Hey everyone! I'm a new owner and I've been lurking around here since buying the car. The forum has been super valuable already!
Here's the car. I haven't taken any great pics yet, so pics courtesy the seller:
I bought this car from BaT in mid May. I had been searching for the right fun car for a couple years, mostly looking at S2000s, E46 M3s, 996 turbos, and thinking about maaaybee splurging for a 996 GT3.
I'm a Honda fanboi at heart. I've had a number of EF Civics and a DA Integra. Many moons ago I spent all of my time and what little money I had on a pretty crappy-looking EF sedan, turning it into a still crappy-looking but locally competitive Street Mod autox car. I made parts for it, I had a couple different junkyard B-series engines in it, I reverse engineered the ECU. I occasionally beat the tube frame prepared cars at autox events (usually the very short courses), I took it to a couple HPDEs and bounced off the revlimiter down the back straight (it went 115; 6500rpm + short gears). It was a lot of fun, and I miss it.
I really wanted an NSX, but everything I saw on the internet seemed too expensive. NSXs also felt a little precious--the kind of thing you keep stock, baby it, and watch it appreciate. I didn't want to spend $50k+ on a stock NSX then let it chill in the garage.
I wanted something I could modify and tinker with. And I would feel _bad_ if I bought a nice stock one then messed with it.
So this one came up, and it was The One (provided it didn't go over my $$ limit!). It felt like it had the right combination of mods, but not "done". It also seemed like there were some factors that weren't crazy difficult to deal with, but might turn other people off and keep the price within reason: registered non op, very loud, and no cats / doesn't pass smog. It isn't perfect, but that makes it so I can tinker with it and feel like I am improving it rather than devaluing it.
It has a lot of aftermarket things already on it, the big chunks being:
* CTSC (9psi) on a motor refreshed by Hilltop Auto and tuned by Driving Ambition
* AEM Series 1 ECU
* Tein Circuit Master RA coilovers
* Dali / brembo front BBK
* Sparco seats & steering wheel + a million gauges inside
* Test pipes (OMG it smells)
I have a couple goals:
* Make it comfortablyish streetable: not so loud and not smelly. I guess I'm old now
* Restore or improve all the old / missing / jank / rusty stuff
* Understand even all the things that have been done to it
* Be able to take it to an occasional track day without worrying about reliability
* Have a outlet for tinkering
Right now, I want to keep this pretty mild. But who knows, build threads can get out of hand. First page is always like "yo, what % tint should I get?", then page 15: "Ok, car made 934hp on pump gas and I finally finished the homemade carbon body panels."
More pics from the seller:
Engine / Exhaust
[x] Install quieter exhaust (SoS endura lite)
[x] Install cats
[x] [maintenance] TB / WP (currently 12 years, 20k miles)
[x] [maintenance] Replace fuel lines & fuel filter
[x] [maintenance] Look into and maybe replace supercharger bypass elbow
[x] Gauge setup for both widebands (GaugeART CAN gauge)
[x] Add a second wideband controller
[x] IAT sensor post blower (turns out the stock sensor is post blower)
[x] Better IAT sensor
[x] [maintenance] Replace crank pulley with new OEM part
[x] Add timing belt shield
[x] [maintenance] Replace LMAs with new Honda springs
[x] Tune it for partial throttle
[x] SoS Big bore throttle body
[x] Tune accel fuel
[x] Upgrade current LSU 4.2 controller to an LSU 4.9 sensor to match new controller
[x] Baffled oil pan (cedar ridge)
[x] New radiator (MASiV)
[x] [maintenance] Replace all coolant hoses
[x] OEM coolant tank with R condom
[x] SoS catch can
[x] Water injection
[x] Route oil pressure sensor to the ECU
[x] Route fuel pressure sensor to the ECU
[x] Oil Temp sensor
[x] Griptec supercharger pulley
[x] High output alternator
[x] Rebuild supercharger
[x] Phenolic plate under supercharger
[x] Replace every rusty bolt and bracket
[x] Delete EGR
[ ] Modern ECU (Link G4x)
[ ] OMG tune it again
[ ] Take it to the dyno for WOT
[ ] Turn on ECU O2 feedback
[ ] Replace clutch mc and slave
Suspension / Chassis
[x] NSX-R front chassis braces
[x] NSX-R front sway bar
[x] Cedar Ridge compliance clamps
[x] [maintenance] New steering rack + new tie rod ends
[x] Quaife short ratio steering rack kit
[x] Cedar Ridge rear toe links
[x] New coilovers (MCS)
[x] Wheel bearings all around
[ ] Alignment
[ ] Get it weighed / corner balanced out of curiosity
[ ] [maybe] Type-S rear sway bar
[ ] Rear beam bushings
Brakes
[x] [bug] New rotors to fix crazy rattle
[x] [maintenance] New brake pads (carbotec)
[x] Upgrade ABS system
[x] Stainless lines (Goodridge)
[ ] Rear bbk
Interior
[x] Lower seat position for driver
[x] Lower seat position for passenger to match driver
[x] Lower driver position even more with short seat pads
[x] [bug] Fix horn: really actually use the steering wheel’s horn button!
