Hand Built -- What does it mean?

[jond]

The NSX was hand built...
What exactally does that mean?
How does it differ from how something like a porsche is made?

 

[LJSB]

The NSX was hand built...
What exactally does that mean?
How does it differ from how something like a porsche is made?

Actually the NSX is hand assembled not hand built.

 

[BD]

Means it is hand built, AKA, built by hand. No automated assembly line, and no robots. It is hand assembled. Old school dolly rolled the chassis around the factory for Hand assembly, put together by hand. Welded by hand. Hand fit. Hand this, hand that.

Because it is better when you use your hand. So hand assembly is good, unless the hands are Italian.


lol, the NSX is hand assembled, not hand built. I agree!!!

Porsche is assembly line built, mostly by machines, and if you buy a Boxter, you will have a Swedish built Porsche, and it is still not hand built. Or I should say, hand assembled.

 

[NSXGMS]

"Hand built" means that every part was assembled by a person, not a machine. I believe over 70% of the welds on the car are also done by a human.

Don't you feel more comfortable knowing that every single part including every nut, bolt and screw was tightened and inspected by a master auto technician with at least 10 years experience building Hondas and is also on the NSX project voluntarily? Seems to me there is a lot of pride in turning out machines like that.

This is a very expensive way to build cars--just ask Henry Ford. But Honda wasn't concerned with cost when building the NSX--only performance and quality. That's why it's the most perfect sports car ever built.

Also the NSX engine is entirely hand built by ONE technician; that tech is the only one to touch the engine until it is installed in the car.

 

[LJSB]

Sorry folks, I am wrong.
The terms "Hand built" and "hand assembled" mean the same thing.
The vehicle components, made by machine, are assembled by hand.

I was thinking of "hand made" which means just that, made by hand.
This is when the vehicle's panels are for instance, rolled, shaped and made by hand one at time.

FWIW I believe the New C6 ZO6 motor is hand built just as the NSX motor was.

 

[LJSB]

So hand assembly is good, unless the hands are Italian.

Watch that stuff!

Shutuppa you face!:biggrin:

 

[Osiris_x11]

look ma', no hands...

Assembly of the NSX is poetry, not prose...
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46756&highlight=trip+japan


NSX: Honda Factory...
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48093&highlight=factory+pics


Scanned brochure from Tochigi factory...
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showpost.php?p=70454&postcount=6


No other automobile in the world ever has had the quality/refinement, reliability/durability, and competitive performance/technology relative to rest of the industry that the NSX has had over the course of it's 16 year production run.

NONE.

Think about it. A 1991 NSX coupe, today. Mid-2006. No panel fitment/spatial issues. No rust/corrosion issues. No top-end engine rebuild. No exhaust-system (manifolds/cat's/muffler/hangers/flange-gaskets) replacing. No 'mysterious' leaks. No fuel-system/injection issues. No ECU bugs. No rattles/creaks/sounds. No deformation of any parts/materials. No compromise in performance. No punitive fuel expenditure. No absurd maint'/service protocol. No nothing.

p.s. Make sure your cigars are "hecto a mano" also... :tongue:

Watch that stuff!
{Uncle Jr. image}
Shutuppa you face!

Re: NSX & Lambo Diablo -> Red Bull
I worked on one of those Lambos for a race season in American Lemans series.
What a piece of Crap. Factory steel tube frame welded by a blind & drunk Italian I'm sure.(No offence to any Italians)
The only thing it has going for it is,,,,,,,I'll have to think harder about that one!
I'd take the NSX any day, no question.

Actual post was dOH! from random topic here.

 

[1991NSX]

Re: look ma', no hands...

p.s. Make sure your cigars are "hecto a mano" also... :tongue:

That's funny, but true! I make sure they are personally.

So in other words, Acura "rolls their own" in regards to the NSX.
LOL

 

[NSX-Tuner]

Re: look ma', no hands...

...
No rattles/creaks/sounds.
...

I would disagree with this one point. My '05 makes a squeaking sound and so do other NSX's (according to their owner's).

 

[jond]

Okay, so things like welding and putting on the fenders, doors, etc are done by hand. What else?

Were the NSXs on a production line, or were they pushed around dollies

 

[Shumdit]

It was a dolly as I remember, although it was motorized if I recall correctly.

 

[BD]

Re: look ma', no hands...

I would disagree with this one point. My '05 makes a squeaking sound and so do other NSX's (according to their owner's).

Squeeking sound most likely came from the roof rubber, cillicon spray or some amour all will do.

 

[Veleno]

Re: look ma', no hands...

I think the snap ring failure counts as a major flaw with the cars it affected. Not sure if the trans was made/assembled by Honda or out-sourced...

 

[SugrueNSX]

Let’s not delude ourselves here.
These days, high end robot welds are superior to human welds and in any case QA is what makes the difference.
The reason that Honda did not go for a fully automated line is because it would be too expensive for such a limited production.

