Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R JH4NA21632T000186

Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

For unknown reasons, I've been getting increasing inquiries for sale or even trade, if possible. As for sale, when and if someone really needs to have an NSX-R on steroids, they know where to find such a car.

I hadn't originally thought of a trade, but yes, I'm always interested in my next car...though I suspect that we won't find too many folks looking to trade my better-than-new NSX-RR for their needs-some-TLC Dino 246GTS :) But there you go. That's the trade.

For a long time, I lusted after a F360/CS (TDF Blue/Red seats). And their prices are now within ~$175K. So I thought that selling/trading an NSX-RR and adding a few dollars would get me into a CS.

Then I drove one.

OK, that soundtrack is like nothing else we've ever heard. BUT. Even stripped, it weighs about 3,000lbs -- more than my NSX-RR. And, it has about 425HP, the same as this NSX-RR. Plus, a CS is a real handful to drive more 30 minutes. Whereas this NSX-RR could be driven across country, without issue. Hey, did I just talk myself out of a trade for a CS? Probably. This NSX-RR is the CS version Honda should have built. But that's a broken record on this forum.

Currently upgrading the NSX-R carpets and mats to the new product stuff offered from Tom, at MovIt. He saw my NSX-RR and didn't like the old product I had bought and installed years ago. True to his nature, Tom is replacing the old stuff for the new product, at his expense. Wow. He says it will fit a lot better...and make the car go a little bit quicker. JK.

Jon and I agree that its done, for now. Mitch (Master AEM tuner) put the final touches on the new tune after we added DC headers plus made-to-order free flowing cats. Jon says this new tune plus new go-fast parts really helped her breath, adding a whopping 30HP to the motor. I say its actually 31HP. See, Jon's and my motors are unique -- the only 2 of their kind -- and his and mine are identical...except I need +1HP more than him so that I can claim superiority. Sorry Jon. Maybe I'll resort to dyno testing my motor, in Canada, in the middle of their winter.

Finally...arranging transport back to South Florida.

Will post videos and new photos then.
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

absolutely amazing, and now, it's even MORE powerful. i can't wait to see media on this car. congratulations on creating a one-of-a-kind beast that will last for a long long time to come.
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

I am going to miss seeing your car Anil :frown:, but I am glad at least I got to see it in person. :smile:

Congrats on the car and I hope there will be videos and clips on your car soon.

By the way so are you saying that the CS and your NSX-RR are equal in speed and power or does one feel faster than the other?
 
Last edited:
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

serialNSXer said:
... And, it has about 425HP, the same as this NSX-RR.

... Mitch (Master AEM tuner) put the final touches on the new tune...
Click to expand...

Was your AEM tuned on the road or on a dyno? If on a dyno, do you know whose dyno and what the rwhp figures for your car were? If you’re getting 370 rwhp (about 425 crank hp) on a dyno that shows 235 rwhp for a stock NA1 and 250 rwhp for a stock NA2, then I have to bow down before your engine.
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

Anil...I am surprised the people that know you in South Florida even know you have an NSX!! LOL!! They will probably think you got a new car again. :biggrin:
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

Meeyatch1 said:
Anil...I am surprised the people that know you in South Florida even know you have an NSX!! LOL!! They will probably think you got a new car again. :biggrin:
Click to expand...

I can hear it now, 'Wow...that looks alot like that other white NSX you had. Didn't you have one a few years ago that looked like that". HAHA!! Just kidding. Glad to hear you will finally get to enjoy your NSX-RR.
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

I just thought I would share with you some comments from Tom Frederico (Mov-It brakes, Type-R carpet) after he drove my car in California. As you may know, he offered to replace the current R carpet with newer material from a new manufacture, resulting in a much better product. Tom picked up the car from Jon Martin in Cerritos, California and drove it to San Diego. Tom has an excellent installer in San Diego who completed the project in under 3 hours. Tom and Jon are extremely satisfied with the results, and say it looks like a real NSX-R interior.

carpet101.jpg

carpet91.jpg

carpet81.jpg

carpet71.jpg

carpet410.jpg

carpet310.jpg

carpet210.jpg

carpet110.jpg



Tom and I spoke for an hour about putting a set of F1-style ceramic brakes on the car, at a future date. The current setup is great for street, but could fade away quickly if the car was to be driven at any track days like Sebring.

Most interesting, he shared that he's been racing cars for a while, and that according to him...this NSX-RR is "sick fast."

Sick fast.

Music to my ears...thank you, Jon Martin.

Tom also commented that Jon had built an exceptional power plant and that I should be ready to lose my NSX and gain a "street version of a race car." I asked him to compare it to any other cars he's driven and this was his observation:

"...it's faster than a Ferrari 360 and about as fast as the Ferrari 430...but probably not as fast as their CS version." Jeez-louize, I'll take it.

