So, I'm getting married (NSX-Related, I promise)

[R13]

So, in July last year I "dragged" my erstwhile girlfriend to Germany and popped the question on top of Nürburg's castle (location, location, location right?). Yes, that means I gave her a ring and the 'ring :redface:



She said yes, and we'll be married in September before hopefully attending 'XPO.

"How is this NSX related?" you ask.

Well....An idea struck me, and my wonderful fiancé let me run with it. As a result, our wedding bands have a bit more to them than a trip to a jewelry store.

• First, ALwAyS4SaLe on 'Prime came through with an unusable (in a car) NSX con-rod (I think I owe him a bottle opener ).
  
  
  
• Then I had a bit of a challenge finding a craftsperson who could do what I wanted, but in the end Mason at Stonebrook Jewelry picked up my gauntlet. He was able to work with his metal recycler to turn the 'rod (in it's own batch due to being a different alloy) into something he could work with, and then plied his own trade to excellent result.
  
• So, finally....Born in a foundry, followed by life in the fiery heart of an NSX, and then resurrected as a permanent symbol of dreams come true (pardon the dramatic ):
  
  
  (hers on top, with a sandblasted finish, mine is partially 'blasted, partially polished. Opted for this to bring out the truer color/patina of the Ti)

Bringing things full circle, the first trip we took as a couple was to Barber Motorsports Park for a NASA TT weekend. So appropriately, it's very likely that the first trip we will take as a married couple will be to NSXPO this October. We look forward to seeing many of you there!

 

[solidol]

This is great. And congrats to you guys!

 

[Yinzer]

I love creativity like this. Sounds like a great girl. Congrats!

 

[CStricker]

That is awesome. Thanks for sharing! She's definitely a keeper; makes me think of the Rearden metal bracelet.

 

[Hass]

Congrats! I'm getting married in a couple of months and we are calling the NSXPO second part of our honey moon.

 

[ALwAyS4SaLe]

I'm glad you made something more memorable than my idea of using it as a bottle opener. Congrats on your journey. Btw. You owe me a bottle opener... Jk.

 

[R13]

Thanks for the kind words. She's definitely a keeper (NSX ownership under no threat, lol) and I probably wouldn't have come up with it if not for some of the automotive creativity I've seen in this community over the years.

I'm glad you made something more memorable than my idea of using it as a bottle opener. Congrats on your journey. Btw. You owe me a bottle opener... Jk.

Ha ha. Thanks again, and let me know if you're going to be at 'XPO this year. I might bring you one all the same .

 

[RPM217]

Thanks for the kind words. She's definitely a keeper (NSX ownership under no threat, lol) and I probably wouldn't have come up with it if not for some of the automotive creativity I've seen in this community over the years.



Ha ha. Thanks again, and let me know if you're going to be at 'XPO this year. I might bring you one all the same .

Better yet, bring the bottle opener, and a bottle of good wine to use it on!!!

 

[B2FiNiTY]

Congrats. Amazing story that is romantic yet very manly

 

[tof]

A great post. Congratulations to you and best wishes to the bride-to-be.
"Born in a foundry, followed by life in the fiery heart of an NSX, and then resurrected as a permanent symbol of dreams come true" - good stuff.

And great creative thinking by ALwAyS4SaLe. He must be the guy who invented the whole upper case-lower case thing.

 

[davidf]

Would've been cool to marry her on top of that castle.

 

[Larry Bastanza]

How many NSX's do you own? Sounds like you will need 2.....

Congrats,
LarryB

 

[ENT]

Ok, that is seriously cool. Kudos to your fiancé on going with it. She sounds like a keeper.

Cheers,
Ian

 

[Accel Junky]

Great minds think alike! I had a good friend cut our wedding bands from an NSX rod in 2011. I had considered the melting down and formed into tubing but my research showed that it would require extreme temps and likely would be very expensive with it being in its own batch (which I too realized would be necessary).

I basically sent him some pictures of what look I was going for and he created the 3D drawings. Initially I thought about creating a channel inside the ring that I could fit different sized o-rings in to accommodate for any weight loss (as I was overweight at the time anyways). But we ended up not doing that.

I believe he actually drew the rod up in CAD to determine where he could slice it to get my ring as the diameter/width was really pushing it as far as where it could be cut from. My wife's band was a lot smaller so probably not as hard to find a spot.

The rings have a lot of character being cut straight from the original rod. You can see little imperfections in the material which I think is probably a sign of how early the NSX titanium technology was.

Anyways, again, great minds think alike! I wish I could've done the Nurburg proposal but I don't even think that crossed my mind (though we have been there together). My grooms cake was an NSX with a stick figure family on the rear window. I wish I had a good photo of it right now, but I'll have to snag that later.

You do know now that you can never NOT have an NSX in your garage, right? Kind of required now

Her NSX band is not pictured (I don't have access to the wedding album at the moment) but you can see mine. She wears hers only when she doesn't want to get her diamond band messed up but me, I only wear mine when I know it isn't going to get messed up. I have cheapo Amazon tungsten ring I wear when I know my hands are going to take a beating.

 

[Lostbuckeye]

That is a very unique and cool story that you two will always remember. I love the rings from the heart of an NSX given at The Ring. You are definitely marrying up. Congrats and best wishes on a long and happy life together. Thanks for sharing.

 

[R13]

@Accell Junky: I wish I had your friend. I talked to a couple of machinists, but no one was willing to risk their equipment (mostly for aluminum/steel work) trying to cut the Ti. I like the patina on yours for-sure. That said, I'm very happy with how ours turned-out.

How many NSX's do you own? Sounds like you will need 2.....

The thought has crossed my mind. 'Need more garage space first though, lol.

Would've been cool to marry her on top of that castle.

I got as far as trying to contact the "state" of Rheinland-Pfalz (who own/maintain Nürburg), however they were non-responsive and there also wouldn't be much of a weather contingency considering it's a ruin except for the main turret.

Alas, another German castle (partially converted to a hotel) proved easier to work with

 

[Accel Junky]

@Accell Junky: I wish I had your friend. I talked to a couple of machinists, but no one was willing to risk their equipment (mostly for aluminum/steel work) trying to cut the Ti. I like the patina on yours for-sure. That said, I'm very happy with how ours turned-out.

I think he used some sort of saw machine that used copper wire. I can't remember for sure but it was something I had never heard of. Love your rings though, I think the design and the results are amazing!

 

[heySkippy]

Congrats!

 

[condumbwerkz]

Congratulations! Love the creativity

 

[DreamPowered]

That's great and congrats on getting married. Now you got me thinking what can I do with some nsx parts,

 

[Acuman]

Congratulations! Really like those rings. She has to love your creativity and you are lucky she appreciates your passion! Best wishes!

 

[Track Addict]

Congrats! and a very cool idea for wedding bands. I doubt I could replicate something like this as my fingers are sausage like and always take a beating. See you at EXPO

 

[Single Samurai]

Congrats! Very Cool!

 

[htmachine]

Congrats on your change of status. Very creative use of a Rod. As a toolmaker I was going to make rings from some ti i had left over from a project. But in my emergency first aid training for a volunteer position in CERT I learned that First Aid personnel do not have equipment to cut off a titanium ring.

 

[JLCoolman]

Congratulations Rich!!!

Hope to catch you two newlyweds at NSXPO.