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Thoughts from a 20+ year NSX Owner to new NSX Owners (and maybe some not so new)

Joined
27 April 2002
Messages
79
Location
Monument, CO
Welcome to NSX Prime website and let me introduce myself. I am Steve Glover from Monument, CO. At least that is where I "landed" at the end of my 26.5 year Naval career. I have a special affinity for the NSX Prime website. Back in the summer of 2000, I was stationed on USS ENTERPRISE (CVN 65) in Norfolk, VA. One day, driving home, I saw an NSX on a car lot on Virginia Beach Boulevard. Now, for many of us, once we saw an NSX in person for the first time, it wasn't a question of "if" it was only a question of "when." So I started to my market research as I knew little about the NSX at the time. In 2000, that meant going to NSX Prime. Looking through the resources for buying an NSX, printing out checklists and studying them, looking through the market place soon became a big portion of my days after I came home from work. Then I saw a listing for a 91 NSX with 59K miles...Comptech Headers, K&N FIPK, Stromung exhaust, Brembo cross-drilled rotors, RM Racing chip, brake pads, and nitrous oxide kit...that was the car I needed to go see. And, much to my surprise it was in Blacksburg, VA. So a few e-mails were exchanged and we arranged to meet on 26 August 2000 so I could look at and test drive the car. With a Navy Federal pre-approved auto loan check in hand, the license plates off my F350 truck in the back seat, a stack of checklists printed out from NSX Prime in hand and a good friend of mine and I were off in my 91 Civic Si to go look at the car. Let me tell you, 270 Hp compared to 107 Hp was amazing...the power!!!! I was surprised how the seller seemed to show the car in a manner that "checked all the boxes" on the NSX Prime "buyers checklist"...later, Lud admitted that he had written the checklist. Yep, I was looking at Lud Eng of NSX Prime's car. A deal was struck, a hand written "bill of sale" (that I still have with my proof of insurance and registration paperwork in the car) was completed, and the car was mine. A glorious drive back to Virginia Beach ensued. NSX Prime was such a resource for me, I felt that now I have the time and "experience" as a 20+ year NSX owner to "give back" and have something to offer. The "checklist" I used is still available on this website in the wiki section (http://www.nsxprime.com/wiki/Category:Purchasing_an_NSX)

So, here are some of my thoughts for a new NSX owner. The most important "NSX-specific tool" you can have in your garage: The Factory Service Manual. Doesn't matter if you aren't a "diy wrencher"...it is really well written (but not perfect), explains a lot of the various design features of the car, and is a treasure trove of information if you do decide to do modifications/maintenance. You can get the 1991 NSX Factory Service Manual for FREE - right here on NSX Prime!!! (https://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/Reference/1991_svcman/1991servman.pdf) If you don't have a 1991, you can probably find a good used copy of your FSM (or the 1997 with your year specific addendum) on eBay.

You can also find the Electrical Troubleshooting Guide for your year on eBay...this is very handy at integrating the circuits to show all the connectors and wire colors. If you send me an e-mail address, I can send you a pdf copy of the 1994 NSX Electrical Troubleshooting Guide that I have...

Another good resource that WAY too many people don't fully utilize is the OWNER'S MANUAL that Acura provided with the car. It actually goes beyond features, maintenance schedules, bulb changes, how to use the spare tire, and warranty info. The NSX Owner's Manual has procedures for things like: winter/long-term storage, changing spark plugs (with torque specs), and changing the oil (again, with torque specs).

Speaking of changing the oil, that is - in my opinion - the best "starter DIY" that will a) save you some money after the initial tool purchase if you don't have them, and b) provide a "forcing function" to get under the car. And while you are under the car, that is a great time to look at the condition of the vehicle. Do your own inspection looking for damaged and worn out components like CV Joint boots (are the cracked/torn and leaking?), tires (are the inside edges worn out on the rears?), oil leaks, etc.

