Magnum Opus...My Quest for Driving Perfection (1993 Coupe Build).

Joined
4 September 2000
Messages
295
The Motivation

First the bragging. Bear with me as I get through this -- I promise it gives important context to this build thread. I've been lucky to own a number of cool cars. Some have been extraordinary, including a Porsche Carrera GT, three Ford GTs, seven Ferraris (including a Speciale and Pista), four McLarens, (including both a 675LT spider and couple). I've owned more Porsches than I can count (I presently have five of them, including both a 991.2 GT3 and a 992 GT3, (both with manuals, of course). I am presently enjoying my fantastic 2022 NSX Type S. I’m fortunate to live very near one of the best mountain roads in the country, and I actually drive all the cars I've owned, sometimes at the track but mostly in the canyon. I don't pretend to be an expert driver or an engineer, but I can at least argue that I've had lots of exposure to a wide range of sports cars and their various experiences. Unlike journalists, I own the cars I drive and have skin in the game when it comes to the ownership experience. I hope that this gives a degree of credibility to the observations I make in this thread. The last point I need to make is that I’ve been obsessed ever since I was a little boy. I’m not one of those guys who made some money and then decided that the best way to display my success was to go out and buy a Rolex and a Ferrari…The opposite is true for me. I’ve always owned what I considered to be a cool car, and it seems it was always a little more than I could afford. I started with a GTI, which was my dream car at the time and still one of my favorite cars. As my income grew, so did my stupidity when it came to car buying decisions.

About two years ago, I decided it was time to slow down with the serial car buying and really try to focus on what I liked most about my car obsession. I decided that there were really three things that motivated me.

First, the joy of driving -- of simply being behind the wheel of a highly responsive car and honing my skill, whether it was at a racetrack or over a challenging mountain road.

Second, a deep enthusiasm for the mechanics, styling and design language of various diverse sports cars.

Third, tinkering with and improving my cars with careful modifications. I like to do all my own wrenching if I can.

As I contemplated these three areas, I decided that it was finally time for me to build (as opposed to buy) the ultimate driving machine. The next question became which car I should base this quest upon, my blank canvas, if you will. It then became clear to me that I needed to buy another NSX. The search was on.

I’ve now owned eight NSXs, including a super rare 2001 Coupe and a Zanardi. As I reflected on these experiences, I decided I wanted to go with an NA1 Coupe, since I had developed a belief that these were the purest rendition of the original NSX ethos. Light, five speed, no power steering, black roof, etc. Having spent extraordinary amounts of money on other cars, it was refreshing to see that I would be able to find a really special example for about a fourth of what I paid for my last Ferrari.

The Car

I found a 1993 with about 3500 miles on it in Massachusetts, but when I called on it, the dealer told me it was headed shortly to Bring a Trailer. https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1993-acura-nsx-83/ I dutifully waited for it to appear, and I was the last high bidder. However, that bid did not meet reserve. I negotiated with the seller after the fact and bought the car. My daughter and I flew out to New England and drove the car through a spectacular fall leaf season—all the way to northern Vermont. The car had the typical NSX problems. The radio didn’t work. The tires were old. It needed a timing belt service. (Thankfully, it already had the upgraded ABS installed). The car had been in a private collection, so it spent most of its life sleeping. The paint had lots of swirl marks from being dusted for three decades. It had been carefully maintained during that time, but I knew it would require a thorough going-over once I got it shipped back to the West. Regardless, the car ran flawlessly. We put nearly 700 miles on it in just a few days. After 30 dormant years, the car probably wondered what was happening to it.

And so the build began and continues. My intention in this thread is to document my efforts to build my definition of the perfect car: Not the perfect NSX. Not the perfect Japanese car. Not the perfect build on a budget. I mean the be-all, end-all, finest driving road car ever in the history of road cars, and it will all be done and judged by a committee of one. Me! This isn’t intended as a nostalgic build or a vintage build. I take a degree of inspiration from the Singer concept…build it to the distill the best qualities of car and to heck with the rest.

