New Owner - '98 Kaiser NA2/6MT - JH4NA2164WT000137

Joined
7 October 2019
Messages
15
Location
Asheville, NC
First-time NSX purchaser, here. Took a while to find the car for me (3 different silver NA2's in 3 different time zones), "but I think I got the best one."*

After building a garage in my backyard for projects with my internal combustion-crazy son, I decided I had room for a vintage Honda acquisition to honor my dad who passed in 2018. He raised me on Honda dirt bikes, taught me to drive in his '82 Accord, wept with me when I totaled my 3 month old '90 CRX-Si, and used the Honda lawnmower that came free with that purchase for at least 20 years. He was a good man. Mom just traded in her silver CR-V for a silver HR-V.

Anyway, I first decided on looking at S2K, but I spun my next-door neighbor's sweet/clean AP1 into a guardrail, and decided I'd better go slower. So I found a terrific low miles green (dad's fav color) '99 Prelude SH on BaT and drove it home from FL with my son. What a lovely car. Peak Honda at its finest. It's been a treat to drive around the mountains of Western NC. But it's not enough car. So I'm gonna skip past the S2K, and go straight to the NSX. And drive it very carefully.

Silver quickly became my choice, along with targa top and 3.2L/6MT. Minimal mods. Stalked NSX Prime, BaT, eBay, AT, etc. I was initially dismayed by list prices, so I flew to Minnesota in January to check one out that had more mods and dings than I desired. Then I found #137 on cars.com. 18-year owner had bought it off corporate lease from Acura in '02 with 9K miles, and moved it to AZ, then NM. As a retired master mechanic/owner of motor coach service centers, Jack quickly became my dream seller. Drove it once in the rain. Stored under a cover in an air-conditioned garage, and lovingly maintained by a guy who knows how. Drove it about 1k/yr. Asked his wife to remove her rings when driving it. Knew the car inside and out. 28k miles. Only mod was an original dealer-installed Valentine radar detector. OEM bra, cover, coffee table book, records all with the car. Fresh oil, brand new tires. Only issue is weak hatch struts. Pretty much knew I would buy it when my son and I flew out to Las Cruces, NM to inspect.

Easy purchase decision, then easy transaction, and my 17 y/o son immediately got to drive it solo for an hour, as I returned our rented Yaris back to the El Paso airport. We then drove 640 miles together to DFW where my brother detailed the car, and his kids all got to enjoy joyrides. Was only pulled over once on the trip, by the Hudspeth Co. (TX) sheriff, for not signaling a lane change. Pretty sure she just wanted to check out the car. I'm grateful that my first constabulary encounter in a supercar produced just a warning. The car is now awaiting transport per Intercity Lines to its new home, Asheville.

James at Apple Tree Acura is waiting to change out its original TB, and take a look at a weeping oil pan gasket. No drips, just wet. The rest of the car is immaculate. AC is cold. Stereo sounds great, with no static or pops. Got an error code from the disc changer, but that may have been operator error. What a fantastic driving experience. What a car!

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We’ve got many great storytellers on Prime. Thanks for sharing -- you’ll be smiling for quite a while.
 
I loved your intro......please stick around.You and your son should do a few track days with the car with a reputable club/school......
 
Great introduction, congratulations on your purchase and welcome to the community. It sounds like family values and legacy are important to you. You will find alot of that in this community.

Enjoy the new toy and reach out to the community if you have any questions!
 
Congrat's on your find and purchase! I'm not far away in Jamestown, NC by Greensboro. There are a few here including my '95.
 
Congrats, check out sk2i.com for for the spring Rock the Dragon trip, I'm pretty sure some of us are coming down early to drive around the Ashville area, or the Dragon Fall Run. You'd fit right in and have a blast. We usually have at least 1 NSX in the group.
Also the spring mid-east NSX meetup is in the Raleigh Durham area in May I think.
 
I spun my next-door neighbor's sweet/clean AP1 into a guardrail
:eek: I feel like there's a story here. What was your neighbor's reaction to that? I'm not sure I would speak to my neighbor again if he did that to something I cherished, but then again I probably wouldn't have given out my keys to begin with. :biggrin:

Also, letting a 17 year old drive an NSX; I have to question the decision process here as well. :tongue::biggrin: What a lucky kid though! I would be a nervous wreck driving someone else's NSX knowing how long it took to find the car.

Congrats and enjoy in good health!
 
:eek: I feel like there's a story here. What was your neighbor's reaction to that? I'm not sure I would speak to my neighbor again if he did that to something I cherished, but then again I probably wouldn't have given out my keys to begin with. :biggrin:

Also, letting a 17 year old drive an NSX; I have to question the decision process here as well. :tongue::biggrin: What a lucky kid though! I would be a nervous wreck driving someone else's NSX knowing how long it took to find the car.

Congrats and enjoy in good health!

Ha! I thought somebody would ask. My long-time good friend/next-door neighbor has been egging me on for years to get a car. I was close to buying an AP2 S2K when I ran out of talent while taking his car out for a spin (ahem) in Jan 2017. His wrath was a little tempered by the site of my broken arm, but he was nonetheless unhappy with his insurance taking the hit, and then deciding his (previously pristine, low miles AP1) car was not totaled. His appreciation of his car was severely diminished, and he decided it would no longer be his forever-car. He then waited an appropriate interval before presenting me with a thoroughly prepared Excel spread sheet enumerating his many damages (present and future), and the sum required to make things right. I happily gave him a check to defray my guilt. Fast forward a year or so to 2018 - he has sold his car, and I found him an even better one-owner AP1 in his most preferred color scheme (GPW/tan), local, that he got for a song! He promptly refunded me for his overcalculation of damages. We're still friends and neighbors, and I never ask to drive his cars anymore. He helped me pick up the NSX a couple of days ago.

