Too late to start modifying a stock NSX?

[DKG]

Hey all, I lurk here a lot but don't post much. I purchased a completely stock 1992 NSX from my father a little over 3 years ago and had all the outstanding maintenance items like the timing belt/water pump replaced (they were original). Over the last 3 years I also replaced the coolant tank (cracked) with an SOS tank and replaced the ignition switch, which was going bad. Other than the SOS tank, it is completely stock. When I purchased the vehicle I planned to keep it that way and enjoy it. Now, my mind is wandering to things like suspension upgrades, exhaust, wheels, NSX-R spoilers, etc. Nothing that would cause permanent damage and can't be easily reversed.

I guess I am wondering if it's too late to start the journey of modifying a stock NSX. I can devote some resources to this but it won't be an overnight project. I think once I start down this path I will be constantly making additions/changes and I worry about parts availability down the road. Reading the forums, there are already some aftermarket parts that are no longer available and I suspect that trend will continue as these cars age. Anybody have thoughts on this?

Also, in case anyone suggests selling my current NSX and buying another that has already been modified that is not an option. The one I have now has sentimental value, and if I sell it I won't be getting into another NSX.

Appreciate any input.

David

 

[03 raw nsx]

It's never too late to mod. And of course we never want to cause any damage .
NSX Prime is a great searchable resource for the NSX and FaceBook is the second source I would use. Good Luck

Rich

 

[JLCoolman]

Never.

Do what your heart desires!

 

[Lude_2_NSX]

It's never too "late" to modify a car to your liking. My advice, always try and leave the option to go back to stock. Styles come and go, and future owners may not have the same taste as you. Otherwise, enjoy putting the time in, it will make ownership that much more rewarding.

 

[The King]

Do what makes you happy. I spent my teens and early twenties doing all kinds of mods on my first gen Accord. Turned out great in the end, but there was a fair bit of trial and error along the way. At one point I added up what I had sunk in the car, and it wasn't pretty. I vowed that the next time I wanted a fun good handling car, I would buy one that came that way, and keep it stock. That car came quite aways down the road. Work, kids etc. It was my 2000 S2000 which I still have. A couple of Honda accessories is all that I added. It has a grand total of 44000 km when I tucked it away this month.

Same deal with the NSX. I got it eight years ago with 9000 miles on the clock. Didn't quite crack 19K this fall. Would have got there, but finally bit the bullet and got a new hip two weeks ago. Both of these cars are entertaining enough for me in stock form, But I do keep a close eye on what you young fellers are doing to your rides. My wife thinks I spend plenty keeping tires on these "toys".

 

[nis350]

great suggestion.

It's never too "late" to modify a car to your liking. My advice, always try and leave the option to go back to stock. Styles come and go, and future owners may not have the same taste as you. Otherwise, enjoy putting the time in, it will make ownership that much more rewarding.

 

[goldNSX]

If it's only wheels, suspension, exhaust I'd go for it if you want to have a little bit of variety in NSX ownership.
Your shocks might ask you for a replacement some time in the near future. Why not substitute it with a quality aftermarket suspension?

I'd hesitate to change the body/shape of the car as it's 'all or nothing'.

You're right about the itch of constantly making changes to it as soon as you've started to modifiy it (been there, done that). This website and the parts availability played an very active role back then. Years later, I could live with what the car came with when I bought it 2001 plus some minor mods (wheels, suspension, exhaust, but nothing more).

No offense, but my observation is that people tend to butcher their very first car with mods. It's a try and error, so better to do that on another (cheaper) car.

 

[DKG]

It's never too "late" to modify a car to your liking. My advice, always try and leave the option to go back to stock. Styles come and go, and future owners may not have the same taste as you. Otherwise, enjoy putting the time in, it will make ownership that much more rewarding.

Yeah, definitely want to do things that are reversible and keep all the old parts and make sure it can return to stock.

 

[DKG]

If it's only wheels, suspension, exhaust I'd go for it if you want to have a little bit of variety in NSX ownership.
Your shocks might ask you for a replacement some time in the near future. Why not substitute it with a quality aftermarket suspension?

I'd hesitate to change the body/shape of the car as it's 'all or nothing'.

You're right about the itch of constantly making changes to it as soon as you've started to modifiy it (been there, done that). This website and the parts availability played an very active role back then. Years later, I could live with what the car came with when I bought it 2001 plus some minor mods (wheels, suspension, exhaust, but nothing more).

No offense, but my observation is that people tend to butcher their very first car with mods. It's a try and error, so better to do that on another (cheaper) car.

Yeah, I definitely want to be careful not to butcher it. When I was younger I had an Integra GSR that I modified and at times it was a bit of a hot mess. Don't want to go down that road this time!