Internet Resources:

+ For information, first and foremost, don't overlook NSXPrime website - yes, this website you are on right now. Become a member and help contribute to the knowledge base. It has great threads and discussions and rarely is there a problem that hasn't been addressed there. Second is Facebook. There are several other NSX groups besides this one. Send your information and join NSX Owners Group page if you have not done so already. The nice thing about posting on NSX Prime is that it can return information when somebody does a Google search!!!! www.nsxprime.com

Here are some others:
+ NSXCA (www.nsxca.org) - you must be a member, but you can access back issues of the "NSX Driver" magazine and many have DIY write-ups that are good sources of information

+ NSXCB (NSX Club of Britian) has a good website. www.nsxcb.co.uk

+ Dan's Garage (aka Dan-O land) for ABS solenoid flushing procedure/and a few other good DIYs. http://danoland.com/nsxgarage/index.html

+ Facebook NSX Specific Groups (world wide, regional, national, and local). NSX Owner's Group and NSX Prime are two of the most popular. But do a search for local groups. I live in Colorado and there is the NSX Owners of Colorado Facebook Page. The local group will give you lots of access to local events and fellow owners that are nearby that might have special tools (like the T-wrench for bleeding the ABS modulator on 91-99 NSXs) that you can borrow.

Here are some examples (just search "NSX" on Facebook and then select "groups")

International:
NSX OWNERS GROUP, NSX Prime, NSX Addicted

Multi-national/national:
NSX Club of America, NSX Club of Canada, NSX Club Thailand, Malaysia NSX Club, NSX Club Europe, NSX Club of Japan, Canadian NSX Owners, NSX Portugal, NSX Canadian Owners Group, NSX Owners Europe, European NSX Owners, NZ NSX Owners Group

Regional/State/City:
NSX Owners of Colorado, NSX South Florida, NM NSX Group, NSX Club of New Mexico, NSX Owners Hawaii, California NSX Owners, NSX Club Vancouver (NSXCV), SoCal NSX Owners, NorCal NSX Owners, NSXoTX, NSX Owner's Club Hong Kong, NSX Hong Kong, Southeast NSX Owners (US), NSX Owners WA (western Australia), Central Florida NSX, PacNW NSX Owners, Minnesota NSX Owners, Midwest NSX Owners (US), NSX Atlanta, NSX Las Vegas, NS Owners of Northeast Ohio, AZ NSX Owners, Central NSX Owners Group (US), Gulf Coast NSX Owners Group (US)

That is just scratching the surface...but it shows there are lots of ways to be a part of the community...but this forum and website is the only one that has 2+ decades of knowledge collected in one place...so go beyond Facebook and get an username for this website and share your knowledge here as well...

Part Support:

OEM Honda Parts:
There are a host of on-line parts catalogs that are available through Acura dealerships. www.acurapartsforless.com, www.oemacuraparts.com are just a couple. Most provide some discount - sometimes up to 30% off list. Look for one close to your house to minimize shipping costs. Or, better yet, join NSXCA and use oemacuraparts as Tim will "work the numbers" to get you free shipping on orders over $50.

ScienceofSpeed. Chris Willson has several "maintenance kits" ready to ship with all the OEM gaskets, o-rings, seals, etc. that you need for various jobs. He mostly does aftermarket stuff, but he has stepped up his selection of OEM parts recently which is good. Sometimes SOS will have the parts on the shelf when the on-line vendors are having to pull from the warehouses (and sometimes that could mean reaching all the way back to Japan...) so if you need the part in a hurry, sometimes Chris and his team is a good source of "hard to find" parts. https://www.scienceofspeed.com/

Other non-US parts resources to get new and used OEM parts;

New Parts: Mita Motorsports which is run by Marc Perez out of Japan. Surprisingly, lots of NSX parts that are "discontiued" in the US are readily available in Japan. Marc is also doing some nice aftermarket parts as well as acting as a dealer for several of the Japanese NSX aftermarket vendors like Route-KS and RFY. https://www.mitamotorsports.com/

New and Used Parts: ATR Racing in Austria. This company is run by Christian Mittendorfer. Like Marc, Christian is also doing some really nice aftermarket parts for the NSX. https://www.nsx-parts.com/what-we-do/

Also, when looking to Japan for parts, Amayama Trading Company and JP-carparts are sources of parts. These are non-NSX specific parts houses that pull from the Japanese manufacturers. https://www.amayama.com/en and https://jp-carparts.com/

Aftermarket parts:

Most of the time, these have to be obtained from specialty vendors for the NSX...I like to support them first, but I still do a little "comparison shopping" just to make sure I'm not paying too much "NSX tax"...you'd be surprised how many NSX parts are available on RockAuto...