My son drove the NSX (solo!) for an hour immediately after I bought it, because I had to return a rented car. Following a Yaris, with his dad intently watching, was probably not much fun. But it makes a good story for his friends. He's a good, cautious kid. He said the car is "perfect."

Thanks to all for the warm welcome.
Love the silver!
 
My son drove the NSX (solo!) for an hour immediately after I bought it, because I had to return a rented car. Following a Yaris, with his dad intently watching, was probably not much fun. But it makes a good story for his friends. He's a good, cautious kid. He said the car is "perfect."

Thanks to all for the warm welcome.
Love the silver!

Good for you and him. I have made that hour drive countless times. The best route would have been the Anthony Gap from (you guessed it, Anthony) to the northeast side of El Paso. A fun 2 lane road through the mountains.

You can save that for next time...

Welcome to the family.

Miner
 
WOW, a friend that actually pays someone for their screwup instead of just saying "oops, sorry" and a friend that pays someone back when the screwup wasn't as bad as expected. You two sound like 2 great guys.

Stories like this is why I hate to drive anyone else's car or have them drive mine. Before I bought mine one of the guys from prime let me drive his at an S2K Rock the Dragon trip. I said thanks but no the first couple of times he offered and finally said ok, but only if he goes with me. I don't think I drove it over about 20 mph the whole time and was so nervous.
 
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Congrats on the NSX acquisition, dandy stories, and your neat collection of Acura Honda Mazda and Toyota!
 
btw please look at joining our national club the nsxca and if you have the stamina and fever(not C-virus) plan on joining the nsx crazies at nsxpo in Portland this year..
 
Welcome and congrats! Great story! Something to consider regarding the NSX is that you may want to do a HPDE or Autocross event with an instructor to understand the chassis dynamics of this car. I'm especially thinking about your son here, but the NSX does have some peculiar handling tendencies (especially with the stock suspension) that have resulted in several new owners totaling their cars within a relatively short time of owning the car. We call it "snap oversteer," but it is a real thing with the NSX. Basically, the rubber bushings in the rear suspension arms load up in a turn and then suddenly release as you ease off the turn, which causes the car to transition violently from a holding turn to severe oversteer. Most drivers instinctively lift throttle and over correct the steering input, which causes the car to snap spin in the other direction. It's a combination of mid-engine car behavior and the suspension, but it results in many ruined NSXs on the street- especially on highway entrance ramps or in wet weather. It might be worth it to learn this behavior and how to correct it in a controlled environment. I can tell you, the first time it happened to me (on the track), it had a pucker factor of about 9.5. :D The transition is violent and comes on fast. But, after some practice with an instructor, you learn how to properly correct it. Basically, stay on the throttle and get your steering input to neutral before the car starts swinging the other way.
 
Congrats on a wonderful well loved gem of a car. Enjoy in good health!
 
Welcome and congrats! Great story! Something to consider regarding the NSX is that you may want to do a HPDE or Autocross event with an instructor to understand the chassis dynamics of this car. I'm especially thinking about your son here, but the NSX does have some peculiar handling tendencies (especially with the stock suspension) that have resulted in several new owners totaling their cars within a relatively short time of owning the car. We call it "snap oversteer," but it is a real thing with the NSX. Basically, the rubber bushings in the rear suspension arms load up in a turn and then suddenly release as you ease off the turn, which causes the car to transition violently from a holding turn to severe oversteer. Most drivers instinctively lift throttle and over correct the steering input, which causes the car to snap spin in the other direction. It's a combination of mid-engine car behavior and the suspension, but it results in many ruined NSXs on the street- especially on highway entrance ramps or in wet weather. It might be worth it to learn this behavior and how to correct it in a controlled environment. I can tell you, the first time it happened to me (on the track), it had a pucker factor of about 9.5. :D The transition is violent and comes on fast. But, after some practice with an instructor, you learn how to properly correct it. Basically, stay on the throttle and get your steering input to neutral before the car starts swinging the other way.

Thanks for your (gently worded) concern, Honcho. It is warranted. The fiasco in my neighbor's S2K left a plate in my arm that talks to me every day. I willfully admit that I'm not a skilled or experienced sports car driver, and will be taking it (very) easy in the NSX. Hence the Miata for track/autocross learning, and the Prelude for extended trips. My son has more seat time in the Miata than I do, but it will be a while (years) before he gets to do HP driving in the NSX.

The NSX is already sitting under its cover in my garage, waiting for the next sunny day in Asheville, while I decide where to take it for TB/WP change. I'm also working on its dealer-installed/hidden K40 radar detector which beeps incessantly, even out in the boonies by myself. Self-testing loop? I'd love to get it updated, and make it usable, but I may just pull it. Its a really nice install - knob and rotating bezel down by driver's left knee, and single LED's flanking the tach and speedo to indicate front and rear signals.

Looks like Hagerty has given me the most affordable insurance quote.

What a fantastic car. When I left to go see it in NM last month, a mentor said I shouldn't fall in love with it until after I purchased it.
I did that, and now I am.

PS: Honcho - love your build thread!
 
btw please look at joining our national club the nsxca and if you have the stamina and fever(not C-virus) plan on joining the nsx crazies at nsxpo in Portland this year..

Thanks Doc. I'll join NSXCA, and try to get to some of the SE events, but Portland is a little much. That's the kind of drive I'd rather make in the Prelude!
(And less viruses in a car, right?)
 
haha you doin Ludes.....:biggrin:....virus are just little biologic machines meant to thin the heard....:eek:
 
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