My NSX gets no respect

[akira3d]

Thanks for the advice...I just may end up with a beater if my boss doesn't do something soon.

I've never been one to buy a used car...I'm quite paranoid about this actually. Probably has to do with the fact that I don't trust people. My older Celicas were hand-me-downs from my mom. Actually, I wish I still had my '88 Celica...that would have been a decent beater.

Nearly a year ago, one of my coworkers had his Integra Type R stolen (NOT from our parking lot, but from a lot in downtown L.A.), so, even though I DO like Integras, I probably wouldn't consider an ITR or other Integra as my beater. But I do like the idea of a Legend...especially a coupe (but even a used one seems too nice for a beater).

And it sucks that some of the more sensible beaters (like the Civic) are so high on the most stolen lists. That said, I am gravitating towards my wife's Civic as my beater. I know its history. It already has door dings. It has barely been driven. Unfortunately, it is an automatic (and I HATE automatics).

A CRX could be fun...

 

[nsxtasy]

Nearly a year ago, one of my coworkers had his Integra Type R stolen (NOT from our parking lot, but from a lot in downtown L.A.), so, even though I DO like Integras, I probably wouldn't consider an ITR or other Integra as my beater.

The ITR is very different in this regard from other Integras. Integra sales have varied and I think have been somewhere between 20,000 and 60,000 per year. The ITR has been sold for four years with roughly 1,000 or so sold per year. The ITR is MUCH more susceptible to theft and vandalism, and is a much higher-profile car (particularly in yellow, and to some extent in white) than the other grades of Integra, due in part to its distinguishing features (badges and high wing). Assuming that the other models of Integra are kept stock in appearance, they are about as susceptible as a Civic, thanks to their bountiful numbers.

I'm familiar with this issue as the owner of an '01 yellow Type R and a '94 red GS-R. Fortunately, no problems with either. But I worry more about the yellow than I ever did with the red.

[This message has been edited by nsxtasy (edited 23 July 2001).]

 

[BB]

According to an insurance industry report I read recently, out of all cars on the road, the Acura Integra has both the highest theft rate and the highest insurance claim rate. The average insurance claim for the Integra was almost 10 TIMES higher than the car with the second highest claim rate!

I would assume Integras are expensive to insure?

The Corevette was in the top 5, but not the NSX.

I have the report on my hard drive at work and will try and post it here tomorrow if anyone's interested.

 

[David]

What does everyone feel the best used beater sporty/reliable car under say $10,00 or so would be?

Box body 5.0 mustang. Really cheap, easy to work on and easy to make fast. You can find really nice ones for low $.



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Don't no nuttin 'bout no NSX;
Don't no nuttin 'bout birthin' no babbies.

 

[Number9]

The cars that get stolen a lot tend to be the ones that sesll in large numbers. A thief that takes an accord, camry, integra, etc., can easily find a chop shop and get a decent payoff because the parts are easily saleable over a large installed base. So if your NSX wheels fit any of the boy-racer cars, get locks for 'em if you park in unattended places.

Beater cars need to be just that, cars you DON'T care that much about - so you don't worry about them. I'm comfortable doing sesos taco runs in East San Jose in my beater!

--twc

99 NSX-Z SC
95 Dinan M3 SC (beater, stock exterior)

 

[nsxtasy]

Yes, please post it.

I thought that the Integra rate was 10 times higher than the vehicle with the lowest theft rate (but ICBW) And I think it might have been a Chrysler minivan if I remember correctly.

 

[ilya]

Yes, the vettes are expensive, but for different reasons I think. They seem to have a high accident rate and are considered dangerous cars.

 

[akira3d]

Well, with both a sigh of relief and a sob of regret, my NSX-T is no longer going to be my daily driver. Shocking, eh?

My wife's Civic is now officially my beater. Only time will tell how long I can stand NOT driving my NSX daily.

Of course, this means Valerie has a new car...a 2001 Lexus IS300. So she gets a fun new car, I get a more sensible commuter car, and my NSX stays garaged safely until our next road trip / spirited drive.

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--akira3D
'00 NSX-T (red/black), '97 Civic HX (black)
"Reality is better than the dream..."

akira3d.com/nsx

[This message has been edited by akira3d (edited 05 August 2001).]