Places to look
- ScienceofSpeed (Chris Willson)...probably the leaders and best known all-around NSX shop in the US. I'm sure others will tout their local independent or dealer master mechanic, but for "all around" - developing custom NSX parts/systems, providing tested and "packaged" upgrade packages, and general knowledge they are hard to beat.
- nsxe-repair (Brian Kiehnau) for your electronic rebuild needs (CCU, speaker amps, etc.) http://nsxe-repair.com/
- Willman's Electronics in Garland, TX for your NSX radio headunit repair and upgrade. They also do NSX speaker repair as well.
- ATR-Racing in Austria (Chris Nsx Mittendorfer) who has a mountain of new and used parts that is big enough Franz Klamer could win another gold medal in the Olympic downhill...Christian also has a wealth of knowledge regarding differences between JDM, USDM/North America, and European market NSXs...and yes, there can be some can be very significant differences.
- Mita Motorsports (Marc Perez) in Tokyo. Somehow can seem to ferret out a "rare discontinued" part from some warehouse in Japan...and he does it good and fair prices.
- Cedar Ridge Fabrication (David Lee Levy) out of Oregon. Look for Dave's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Cedar-Ridge-Fabrication-LLC-1709306112629624)
- Davis Design Fab (Mike Davis) in Knoxville, TN area. Makes a great, affordable, easy to install kit for preventing water from getting on the rear coil packs. I've got a heavily modified NSX, and I would put Mike's coil guard system on my "Mount Rushmore" of practical NSX modifications!!! http://davisdesignfab.com/
- Carbon 6 Composites These guys are the source for suspension (specifically ball joints) repair https://www.carbon6composites.com/
- NSX Rack Repair. Matt and his team do a great job overhauling manual and EPS steering racks for the NSX http://nsxrackrepair.com/
- Carbon Fiber "bits" (look them up on Facebook):
+ Stephen Deisinger is a genius with carbon fiber parts
+ Ed Klemz also is doing some great carbon fiber work as well.
+ Jay Bozeman with some really interesting stuff for the NSX (especially if your defroster panel (between the dash and windshield) has the typical cracks by the sunlight sensor right in the center of the trim piece....his solution covers it up and doesn't require dash removal like replacing that plastic defroster panel does...
+ PrideCarbon (They also do headers and exhaust) - https://pridegroupinc.com/prideexhaust/
+ Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention Rick Ko at Euro Boutique...he does some great center consoles, steering wheels and other interior parts https://euroboutique.us/.
- Ultimate Cupholders (because we all know the OEM cup holder - if your NSX has one - is not the greatest...and that is being kind) - https://www.ultimatecupholders.com/
- A. S. Motorsport - Based out of the Netherlands, https://as-motorsport.com/site/en/
- Kuya Automotive - Good US Vendor for Pride, ATR (Christian Mittendorfer) products, MITA Motorsport (Marc Perez) products, Cedar Ridge Fabrication products, ARC Lights (LED), and some Spoon. This is Roderick "Rj" Enriquez's company (https://kuyaauto.com/)
- SCW Performance/S2Carbonworks - lots of JDM and unique parts for an NSX. This is Jeremy Hancock's company (http://www.s2carbonworks.com/)
- Trunk and Engine Hatch gas struts can be recharged for significantly less than buying new struts. Send them to Frank Irvine at Strutwise in Surrey, BC (outside of Vancouver)...even from the US using USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Box International to Canada, total cost to charge 2 struts is about the cost of 1 new OEM strut. You can fit all 4 struts in the box and really save...doing all 4 at once, with shipping, is slightly more than the cost of one new strut (either engine hatch or trunk) plus shipping in the US...https://strutwise.com/
- Procar Specials - lots of great carbon fiber pieces. Not the cheapest, but I would say "you get what you pay for" They are out of Germany and many of their parts are made to order. https://www.facebook.com/procar.specials
- NSX NEXUS - This is Joe Guttieri's "company". Joe is mostly known for his HVAC box "rebuilds" as well as selling the foam kit so you can DIY the rebuild of your HVAC box without having to send it to FL. Also, Joe does great work on LED lights - both ARC-Light tail lights and Joe's own front combination light that he re-works to make a DRL setup. NSX NEXUS is always bring new products out and the cruise control button relocation to the coin tray location for running aftermarket steering wheels/Type-S and Type-R wheels is the latest project. https://www.facebook.com/nsxnexus
- COMPTECH. Shad Huntley who also runs Driving Ambition, has resurrected COMPTECH!!! https://comptechusa.com/index.cfm

