all that money for the performance of an NSX, and then sacrifice some of that performance just to save a few bucks on tires? If you're going to do that, it would make more sense from a dollars-and-cents standpoint to buy a less expensive car (and keep sticky tires on it).

 

[Tbone]

I'm not believing this! Hey MM, it's me, former owner of your 96 Viper. I've had a 92 NSX for the last seven months and I love it. I've put over 6K miles on her without a hitch. But... I'm always looking for a change. In this case, a 96-98 NSX-T for a cross country trip this summer (yes, I'm still driving "unusual" cars on cross country camping trips). Much like the Viper, I'm not in a real hurry to sell but you're welcome to come down and take her for a spin if you'd like. Email me if you're interested. Hope you're enjoying the Snake. Later, Taylor

1992 NSX, black, Taitec lightweight exhaust, Eibach springs, K&N filter charger, etc. 45K miles. A/C works, snap ring fixed.

[This message has been edited by Tbone (edited 25 February 2003).]

 

[MadMaxx]

LOL!!! Small world aint it!

Sure man, i'll come down for a spin. The cars been doing good.. she's had quite a few mods done since I got it. She was running twin turbos for a while, but I pulled them in prep for buying a GTS.

Anyway, take it easy man! I'll give you a buzz.

MM

 

[randall]

Max your busted baby!i just spilt the beans over at vipernation!as you know i just traded my GTS for the NSX.the NSX would be a nice addition to your stable.

 

[MadMaxx]

Yeah, I saw where you got that new NSX on the .com

Sweet ride

It's really amazing that I should meet up with the previous owner of my Viper, who now ones the next car i'm looking at getting! Spooky...

I'll go check the .com out

MM