Regards,

Patrick

 

[Shumdit]

Let’s not delude ourselves here.
These days, high end robot welds are superior to human welds and in any case QA is what makes the difference.
The reason that Honda did not go for a fully automated line is because it would be too expensive for such a limited production.

Regards,

Patrick

I have to say I disagree with you on this one. If you look at the production they were capable of making back when the car was released I think it is feasible they could have made it a production line model had they wanted to. They did not know the high end car market was about to crash at the time (along with collector cars). I mean, they built a whole friggin plant for the car and only let the most experienced (and therefore highest-paid it would seem to reason) employees build them, so I do not think you can say the decision to hand-build was a financial one.

 

[Shumdit]

Re: look ma', no hands...

I think the snap ring failure counts as a major flaw with the cars it affected. Not sure if the trans was made/assembled by Honda or out-sourced...

I agree, this is just like the valve guide issues on F355's and other well known weak areas of certain cars. Luckily Honda was good about standing behind it and for those that were not covered under warranty or goodwill, the cost was a lot less than some repairs on exotic cars.

 

[SugrueNSX]

I have to say I disagree with you on this one. If you look at the production they were capable of making back when the car was released I think it is feasible they could have made it a production line model had they wanted to. They did not know the high end car market was about to crash at the time (along with collector cars). I mean, they built a whole friggin plant for the car and only let the most experienced (and therefore highest-paid it would seem to reason) employees build them, so I do not think you can say the decision to hand-build was a financial one.

On just one automated production line in the UK Honda can churn out 600 cars per day
That’s way too much capacity for a car like an NSX and way too much investment
In the first year they would have been finished in 10 days
In later years they would have been finished before lunch time on the first day
This is why Lamborghinis and Ferraris are made “By hand”

 

[Shumdit]

The NSX is a little more complex than the typical Honda. I think you might want to do a little reading, as the info found in both the more common Hardback brchure from 91 and the more rare NSX: TECHNICAL INFORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT HISTORY black book (both of which I own) makes a strong case against your point of view. Also, you failed to address my 2 other points: Dedicated Factory and and 10 min. experieced Techs.

 

[SugrueNSX]

The NSX is a little more complex than the typical Honda. I think you might want to do a little reading, as the info found in both the more common Hardback brchure from 91 and the more rare NSX: TECHNICAL INFORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT HISTORY black book (both of which I own) makes a strong case against your point of view. Also, you failed to address my 2 other points: Dedicated Factory and and 10 min. experieced Techs.

From a manufacturing point of view, I’m not sure that the NSX is any more complex than say a TL which is made on a production line. In any case I see no reason that an NSX could not be built on an automated line if you could sell enough of them.
I like most people on this site, have a great respect for Honda.
However like most large corporations they have a marketing department whose job it is to spew propaganda.
So the guys in engineering say “We can’t justify spending $400 million on a line for the NSX because we only project to sell twenty thousand in the next 15 years, so we will build them by hand.”
Marketing translates this into “ To ensure the highest manufacturing standards, each NSX will be made lovingly by hand on a dedicated line using our most experienced technicians”
So of course it says that in you brochure. What would you expect them to say?
And of course if you are going to assemble cars by hand then you would want to use the best auto workers because any idiot can stand and watch a production line once it’s running.
I don’t see that having a dedicated factory or housing the line under the same roof as an existing plant makes much difference?
Anyway I don’t think we should argue about it. It’s not that important and it’s just my opinion that (like other limited production exotics) the numbers do not add up to allow a fully automated line.

But what the hell do I know? I’m just an idiot with internet access and too much time on my hands.

Regards,

Patrick

 

[BD]

But what the hell do I know? I’m just an idiot with internet access and too much time on my hands.

Regards,

Patrick

I agree with you, 100%!!!! That is why any educators will tell you the Internet is not a reliable source for information. Spend too much time on it will cost your to loose IQ.

Even when Honda pumped out 9000 NSX in 1991, the hand built method was the same. That is why aluminum bodied Ferrari uses similarly assembly methods.

Aluminum requires much more careful welding process, if error occurs during robotic assembly process, it will cost the manufacture at lot more money. Hand weld body ensures the close to perfect construction.

Same with Engine, only one hand touch the construction of the entire engine.

 

[Ineed a_NSX]

They also hand selected the people that hand built the nsx's

 

[heySkippy]

Spend too much time on it will cost your to loose IQ.

Irony is a bitch.

 

[westernb4]

I'm pretty sure that most Ferraris are assembly-line built and have been for some time.

 

[BD]

Irony is a bitch.

Probably why I'm getting dumber by the minute:biggrin:

 

[LJSB]

This is why Lamborghinis and Ferraris are made “By hand”

They are assembled or built by hand not made by hand.:tongue:

An assembly line does not preclude that the assembly is by machine.
The NSX was built on a assembly line as well but, assembled by hand.