Best year NA1

[tbromley]

After digging a bit more, it's going to be a tossup between 1994 and 1996, depending on whether you prefer power or manual steering. While I prefer the manual steering of the 1994, I think I might sacrifice the manual steering to get the stiffer chassis reinforcements of the 1996.

Why would you want the extra reinforcements if you don't need em - they were put in because of the targa top - it needed them.

They add about 150 to 200 lbs of extra weight - no one needs extra weight in their NSX.

My 2 cents - oh, I almost had to stand corrected until someone sad black is not a color....lol.

 

[_RedLine_]

HA! I moved up from a MR2 also but it was a 91 you will totally forget about that car as soon as you get your hands on a NSX:biggrin: 94 is probably your best bet for performance reasons and 96 for style reasons (gotta love the targa top:wink finding a 96 coupe will be hard indeed there is only 4 of them

I still have my MR2 it is special for me. It was the first car ive ever fixed on my own, and it gets 35-36 city. Kinda weird but girls dig it. :wink: Its slow but its my little go-cart. Dont really know what im gonna do with it once i get a nsx but who knows.

 

[Tom239]

Joking aside, I believe the 94 was also the last year for OBD1, which is the older, simpler CPU programming utilizing 1 O2 sensor vs 2. I also hear the 95+ uses Drive by Wire throttle, but cannot fully confirm that at the moment.

Correct. 95+ NSX has drive-by-wire throttle and OBD II.

 

[Ben]

Why would you want the extra reinforcements if you don't need em - they were put in because of the targa top - it needed them.

They add about 150 to 200 lbs of extra weight - no one needs extra weight in their NSX.

Actually, the targa top adds about 100 lbs of weight, not the reinforcements alone. 1996+ Coupes weight are only negligibly more than 1991-1994 Coupes. The reinforcements, whether needed or not, are a good thing, as a stiffer chassis is always an improvement.

 

[oscar_driver]

I almost bought an Na1, but I was decided to get a 93-94 ... all b/c the snap ring issues addressed and the fact that a 94 will have some bugs fixed anyways comparing to a 91, been 94 and "less old" doesn't matter IMO for NSX's since is the owner that makes the difference.


Oscar

 

[_RedLine_]

The way its looking right now i want a 93-94 coupe.:biggrin:

 

[Aaron94T]

BTW, even the RX7 and Supra best year was 1994..........

What who told you that about Supra's? Are you just making stuff up?


As for the NSX, I would not rule out 91/92's unless the passenger airbag is a big thing for you. As long as you are not in snap ring range you should be ok. The condition of the car should be more important to you. It is hard when buying a NSX to limit yourself to a specific year, color etc. as they are semi rare. Ruling out the 91/92 rules out the biggest production years.

 

[tbromley]

What who told you that about Supra's? Are you just making stuff up?


As for the NSX, I would not rule out 91/92's unless the passenger airbag is a big thing for you. As long as you are not in snap ring range you should be ok. The condition of the car should be more important to you. It is hard when buying a NSX to limit yourself to a specific year, color etc. as they are semi rare. Ruling out the 91/92 rules out the biggest production years.

I'd listen to Aaron if I were you!:biggrin:

 

[VampNSXX]

I like 91. They are lighter and since I don't like extra stuff that makes cars heavy then this works for me. the thing is that I like my cars to be light and fast so this if what I got. If you are more of a guy who wants to have more stuff then go with a later model.

 

[tbromley]

I like 91. They are lighter and since I don't like extra stuff that makes cars heavy then this works for me. the thing is that I like my cars to be light and fast so this if what I got. If you are more of a guy who wants to have more stuff then go with a later model.

Hey Vamp,

Have you done anything to mod your car? Just curious - and a little off topic - but one thing about the 91s and actually the NA1s in general is the heavy cast iron restrictive OEM header - very much improved and lighter headers - like comptech - are a big help and actually do increase hp. So if you go with the early guys, which many of us have and love, think about getting a set of aftermarket headers - it'll save weight and improve hp! That's a win win if ever I heard of one. Keep you OEM stuff though just for the next owner if there is one....:biggrin:

 

[shawn110975]

Well my Bias opinion is go with 92, I dont like that they are OBD1 but I have had nothing but Enjoyment from mine,, I dont care what year you get as long as its an NSX,, you will still get the girls with any year,, but i do like the NA2 290 HP, what year did they start the 290HP? 1997? I only have the 270hp, but you couldnt tell if you drive it,, and remember guys the NA1/NA2 refers to the engine not the pop-up lights/ or bubble lights!!! like I thought!! I was corrected by a few members on prime

 

[BATMANs]

What who told you that about Supra's? Are you just making stuff up?......

3 NSX owners that I have met 5 years ago.

I didn't reserach to verify, but it was apparently based right around the time that Toyota dropped the MKIV price and dropped the fit and finish a tad bit.

 

[BATMANs]

I like 91. They are lighter and since I don't like extra stuff that makes cars heavy then this works for me. the thing is that I like my cars to be light and fast so this if what I got. If you are more of a guy who wants to have more stuff then go with a later model.

I heard that the 91-92 have lighter snap rings........

 

[tbromley]

I heard that the 91-92 have lighter snap rings........