I haven't included aftermarket manufactures that make NSX parts but sell through some of the above vendors. These include: DownForce, Marga Hills, Route-KS, I's Impact, Racing Factory Yamamoto (RFY) T3TEC, Backyard Special, Active Traction Service (ATS), Garage Kite, Wings West, etc. Many of the NSX-specific parts from these manufacturers are available from MITA Motorsports, A.S. Motorsports, ScienceofSpeed, etc. But knowing their names, you can always do a quick google search...

Repair shops:

Once upon a time, Acura dealerships had factory trained master technicians for the first generation NSX. Quality service by a tech who knew the car was as easy as going to the dealership in many cases. Now that the "newest" 1st generation NSX was built in 2005, many dealerships don't have a master NSX tech anymore. In the state of Colorado, only one dealership still has a factory trained NSX tech...and they now want $182/hour for labor...

But don't fret - there are many good independent shops throughout the United States. I have only used ScienceofSpeed...and even then, that was in 2007...I do all my own work except alignments and A/C evacutations...maybe one day I'll get a Tenhulzen alignment system and will be down to the occasional A/C evacation at a shop...so these recommendations are based off of watching the shops that get mentioned/recommended most and talking with owners...

* ScienceofSpeed (2521 N Arizona Ave, Chandler, AZ 85225) (Phoenix Area) - Chris
* Source 1 (100 Grandin Rd, Maineville, OH 45039) (Cincinnati Area) - Brian https://www.source1automotive.com/
* Driving Ambition (11368 Monier Park Pl, Rancho Cordova, CA 95742) (Sacramento Area) - Shad https://www.drivingambitionmotorsports.com/
* Daisy Import Auto Care (2878 Daisy Rd, Woodbine, MD 21797) (Washington DC/Baltimore Area) - Ben http://www.daisyimportauto.com/
* Niguel Motors (27140 Cabot Rd b, Laguna Hills, CA 92653) (Orange County Area) - Ramon
* Asteri Motorsports (2315 W Camden Road, Unit 1, Glendale, WI 53209) (Milwaukee Area) - John http://www.asterimotorsports.com/
* Mechanics Direct (1375 Middlesex St., Lowell, MA 01851) (Boston Area) - Mitch https://www.mechanicsdirect.com/
* Mestas Auto (18185 Sage Crest Rd, Peyton, CO 80831) (Colorado Springs/Front Range Area) - Not very fancy, but it has Paul Z (1 of 2 NSX Factory Trained Master Technicians in Colorado and recently retired from Pikes Peak Acura) https://www.facebook.com/mestasauto/
* GT Japanese Auto Repair (1816 Woodbridge Ave Edison, NJ 08817) (NYC Area) - http://www.gtjapanese.com/
* Greenlight Auto Care (8859 Balboa Ave # B, San Diego, CA 92123) (San Diego Area) - Jerry - http://www.greenlightautocare.com/
* AutoWave (17122 Gothard St. Huntington Beach, CA 92647) (Orange County, CA) - https://autowaveinc.com/
* HQ Engineering ((626) 385-8171) (San Gabriel, CA...LA Area) - https://www.facebook.com/HQEngineering/
* Genesis Auto ((626) 568-0718) (1920 East Walnut Street #3 , Pasadena, CA 91107) - https://www.facebook.com/Genesisauto-110624743779665/
* Agile Concepts ((360) 927-9256) (Bellingham, WA) - https://www.facebook.com/agileperformanceconcepts/. Guillaume Marceau ("G")

For those from "The North" (or "The Great White North") or the land of Tim Horton's, here is a good shop:
* Jasper Autoworks (16805 113 Ave NW Unit 101, Edmonton, AB T5M 2X2, Canada +1-780-489-3388) - http://www.jasperautoworks.com/

If you know of an independent shop (or dealership with a genuine NSX Factory Trained Technician) that is good, please leave a comment below. If you recommend a dealership, let us know what the labor rate is as of the post...like I said above, the only dealership in Colorado with an NSX Factory Trained Master Technician wants $182/hour....

