• Protip: Profile posts are public! Use Conversations to message other members privately. Everyone can see the content of a profile post.

Science of Speed - A 10 Year Review

Joined
12 December 2001
Messages
608
Happy New Year Everyone,

I was recently looking through all of my service records and realized that Science of Speed has now been exclusively servicing my car for just over a decade. Since I was going through all my old records to make a new binder anyways, I thought it would be a good idea to write down a brief review that encompasses the past ten years.

It started back in late 2007 when my clutch had a spring failure and needed to be replaced. At the time, Basch Acura wasn’t really around anymore, so I needed to find a new place to take my car. I remember asking Chris after buying a new clutch if he knew anywhere I could get it installed. I didn’t realize that they were doing maintenance as well and was relieved when he offered to take care of everything. From then on, they’re the only ones who’ve touched my car, and over the next ten years, haven’t ever even given me even the smallest reason to complain about anything. I’m extremely thankful for that.

Other than a snap ring failure at around 120,000 miles, which we all know is a manufacturing defect, there really never has been any catastrophic failures during the entire time I’ve owned the car. I’m still on the original engine. I attribute this to a few different factors; how I drive the car, how I’m always getting the recommended routine scheduled maintenance done, and perhaps most importantly, having a place to go where I know the work will be done correctly. If you take care of the NSX, the NSX will take care of you. But of course, I’m not sure that these cars were built to last this long, let alone be daily driven in the scorching Arizona summer heat. As such, there have been plenty of parts that have deteriorated over time. I used to think it was really cool to not have the engine cover on so you could see the engine. But man, that sun really causes havoc on your coolant hoses under extreme heat. There was more than one time where I had a busted coolant hose and had to shut down on the side of the road and get it towed over to Science of Speed during non-business hours. Luckily for me, they were nice enough to make sure it wouldn’t sit outside unattended for more than a few hours. Ever since I put the engine cover back on, it’s eliminated any spontaneous hoses bursting and engine temperatures are down as well.

Then there’s all the little things that break or fail over time … door handles, window regulators, engine mounts, spark plugs, fuel injectors, trunk & engine struts, wheel bearings … I think I’ve pretty much seen it all by this point. Despite everything that I’ve repaired or replaced, I really don’t have anything bad to say about the car to be honest. The only exceptions being that the factory stereo and a/c systems are probably the worst aspects of the NSX in my opinion. Again, going back to the AZ heat and having a daily driven NSX, the A/C system sure has its work cut out for it and then some. Anytime something goes wrong with it (and I’ve replaced everything by this point), there’s always a lot of labor involved. I understand the costs involved when owning a daily driven NSX, and sometimes it’s rough, but when I pick up my car and hear: “We gave you a bit of a break on labor,” it’s just a gesture of good will that makes me happy to be a part of this community.

It’s also really great to see a special offering for a labor discount during the holidays. I just had my timing belt and water pump service done, again, and was very thankful to take advantage of a generous holiday offer. And even aside from that, every time I see a customer appreciation discount on my receipt, whether it’s just for a half hour of labor or a small discount on parts, I always notice and really appreciate it. You just don’t get this kind of service anywhere you go. Not only that, but always being given the heads up of “Hey Sean this is leaking a bit, it’s not a huge concern, but you should think about it getting replaced eventually” is always nice to hear in lieu of something like “This needs to be replaced immediately.” All of my friends who have different types of cars with their own specific mechanics never really have anything good to say when they are getting their cars repaired. I tell them to stop complaining and buy an NSX.

Looking back, it’s crazy to think I’ve had the car this long, use it every day, and still genuinely love driving it. If I keep driving at the rate I do, sometime in 2019 I’ll have crossed 300,000 miles of personal seat time in my car (originally purchased with around 80k on it). I always tell my friends, other owners, and even random people who come up and ask about the car about how lucky I am to have Science of Speed a mere 10-minute drive from my house and that I don’t think I would have kept the car this long if they weren’t around. I’m still impressed, slightly baffled, and extremely thankful that someone had the audacity to open a business dedicated to making aftermarket parts for a car whose total production is only around 18,000 worldwide, and with only half of that being in the United States; but I’m sure glad he did. And not only that, but also for helping organize events for local owners, such as giving us the opportunity to drive the new NSX, or having us all over to the facility for a new year’s gathering. So, thank you Chris, Jeff, Wade, Christian, and everyone else over there for helping me out whenever I’ve needed it, and always going above and beyond the requested service, and also for all the work you do in the NSX community. My car has been in your shop over 30 times over the past decade, for anything like a simple oil change, to a full-on timing belt and water pump service, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. And thanks again for the Christmas gift, that was great.

362,000 miles and counting ... still rolling.
 
300k miles of personal seat time, amazing! I drove 100k miles on my first NSX, and I thought that was an accomplishment. I was wrong!
 
Great write up on a great business. Unfortunately SOS is literally half way around the world for me to drop the NSX in for a look over. However dealing with Chris and all the SOS team has always been an absolute pleasure.
Happy New Year to all And keep those miles clicking over!
 
Back
Top