Hey, my snap ring is fine and it's not in the snap ring range and it's a 91. So I have that going for me - a lighter snap ring - good to know!:biggrin:

 

[VampNSXX]

Hey Vamp,

Have you done anything to mod your car? Just curious - and a little off topic - but one thing about the 91s and actually the NA1s in general is the heavy cast iron restrictive OEM header - very much improved and lighter headers - like comptech - are a big help and actually do increase hp. So if you go with the early guys, which many of us have and love, think about getting a set of aftermarket headers - it'll save weight and improve hp! That's a win win if ever I heard of one. Keep you OEM stuff though just for the next owner if there is one....:biggrin:

yeah on my red 91 I have every bolt on and made it light by taking out stuff like spare tire rug in trunk ect. right not car is 2900 bls with a full tank of gas and put down 345 whp. Going to get a supercharger that will put me over 400 whp. I still need to take out the front bumper beam that is another 20bls at least. I am also thinking of taking the ABS pump out since i always turn it off and that should be 45 bls. My black NSX is all stock just a after market clutch and wheels also lowerd. And yes I still have all my OEM parts. Ill post pictures of the red one once i get the supercharger.

 

[VampNSXX]

3 NSX owners that I have met 5 years ago.

I didn't reserach to verify, but it was apparently based right around the time that Toyota dropped the MKIV price and dropped the fit and finish a tad bit.

As long as its a good one then you have nothing to worry about so I am good in all that.

 

[tbromley]

yeah on my red 91 I have every bolt on and made it light by taking out stuff like spare tire rug in trunk ect. right not car is 2900 bls with a full tank of gas and put down 345 whp. Going to get a supercharger that will put me over 400 whp. I still need to take out the front bumper beam that is another 20bls at least. I am also thinking of taking the ABS pump out since i always turn it off and that should be 45 bls. My black NSX is all stock just a after market clutch and wheels also lowerd. And yes I still have all my OEM parts. Ill post pictures of the red one once i get the supercharger.

Don't you mean 245 rear wheel hp? Not 345hp all stock - right? I'm all for lightening the car but I think I want to have my spare with me. I'm really not too worried about little bits and pieces to save weight. Mine feels very fast to me just like it is. But that SC will make a big diff - but it will also make it hard to sell in the future.

 

[_RedLine_]

Thanks for all the info im getting. What I want is a hardtop car (my daily right now has t-tops) and be a fun waeekend/autocross/track car. So all the extra stuff is not a big deal for me. So my best bet is a 91-94 car?

Vamp do you have any pics of your car it looks sick from your sig

 

[VegasSpeed]

I would agree about 95 and 96 models NOT being top choice. That is due to being heavier and not having a hp increase to make up for the added weight and lack of stiffness in the chassis.

I do have a 94 Brooklands Green as well. Number 103 baby! :biggrin:

I do love the Grand Prix White NSX though. I didn't realize the Green was the color matched top like people said. That is true though.

 

[LJSB]

From the FAQ/WIKI

Changes for the 1995:
Throttle-By-Wire
OBD-II
Changed gearing of 2nd gear in Manual Transmission
Modified airflow to brakes to improve cooling
Approx. 100 lbs heaver than 1991/1992

This one is always overlooked,

Limited Slip Differential Changes on manual transmission cars. Went from Torque Control Ddifferential to a Torque Reactive Differential - when combined with Throttle-By-Wire, increases speeds out of a corner by 10%.

 

[Ben]

3 NSX owners that I have met 5 years ago.

I didn't reserach to verify, but it was apparently based right around the time that Toyota dropped the MKIV price and dropped the fit and finish a tad bit.

The price drop and fit/finish changes were in 1997. That said, the 1998 models in general seem to run slightly stronger hp wise than earlier years.

I think the pinnacle of Supra performance in the eyes of many Supra guys is the 1995, because that was the last year of the hardtop.

 

[Ben]

I would agree about 95 and 96 models NOT being top choice. That is due to being heavier and not having a hp increase to make up for the added weight and lack of stiffness in the chassis.

This statement only applies to the T models. The '96 Coupes are only negligibly heavier than the '93-'94, and they have a stiffer chassis than '93-'94.

 

[robbiedawg]

as to 95's,i almost bought a 94,but this is my dream car,and in the dream,the open air's coming in the top.it is about 100 lb heavier,which is probably about 2/10ths diff 0-60.you can't really feel that.so,i wouldn't worry too much about 100 lb.,and there are some other nice improvements on a 95,as one of the previous posters put up from the wiki.
also,i believe there is a power diff car to car. 2 nsx mechanics told me this,and said mine was one of the faster stock ones they'd driven.my top does rattle some,but it's almost fixed.
on a beautiful day with the roof off on a winding country road with some fast curves,it's magic.
find one in good shape you like,and enjoy it.

 

[greenberet]

If you haven't seen it, there's a good overview of the changes by model year here: http://www.nsxprime.com/wiki/Changes_by_Year

Personally, if I had to buy an NSX again, I'd go for a 1992 whose transmission is not in the snap-ring range (http://www.nsxprime.com/wiki/Transmission). The 1992's still have decent sized glove boxes and the nice one-piece center armrest covers that were gone in 1993, they don't have the unnecessary weight and more difficult to modify electronics that came in 1995, or the reduced headroom and high speed wind noise issues of the T.

But if I couldn't find any 1992's in good condition, I'd get a different model year NSX that was in good condition.

 

[MvM]

I was actually recently looking at a 1996 Coupe with very low milage.
Unfortunately, the seller is asking a very high price for the car and was not willing to come down, even though the car has been for sale for almost a year now.

Limited Slip Differential Changes on manual transmission cars. Went from Torque Control Ddifferential to a Torque Reactive Differential - when combined with Throttle-By-Wire, increases speeds out of a corner by 10%.

I did know about this, but I have never heard anyone state that it REALLY makes a noticable difference in real life driving.