Then there are the "NSX Whisperers"

Some are pretty regular on the various Facebook NSX Groups and some are "old school" and are on the NSX Prime and NSXCB website/blog. Originally, This list was tech-centric (people who knew the torque specs and all the wrenching "tricks"), but I realized I was applying a narrow view of "NSX Whisperers". I was overlooking the Owners and Enthusiasts who were the "people who knew the people" and the owners who had accumulated many hours of "seat time" on various set-ups/modifications and could provide a good comparison of different setups (e.g., BC coil-overs vs. KW V3's vs. OEM...thousands of miles on each and can provide a good "comparison)

I'm sure I'll overlook some people that I have gotten great information from, but read the various threads in Facebook, or do enough searches on NSX Prime/NSXCB and you will start to see familiar names. Here's some of the names that come to mind fairly frequently in technical/mechanical troubleshooting threads that even if I don't have that problem, I read and note what they are saying:
* Joe Guttieri
* Joe Scavone (runs cycle terminal...a great source for OEM connectors used on the NSX https://cycleterminal.com/)
* Carl Hernandez
* Kaz Ukai (both Facebook and NSXCB website)
* Chris Willson (runs ScienceofSpeed)
* Johnny Blazzee
* Larry Bastanza (NSX Prime website)
* The Streeters (Trent Streeter and Matt Streeter)
* Christian Mittendorfer (or Chris Nsx Mittendorfer due to his time in "Facebook Jail")
* Brian Barnfield
* David Lee Levy (runs Cedar Ridge Fabrication)
* Curt Olvey
* Warren Woodcox
* Bj Mazur
* Chase Vaughn
* Johnny Chen (for wheels and suspension - especially air cups)
* Paul Parisi (NSX Prime user name "Honcho")
* Billy Johnson (NSX Prime user name "Stuntman")
* Shad Huntley (runs Driving Ambition - see link in the list of shops)
* Marc Perez (MITA Motorsports)
* Spencer Laurino (NSX Prime user name "NSX_n00b")
* Barney Demonbreun (NSX Prime user name "Barn Man") - was an OG factory tech
* Ken Sax
* Hugh Hamilton
* Robert Richardson (NSX Prime user name "neuronbob")
* Ole Sorenson
* Wei-Shen Chin
* Bob Ondrovic (NSX Prime user name "RSO")
* MexiRicer (Facebook name)
* Dan M Henderson
* Jimmy Pham
* Richard Graves (NSX Prime user name "R13") (all around knowledge given he has a 280k+ NSX that is regularly tracked and he runs his YouTube channel "Lap of the World" with lots of great videos...this is my favorite for new owners:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bal...g_Q6wX-QGnamqpbV-xeNrJhuUEAX9sXxhUVnpO0euKMiY


If you see a long time owner adding to the body of information in the comments below, consider that another "NSX Whisperer" - they are helping pass on knowledge that has been learned (sometimes the hard way) over decades of ownership!!!!

I'm sure I'm missing some gurus...so I'll edit as necessary...

Here's a "pro tip": when asking for help on a car, the one thing that really makes the community provide much more accurate support is to include your NSX's model (NSX/NSX-T), year, and transmission in the initial post. "NA1/NA2" doesn't capture all the subtle (or not so subtle) changes that were made from year to year...for example, NA1 includes 1991-1996 MT and 1991-2005 AT NSXs. In 1995, the NSX switched from a throttle cable to drive by wire. This changes locations/designs of components (Main Relay) and uses a different throttle body and idle controls. But it is still an "NA1" just like the 1991-1994 with the throttle cable. Including full model/year/transmission allows for people to pull the right parts catalog to help with a parts search and note if the 1991 FSM (available on-line) may or may not be applicable if you don't have a 1991 NSX.

Modify or not to Modify - that is the question.

I have a couple of thoughts on this question. First of all, let me provide "truth in advertising" - my NSX is pretty heavily modified (see the attached "show board" of modifications...) so I see both sides of the argument on modify or not to modify. But remember: at the end of the day, it is YOUR car and YOUR money and all that matters is what YOU think. Do what you want to get the enjoyment you desire out of the car!!!