Also, appreciate all the input from everyone!

 

[NSX_n00b]

Yeah, I definitely want to be careful not to butcher it. When I was younger I had an Integra GSR that I modified and at times it was a bit of a hot mess. Don't want to go down that road this time!

Also, appreciate all the input from everyone!

You should look at joining the CO Owners Group on FB as well. There are always parts exchanged there that don't make it to Prime or the Facebook OG because guys don't want to deal with shipping and always plenty of guys willing to lend a hand to help.

 

[RYU]

I'll throw out my $0.02...

I'm not sure how well defined your sportscar vocabulary is. Mine isn't very robust but over the years i've driven several cars and it has allowed me to realize what the NSX can do and cannot do. This will help to NOT go down the rabbit hole of mods for the NSX. Turo.com is a great option for this or as someone suggested, visit a car meet. We all have different priorities.. show cars vs. drivers cars vs track cars. Most of us who modify probably falls somewhere in between.

I'm actually pretty surprised that the owners here have refrained from saying, do this suspension mod, or do this engine mod. Good job guys! haha.. I had to exercise restraint myself.

Where I feel we can be the most helpful is for you to express what about the car you want to improve (e.g. reliability, power, sound, handling, road-holding, etc). Once you point us in the right way we can better assist. We're all different, there's no one mod that works for everyone. The one thing you've got going for you... the NSX is STILL a great chassis to modify. It was so good from the get-go it still remains fairly competitive today in terms of fun and driving enjoyment.

 

[DKG]

You should look at joining the CO Owners Group on FB as well. There are always parts exchanged there that don't make it to Prime or the Facebook OG because guys don't want to deal with shipping and always plenty of guys willing to lend a hand to help.

I will definitely check them out, thanks for the tip!

 

[DKG]

I'll throw out my $0.02...

I'm not sure how well defined your sportscar vocabulary is. Mine isn't very robust but over the years i've driven several cars and it has allowed me to realize what the NSX can do and cannot do. This will help to NOT go down the rabbit hole of mods for the NSX. Turo.com is a great option for this or as someone suggested, visit a car meet. We all have different priorities.. show cars vs. drivers cars vs track cars. Most of us who modify probably falls somewhere in between.

I'm actually pretty surprised that the owners here have refrained from saying, do this suspension mod, or do this engine mod. Good job guys! haha.. I had to exercise restraint myself.

Where I feel we can be the most helpful is for you to express what about the car you want to improve (e.g. reliability, power, sound, handling, road-holding, etc). Once you point us in the right way we can better assist. We're all different, there's no one mod that works for everyone. The one thing you've got going for you... the NSX is STILL a great chassis to modify. It was so good from the get-go it still remains fairly competitive today in terms of fun and driving enjoyment.

Thanks for the words of wisdom. I have a general idea of what I want the car to be like when I'm done, but probably need to spend some time reading on somewhere like Turo and attending some meets. Goal is to get it right the first time, which I know is not always going to happen.

 

[Honcho]

Hey all, I lurk here a lot but don't post much. I purchased a completely stock 1992 NSX from my father a little over 3 years ago and had all the outstanding maintenance items like the timing belt/water pump replaced (they were original). Over the last 3 years I also replaced the coolant tank (cracked) with an SOS tank and replaced the ignition switch, which was going bad. Other than the SOS tank, it is completely stock. When I purchased the vehicle I planned to keep it that way and enjoy it. Now, my mind is wandering to things like suspension upgrades, exhaust, wheels, NSX-R spoilers, etc. Nothing that would cause permanent damage and can't be easily reversed.

I guess I am wondering if it's too late to start the journey of modifying a stock NSX. I can devote some resources to this but it won't be an overnight project. I think once I start down this path I will be constantly making additions/changes and I worry about parts availability down the road. Reading the forums, there are already some aftermarket parts that are no longer available and I suspect that trend will continue as these cars age. Anybody have thoughts on this?

Also, in case anyone suggests selling my current NSX and buying another that has already been modified that is not an option. The one I have now has sentimental value, and if I sell it I won't be getting into another NSX.

Appreciate any input.

David

[MENTION=20915]RYU[/MENTION] is giving you really good advice. The NSX platform is so well-sorted from the factory that you can go all the way to a full race car if that is your goal. I like to think of modding sports car as a spectrum- on one side you have a stock, daily driven car and on the other end you have a full-blown, caged race car. Where you fall on that spectrum depends 100% on how you intend to use the car. So, I agree with Regan that the first question you need to answer is: how do you intend to use the car? Will it be a daily commuter? Will it be a weekend toy that you use instead of your "regular" car? Is it going to be a weekend track toy and sit under a car cover with a trickle charger otherwise? Are you going to race the car competitiively in SCCA/NASA? Each one of those intended uses carries a very different combination of modifications. What's amazing about the NSX is that it can suit all of them quite well!

