How Far Do You Drive for Major Service?

[tof]

Would you drive 600 miles each way? I did and I'm glad...GLAD I tell you!

Took the car down to First Class Auto for TB/WP and all that entails, ALB system rebuild, valve adjustment, brake flush, fluid and oil changes, etc. etc. Nabil took about two and a half days to do all the work. He is thorough, professional, and great to work with. It did put 1200 miles on the NSX clock but it was a great drive.

So how far do you have to go for service? Do you drive or trailer?

Nabil does his thing.

 

[Lostbuckeye]

I'm fortunate, I go about 5 miles to Scott Oliver at HNA. Though he has customers from Corpus Christi and Austin that travel here for his services. He's been serviceing NSXs since 91. First as an Acura Tech and now in his own shop.

 

[SFNSXguy]

20 miles (35 minutes) to Hill Top Auto Service (Don Lam).

 

[Lamchop168]

Haven't had to do that since Larry B. told me that I'm good for another 2 years since all work are up to date. :biggrin: But when I do, it'll be Larry B. if he hasn't retired yet and it'll be about 2 hours drive about 75 miles.

Frankie

 

[heySkippy]

I can walk home from my mechanics shop.

 

[robbiedawg]

our local nsx mechanic passed away a few years ago,until then it was 25 miles to him.i sent the nsx 400 miles to ben at daisy auto for a comprehensive mechanical refresh including tp/wp,upgraded abs and lma's,and new springs and shocks when it hit 20 years old last year.i'll probably do it again at the next tb/wp replacement. for smaller stuff i feel comfortable going 5 miles to the local dealer,who understands the mentality of a car guy and takes good care of the car,or 25 miles to an independent shop owned by an nsx owner.

 

[piran1]

Around 70 miles to our region's most trusted specialist!

 

[FF Drifter]

I used to drive 350 miles from Alexandria, VA to Bristol, CT to get my previous car serviced. There just wasn't that many shops that were competent with the Acura Legend's unconventional layout and particular quirks. Luckily when I was in DC, there are lots of capable shops and talented fellow NSX owners that were able to work on the car so I rarely drove further than 20 miles for a shop. Even before a cross-country trip, I chose to go with a local fellow NSX owner to have my TB/WP service done although I had the luxury of leaving my car with any shop along both the I-90 and I-5 corridors.

Can't overvalue a good shop, even if they're hundreds of miles away.

 

[warrenw]

Would you drive 600 miles each way? I did and I'm glad...GLAD I tell you!

Took the car down to First Class Auto for TB/WP and all that entails, ALB system rebuild, valve adjustment, brake flush, fluid and oil changes, etc. etc. Nabil took about two and a half days to do all the work. He is thorough, professional, and great to work with. It did put 1200 miles on the NSX clock but it was a great drive.

So how far do you have to go for service? Do you drive or trailer?
.

For the work you listed, It is done in my garage at home. It takes me a while to check and double check each step. But it is how I enjoy my NSX in the winter months. I really do enjoy working on the car. Sense of accomplishment is huge.

 

[tof]

For the work you listed, It is done in my garage at home. It takes me a while to check and double check each step. But it is how I enjoy my NSX in the winter months. I really do enjoy working on the car. Sense of accomplishment is huge.

Hey, Warren. I bet you do enjoy working on yours. Winter downtime is a great time to take care of car service up there in the Great White North. And based on the work you did with your ALB overhaul you certainly have the skills and the patience. BTW, mine were rebuilt by Nabil using one of your o-ring kits, so thanks! The one bit of advise I would have for those who are planning to rebuild their ALB systems is DON'T REMOVE THE RESERVOIR. It's easy to tear one of the o-rings between the reservoir and the regulator and the o-ring kit does not include replacements. One of mine was leaking when I got home. Managed to affect a temporary repair with some thicker o-rings (closest fit I could find) applied at the base of the nubs that protrude into the regulator. This forms a secondary seal between the exterior of the reservoir and the regulator. They aren't rated for brake fluid so I will have to ditch them soon. Nabil has a few of the correct o-rings that he scavenged from other NSXs and he is sending me those for a more permanent fix.

