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Design flaws?

N

nsxtacey

Experienced Member
Joined
3 December 2002
Messages
1,296
I luv the nsx and all but there are some annoying flaws about it...

1. snap ring 91-92
2. pos plunger 91-96
3. exhaust (all years too restrictive)
4. cup holder (none functional)
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nsxtacey said:
I luv the nsx and all but there are some annoying flaws about it...
1. snap ring 91-92
2. pos plunger 91-96
3. exhaust (all years too restrictive)
4. cup holder (none functional)
Click to expand...

1. Snap Ring:
Not a design flaw but more a production mistake for a certain range of transmission-casings.

2. pos pluger:
Don't know what you mean by that

3. Exhaust:
Don''t think of that as a design flaw either. The exhaust was ment as is for all drivers of all ages anywhere in the world and had to comply therefore with many different local rules & laws. I agree it is too restrictive but am not sure that a more free-flowing design would not have been too loud in certain countries. And I have never heard of a OEM exhaust failing yet.
However, I do consider the OEM exhaust manifold a kind of design flaw. Real headers would have increased HP a little and that might have been welcome, even back in 1991.

5. Cup-holder:
Hmm, am not sure about that either. I have never missed a cupholder in my NSX (nor any other car). Do you consider the lack of a on-board computer a design flaw. Or an exterior temperature sensor ??

6. Lack of updates:
If there is any design flaw with the NSX I think it primarily is the fact that Honda failed to updated the NSX on a more regular basis.
Basically, after the 1997 update Honda neglected the NSX, even though the chassis, interior and engine still had (or have) room for improvements. Such improvements would have costs (my guess) relatively little in R&D but would have kept the NSX much more up-to-date. Just think of a few items:
- Engine: Going from 3.2 to 3.4 or 3.6. I think the upgrade packages from Science of Speed make it very clear this would have been very possible.
- Interior: A cassette-player in a model 2000 top-of-the-line sportscar ?? No navigation-screen?? No digital odometer??
 
MvM said:
1. Snap Ring:
6. Lack of updates:
If there is any design flaw with the NSX I think it primarily is the fact that Honda failed to updated the NSX on a more regular basis.
Basically, after the 1997 update Honda neglected the NSX, even though the chassis, interior and engine still had (or have) room for improvements. Such improvements would have costs (my guess) relatively little in R&D but would have kept the NSX much more up-to-date. Just think of a few items:
- Engine: Going from 3.2 to 3.4 or 3.6. I think the upgrade packages from Science of Speed make it very clear this would have been very possible.
- Interior: A cassette-player in a model 2000 top-of-the-line sportscar ?? No navigation-screen?? No digital odometer??
Click to expand...

No ejection seat for girls that won't stop yapping so I can hear my exhaust. :wink: BTW, I also don't know what he meant by POS plunger.
 
plunger ie manfolds

what i consider design flaws are ones that exists, not what they should have added so I don't consider lack of updates a design flaw.
 
- No vanity mirror in the passenger side visor.
- No heated seats.

The aforementioned design deficiencies are pointed out by my wife frequently. :)
 
I like a cup holder so that one day I may accidentally spill my drink in the hard to reach places of my NSX, get distracted, and then make it a parts car for the rest of this forum.

What a novel idea.

If there's anything that the NSX and RX7 had right, was NO cup holder.

These are performance cars that require ur complete attention.

What's next? A newpaper holder?

Sheesh......
 
nsxtacey said:
gee, read my definition of design flaw
Click to expand...

Yes, and notice that the snap ring was 15 yrs ago & addressed. And that the things on your list & what others have added are almost entirely all repeated from the earlier, more complete thread. Peoples' expectations of standard equipment & high performance have changed a lot since 1989-91

And that if stock exhausts are a design flaw, every other car on the planet has them too. Or are aftermarket headers and exhausts not made for everything from Civics to Vipers, Z06s, and Ferraris? No matter what the factories deliver, somebody always wants more. Manufacturers have to deal with emissions, noise, weight, costs, reliability, and other factors which lead to compromises. There is no way around that.
 
TyraNSX said:
Yes, and notice that the snap ring was 15 yrs ago & addressed. And that the things on your list & what others have added are almost entirely all repeated from the earlier, more complete thread. Peoples' expectations of standard equipment & high performance have changed a lot since 1989-91

And that if stock exhausts are a design flaw, every other car on the planet has them too. Or are aftermarket headers and exhausts not made for everything from Civics to Vipers, Z06s, and Ferraris? No matter what the factories deliver, somebody always wants more. Manufacturers have to deal with emissions, noise, weight, costs, reliability, and other factors which lead to compromises. There is no way around that.
Click to expand...

You are right I can not dispute with all the things you have listed.
We're all entitled to our own threads and opinions.

Respect
 
use the console glovebox as a drink holder....flip the lid up , put the drink in the back of it, and your elbow holds it in place while your hand stays on the shift...... next problem.........
 
