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Body flexes on the NSX-T

Joined
6 June 2004
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1,651
Location
Los Angeles
Questions for those who have both hardtop and T.

Does the body flexes quite a bit on the T model?

I came across an old article that said you can feel the flexes on the A pillar and also body creaks.

Does the 97 and up have stiffer body structure than the 95 & 96?

Thanx.
 
I used to have a 95 NSX and the body had flex noises, But my 91 does not. I'm sure the topic has been well covered before on this forum though.
 
nis350 said:
Does the body flexes quite a bit on the T model?
Compared with what? It flexes more than the NSX Coupe, but less than most other (non-NSX) open-top cars.

nis350 said:
Does the 97 and up have stiffer body structure than the 95 & 96?
Yes. They increased the thickness of various components, including the side sill extrusions - it's quite noticeable if you've ever seen cross-sections of the two, side by side, as was shown at an early NSXPO - and they used a stiffer metal alloy. You can read more about it in the FAQ here.
 
My personal opinions only...

My 1998 NSX-T does not creak. Not with the roof panel in or out. Not even on rough surfaces. I can feel a slight loss of rigidity with the roof panel out as oppossed to with the roof panel in.

However, at least my NSX with the roof panel stored is every bit as stiff as any convertible I've driven. Including my S2K's (which I've read are among the stiffest drop tops out there), several P cars, and several BMW's.

It's far stiffer than the M roadster or M3 convertible and on par with the 996 cabrio I drove.
 
Here's what I've been told by one of Honda's top engineers. One way of checking the rigidity of an open-top car is to measure the distance between the top of the windshield and the top of the structure behind the open top twice, first when it's sitting on the ground and again after lifting the car off the ground at the center jacking points on either side. On some cars, this distance will open up by as much as an inch when the car is lifted. On the NSX, the difference is less than 1/16 of an inch.
 
I have a 2002 NSX-T and so far i have not heard any creaking when the top is off
 
I had both coupe and T and tracked both. Frankly, with the T closed, I could not tell the difference both on the regular road and at the track.

Perhaps, I am just really numb.
 
I have a Nissan 300ZX convertible that I use to track prior to my 91 NSX. I also have a hardtop Buick GNX that was intentionally built with a hard top instead of T-roof. Reasons for hardtop cars were intentional and worthy of the types of racing I used them for. The drop top models didn't hold up as well to the abuse IMO. I wasn't a physics major, but even I know the letter 'O' is stronger than the letter 'U'. :tongue:
 
I had a 95 T, a 98T and now a 00 Coupe. I had the two T's mainly because of the fantastic lease deals. The final straw was when I got my 00 S2000 and found that it was stiffer than the 98T - that's when I decided it was time to get a coupe...

For normal street driving and even the track, it's hard to notice the difference between a coupe and a T with the top on. The softer suspension on the T's masks some of the loss of rigidity. However, when you go over some rough roads, that's when the T's flex is noticable compared to the Coupes. That said (and as others have pointed out), the T is still as stiff if not stiffer than many topless cars of similar vintage.
 
s2ktaxi said:
I had a 95 T, a 98T and now a 00 Coupe. I had the two T's mainly because of the fantastic lease deals. The final straw was when I got my 00 S2000 and found that it was stiffer than the 98T - that's when I decided it was time to get a coupe...

For normal street driving and even the track, it's hard to notice the difference between a coupe and a T with the top on. The softer suspension on the T's masks some of the loss of rigidity. However, when you go over some rough roads, that's when the T's flex is noticable compared to the Coupes. That said (and as others have pointed out), the T is still as stiff if not stiffer than many topless cars of similar vintage.


Will the 'T' have more body flexes if lowered with stiffer suspension and lower profile tires. :confused:
 
IMO, a stiff lowered suspension and the "T" doesn't mix well on the street- (to say nothing of having only 1/4" clearance for the scissors jack when the tires AREN'T flat!)

It's what a previouis owner did to my '96, and I've spent much of this last weekend replacing the springs and struts- not a buch of fun, but interesting, and a good excuse to put the car up on jackstands and get acquainted with and check out the brakes and suspension.

Good compact spring compressors and situational awareness are the keys to a good spring and strut change sans knashing of teeth and knuckles. That and a 1"X3" X 4' oak board. ;)

Now I just need another new rear tire to complement the one that was replaced due to a nail, and an alignment.

~Jon
 
nis350 said:
Will the 'T' have more body flexes if lowered with stiffer suspension and lower profile tires. :confused:
Yes - think of the whole car as a series of springs (like in Physics class).
 
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