A Few Questions
- Thread starter Christian
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Welcome to Prime!
1st question - very reliable. We have owners up in the high 100K mark and others who daily drive their NSX's in all weather conditions. Its a Honda and generally Honda's last a long while if you keep up with regular maintenance and servicing. Note: that I own a 1991 NSX with 65,xxx miles and she still feels fantastic every single time I drive her - no sqeaks, rattles, etc.
2nd question - I prefer naturally aspirated engines as that's all I've ever owned and having lot's of buddies with EVO's, STi's, etc all boosted via SC's or Turbos they are always having to adjust something or in for service. Go with a set of Short Gears and Exhaust and it will be fine. I like it and happy with it for reliability sake...
1st question - very reliable. We have owners up in the high 100K mark and others who daily drive their NSX's in all weather conditions. Its a Honda and generally Honda's last a long while if you keep up with regular maintenance and servicing. Note: that I own a 1991 NSX with 65,xxx miles and she still feels fantastic every single time I drive her - no sqeaks, rattles, etc.
2nd question - I prefer naturally aspirated engines as that's all I've ever owned and having lot's of buddies with EVO's, STi's, etc all boosted via SC's or Turbos they are always having to adjust something or in for service. Go with a set of Short Gears and Exhaust and it will be fine. I like it and happy with it for reliability sake...
After riding in several boosted NSX cars I have to say that is the way to go. The Turbos do require some more adjusting but they are sweet to ride in. My buddy has the FX500 kit and it is sick!
The naturally aspirated cars are still nice but by today's standards they are a tad slow.
The naturally aspirated cars are still nice but by today's standards they are a tad slow.
The NSX is as reliable as any other Honda.
My NSX averages about 22.5 miles per gallon or about 9.5 km/L. I routinely get nearly 30 mpg on long highway drives.
The most common and most reliable method of forced induction for the NSX is supercharging. The cost of a reliable supercharger is anywhere from $5,500-$8,000. With most low-boost setups (+50-70 hp) standalone engine management is not necessary. For high-boost applications (70+ hp) it is highly recommended. The most common and reliable unit for the NSX is the Comptech S/C. Most owners are extremely happy with the results and many units have run for 50K+ miles with no issues. Most superchargers generate anywhere from 50-70 hp (low-boost) to 75-150 hp (high-boost). There aren't too many superchargers generating more than about 175 hp.
Turbos have the potential to create much more power than supercharging can but are generally much less reliable and can be more expensive. If done properly by techs who know what they're doing they can be safe and reliable but there are only a few turbo units and a few techs who I would entrust this task to. Factor X is one of them; Lovefab makes a turbo unit that has proven successful. There are only a handful of people in the country who I would let near my NSX with a turbo unit. It's not uncommon to see gains of well over 250 hp with turbos.
The final option for more power is to rebuild the motor with a stroker package increasing displacement to 3.3L, 3.5L or 3.8L. For those who want the most linear power possible with the most low-end torque this can be the most ideal option. The cost is slightly more than most FI packages however your engine is completely rebuilt during the process which might be worth the extra cost itself. Those packages run anywhere from about $10,000-$16,000 including engine parts and labor only. The stroker engines are not common but I have not heard any horror stories yet. However unlike a Comptech SC it's long-term reliability has yet to be determined. The 3.8L stroker engine generates about 100hp over stock.
Also, all the approximate prices above do not include the supporting mods which are necessary before proceeding with said power mods such as aftermarket headers and exhaust. There are also other mods which can add to the efficiency of the turbo, SC or stroker motors such as performance valves/springs, a big-bore throttle body or big-bore intake manifold.
The only upgrade to the rest of the car I'd strongly recommend with any of the power mods mentioned above is a more durable clutch. The OEM clutch can handle quite a bit more power without slipping but its lifespan will be drastically reduced by such a significant power gain.
And if you're going to be tracking an FI NSX you're most likely going to experience fading with the stock brake pads. There are many good aftermarket pads which will help prevent that. The stock calipers and rotors are very efficient and don't necessarily need upgrading unless your skill level dictates that. Only ever use high-performance brake fluid though.
As a Canadian I appreciate the metric conversion. You may or may not be aware that in Canada, fuel consumption figures are expressed in L/100km. Yes, I think that's odd too. The Ministry of Natural Resources lists the manual transmission 1995 NSX (no older data available) as getting 12.9L/100km city and 9.0L/100km highway (or 22/31 in mpg).
In case you were interested
Hehe...I should know but think it has something to do with the transmission and was only on 1991 - 1992 cars. In the Wikipedia on this site you can go thru the pages and search for the snap ring issue as it will tell you what transmission numbers were affected:
http://www.nsxprime.com/wiki/Special:Allpages
Correct me if I'm mistaken anyone...
http://www.nsxprime.com/wiki/Special:Allpages
Correct me if I'm mistaken anyone...
I would not be so concerned with snap ring as most are already fixed under warranty, or repaired or never will fail.
It is important to note, however, that the problem does not exist on all transmissions in this range. The range simply identifies transmissions which may have the problem.
http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/Troubleshooting/Troubleshooting.htm
Christian, a Honda is reliable but like any car it will requires care. If you take the car to a dealer you will pay for labor almost the same as my BMW rates. Parts are also expensive ofcourse not like a Ferrari. Some ball park figures on 91 at the dealer.
1. A/C evaporator with Labor $3000
2. Timing belt, water pump, thermostate, accessory belts $1850
3. Clutch $1750 release bearing included with labor $3000(NA2 $4k)
4. Window regulator $150 with labor $550
4. Suspension OEM $1000 not including labor
5. Bose amplifiers all of them $1000
6. Trunk hangers/struts $125 DIY
7. Cd changer New $550
If you have an experienced Nsx local tech these rates with drop by some 35%and some savings on parts. Make sure you buy one with "all" records as these costs will add up fast. Most NSX owners are picky and know exactly what they want records is key. The good news is a 91 just went up in value $8k in NADA and will continue to appreciate as supply has dropped for original cars and demand is on the rise as people graduate from domestics and saloons.
Have fun in your pursuit. :smile:
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