And, he repeated what I, and others on Prime have been saying on this forum for a while. That the JRZ suspension is an amazing upgrade to the car. Tom said that he drove over some pretty nasty roads in California and the JRZs allowed the NSX to ride smoother than even OE. But at the same time, when he pushed it, the car stiffened right up under any dynamic conditions. No lean, no nose dive. Exactly what I experienced in Florida.

Here's the best; Tom's about 5'11" and 180 pounds and he said the R seats were to die for. For his frame, they were perfect. It's just amazing how Honda took great Recaro seats, and made them even better.

Of course, he recommended that with all this new horsepower the car needs a new set of brakes. Doh! To which I responded that I had just upgraded the brakes to the current configuration! So in a non-pushy sort of way, he shot back that a set of ceramics all-around would nicely match the brilliant speed that Jon got out of this all NA engine. Tom and I will be having discussions in the future :wink:

I mentioned to Tom that I want the car back in South Florida for a while before making any more upgrade decisions. And as Mitch has commented previously, yes, people will think that I bought another white NSX. Its been away so long. I think the car needs to be around here for a while before we do anything more.

That said...Jon Martin will be in Orlando in December for the PRI show, where he and I will walk the show floor for any "future improvements" on the induction side of the motor. As Jon says, this is a weak point, and there could be 50+ more horsepower left in the motor...but that's for a future build.
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

serialNSXer said:
That said...Jon Martin will be in Orlando in December for the PRI show, where he and I will walk the show floor for any "future improvements" on the induction side of the motor. As Jon says, this is a weak point, and there could be 50+ more horsepower left in the motor...but that's for a future build.
Click to expand...

ITB's?
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

White92 said:
ITB's?
Click to expand...
Not external ITBs, too loud. Internal runners with individual valves only -- like my old M5 Vanos system. More streetable, and looks stock.
 
Last edited:
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

Friends, countrymen, Primers, lend me your ears.

I've been receiving a number of e-mails and/or PMs regarding dyno figures and my generous SWAGs of horsepower claims. Just recently, I received one helluva well-constructed PM articulating why I am just plain wrong, and why mathematically my claims cannot be so. Busted. The sender was entirely respectful, and I take no issue with being bitch-slapped in this fashion. <wince>

Let me clarify my position. After owning 79 cars, I gotta admit that I've never dynoed even one car -- because I don't believe in horsepower figures. Specifically, I don't understand the value of this single digit, termed "peak horsepower."

To my mind, I'd any day sacrifice peak horsepower in order to raise the horsepower plus torque curves across the entire rpm range. If there's one thing I recall from integral calculus, it's a healthy respect for, and an understanding of, the "total area under the curve."

That's the goal.

For me, the area under the curve represents a goal we should all be striving for. It represents a real-world driving experience, across the entire RPM range. It has much more to do with daily-seat-of-the-pants comparisons between cars, as opposed to peak horsepower numbers. Clearly, I would like to claim that my car has a reading of 1001hp. But that claim is only useful for bragging rights, at dinner parties.

It's much more valuable to consider power delivery over the entire rev range. To me, anyway, it's that delicious quality of the NSX's power delivery, as opposed to the quant stats.

So at this time, I would like to retract any and all horsepower claims I've made in previous posts. I am sure, that like any other gearhead, I've either exaggerated or at least embellished the figures.

What I can claim is the following: that whatever horsepower the engine now puts out, it is being restricted (severely) by the intake vacuum we continue to measure. As such, the PRI show might turn-up a novel solution to the intake problem, one that allows the engine to breath better. Further, sloppy writing on my part incorrectly attributes acceleration entirely to the motor.

More accurate is to acknowledge that I'm running an aggressive LSD with 4.4 gears, plus a sick JRZ suspension and sticky tires...all of which puts the power down better than OE. So, what I should have said is that the whole car now feels like a Ferrari 430, or a lot like the 360/CS I drove. That is a much more accurate representation of the complete and immersive driving experience of this NSX-RR.

Finally, I am told by people in-the-know that there is a theoretical expected peak horsepower of 460 crank HP, on pump gas. That translates to approximately 400 RWHP. But the OE intake manifold and throttle body don't currently allow the engine to breath at these levels.

As I said, PRI will be an interesting show. If we find a solution that achieves an NA build at this level, you damn straight I'll be crowing about an engine with 460 PEAK HP...so much for principles :biggrin:
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

I want an engine like yours. If you put that bad boy on a dyno and then put a stock NA1 or NA2 on the dyno as a baseline, I’ll know how badly it want it - whether I want it bad enough to put my car in a container and ship it across the ocean. Personally, I’m interested in peak hp since that’s what determines top speed. I’ve never tracked my car and it has enough horsepower in the midrange to suit my needs. But it can never have enough peak hp. So please, chuck those principles and make this the first car you’ve ever dynoed! However you decide, though, congratulations on that engine and on your beautiful car.
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

Something like this that JUN makes, but for an NSX?
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

serialNSXer said:
Not external ITBs, too loud. Internal runners with individual valves only -- like my old M5 Vanos system. More streetable, and looks stock.
Click to expand...