With that said, a few general thoughts based on my experience with the car:

• A stock, unmodified car with maintenance records is becoming more and more rare. I would be careful with any mods that could upset this important value metric.
• Big rims ruin the driving experience of the NSX. You get such a better sense of what Honda intended with the 15/16 and 16/17 wheels. Big rims also ruin the fenders.
• The NSX engine is an open-deck design with (relatively) high compression cast pistons and small fuel injectors. 3.0 cars (like yours) have paper head gaskets. If you boost this car, you will eventually have problems. Every single person I know with a SC or Turbo NSX has had issues. Starting issues, idling issues, fueling issues, heatsoak issues, head gasket issues, cooling issues, oiling issues and the list goes on. I would think real hard before pulling the trigger on boost for this car. It's not a Mk IV Supra.
• The NSX responds really well to weight reduction. It highlights everything that is great about this car.
• The factory suspensions are really well sorted for most applications. Resist the urge to put complicated adjustable race-spec suspensions on the car, unless you intend to go racing and have access to a race engineer who can tune chassis.
• A good exhaust can really wake up the driving experience of the NSX- most people agree the stock exhaust is too quiet. A bad exhaust will give you vertigo and cause you to start bleeding from the eyes after about 15 min of driving due to the drone around 2,500 rpm.
• One of the safest and most effective ways to add power to a 92 is to install headers.

My 2 cents. YMMV

 

[Ponyboy]

Couldn't read into your post what you would like to improve but bettering a stock early NA1 NSX isn't difficult. Honda provided a basic roadmap through their various options: NA2 cars, NSX Type S, NSX Type R, Zanardi, and all of the various improvements they include. If I were in your position, I'd look seriously at starting with headers, exhaust, short gears, and a 4.23 final.

I'd love to have an NA1 with just those simple mods. The purity in driving experience would be phenomenal.

 

[docjohn]

.also a lighter flywheel gives a sporty feel...

 

[JLCoolman]

Sage advice and wise words of wisdom from @RYU and @Honcho, and everyone else, too.

I'd look seriously at starting with headers, exhaust, short gears, and a 4.23 final.

I'd love to have an NA1 with just those simple mods. The purity in driving experience would be phenomenal.

I've seriously been considering this approach after my return to stock, Shawn.
Simpler is more.

 

[furinax]

My advice is to keep it stock. The car is enjoyable as it is... so enjoy it.

Once you start modding you ask the question "am I happy with this?" and the answer will always be no as long as you have money. Also, there will always be people who disagree with your mods but everyone can agree that stock form is most beautiful.

But yeah, if you have the money and strong tastes, mod it! Just don't go full on rocket-bunny and expect people to be happy with what you did with the car!

 

[DKG]

Appreciate all the insight and suggestions! From all the info above, the one thing I can pretty confidently say is that I don't plan to do any kind of forced induction. While I would enjoy the additional power, I don't want to commit to that large of a change and all that entails.

 

[mwagner10702]

When modifying my 1994, I took the approach of improving areas I believe were under-engineered from the factory either due to cost constraints or regulatory constraints.

1) Engine - the C30A engine is capable of more power but output was restricted as the result of an agreement between the Japanese auto makers and the Japanese government. Since 1989, Japanese automakers have all endorsed—at least on paper—a kind of gentlemen's agreement that limited their advertised horsepower to 276 on domestically produced vehicles. Their primary goal was to avoid a horsepower war in a country where the maximum speed limit is 62 mph. This all changed in 2005 when manufacturers began selling cars with 300+hp engines.

2) Brakes were another area under-engineered by Honda (IMO). Adequate for street use, but when pushed hard let the car's performance down. Honda engineers wanted to maximize interior footwell area and in order to do so needed to use a 15" front wheel. By default this limited the brake disk size and ultimate braking performance.

3) Suspension - Here is an area where Honda put money and effort (and a little help from one Ayrton Senna) which resulted in a wonderful handling package. Honda knew there were gains to be made however and improved handling even more with their revised NSX-R suspension (stiffer springs, revised damper valving, larger sway bars).

I addressed the engine performance with a set of headers (Pride) and high flow cats (Pride). The result was a noticeable improvement in mid-range to high-end power (with no low-end downside). I posted a thread detailing my installation as well as real-world gains through reduced lap times and higher top speeds. Best bang-for-buck upgrade you can make (IMO).

