daily driver ?

[nsxforce]

i am looking to get a 92-93 NSX as a daily driver.
my last cars owned are an g2ic and a
325is (current car -> chipped,cammed,
new intake,exhaust,suspension,other mods) ...

i work on my cars, able to do stuff but
only tree-shade, don't
have a garage and would stop short of
replacing clutch ...

i've done pretty much everything else
no bottom end though ...

i am not scared by higher mileage engines.
i think 70K is a barely broken in engine
unless raced.

if you guys would be kind to sum up:

1. what is a good price for a 50K-70K 92-93 NSX
(manual of course) i am not interested in a 91
cause of first year concerns ... should i ?

2. what are common problems i should expect
if daily driven -> clutch ?

3. is it really to small a car for a daily driver ?
(i really don't need lots of space, me+occasional
gf hike)

4. is there a nice ski-rack available for it ?

5. how much are you guys paying insurance
in california ? what about other places, e.g. indiana ?

6. other info ?

much appreciated,
radu

 

[NeSX]

I drive a '91 as my daily driver. The only comment I have for you is that you should forget about a ski rack because if there is the slightest dusting on the road you are going to be screwed. I am used to driving an M3 as a daily straight thru the winter and let me tell you that my NSX with new tires on it is the least practical winter car I have ever driven.

 

[nsxforce]

no winter ?!

no snow driving you say ?
hmmmm ... but i love to ski ...
and i cannot at this point afford
keeping two cars around ...
is it really that bad ?

i mean c'mon even my 325 with
billsteins and dinan springs and
winter kumho's is not the best
car to drive in snow ...

r u saying the nsx is worse ... what
about all the traction control etc ?

thanks,
r

 

[MarkB]

My X is not only my daily driver but it is also my only vehicle. I track it; do grocery shopping in it, and everything in between.

My only complaints thus far have been clutch life and trunk size.

BTW, it IS a beast in the snow.

 

[nsxforce]

clutch went already ?

i c u have a 2003 X ...
it is surprising you say the clutch went
already ... maybe u autox it too often or something
... i hope

 

[brahtw8]

Let me be the first to say . . . Do a Search.

This topic has been discussed many times before.

Also, check the FAQs.

There are some people that drive their NSX in snow. You would need dedicated snow tires with an aggressive tread, like the Blizzak LM22 or Michelin Pilot Alpin.

I toyed with the idea of getting a 2nd NSX as my daily driver, but was told that snow tires dramatically diminish the handling character of the car. Not to mention the impracticality of having a 2-seater with minimal trunk space for a DD.

If I were you, I would get an old winter beater, perhaps an E30 325ix, but most likely a reliable FWD Honda product, and drive the NSX when there is no snow on the ground.

 

[nsxforce]

I toyed with the idea of getting a 2nd NSX as my daily driver, but was told that snow tires dramatically diminish the handling character of the car. Not to mention the impracticality of having a 2-seater with minimal trunk space for a DD.

If I were you, I would get an old winter beater, perhaps an E30 325ix, but most likely a reliable FWD Honda product, and drive the NSX when there is no snow on the ground.

i see you have a bimmer too ... what should
i expect handling wise vs. my e36 m3 or 325
with bilsteins and dinans + bars etc etc ?

thanks,
r

 

[brahtw8]

The NSX is the most amazing car I have ever driven, hands down. It may not put down the greatest #s, but the feel and experience of driving one is not to be missed. I don't know how I will ever get rid of mine. I guess I'll need a bigger garage to hold my (hopefully) expanding stable.

My 325i has Bilstein HDs (stock springs), adjustable camber plates up front, decent bushings, and runs 225/50/16 Yoko AVS ES 100s in the summer. I did one driving school in the car at Road America, and found it to be a very competent driver, as well as a few autox type car clinic events. It is more fun to drive than the TL that has replaced it in my garage. I really love the E36 BMWs, and came very close to buying a 99 M3 for my daily driver.

The NSX is very fast on a track like Road America. It can take corners, particularly the carousel, at speeds far beyond an E36. Driver ability is everything, and I am nothing more than a decent 'novice' driver, but I can say that my NSX was the cream of our 27 car novice run group, passing everything it encountered and letting by only a 2003 S/C Mustang Cobra, and only temporarily (the difference in speed through the corners was huge). The E46 M3s and NA 996 911s were not able to hang. Perhaps those people were not pushing their cars as hard.

