Best basic mod combinations?

[AG]

It has been a little over a year owning NSX, the car has been rock solid, still virtually bone stock with stock 16" rims.

what are the best/brand combinations for basic mods like intake/header/exhaust for maximum rwhp gain, I am hoping for 30~40rwhp.

 

[BMillar]

Exactly what I am interested in also. 30-40 hp would do it. I am considering supercharging, but leaning toward NA mods for long-term dependability, plus Im not into street racing and only occasional track days. What results have ppl had with the Stage 1 and 2 packages now being offered by SOS and mechanics direct?

 

[jjeray]

Stage 1 and 2

I worked with Chris at SOS and installed new intake, headers, exhaust, throttle body and ECU. Tiatec was my brand of choice and the results for performance and sound have just been awesome. The throttle response into second gear is like a whole new car and the horsepower between 4 and 8500 rpms is just great. I would recommend doing this today.

 

[MJK]

FI or NA, I'd start with headers followed by an exhaust. If that does not give you what you are looking for, then I would star looking towards the next step (FI or N/A tune). FYI, no intake I have seen increases HP at all. Some people like the sound of them, but most go stock to reduce the chance of getting crap sucked into the engine.

FWIW, I am in exactly the same boat as you will probably get either Comptech or Taitec headers (whichever has a good deal first). I want power & good build quality. For exhaust, I'll get either an RM , Comptech, or Anytime (if they come out w/ single tips) exhaust. I want power, quiet and light weight.

$.02, HTH, YMMV, etc.

 

[SNDSOUL]

short gears and ring & pinion no horsepower gains, but man what a different driving experience you will have. Best mod for sure!!

 

[NoSeX4U]

If you're looking for hp gains, then apply the hp/$ ratio. When you do this, you'll see that an NA air intake @ $400 yeilds the same hp per dollar spent as a much more expensive supercharger. In this light, an exhaust is a much better purchase than a header as the exhaust gives more hp than headers anyway and costs a lot less. If I were you, I'd do intake/exhaust first, then tires and rims if that's the route you're thinking, then the headers. The additional benefit of this chronology is the fact you can readily see these upgrades, while headers, with their minimal hp boost for the maximum cost (remember, installing headers on your NSX may be a bit trickier-read more expensive-than an exhaust as it's not likely a do-it-yourself project for most people) lies buried under the car. When I tuned my previous car (a Miata) I spent alot of time mapping a strategy as cost was an object so I had to spend wisely. Here's how I went and why:
-Rims and tires-Improved grip and handling was the most obvious area in need of changing
-Cold Air intake-10/15 hp gain for $399
-Cat bach exhaust-15 more hp for @$600
-Springs and shocks-no hp but vastly improved an already great handling car
-Header-mostly for looks it gave an additional 5 hp for $900
Modifying cars is the epitome of the law of diminishing returns; The first few mods, implemented intelligently, yeild the most gains over stock, and then you find yourself hunting for a few hp here and there with things like headers or worse, having to totally revamp the project when you make the jump to FI. And the mods have to be balanced. No point in bringing in monster air if you can't pass it through a restrictive exhaust. Or gaining your 40 hp only to find the handling or stopping power lagging. The one thing the Miata and the NSX have in common is their balanced feeling. One guy described moding cars as taking a perfect vehicle and spending a load of money changing it so it can feel as good as it did before you started modifying it! So make sure you know what you want from your mods, then implement them in a balanced way so when you stop moding, your car will feel complete.

 

[SNDSOUL]

If you're looking for hp gains, then apply the hp/$ ratio. When you do this, you'll see that an NA air intake @ $400 yeilds the same hp per dollar spent as a much more expensive supercharger. In this light, an exhaust is a much better purchase than a header as the exhaust gives more hp than headers anyway and costs a lot less.

Intakes do not add 10-15hp on the stock NSX. Whether they even add any horsepower at all is debatable. An exhaust is a good mod and headers on an early model NSX(pre 97) is probably the single biggest horsepower mod other than NOS. If you've seen the 91-97 exhaust manifolds you would know why headers help sooo much. TINY

 

[Aiken Drum]

And don't forget that 5-10hp boost most of us can get by losing weight, all just for the price of a few diet shakes.

Problem is, it takes months and months to install...

 

[AG]

And don't forget that 5-10hp boost most of us can get by losing weight, all just for the price of a few diet shakes.

Problem is, it takes months and months to install...

haha, ok I will do that, it is free but might be the hardest mod of all.

Is it possible to skip all the basic mods and just do the CTSC without getting larger injectors?

 

[NetViper]

If you're looking for hp gains, then apply the hp/$ ratio. When you do this, you'll see that an NA air intake @ $400 yeilds the same hp per dollar spent as a much more expensive supercharger. In this light, an exhaust is a much better purchase than a header as the exhaust gives more hp than headers anyway and costs a lot less. If I were you, I'd do intake/exhaust first, then tires and rims if that's the route you're thinking, then the headers. The additional benefit of this chronology is the fact you can readily see these upgrades, while headers, with their minimal hp boost for the maximum cost (remember, installing headers on your NSX may be a bit trickier-read more expensive-than an exhaust as it's not likely a do-it-yourself project for most people) lies buried under the car. When I tuned my previous car (a Miata) I spent alot of time mapping a strategy as cost was an object so I had to spend wisely. Here's how I went and why:
-Rims and tires-Improved grip and handling was the most obvious area in need of changing
-Cold Air intake-10/15 hp gain for $399
-Cat bach exhaust-15 more hp for @$600
-Springs and shocks-no hp but vastly improved an already great handling car
-Header-mostly for looks it gave an additional 5 hp for $900
.

What are you smoking?
The CIA is known to do next to nothing for gains for the NSX.
An exhaust for this car costs at LEAST $1000 bucks US.. not 600. The anytime exhaust is shown to add 13 RWHP. ($1200)
The header is THE MOST IMPORTANT upgrade for a 91-96. It makes the most power improvement of any mod. You will probably pick up 15-20 RHWP. Price is closer to $1200 for DC, $1400 for taitec and $1800 for CT.

With H/E done, you are looking at +25 RHWP or so.

I am not sure what you could do to get +40. The Dali chip give you more power in the powerband, but peak HP is near the same. The Big throttle body by SoS maybe adds 5 HP or so.

Not sure what else you can do.

You can do a CTSC without the I/H/E but you are really holding back the HP by the restrictive exhaust system in the NSX.

 

[nsxtasy]

What are you smoking?

Nothing. He's describing the costs and benefits of the mods he did to his Miata. Obviously, the figures are not the same for an NSX.

 

[mc-ca]

If you put on headers but leave on a stock exhaust do you get the same quoted hp gains? It looks to me that most of the aftermarket exhausts do not add any power. Does the sound change with this set up? (Comptech headers + stock exhaust). I'm interested in more power and just a bit louder.

 

[NoSeX4U]

Thankyou, NSXtasy, it would have taken me much longer and with more verbiage to say the same thing...Netviper, I hope you pay more attention when you're driving than when you're reading. Or maybe you should ask the 'what you smokin' question to yourself. Be sure to read all the words, now