The project is already well under way, and I have managed at least one important modification that may be a first for the NSX. It will be a long-haul thread, but having enjoyed so many other build threads here on Prime, I felt like it was probably fitting for me to return the favor. I hope you enjoy it. Stay tuned…


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About a month after leaving the car in New England, it arrives in the sunny West.
 
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Just look at that factory ride height...you could fit Texas under that front wheel well. If it had knobby tires on it, it would be and Acura Dakar. That's definitely gonna need some attention. The car is also fat as a pig with all that factory weight. Spare tire, boat anchor battery, boat anchor exhaust, etc. My fingers are itching to go at it.

Gotta say, though, that those fat fives have a special place in my heart...
 
awesome, we need some fresh content! I hope that car thanks you.
 
Yeeesssssss! A new build thread! I'm excited to see where you go with this! I did a project with a similar goal and it wildly exceeded my expectations. I'm curious to see what other owners end up doing when they say "ultimate" NSX. Can't wait!
 
First things first: What makes the NSX so special anyway? This discussion is super important, because the project will go WAY off the rails if I don't understand the answer to this question before I start fiddling with things. The guiding light of the build is to do no harm. In other words, if I alter, add or remove something from the car, that change must ENHANCE the qualities of the NSX, as opposed to destroy or diminish them.

And so, it's no coincidence that among all the choices I had for this project, I chose the NSX. More than 30 years after it was introduced, I have yet to find a driving experience that compares to the NSX. If forced, I'd have to say that the modern McLarens are somewhat analogous, but still far different in critical ways. So, here are a few of the qualities that I believe make the NSX unique among all other cars:

1. Outward visibility. Sitting in the NSX is like perching on the point of a missile. The ultra-low cowl height has yet to be equaled in any car I know of. The result is an unparalleled view of the road and a feeling that you are right there, all the time.

2. Completely transparent steering. Although all NSXs share this trait, the non-power steering cars are the best in this regard. When I drive the NSX in the canyon, I can feel every little thing the steering is doing, all the time. Again, it makes me feel like I am right there, on the surface of the road, driving.

3. Amazing gearbox and shift feel. Can't think of a car I've owned that has more crisp, mechanically positive gearbox. My former S2000 was similar. Perfection.

4. Delightful power delivery. No one would ever argue that the NSX is overpowered. However, the way the NSX delivers it modest power is absolute perfection. Impeccable throttle response, amazing flexibility, and just fun to drive in a way that I can't put into words.

5. Communicative chassis. Even when pressed, the NSX always tells me what it's doing underneath me. The correlation and feedback between the road and the car is transparent. Again, the barrier between man and machine has been reduced like no other car I am familiar with, unless you consider a kart to be a car.

6. Impeccable build quality. The NSX is built like a tank. A very light tank, but a tank nonetheless. From the sound the doors make when you close them to the way the switchgear functions, this is a 500,000 mile car, no questions asked. Honda quality and engineering at its finest.

7. Unique styling that has stood the test of time. Sometimes, I'll have my daughter drive the NSX while I follow behind, just so I can look at it rolling. Besides my 1991 964 Turbo, I can't think of car that has withstood the test of time better. A true classic that only gets better looking with time.

I'm sure I've forgotten something, but that's a good start. If my build can preserve these elements (and hopefully enhance them) then I will have accomplished my goal.

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Yes for me the low dash and pedal position ie adequate foot room are so much superior to any of the exotics of its era.
For me removing as much weight as possible is first. Sport suspension, keeping unsprung weight low, lighter flywheel, upgraded abs,jdm shorties and R&P , and the wonderful choice of ultra high perf tires = bliss
 
Yes for me the low dash and pedal position ie adequate foot room are so much superior to any of the exotics of its era.
For me removing as much weight as possible is first. Sport suspension, keeping unsprung weight low, lighter flywheel, upgraded abs,jdm shorties and R&P , and the wonderful choice of ultra high perf tires = bliss
docjohn, you have almost perfectly predicted the trajectory of this thread. Great minds think alike :). Everything you mentioned enhances the NSX experience rather than detracts...
 