The NSX is a very easy car to drive fast, but a very hard car to drive very fast. I can certainly improve my own technique. It is a very forgiving car to a point, but it will bite you if you take it past the limit. I got a couple of wheels off on the track exit at Blackhawk and spun it (my fault, not the X's).

Speaking of the search, there is a guy on here with a Dinan SC M3 and an NSX Zanardi. He has posted a few times on the merits of the two cars. Search for M3 and Zanardi and you should find him.

 

[NSX2398]

Re: no winter ?!

no snow driving you say ? ... is it really that bad ?

Mine is a '91 with 113K miles on it at the moment and I drive it all winter. However, you will need winter tires and probably avoid any lowered cars.... and you will need to avoid any aggressive driving until spring. Having said that, I can say without reservation that my NSX has better winter traction with my Arctic Alpins than any FWD or RWD car I've driven in 35 years of winter driving in Western Canada .. however if you live in a location that routinely gets more than 5 inches of snow at a time, you're going to have difficulty (as you would with nearly any car) and you may need to park it on those days and find alternate transportation.

Here's a write-up on some of my experiences and the pictures will confirm that I was able to drive in snow virtually up to the sills without getting stuck (I run 60 series tires in the winter which gives me 6" of clearance at the front spoiler). BTW, the cold isn't an issue either. I've driven it for 5 hours straight at -36 with no problems .. in fact, it was -42 here on Monday with the wind chill.
http://www.nsxsc.com/html/body_article27.html

 

[nsxforce]

great write-up !

NSX2398,
u r a great person for lifting a quite
heavy stone of my chest ... hehe i am
pretty sure i am buying an NSX soon ...

any for sale ?
i should be buying in about 4-5 weeks
as soon as i sell my bimmer.

i live in indiana and would drive
anywhere within a 400 mile radius
to see the car. i do want to perform
a compression test and i do NOT buy
any salvaged car. i need to SEE and
DRIVE the car for 50 miles before buying.

i am looking for a 92-94 NSX, manual,
maximum mileage 110k, private owner
preferably. i do NOT have allot of money
but i intend to pay a fair price.

if you live far away, i expect you to
allow me to drive the car for 50 miles min.
and to take it to a mechanic of my choice
for a compression test.

i expect the car to come with all the paper
work. i do not look for raced cars or rebuilt
engines.

let me know,
r

 

[NSXLuvr]

wow- you are a brave man. Having the NSX as DD in the Canadian winters.

Tells you how different people are, the 35 degree temp this morning in Tx. got me seriously looking for a DD

 

[brahtw8]

Re: Re: no winter ?!

I can say without reservation that my NSX has better winter traction with my Arctic Alpins than any FWD or RWD car I've driven in 35 years of winter driving in Western Canada ..

I am sure the NSX is acceptable with a good snow tire, but I would guess that you didn't have such good tires on all of those other FWD or RWD cars you were driving in Western Canada.

I run Pilot Alpins on my RWD 325i, and it is acceptable. I drove it the last three winters in Wisconsin. That said, it is crap compared to my FWD Acura TL with Blizzak LM22s. That car drives like my friend's Audi S4 in the snow, which is very good.

 

[NSX2398]

Re: no winter ?!

I am sure the NSX is acceptable with a good snow tire, but I would guess that you didn't have such good tires on all of those other FWD or RWD cars you were driving in Western Canada.

Actually, my wife's Acura (which I included in the scope of my comment) is FWD and has Michelin's on it as well and although they're clearly better than with all seasons, it's no match for the NSX. I'm not sure about your 325, but none of my previous cars had a limited slip diff or traction control, both of which the NSX has and can make a huge difference.

I remember Csaba Csere of Car and Driver making a comment about a year ago that he'd rather drive a FWD car with winter tires than an Audi quattro with all seasons so obviously winter tires make a big difference but even before I put them on, I ran some tests on packed snow/ice with the new Goodyear Eagle summer tires that were on the car and I was blown away with the traction under acceleration (which had to be due to LSD and TCS) .. they just wouldn't turn which is why I put the winter ones on.