 

[David]

Originally posted by akira3d:
My wife's Civic is now officially my beater.

There sure are a lot of turbo kits for Civics....................

I still think the box body Mustang is the ultimate thrasher car. My friend has about eight grand in one that runs 9.33 and will do wheel stands. Pretty fun to beat on that car and we don't even bother to lock the doors, because who the hell is going to steal it?

 

[ilya]

Hey, congratulations on the new Lexus. Think you managed to get a car even more reiliable than an NSX!

[This message has been edited by ilya (edited 05 August 2001).]

 

[BB]

Originally posted by nsxtasy:
Yes, please post it.

I thought that the Integra rate was 10 times higher than the vehicle with the lowest theft rate (but ICBW) And I think it might have been a Chrysler minivan if I remember correctly.

Here's a link to a brief version of the report. There's a more detailed PDF file that lists all cars, but I can't find it at the moment.
http://www.insure.com/auto/thefts/thefts501.html

According to this, the Integra is nearly 10 times as like to be stolen as the average of all cars. Also, the average payout in dollars per Integra per year by the insurance industry is 15 times that of the average of all cars.


[This message has been edited by BB (edited 05 August 2001).]

 

[NSX4U2]

I understand and sympathize with all that has been said here.

I hope the following puts a smile on your face:

Facing parking availability issues, rocks from all the new construction and the miles put on the X from the daily commute (even though it's only 12 miles, I decided to buy a car I did not have to worry about. So, I bought a 1971 Ford Ranchero with 160,000 miles on it for $400 bucks. Yes I can see you smiling already, but wait it gets better!

This car is by far the worst looking vehicle you have ever seen on the road. It's rusted, the paint is peeling etc. The car looks so bad that when I pull up to a stop light, those around me will not even look at me or the car. I have had the best laughs (to my self/at my self) from the reactions I get from people. People do judge you by what you drive.

The neighbor asked that I not park the car in the neighborhood. Another asked why I would drive such a car when I have an NSX. Yet another asked if I purchased a project car.

Why you ask do I drive this car? First, what an appreciation I have when I do drive the NSX. Two, it is a humbling experience to drive something that looks so bad and you know others are thinking the same thing. And third, I don't care if you run me off the road, rocks hit me or where I park.

Trust me, I get plenty of respect with this tank. People back-off thinking I am from the other side of the tracks looking to rob, steal or inflict some other mean act.

I just hope this thing makes it another 5,000 miles!

And besides, if you are noticed at work, it may help with your annual review.

 

[CChung]

Congratulations Eric on your new car! I think everyone wins in the long run. Valerie gets to drive a new Lexus no less, and you will have peace of mind knowing your NSX is safe in the garage when you're working late at night. I'm driving my NSX more often after work in the evening hours when the weather is cooler and there's less traffic. I'm getting bored of driving my four door sedan to work everyday, though. I'm playing with the idea of getting a '89-'91 Porsche 944S2 coupe as a daily driver instead. I always liked the 944s and they've depreciated like hell. You might consider getting a car similar to the 944 so you won't miss driving your NSX everyday so much. Congrats again

. Calvin

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'00 NSX-T, silverstone/blk, #252

 

[bartonkt]

ROFL!

You've *got* to snap some pictures of the Tank and the NSX side by side...

 

[M5150]

how about an MR2 as a beater?

 

[David Allen]

I can't believe what I'm hearing - purchase a used car because some vandelous idiots have spit on your car, and it has the potential of being keyed? Don't get me wrong - that is complete bullshit that somebody would do that (spit on your car); but give in to them by compromising your right to drive one of the best built sports cars in history as a daily driver?

My vote is do whatever you can to protect your car. Talk to the garage attendants/security - slip them some cash, or even find a new job somewhere else where you don't have to worry about it. What I'm saying is come up with a solution that allows you to continue with your god given right of driving the car every day without having to worry whether or not it's going to be mutilated by some jealous prick who has nothing better to do than run his domestic key over your beautiful paint. Perhaps you could even park it under some of the garage cameras, or work out something along those lines.