Hi Anil, if not ITBs you may be interested in a more efficient single plenum manifold. I have a stroker engine as well and need to deal with the intake manifold issue as well. Though I'm heavily leaning towards ITBs, I thought I'd offer a possible option.

RaceEngine1022.jpg


RaceEngine1021.jpg


aab_sized.jpg


aac_sized.jpg


Last I heard, Hogan's can alter the runner length according to your specs (ie. peak power goal = short fat runners). It'd be about 3k and it's not a plug-n-play solution (you'd need to work the out which TB you want to use) but I'm sure Jon Martin can engineer something to fit you needs.

As stated previously, great build and good luck with whatever direction you choose!
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

Ponyboy said:
Last I heard, Hogan's can alter the runner length according to your specs (ie. peak power goal = short fat runners). It'd be about 3k and it's not a plug-n-play solution (you'd need to work the out which TB you want to use) but I'm sure Jon Martin can engineer something to fit you needs. As stated previously, great build and good luck with whatever direction you choose!
Click to expand...
I've seen this manifold before. And I'm sure that Hogan will be at PRI. So this'll be one of the vendors I gotta speak with about developing an OE looking manifold, with custom internals. Great photos, thanks!

By the way, Jon called me last Friday to report that the transporter had picked up my NSX for its trip back to Florida. Wahoo!
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

Shawn is right. Hogan can definitely put together what you need. And, you can run almost any TB you want with it, such as one of the many nice ones made for LSx egines or Ford V8s. If you already have an aftermarket programmable ECU, tuning for the new intake mani (even with a new TPS) is cake.

my .02
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

I don't mean to bring this back up again (for those picky members that pet peeve thread resurrections). Ive come across this particular thread many times in the past and even before I registered here as an official member of Prime. But on all occasions I have only glanced and gazed at the initial post, not reading further into the build or the comments. Today I clicked on the NSX-R conversion thread created by Vance and this thread strolled by once again. This time reading the thread in its entirety. I am not much of a reader myself but I enjoyed reading through the lengthy posts by Anil. Finally just want to add a congratulations to a dream build each and every nsx(r) enthusiasts could only wish for.
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

Anyone videos on the car yet? I want to see some fly bys and some revving.
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

:biggrin: I visit this one, once a month @ least! what a lovely project . whoa ..

Oscar
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

ChopsJazz said:
Yes, it is nice to read back over this thread from time to time.

My favorite line from the autofest.blogspot site is the last one: "I'd much prefer a true mid engined successor."

So, so true. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

+1000

All that will be left in the "reasonably affordable" mid-engine space will be the Cayman/Boxster I guess. I dont really count the Exige/Elise because they just dont seem usable on a daily basis off the track.

Who'd have thought that PORSCHE would become the go to guy for "mid engine for the masses"!?
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

There's an amazing project thread detailed on prime here, building reproduction NSX-R seats. I wish they had started this project before I went hunting for seats in Japan.

Here's a photo from inside my car, with real R seats. For sure they look great, but I have to reiterate how nice they are to sit in.

seatsL.jpg


...and, my comments to Vancehu's comments:

Vancehu said:
Dave, NSX-R seats is almost identical in terms of comfort as the OEM seats, in fact, it is also very easy to get in and out.

These seats are the most comfortable racing bucket you can buy, far more comfortable than any thing you can find from Recaro, Ferrari, Porsche and Lambo's none adjustable buckets.
Click to expand...

I'll second Vancehu's observations. R seats are as comfortable as OE NSX seats, amazing, but true. Recaro PP seats are nowhere close. I've logged over 100K miles in 7 NSXs over 19 years (now 50, 164lbs, 5-10), and can say that OE NSX seats were the very best I ever sat in...until I sat in real R seats in Tokyo. And, the other P and F cars honestly don't compare. Leather too stiff, bolsters feel like cement, ugh. My NSXs were all daily drivers. But yes, R seats are for slimmer guys.

Finally, sitting in R seats makes the whole NSX experience just that much better. The car feels more like a video game...almost faster (well...actually much faster, thank you Jon Martin). Dunno how Honda did it, but those R seats are like the Mclaren F1 road car...never going to be repeated again.
 
Re: Conversion: '02 Targa to COUPE Type-R (56k warning)

Don't know if I posted this one before (whack-job of a son/friend driving):

JP_nick_nsx.jpg
 

Similar threads

D
Magnum Opus...My Quest for Driving Perfection (1993 Coupe Build).
2 3
Replies
50
Views
2K
DeHaldaswerth
D
MotorMouth93
Building a 6-speed from scratch.
Replies
12
Views
468
slam19s
S
Buddy
Issue with auto to manual conversion
Replies
3
Views
103
Buddy
Buddy
Ignition_Key
HONDA R&D Team at NSXPO 2024 TEXAS
Replies
7
Views
314
docjohn
docjohn
Remi
NSX-R Hood Duct FRP -SOLD!!
Replies
6
Views
567
Remi
Remi
Back
Top