[x] [bug] Disable SRS light
[x] [maybe] Lighter seats? Evo2 seats are 26lbs each… (Evo 2 seats actually 17lbs)
[x] Shift boot + e-brake boot
[x] Move gauges around to free up space for a Navpod
[x] Add navpod with RealDash
[x] Remove all gauges
[x] Replace weirdly painted interior pieces (garnishes mostly)
[x] NSX-R pillars and visors
[x] Reupholster ivory hardliner
[ ] Fix super broken knee bolster
[ ] [bug] Fix windows slow rollup with Hugo’s window kit
[ ] [maintenance] Get cluster capacitors fixed
[ ] Replace jank nsxcarpets carpet with OEM black carpet
[ ] New or maybe carbon door panel switch stays
[ ] [maintenance] Get CCU capacitors fixed (was replaced in 2012; punting for a couple years)
[ ] New carbon console
Exterior / Underhood
[x] Replace engine hatch shocks
[x] [bug] Convert to 134a
[x] Replace dumb 40lb battery with Li-ion
[x] [bug] Replace AC compressor, drier, get it charged
[x] Get it detailed so I’m working with a cleanish car
[x] Replace every rusty bolt and bracket, every dirty connector
[ ] Fix faded b-pillars
Wheels / Tires
[x] Thoroughly clean the current wheels
[x] Figure out wheel situation, maybe just rear CE28N 18’s? +28??
[x] New tires (RT660)
[x] Buy 10 sets of wheels I don’t need, ha
Here's the car. I haven't taken any great pics yet, so pics courtesy the seller:
I bought this car from BaT in mid May. I had been searching for the right fun car for a couple years, mostly looking at S2000s, E46 M3s, 996 turbos, and thinking about maaaybee splurging for a 996 GT3.
I'm a Honda fanboi at heart. I've had a number of EF Civics and a DA Integra. Many moons ago I spent all of my time and what little money I had on a pretty crappy-looking EF sedan, turning it into a still crappy-looking but locally competitive Street Mod autox car. I made parts for it, I had a couple different junkyard B-series engines in it, I reverse engineered the ECU. I occasionally beat the tube frame prepared cars at autox events (usually the very short courses), I took it to a couple HPDEs and bounced off the revlimiter down the back straight (it went 115; 6500rpm + short gears). It was a lot of fun, and I miss it.
I really wanted an NSX, but everything I saw on the internet seemed too expensive. NSXs also felt a little precious--the kind of thing you keep stock, baby it, and watch it appreciate. I didn't want to spend $50k+ on a stock NSX then let it chill in the garage.
I wanted something I could modify and tinker with. And I would feel _bad_ if I bought a nice stock one then messed with it.
So this one came up, and it was The One (provided it didn't go over my $$ limit!). It felt like it had the right combination of mods, but not "done". It also seemed like there were some factors that weren't crazy difficult to deal with, but might turn other people off and keep the price within reason: registered non op, very loud, and no cats / doesn't pass smog. It isn't perfect, but that makes it so I can tinker with it and feel like I am improving it rather than devaluing it.
It has a lot of aftermarket things already on it, the big chunks being:
* CTSC (9psi) on a motor refreshed by Hilltop Auto and tuned by Driving Ambition
* AEM Series 1 ECU
* Tein Circuit Master RA coilovers
* Dali / brembo front BBK
* Sparco seats & steering wheel + a million gauges inside
* Test pipes (OMG it smells)
I have a couple goals:
* Make it comfortablyish streetable: not so loud and not smelly. I guess I'm old now
* Restore or improve all the old / missing / jank / rusty stuff
* Understand even all the things that have been done to it
* Be able to take it to an occasional track day without worrying about reliability
* Have a outlet for tinkering
Right now, I want to keep this pretty mild. But who knows, build threads can get out of hand. First page is always like "yo, what % tint should I get?", then page 15: "Ok, car made 934hp on pump gas and I finally finished the homemade carbon body panels."