Also, I think it would be great for you to modify the daylights out of your car (SC, etc) and pull up next to your friends' 360 and let him have it. Short gears and all, I think you'd be able to nail him. Has anyone here raced a modified NSX against a 360?

Just my $.2

Good luck!

David

'00 Silverstone/Black

 

[bartonkt]

I agree...much in the same way that public figures/nations refuse to deal with terrorists.

Akira - you're boss drives a Ferrari right? Just park it next to where he parks, and then someone will think twice before screwing with your NSX...

[This message has been edited by bartonkt (edited 06 August 2001).]

 

[akira3d]

Akira - you're boss drives a Ferrari right? Just park it next to where he parks, and then someone will think twice before fucking with your NSX...

A) My boss doesn't care if something happens to his Ferrari (he thinks of it as something he can pay to fix or replace...must be nice to have such a lax attitude towards such a fine automobile). In fact, he sometimes leaves the top off in our parking structure (one time he was parked on top of the structure it started raining...but he DID immediately drive it home in that instance).

B) He doesn't drive the Ferrari to work daily. He bought the M5 for that. And his M5 has been vandalized a couple of times (took all the M logos and broke off the spoiler).

C) The spit isn't the worst thing that has ever happened in our parking lots, just the worst that has happened to me. Remember that we've had vehicles broken into, wheels stolen (wheels with wheel locks in broad daylight no less), cars vandalized, and more. This is a busy public parking lot in a major tourist/shopping area...until we get a better situation, I'm not subjecting my NSX to it any longer (though I WILL miss driving her daily).

D) The City of Santa Monica does not care what happens to our cars. They police will not respond to incidents in the parking structure other than sending an occassional patrol car through, but that's about it. The attendants don't care (I've complained to them a number of times when people squeeze next to my NSX by illegally parking on the no-parking stripes). We've asked for cameras and improved lighting, but they seem in no rush to provide such things. We even thought about putting up our own web cams...but our office no longer overlooks our parking spaces.

E) Santa Monica forced us out of the lot that is closest to our workplace because they get more guest traffic through this particular lot (in other words, they make more money off of the people who come and go than from us monthly card holders). As many of us work long hours and were uneasy about walking a couple of blocks in the middle of the night, we complained and the city let us park in the second nearest lot. Unfortunately, other businesses caught wind of this and the city has since decided to move us back to the further lot. There's nothing that concerns me more than some unscrupulous fella following me in the dark back to my exotic sports car.

My boss is indeed concerned about our parking situation as he realizes a lot of us either drive or want to drive nice cars to the office so our company will continue to look for a better situation for us. But we will be stuck in Santa Monica for the duration of our lease (which lasts another two years if I'm not mistaken), and the city could care less about our parking situation.

This was not a quick and simple decision to get a new car. But I kept thinking how sensible it was for me to use my wife's Civic as my commuter car (it's a 1997 with only 18,000 miles on it, has door dings and scratches, but is otherwise in top condition, and, of course, it gets great gasoline mileage). And she had just started complaining about how little power her car had...so the IS300 was a great step up for her.

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--akira3D
'00 NSX-T (red/black), '97 Civic HX (black)
"Reality is better than the dream..."

akira3d.com/nsx

[This message has been edited by akira3d (edited 06 August 2001).]

 

[David Allen]

That's really too bad - sounds like the environment around your workplace is horrible. What about finding a custom parking space a little further from the office that's ensured to be protected?

I guess a bigger question is working at a place that rewards you in such a fashion that you're able to purchase nice things, but then unable to use them in relation to the workplace (which is really your every day life) really such a good place to work afterall?

I've worked at and with many companies and never ever had to deal with anything like what you've described - but at the same time, it was never downtown, or in such a busy area of such a large city.

Either way, sounds like you've got a tough decision to make - and I definitely wish you the best in finding what works best for you and your baby!

David Allen
'00 Silverstone

 

[akira3d]

That's really too bad - sounds like the environment around your workplace is horrible

The funny thing is that we were DYING to move to our Santa Monica location in the first place. We used to be located on the Universal Studios backlot at the top of, ironically enough, a parking structure. Our office wasn't the greatest, but being on a movie studio backlot meant that we had excellent security.