Next, let me provide these thoughts on modifications: First ask yourself what you want to do with the car. Is is a daily driver, weekend "cars and coffee" warrior, mountain pass/canyon carver, auto-cross, time attack, general track fun? That will help drive decisions. For most of us, we don't have unlimited resources (money) to buy parts and do mods. So thousands spent on a high performance coil overs designed for the track may sound cool when talking about your mods, but if you daily drive it, the only people who will "love" those coil overs will be your dentist and chiropractor...save yourself the money for other mods and get a more appropriate suspension setup for daily driving...you guys get the idea!!!

Best piece of advice I've seen on Facebook about modifications to a new owner (and I'll quote Jason Concepcion) "Take your time, enjoy it first." I like to say spend several months driving it in the "environment" that you will normally drive the car in. Figure out what you like and don't like about the car. Then do your modifications to accentuate the things you like and "fix" the things you don't.

Have a modification "plan" before you start buying parts. Many NSX aftermarket parts are made in small batches/one-offs and are done by small shops that are doing it for love of the car. And if you try and "piece meal" the parts from these vendors, you could find that vendor has "hung it up" before you have all the parts you need for your project. Another important consideration is if you are doing carbon fiber work...the layout and look can vary from one vendor to another...or one manufacturing time to another...last thing you want is, after thousands spend in carbon fiber parts, to get the last part and have it not "match" the rest of the parts...have a plan and a budget before starting to accumulate parts.

Okay, I'm now going to break my rule about waiting on modifications. Here is one that you should do right now. Get yourself a Davis Design Fab coil guard system. One weakness of the NSX design is the rear hatch vent/garnish. It allows water to run off the hatch and into the engine compartment. That water can then drip onto the rear cylinder bank valve cover. And if the gasket on the coil cover leaks, the water can collect in the spark plug wells causing misfires and corrosion on the coil packs. I know people that go as far as to put a towel over their engine when washing the car to prevent the water from getting onto the rear bank valve cover. And then they are super duper careful with the hose when spraying water on the car. Since I installed this kit from Mike Davis at Davis Design Fab, I have just hammered the rear hatch area with the hose when washing my NSX and the rear bank has remained bone dry. He offers two versions...they are functionally the same, but the more expensive version has a piece that is purely cosmetic but makes the kit's appearance much better in my opinion. The base version is about $55-$60+S/H...the "deluxe" version is approximately $65-$70+S/H. This goes on my "Mount Rushmore" of modifications/aftermarket parts for an NSX...http://davisdesignfab.com/coil-guard/

Recurring NSX Events

There are several "national level" NSX Events in the United States that are a great opportunity to meet fellow owners and enjoy the car.

NSXcapades in the Orlando/Central Florida Area has been happening for over 2 decades now. Wei-Shen Chin and Ole Sorenson have been making this great event happen in early December for as long as I've owned my NSX. A great "excuse" to take a little "pre-holiday" vacation and, for many of us, enjoy some Florida weather when it is its best.

NSX WestFest in Las Vegas in the early spring (April) time frame marks a great "kick off" to the NSX "Season" for some of us. Others in SoCal, AZ, and Las Vegas know this as just another great weekend of NSX weather. VEGAS BABY!!!!

The Northeast/NJ "River Run" through the scenic Delaware River Valley. I did one with Don Gallo back in 2003...it is still going strong. This is a nice, one-day event that is typically held in the June time-frame. The scenery in the farms of north Jersey and the Delaware River valley makes for a great time.

NSXpedition is a great weekend put together by Liz and Richard Graves in the Smokey Mountains in eastern TN, western NC. Foothills parkway, Tail of the Dragon, Cherohala Skyway are spectacular drives. Couple that with great food at places like Lakeside Tavern in West Knoxville, and you have a great weekend. Look for that event to happen summer, typically in mid-July.

Then there is the biggest national meet that routinely draws international guests as well...the NSXCA's NSXPO. This rotates each year, and is typically in early October. Although that can change based on where it is being held and things like weather and track/hotel availability. NSXPO 2021 in Portland is in early August. The teams putting together NSXPOs have started to build an NSXPO 20## Facebook Page for sharing information and to let us have discussions about routes to/from, meeting up for the drive, and what we want to do when we're there. The current active group is "NSXPO 2021 Portland Oregon".