 

[warrenw]

Hey, Warren. I bet you do enjoy working on yours. Winter downtime is a great time to take care of car service up there in the Great White North. And based on the work you did with your ALB overhaul you certainly have the skills and the patience. BTW, mine were rebuilt by Nabil using one of your o-ring kits, so thanks! The one bit of advise I would have for those who are planning to rebuild their ALB systems is DON'T REMOVE THE RESERVOIR. It's easy to tear one of the o-rings between the reservoir and the regulator and the o-ring kit does not include replacements. One of mine was leaking when I got home. Managed to affect a temporary repair with some thicker o-rings (closest fit I could find) applied at the base of the nubs that protrude into the regulator. This forms a secondary seal between the exterior of the reservoir and the regulator. They aren't rated for brake fluid so I will have to ditch them soon. Nabil has a few of the correct o-rings that he scavenged from other NSXs and he is sending me those for a more permanent fix.

My kit now provided the O-rings for the reservoir. it was an over-sight by me early in the process. If you are going to NSXPO, I can bring some O-rings for you if you want.
Please leave a review at: http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/162710-ABS-ALB-modulator-rebuild-write-up/page6
The thread could use a bump. thanks for the comments.

 

[BAVARIA]

Depending on schedules/availability either 5 minutes from home to Mike Michalik at Suburban Acura in Farmington Hills, MI or to Rob Magro in Ontario, Canada (3 hours from home). Both of these guys are beyond excellent, each have over 20 years Acura experience, work on many NSXs (Rob is the technical director of the NSX Club of Canada) and each has a lot of passion for the NSX.

 

[DreamPowered]

75 miles. Basically 2 hours to Larry B. And so much more comfortable knowing he did all the work.

 

[BETRNSX]

Any recommendations on where to go in the Philadelphia area?

 

[jwmelvin]

Down to Ben or up to Larry.

 

[sca037]

About 15 feet (sorry, have a lift in the garage ;-) and am very fortunate to have great local support available.

 

[jazzmann]

Down to Ben or up to Larry.

My plan exactly.

 

[tof]

Excellent plan, jazzmann.

sca037, I hate you with a jealous hate that is green and jealous. :biggrin:

 

[Coconut]

10 minute drive for oil changes (Exact Motorsports) and 2 hrs for major service (Driving Ambitions).

 

[boca rat]

[MENTION=24712]tof[/MENTION], a great drive? Jeez.....I've done Dallas to Jacksonville via Hattiesburg when I bought my 540i and other than stopping there at Leitha's for BBQ lunch, that drive sucked, especially when you get into Florida and realise how freaking wide the pan handle is, AND there's a timezone change adding a hour to your ETA. I guess going down to Orlando makes it a bit more scenic but I would seriously question doing that run again!

I have been using Acura of Orange Park in Jacksonville, 35 mins away- the parts manager bought Nabil's old car and he and the service guys take really good care of me so there isn't much difference in price, otherwise I would probably use Nabil for specialist stuff. No doubt Nabil has more experience, so I might still use him for TB/WP. Nice thing about his location, tons to do in Orlando while you wait.

You should come down for NSXcapades this year! See the Florida sub-forum for info

 

[tof]

Hey, [MENTION=28615]boca rat[/MENTION]. I have made the drive from Mississippi to Orlando maybe 50 times or more. It's usually in a really boring family sedan since I am usually accompanied by my, well, family. So when I said it was a great drive in the NSX I guess that is relative to my usual slog across the pan handle and down I-75 and the Florida Turnpike.

Then again, I'm the kind of guy who will make the 90 minute drive up to Leitha's every now and again. (I can't think of any other reason to drive to Hattiesburg.)

I will check out the NSXcapades thread. It has been four or five years since I made the last and only one I attended and I did have a great time. Thanks for the invite.

 

[R13]

2.5 hours from Knoxville, TN to Ashland City to hit up Barn Man. The car is in CO now though, so I may need to find something closer than ~18 hours back east. Fortunately, not much has come up that I can't handle in my own Garage ('last thing I outsourced was a head gasket upgrade).

 

[Cap'n Carl]

After reading these posts, I'm not going to complain anymore that Science of Speed moved from 20 miles away to 30 miles away.
But we all have it relatively easy: while at SOS, the staff showed me a car that the owner, who lived in the Caribbean, had shipped to SOS for repairs/mods.

 

[docjohn]

After reading these posts, I'm not going to complain anymore that Science of Speed moved from 20 miles away to 30 miles away.
But we all have it relatively easy: while at SOS, the staff showed me a car that the owner, who lived in the Caribbean, had shipped to SOS for repairs/mods.

I wonder if that is the red coupe that a guy posted about that had been sitting in a container in St Thomas for many years... http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...al-JH4NA115XMT000917?highlight=virgin+islands

 

[skafia]

I'm lucky to have Niguel Motors, about 20 minutes south of where I live. http://www.niguelmotors.com