We moved to Santa Monica's Third Street because it is a popular spot for entertainment. We all work long hours, so the idea of being able to walk downstairs and have our pick of numerous restaurants, movie theaters, clubs, bars, bookstores, even two Starbucks and a Coffee Bean was extremely enticing. Our wives loved the fact they could visit us at work and go shopping.

Being on the Westside was a huge improvement from the Valley in other ways too...most notably my commute was cut from over an hour to less than 15 minutes.

But the reality of working near such a popular destination obviously didn't live up to the dream. The street performers which once were a novelty became a nuisance (try working when you hear the song from Titanic for the millionth time). The smell of butter from the neighboring movie theater, the sound of people enjoying the nightlife...things which we all made the Promenade a fun place to visit, started to get on our nerves. After hearing all the activity day-after-day, you wondered if anyone in this world actually works. The homeless and runaways are everywhere. The bottom floors of the parking structures (and occassionally the stairwells) often smell horrible (especially when the cleaning crews try mask the smells with equally strong odors).

And, of course, parking became our number one enemy. During Farmer's Market Wednesdays, during Christmas, or during some weekends of the summer, it can sometimes take an hour to park (arriving an hour earlier in the morning helps avoid this madness). Leaving on a Friday or Saturday night can take a half hour or more if you happen to leave when a popular movie lets out. And, of course, there were all the other problems I've already mentioned.

There are still things I like about Third Street, but the novelty of working here has definitely worn off. It's a fun place to visit, eat, shop, and catch a movie...but it's no place to work or live.

As for why I work where I work...Naughty Dog is one of the best developers in the video game industry. Everyone I work with is amazingly talented, extremely gifted. Every product we have delivered has been a top seller. Pretty much the only place for me to go in this industry is down. Yes I would like a better parking situation, yes I would like to work more reasonable hours...but I'd be giving up a lot to do so (I don't know many artists in my industry who could afford a new NSX)

[This message has been edited by akira3d (edited 06 August 2001).]

 

[bartonkt]

<ahem>id software</ahem>

You wanna talk about cash? Carmack from id pickup up an F55 just for the body...then completely redid the engine and everything else in the damn car. I don't know anyone that would gut a Ferrari like that....

Not that Naughty Dog doesn't make some fine games, I kinda liked the Crash series...particularly the 3rd installment. Way cool stuff going on there...from a programming/art standpoint anyhow.

But in any respect, you did pickup a brand new NSX for your troubles...so, working the long hours is probably worth it. Work a few more, and you can get the supercharger dropped in

Vrooommm...

 

[kenjiMR]

speaking of MR2s as your beater car...
thats exactly what I do.

I couldn't stand not driving a fun car, so thats what I did. I'm driving my second MR2 now, which is what I use to go to work. I used to have a '89 MR2 then upgraded to an '87. I say upgrading because the '87 I got only had 76,000 (very low for that year) miles. I literally beat on this car and its almost as fun to drive as the NSX.

 

[akira3d]

id software

Id is certainly one of the video game developing elite, but in no way am I moving to Texas. I love SoCal just a bit too much to do that. In fact, I'd have a harder time not living near the ocean than I would not driving the NSX daily!

Hmmm...I wonder if Carmack shares my boss' attitude towards the NSX (i.e. he doesn't like the NSX because it is not a Ferrari).

I think my boss wants to be Carmack. I know he's in line to upgrade his 355 to a 360 Spyder and I know that he has his eyes on a F40.

[This message has been edited by akira3d (edited 06 August 2001).]

 

[David]

Originally posted by bartonkt:
Carmack from id pickup up an F55 just for the body...then completely redid the engine and everything else in the damn car. I don't know anyone that would gut a Ferrari like that.....

Because it wasn't fast enough, of course. There is nothing sacred about F-cars and most are really in need of some more hp.

The same guy who built John's twin-turbo, methanol buring F50 and 1200 hp TR did my turbo and Motec work. And, those aren't even close to the wildest cars he's done. It's pretty cool to drop by your mechanic's place and see him working on a five liter, V-12 billet scratch motor.