------ Looks like I wanted to build a track car. It's so funny I don't even remember that!---------
NSX-R Conversion Options
Hi everyone-
I'm new to the forum and wanted to gather some opinions about a NSX project I'm considering starting. I've been lurking the past few weeks using the search button and the wiki and figured it was time to start asking questions from the very knowledgable folks here. A bit of background on me - father is Solo II and road course racer going back to the late 70's. Been building and racing cars with him since I was 15. His current project is a Ford 302-powered Miata, which I'm sure will be a beast, but I kind of want to go in my own direction at this point.
I've always been a fan of the Honda/Acura product line and my last 3 cars have been from that line (88 Accord Lxi - college/law school beater, 04 Accord Coupe 6MT - wow, 07 TSX 5AT/navi) Now that I'm starting to get settled in my career, I'm looking to start my own track car project. Naturally, I want it to be a Honda! And when I think Honda performance, I immediately think NSX. =)
I'm probably at least a year away from the green flag, but I wanted to start gathering info now because I've learned from past projects that if you want less headaches later, do your homework early! Some starting ground rules:
1. Car will spend most of its time on track, but should be able to be driven on street.
2. Because of
#1 , luxuries and accessories don't really matter to me (i.e., A/C, stereo, power accessories, etc)
3. Powertrain needs to remain reliable, both to preserve the "Honda" character, and live comfortably on the track
4. I'm not looking to build an Enzo-killer. I'd like to see F355/360 level track performance out of it if possible...
So after lurking for a while, I've settled on the idea of an NSX-R conversion. The R is very close to what I'm after performance-wise, although a bit more hp might be nice... And, I love the look of it. Clearly, I can't afford a real one. After spending a few days on Science-of-Speed's website, I discovered a conversion is possible. Then, I checked here and saw some incredible works of art by the members...other than the LHD, you would never know!
So, the basic plan is to by a regular coupe (for rigidity/weight), put it on a diet, slap on the NSX-R cosmetics, juice the engine up a bit, and hit the track! (boy that sounds so simple...wish it was) But, it looks like I have many options:
Donor Car:
1. Find a well-maintained 1991-95 coupe. Problems: Since I'm going to hack it up, rip out most of the interior, and refurbish/tune the engine, it seems like kind of a waste of money, since much of that well-maintained stuff will end up on my garage floor. Also, I feel kind of bad chopping up a nice example of a classic, rare car.
2. Find a trashed/salvage 1991-95 coupe. Preferably with only front-end damage (or perhaps rolled?), since I'm replacing the hood, bumper, lip, headlights and painting the thing anyway. New fenders are ~$850 each from Acura. Ideally, an otherwise pristine example driven by some kid who wants to play fast-and-furious on the interstate and ends up kissing a guardrail or ditch. Problems: Well, it's salvage. The damage may be beyond cosmetic. If the front suspension is off, it could mean an expensive fix. Also, the frame could be bent or fatigued - certain doom on the track if it comes apart under hard load (happened to dad on the track - he's lucky to have only broken a finger!). I've never worked with aluminum before...do the NSX unibodies typically suffer these issues in front impacts? Do frame twisters even work on aluminum (i.e., is it fixable)? Still, the lure of a cheap frame/powertrain means I could divert my money to the conversion instead of the donor car.
3. Find a 97-01 NSX-T. I get the 3.2 and the 6MT. Problems: I'll have extra pounds to get rid of and less rigidity to boot. Cost is an issue too, especially since I'll still have to do the conversion. The general consensus here seems to be the 3.2 and 6MT aren't really worth the extra dollars.
4. Find an 02+ NSX-T. Cost plus NSX-R conversion cost puts it out of my range.
So, right now I'm leaning toward
#1 or
#2 . Any thoughts/comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I do have a question about the tranny though - would it be better from a track standpoint (on the NA1) to do the 5MT with the JDM gears and NSX-R final drive, or just get a 6MT w/ NSX-R final drive? Or is it pretty much a wash?
Thanks in advance for your help. Sorry for the long post!