Knowing I was going to track my car I wanted a better braking system. Sure I could have upgraded pads, but that wasn't going to help the thermal issues you see during track sessions. The small rotors can't absorb the higher temps generated at the track without eventually fading or boiling fluid. You can change fluid all you want but you can't change the limited thermal properties of the small 282mm rotors. The 2-pot front calipers are performance limited as well. My solution was to install a Stoptech BBK. 328mm disks with large 4 pistion calipers (both front and rear) take brake performance to the next level. Thermal characteristics are greatly improved and I've never experienced fade or boiled fluid no matter how hard I push the car or how hot the ambient temperatures are. Pedal feel and linear braking response is incredible. At current HP levels I probably have more brake performance than I can leverage and I am using the pads Stoptech ships with their kit. Of course this did require a wheel / tire upgrade. Larger tires = more grip.

Moving on to the suspension I went through several iterations of springs and dampers before settling on a solution that balances a reasonably compliant street ride with the ability to tune the suspension (via a quick change to both rebound and compression settings) to my local track. I ended up installing a suspension setup from MCS using spring rates close to the 2002+ NSX-R (550lb front and 450lb rear) along with an NSX-R front sway bar and Zanardi rear bar. While on their own these spring rates would be too high for general street use, however paired with the dampers MCS engineered for the NSX provides a firm but compliant ride around town. Way better than a factory NSX-R setup.

I'd like to think if Honda were to re-issue the NA1 NSX they might incorporate headers, larger brake solution and a high performance suspension system to the original platform preserving the original design, which BTW is so timeless (take a look at a similar vintage Ferrari 328 or 348 - so dated).

Lastly I fitted a carbon fiber vented hood and carbon fiber NSX-R rear spoiler - just because.

 

[RYU]

Appreciate all the insight and suggestions! From all the info above, the one thing I can pretty confidently say is that I don't plan to do any kind of forced induction. While I would enjoy the additional power, I don't want to commit to that large of a change and all that entails.

Perhaps I can offer up a "road map" of sorts. Allow me to present the last rendition of the amazing NSX-R. Driven by one of my favorite journalist, Jethro Bovington. He even gives honest feedback on the standard NA1 NSX, which I agree with.

https://youtu.be/XcD1To6vsAo

Full disclosure: The NSX-R isn't perfect. I've been on those R dampers - they are much TOO STIFF for most American roads. I also prefer a bit quicker steering (which thankfully we now have options for)

 

[mwagner10702]

So here is what I got out of the video (besides seeing some guy hooning a rare and expensive NA2 NSX-R around the track):

1) Engine performance. While the NA2 3.2L had 290whp, a 3.0L engine with headers can achieve that (or very close to that) as well. Headers are the first improvement I would recommend an owner doing.

2) Gearbox. The Type-R gearbox was a definite improvement with its improved (closer) ratios (better acceleration) and the added final gear helped improve fuel economy and lower engine RPMs. While completely subjective, due to cost of upgrading to a 6-speed gearbox the bang-for-buck factor is not fully realized. I'd make other upgrades before even considering a gearbox swap.

3) Suspension. The NA2 NSX-R is so track focused it is not wholly practical for the street. I would agree that in its original spec it is too stiff for most US roads. However, choosing a high performance damper (not talking about Bilsteins here) the harshness of the high NSX-R spring rates can be overcome to deliver a reasonable ride on US roads with the added benefit of outperforming the original NA2 NSX-R suspension on the track. In order of magnitude this would be the second upgrade I would recommend. Plus you don't need to change wheel sizes and as many have offered up the opinion that the original 15/16 wheels were ideal for the car providing the best ride and handling performance. Unfortunately high performance dampers are expensive and oftentimes beyond what the average owner can afford. Still, this would be my second recommended upgrade.

4) Brakes. The NA2 cars were fitted with larger rotors (298mm front and 303mm rear) so braking performance was improved and larger wheels could be fitted. While the video didn't touch upon brake performance of the NSX-R it didn't look like the track he was on would push the brakes to any great degree. If you're not into spending big dollars on a BBK a budget brake upgrade would include the NA2 rotors and caliper brackets, NA1 caliper (due to its larger piston size over the NA2), removing the backing plates, better brake ducts, some type of high performance pad (i.e. Cobalt Friction, PFC, Carbotech, etc) and high temp brake fluid. 17" wheels would be required though. Unless you are tracking your car (IMO) the stock brakes are adequate for 99% of driving situations.

 

[RYU]

[MENTION=33185]DKG[/MENTION] - see what I mean? It always ends up like the above ^^^

Everyone has opinions on how to properly setup an NSX. It's a rabbit hole. I posted the NSX-R because it's probably the most politically neutral (though not perfect) road map on how to modify an NSX.

 

[docjohn]

don't forget the erbuni body kit.:tongue:....

 

[mwagner10702]

Everyone has opinions on how to properly setup an NSX.

Well, the OP did ask for input . . . .