Each of these events is different. The smaller events that occur in the same location each year tend to focus more on driving...the NSXPO tends to put most of the "driving" in the HPDE portion of the event. The social portion tends to have a smaller drive each day, but focuses more on the "things to do" in the area...expect more time at museums, restaurants, etc. Also, the NSXPO is a "one price set itinerary" event whereas the other events tend to be more "a la cart" and you can "pick and choose" what events you want an pay as you go. But I recommend doing both and then deciding which works better for you. For me, the road trip to and from the NSXPO is at least half the fun!!!

Finally, if you are in the United States or Canada, JOIN NSXCA!!!!

Congratulations on joining a special group of people: NSX Owners and Enthusiasts!!!
 

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can't forget John Vassos...
 
...He has been a fixture in the nsx scene since as long as I'm an owner..24 years. He ran the service at a big Wisconsin dealer and has been indy for some years now. He has brought his service team to at least 2 xpos and did amazing work to keep everyone on track....although he has more hair than me and is taller I would say I'm still better looking.... http://www.asterimotorsports.com/
 
Team work makes the earth dream work....
 
This is incredible. Thank you so much for compiling and sharing this. Bookmarked!
 
another shop well known in New England is Mitch at Mechanics Direct..
 
...He has been a fixture in the nsx scene since as long as I'm an owner..24 years. He ran the service at a big Wisconsin dealer and has been indy for some years now. He has brought his service team to at least 2 xpos and did amazing work to keep everyone on track....although he has more hair than me and is taller I would say I'm still better looking.... http://www.asterimotorsports.com/

+1 for adding John Vasos to the list - an excellent Midwest resource.

A couple other names I have found helpful - MexiRicer, nsx_n00b, the Streeters and nsxnemo have all helped a ton over the past few years, and McDork's Zanardi Prototype restomod thread has been quite the wealth of information. Recently, I've been following MotorMouth93's build thread closely and learning a lot.

Thanks for adding this - a great Prime resource that all new owners should take a look over at some point.
 
I don't know that I'd be willing to give myself credit as a "whisperer" in that company, I just happen to have experienced most ways you can break an NSX, lol.

Some omissions I noted / Nominations I'd propose:
  • Billy Johnson (aka stuntman) for NSX setup and "driver mod" expertise. Not sure there are any/many people this side of the Pacific that have the same seat-time/talent combination in a *street* NSX.
  • Barney Demonbreun is a mechanical wizard, one of the OG factory techs. Last I checked he wasn't wrenching for hire anymore, but I'd wager the guy could field strip a C series in his sleep.
  • Shad Huntley / Driving Ambition serious expert and trusted shop respectively
 
R13 (Richard) - will add those to the list. I would also like to add your event that you were struggling to find a name for that was a "tour de force" of the Great Smokey Mountains just east of Knoxville. I like "Great Smokey Mountain Mayhem" or "Great Smokey Mountain Madness"...but I'll defer to what you have landed on.

I plugged Driving Ambition and Shad as a shop...I'll add him to the "list of whisperers" along with Billy Johnson. I haven't seen Barney post on any of the Facebook sites...is he active. I'm trying to highlight those people that, when they post, I really pay attention to. Just so many names, some slip my mind. But I've read all of Shad's and Billy's posts closely...which is the criteria for getting on that list.
 
Lol, "NSXpedition" is the Smokey Mountain event (Annually plague-permitting). I've seen Barney (Barn Man on Prime) answer some direction questions etc. so he's around, but I wouldn't call him "active".
 
When is the target date for NSXpedition and what does a "nominal" event consist of...I know the foothills parkway and the Tail of the Dragon are on the drive list...

I'll add Barney since there is a NSX Prime username to go with him so people could try a message.
 
Richard - found the NSX Driver with Liz's story on NSXpedition from 2019. Pulled info from that. Mid-summer is a great time to do that event. Also added in the Northeast/NJ River Run that was started back in the late 90s/early 2000s by Don Gallo iirc (I think it was Don's house in Princeton, NJ that I was at back in 03) and has continued since.
 
And where would we be without the great Ken Sax? Always here to answer questions and help out.
 
I need to add Ken Sax as well as a few other people. I originally was pulling the list from a discussion focusing on the "wrenchers." I have realized I need to expand my "NSX Whisperers" to include the "people who know people" (i.e., really know their way around the community) and to include NSX owners with a lot of seat time with various setups (even if they didn't do the wrenching)...somebody with thousands of miles on BC coil overs as well as KW's and OEM can offer a lot even if they have no idea how the mechanic actually installed them.