More pics from the seller:
Engine / Exhaust
[x] Install quieter exhaust (SoS endura lite)
[x] Install cats
[x] [maintenance] TB / WP (currently 12 years, 20k miles)
[x] [maintenance] Replace fuel lines & fuel filter
[x] [maintenance] Look into and maybe replace supercharger bypass elbow
[x] Gauge setup for both widebands (GaugeART CAN gauge)
[x] Add a second wideband controller
[x] IAT sensor post blower (turns out the stock sensor is post blower)
[x] Better IAT sensor
[x] [maintenance] Replace crank pulley with new OEM part
[x] Add timing belt shield
[x] [maintenance] Replace LMAs with new Honda springs
[x] Tune it for partial throttle
[x] SoS Big bore throttle body
[x] Tune accel fuel
[x] Upgrade current LSU 4.2 controller to an LSU 4.9 sensor to match new controller
[x] Baffled oil pan (cedar ridge)
[x] New radiator (MASiV)
[x] [maintenance] Replace all coolant hoses
[x] OEM coolant tank with R condom
[x] SoS catch can
[x] Water injection
[x] Route oil pressure sensor to the ECU
[x] Route fuel pressure sensor to the ECU
[x] Oil Temp sensor
[x] Griptec supercharger pulley
[x] High output alternator
[x] Rebuild supercharger
[x] Phenolic plate under supercharger
[x] Replace every rusty bolt and bracket
[x] Delete EGR
[ ] Modern ECU (Link G4x)
[ ] OMG tune it again
[ ] Take it to the dyno for WOT
[ ] Turn on ECU O2 feedback
[ ] Replace clutch mc and slave
Suspension / Chassis
[x] NSX-R front chassis braces
[x] NSX-R front sway bar
[x] Cedar Ridge compliance clamps
[x] [maintenance] New steering rack + new tie rod ends
[x] Quaife short ratio steering rack kit
[x] Cedar Ridge rear toe links
[x] New coilovers (MCS)
[x] Wheel bearings all around
[ ] Alignment
[ ] Get it weighed / corner balanced out of curiosity
[ ] [maybe] Type-S rear sway bar
[ ] Rear beam bushings
Brakes
[x] [bug] New rotors to fix crazy rattle
[x] [maintenance] New brake pads (carbotec)
[x] Upgrade ABS system
[x] Stainless lines (Goodridge)
[ ] Rear bbk
Interior
[x] Lower seat position for driver
[x] Lower seat position for passenger to match driver
[x] Lower driver position even more with short seat pads
[x] [bug] Fix horn: really actually use the steering wheel’s horn button!
[x] [bug] Disable SRS light
[x] [maybe] Lighter seats? Evo2 seats are 26lbs each… (Evo 2 seats actually 17lbs)
[x] Shift boot + e-brake boot
[x] Move gauges around to free up space for a Navpod
[x] Add navpod with RealDash
[x] Remove all gauges
[x] Replace weirdly painted interior pieces (garnishes mostly)
[x] NSX-R pillars and visors
[x] Reupholster ivory hardliner
[ ] Fix super broken knee bolster
[ ] [bug] Fix windows slow rollup with Hugo’s window kit
[ ] [maintenance] Get cluster capacitors fixed
[ ] Replace jank nsxcarpets carpet with OEM black carpet
[ ] New or maybe carbon door panel switch stays
[ ] [maintenance] Get CCU capacitors fixed (was replaced in 2012; punting for a couple years)
[ ] New carbon console
Exterior / Underhood
[x] Replace engine hatch shocks
[x] [bug] Convert to 134a
[x] Replace dumb 40lb battery with Li-ion
[x] [bug] Replace AC compressor, drier, get it charged
[x] Get it detailed so I’m working with a cleanish car
[x] Replace every rusty bolt and bracket, every dirty connector
[ ] Fix faded b-pillars
Wheels / Tires
[x] Thoroughly clean the current wheels
[x] Figure out wheel situation, maybe just rear CE28N 18’s? +28??
[x] New tires (RT660)
[x] Buy 10 sets of wheels I don’t need, ha
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