Hi Eric, I am very familiar with that seller and have actually corresponded with him on various listings on different platforms and been following him for over a year watching him sell on average 2-4 used units per month. In the beginning, by titling his listings as being for NSX and labeling them (
"with deleted TCS" or
"TCS which has poor control has been removed") they were selling upwards of $600-$700USD per unit. Over time the local buying community (and/or overseas proxy buying community) seemed to figure out they were probably S2000 ABS units and the price has gone down to $200 - $300 USD per unit and has remained that way to present day (example
here). There was also a rumor that these units were from retired Honda Racing Teams where they are required to damage or disable a feature on the units before putting them up for sale like removing the TCS, but based on earlier comments about not being able to modify the programming this seems pretty unlikely (meaning the TCS was never there vs. disabled via programming).
The seller you bought from maintains a 99.9% reputation with 750 transactions at Yahoo Japan Auctions (after all he did state there would be no TCS and Japanese used parts are usually in stellar condition due to their strict automotive laws for road worthiness). Looking at the Yahoo listing link you provided it appears to have the req'd 8 tiny holes surrounding the polished cylinder and the partially recessed nipple tip on the end which is consistent with an NSX or S2K unit.
Ex. of the 8 holes/dimples...
Ex. of S2000 ABS unit...
For the sake of comparison, the '05-'06 RSX NISSIN NK8 ABS unit of similar shape only has 4 holes around the cylinder and the nipple tip is fully protruded.
Ex. of RSX unit...
I have yet to see a "B" serial like the one you bought but at this point I suspect your "B" serial is from a S2000 based on your pics and would be consistent with what he's been selling all along (remember his high rating) which will be compatible with your NSX; but as stated in the listing you will have no TCS.
It will work great with a T3TEC harness [
LINK] (about $260 USD) and since you got the ABS for $250, after it's all said and done you could upgrade your ABS brake system for around $1000 if you do the work yourself [
LINK], or closer to $2000-$2500 total if you have someone do the install [ $250 (ABS) + $260 (harness) + $500 (pipes/brackets/bolts/washers/etc. which are readily available parts in the US [
LIST HERE]) + $1000-$1500 install (about 8-10 hrs). Note: again, you will need to unplug the wire harness out of the TCS control unit behind the driver seat because the unit will NOT be receiving signals/data from each wheel sensor which will result in codes/cels being thrown. But once unplugged it will work in basically what would be constant "TCS OFF" mode.
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EDIT: For those wondering what driving the car will be like if you DON'T unplug your TCS when using a S2000 ABS unit:
Delay in Being Able to Move - After starting the car you must not move the car until the TCS light turns on and stays on (can be up to :15 sec) ... this means upon startup waiting through the normal illumination of all of the dash lights turning on, then off, then waiting till the TCS light turns back on and stays lit (i.e. ecu systems check is complete). The ABS light should be off (as long as the harness was wired correctly) and the constant yellow TCS light serves as a reminder that you no longer have this safety feature available. In short, start the car, wait for the TCS light, drive as normal.
What Happens if You Don't Wait - If you don't wait for the systems check to complete and start driving the car
before the TCS light is on and/or try to trick the system by pushing the TCS Off button before the systems check is complete (the button will still function at this point but will soon be disabled), the ECU will initiate "safe mode/limp mode" disabling VTEC and basically limiting you from exceeding 4000-ish rpm. You will then have to pull over, come to a complete stop, turn off the engine, restart, wait through the systems check (up to :15) and finally when the TCS light stays lit can resume your journey.
Leaving TCS plugged in with a S2000 unit introduces unnecessary issues while offering no real benefit, namely: (1) Inconvenience Factor: initial wait time for the TCS light to come back on when you're out and about feels a lot longer (like leaving a store, someone's waiting for your parking spot, you start the car but can't move for :15 sec. (2) Visual Annoyance Factor: constant yellow light on the dash when you don't need to be reminded for the remainder of your ownership you have no TCS. (3) Safety Factor: if you have a situation that requires moving immediately after startup you'll be put in safe mode/limp mode. All of this can be avoided by unplugging the TCS ... i.e. no wait time, no dash light, full car capabilities which is the equivalent to turning TCS Off (which many of us do anyways).
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