I have a few more vendors I need to add:

Kuya Automotive
T3TEC
A-S Motorsport
Pride
Ultimate Cupholders (best cupholder I've found given that the NSX, at best, has a crappy cup holder)

I'll probably stay away from DownForce, Marga Hills, RFY, Route-KS as specific vendors as their products are sold by ScienceofSpeed, MITA, and other vendors

I'll also try and pull websites/Facebook pages for the Carbon Fiber vendors I have mentioned already...

I know there is ALWAYS somebody I'll miss. Not intentionally, just I sometimes can't remember every "NSX Whisperer" in a given sitting.

I appreciate the backup and "nominations" for shops, vendors, "NSX Whisperers", drives/events from other long-time NSX community members and owners. No pride in ownership here - the ultimate goal is to capture as much of the knowledge that would help a new owner (and maybe some not-so-new owners) navigate the "who's who" for these topics. DIY/troubleshooting is whole another discussion. We can spend days just on "My NSX won't start...what could it be?"
 
Also, if you see your name on the list of "NSX Whisperers" and I don't have your NSX Prime user name, please let me know. This allows people to cross-reference NSX Prime users to Facebook posters...before I started this thread a few days ago, I know Paul Parisi was "Honcho" but I didn't know Spencer Laurino was "NSX_n00b" or Robert Richardson was "neuronbob." (those are just examples, I know RSO and R13 as well...)

It really helps me put a name to a handle to a face if I've met you .
 
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Great thread Steve- thank you for posting this. All new owners should start here. Let's keep updating the info as we go. In Colorado, the place to go right now is Mestas Auto in Peyton, CO. Paul Z. is a factory-trained NSX master tech (spent decades at Pikes Peak Acura) and can do pretty much anything, including servicing the Comptech supercharger system.
 
Honcho - I'll add Mestas Auto to the shop list. I think getting a good list of independent shops that know their way around an NSX is going to be more and more important as the factory trained techs at the dealerships dwindle away.
 
Also, if you're looking for a great and affordable shop in the NY/NJ/PA area, look no further than GT Automotive based in Edison, New Jersey. The shop is owned by Kun, prior to that it was owned by longtime NSX owner and NSXCA member Bill Gill. Super knowledgeable and outstanding work. It's normal to have 4 or 5 NSXs there at any given time. He's the only person I'll let work on my cars and I'm super picky
 
Great thread!!
H-
 
Also, if you see your name on the list of "NSX Whisperers" and I don't have your NSX Prime user name, please let me know. This allows people to cross-reference NSX Prime users to Facebook posters...before I started this thread a few days ago, I know Paul Parisi was "Honcho" but I didn't know Spencer Laurino was "NSX_n00b" or Robert Richardson was "neuronbob." (those are just examples, I know RSO and R13 as well...)

It really helps me put a name to a handle to a face if I've met you .

Joe Guttieri nsxspdfreak - HVAC Unit Refresh Exchange Program and HVAC Refresh DIY Kits; Arc-Light LED tail light installation and tail light housing repairs; Coming 2021- Profile Pivot Switchback DRL/Sequential LED turn signal conversions.
 
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I really have to give a thumbs up to Tim Poliniak of oemacuraparts.cam fame....I'm usually very skeptical of any .com websites ..but he is very responsive, hands on, super helpful, and just very knowledgeable with all parts nsx...great resource as we transition to classic car status..
 
I can't agree more about Tim Poliniak. He is where I start any NSX scavenger hunt (part search). The last one was to replace the rear center speaker panel. We determined that the 1993 part would fit in my 1991. Not only does Tim know where any part can be gotten in the US but he has resources outside of the country for potential part acquisition.
 
[MENTION=4282]docjohn[/MENTION] and [MENTION=31515]Kenwould[/MENTION] - I put it in my write-up, but for those who are NSXCA members, Tim at oemacuraparts.com will "work the numbers" with the shipping department to get you free shipping on orders over $50. I think there is a $2 handling fee, but free shipping does add up. I effectively get Tim to pay most, if not all, of my NSXCA membership dues each year...
 
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