Lol the problem is.............

do you really want to open the bottle

or just enjoy knowing you have it in the cellar:eek:
 
I'm poppin' that cork and drinkin' the whole dang thing. The Ferrari is the cellar car. :)
 
Gotta watch that prostate or else you won't go "pista":p
 
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Amen to that. This is the only Peesta I won't be forced to take at 3:00 AM tomorrow morning. :)
 
very nice ...the type S likely feels a little pedestrian after a blast in that. A car friend of mine has a tributo...
 
To tell you the truth, I prefer the Type S. Feels smaller, more agile, more responsive. Blindingly quick, but the Pista would probably take it in a drag race. Sadly, the Pista spends most of its time sitting lately while the Type S gets driven.
 
I'm a big believer in the idiom that form follows function. One of the qualities of every truly cool looking car is that it effectively telegraphs its capabilities visually. (Case in point: Ferrari 250 GTO). The compromises that a manufacturer must make for a mass produced car often prevent them from doing everything they'd like to do in this regard... and that's why they invented concept cars. It's also why we all start fiddling with our cars when we get them: we can make changes in the aftermarket that the manufacturer cannot. Case in point: STANCE. (Which I define as ride height, wheel offset and camber). That will be today's fun topic.

So, the first thing I wanted to do when I got the car off the transporter was to remove the 4" lift kit installed in Tochigi. :)

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I'm a fan of KW Suspension, but I admit that I've not tried anything else on my cars. This will be the fifth set of KWs I've installed (Ford GT, Porsche 993, NSX twice), and in every case I've been totally happy with the outcome. Not wanting to mess with something that I know works, I immediately bought a new set of V3s for the car. They are SIGNIFICANTLY lighter than the factory shocks, which will be a recurring theme throughout this build.

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Installation is pretty straight forward, meaning that for me it took me five times as much time as it would take you. An extra set of hands is helpful in maniuplating the control arms for the install. Ride height is, of course, fully adjustable with the threaded collars under the spring perches.

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I'll admit that I favor low ride height. The translation for that is that I consider the oem front spoiler to be a wear item :) So here's the after:

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Ahh...just like pulling a splinter out. The lower CG is a huge, real world performance plus, and now the car looks righteous, even with those fat fives on it. The first tiny mod is done, and I'm already feeling like a winner. The car drives impeccably. Love those KWs. No rubbing even at this ride height. I've got spacers on the wheels in these photos, which I'm not a huge fan of. Next stop: wheels with the proper offsets. Stay tuned.
 
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So, let's talk wheels. Like many of you, I'm a wheel junkie. Spent way too much money on wheels...they've got a plaque in my honor at HRE. Of course, the BIG danger with aftermarket wheels is adding rotational mass. There's no better way to kill acceleration and braking that to slap on a set of heavy, blingy wheels. Thus, in keeping with my first rule of "doing no harm" I've always tried to go significantly lighter than OEM -- or at the very least, I've tried to avoid adding weight. This can be tricky when you are going plus one all around, let alone plus two. There's also the problem of altering the gearing of the car by altering the rolling diameter.

I've got a special project underway to procure/produce the lightest set of 17/18 wheels that have ever been installed on an NSX, but I'm not quite ready to spill the beans on that project until its completed. In the meantime, I found a sweet set of Tecnomagnesio wheels in a perfect 17/18 fitment for my car. I've always been fond of these wheels, but not sure I can explain why. I sent them off for refinishing in bright silver and just got them back. Have a look and tell me what you think...
 
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bringing back the track/comptech look!!!
 
I'm not sure if I grew up around too many vintage British car show guys deducting points for pleasure, have seen and modified too many NSXs, or if I'm just getting old, but those pics of with the coilovers and spacers has me drooling. Imho less is sooo much more. Damn those fat five look incredible. Did I really just put that on the internet? Time to head out to the garage for some introspection. Enjoy your latest NSX journey.
 
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Glance at that














Stance!!!!!
 
Love the wheels!

And what are your (first) impressions with the KW V3?
Have had the V3 on previous cars, and loved them on track, but comfort was always a step back ...
 
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