Cupholder?...that is the most gay complaint that I have ever heard...my cadillac has a cup holder...as did my 1978 corvette...and they were and are both pieces of crap:eek:

lol...lol...

Dam:cool:
 
My Ridgeline has at least 4 cup holders. So, I just have my wife follow me in the Ridgeline with my drink/drinks(in one of the four cup holders) and we stop when I am thirsty. I can almost take a full six pack "with" me. Problem solved. :biggrin:
The cassette player is lame in my 04. :rolleyes:
 
Track Edition with no radio, light glass, CF seats, CF inner doors (no leather), no airbags, 6-point harnesses, factory cage option, shift light, REAL oil temp and pressure gauges, track rated TCS/ABS, big brake option W/cooling, leave in the AC (for driving to/from the track), lap timer, light LED markers/brake, hard top ONLY.

Lighter, light weight, feather weight...........DIET :tongue:

Stronger crank, better oiling, bigger main bearings w/ over/under size available, dri sump or oil pan baffle.

More power and torque. More POWER/Torque....MORE POWER AND TORQUE
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.
. Did I mention.................MORE POWER AND TORQUE :biggrin:
 
damthatbeaver said:
Cupholder?...that is the most gay complaint that I have ever heard...my cadillac has a cup holder...as did my 1978 corvette...and they were and are both pieces of crap:eek:

lol...lol...

Dam:cool:
Click to expand...

I don't know the age of the poster quoted above, but I must be getting old(er)...I'm hearing "kids" these days using the word "gay" to indicate something that is "dumb", "worst", "not good", etc.

Can we just use the word "worst" instead of "gay"?

For example, rewrite the above quote to read:

Cupholder?...that is the worst complaint that I have ever heard...my cadillac has a cup holder...as did my 1978 corvette...and they were and are both pieces of crap
 
What is the purpose of this thread---what is trying to be learned?

At some point you have to just build the darn thing. As they say the best designs are those still on the self--never built.

So maybe you could restate the question as your example data set are not matched items. Lack of cup holder is not a design flaw, it is a spec. The snap ring problem was a production problem/variance, the same part manufactured properly has no issues.

I'm guessing your question is more like "These are the things I do not like about the NSX. What are the things other NSX owners don't like either?"

**

I have R&R'd a lot of my NSX over the years.

I have yet to find a "design flaw" of any consequence.

I have found several engineering or production "best trade-off" issues. Each of the trade-offs either still make sense, or was best practice at the time of production.

Drew

/My complaint is the A/C evaporator that tends to leak. I do not know if this part was under-engineered, poorly designed or poorly implemented. I've got the broken part in my hot little hands and I still can't tell.
 
drew said:
I have R&R'd a lot of my NSX over the years.

I have yet to find a "design flaw" of any consequence.
Click to expand...

OK...a flaw. How about the oiling issues of the crank?

The Achilles heel of the NSX

Doesnt get talked about much here but all the guys that know Shad, Mikey, Chris, Dave.........Can't explain why Honda used such a strange rod oiling order? that starves #4. And no pan baffle?

So one drop in oil presser, low oil, or a track day..........your crank will scratch the bearing that will soon fail.

Cranks are basically unavailable or $$$$$, no over-sized bearings to polish up the crank and reuse?

I've talked with all the motor builders and it's the same thing.

If you are ever going to ONE track day/HPDE better get an oil pan baffle and an Accusump.

It's even in the last NSX Driver magazine.
 
The only thing that I consider a "flaw" is the gearing of the 1991-96 5-speeds. The shift from 1>2 drops the RPMs too low. This can be fixed with a short gears kit, but it shouldn't've been there in the first place.
 
Flaws...

All aluminum parts: Made this car more expensive than it should.

V6: Made it slower than it should

Transmission: Should have started with a 9 speed peddle shift

In dash Cassette: What the hell, Honda shouldn't have call it state of the art interior when they didn't even put in a CD player; in fact, since they call it "designed 10 years ahead of its time," they should have a MP3 player in the car.

Cup holder: Should have put in a coffee and boba tea maker for those who can only afford the NSX as only car, and all the ricers.

Mircowave: for those who works 16 hours a day so they can afford the car, so they can at least prepare their meals while driving to work.

Wheels: Honda should have used 335/R20 inch bling bling spinner wheels with special tires that will last 100k miles

What the hell, the car contain nothing but flaws, that's probably why the sales according most, flopped. Honda should not charge people their hard earn $$$. Japanese cars should be miniture golf car - people haulers that give 100 miles per gallon.
 
Last edited:
Vance, if I didn't know better, I would have thought you were the lead designer on the NSX. :biggrin: You are all over this one. :biggrin:
Thanks for the laugh.
 
Cupholder? That would imply that you let fluids inside the cabin.

Porsche didn't even attempt to put cupholders in until they started bringing the cars to N America.

Vanity Mirror, Nav System, Heated Seats? How does any of this make the car go faster or handle better?
 

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