i couldn't wait any longer

Valhalla

Valhalla

Legendary Member
Joined
4 April 2011
Messages
2,465
Location
Fountain Hills, AZ
I just had to have one. After shopping and looking for years, I finally pulled the trigger. Remember the yellow one that macninja77 was rebuilding publicly for us?

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145032

It's now mine. I won't get my hands on it for a couple of weeks as Shad is redoing the hamster wheel. Needs WP/TB and hopefully only new rings. My garage is empty for now but not for much longer. Thanks to all who participate on this board. Your information and suggestions have helped me immeasurably.

As I prepare my empty garage, grinning loudly from ear to ear.....
 
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Fellow upstaters, nice!

Shawn - you are immortalized on this board. You do amazing things with wounded NSX's and your high praises for this car got my initial attention. When I get settled finally, I look to participate in this craft as you currently do. I can only hope to attain your levels.

NXS3tek - sorry but that info is between seller and myself. Safe to say that the price was decent as I have to drop a bunch in the motor. But if you are still looking, I have reviewed a bunch. I'd be happy to assist you in looking over a few for you. Let me know.

Thanks to all, can't wait to get the keys.
 
Congratulations! She's definitely a beauty! If you have her by 4/30 you should come out to the San Diego drive!
 
BryziNSX said:
Congratulations! She's definitely a beauty! If you have her by 4/30 you should come out to the San Diego drive!
Click to expand...

First of congrats, always good to have another in SoCal.

There will be a couple of us from OC driving down and you are more than welcome to join us:smile:. If you can't make the above drive stay posted to the SoCal section as there will be plenty of drives coming. I planning one for 5-14, just finalizing the route and will post soon.
 
Thanks for the warm welcome. Nice to be part of the community. I'll continue to watch the SoCal action and if the stars align, make one of these runs. Would love to see some of your machines and get some more ideas on tuning and such.

I am hopeful that I'll be picking up the car in two weeks and will drive her back from Sacramento. That should give me enough time behind the wheel to figure out what I want to add first!
 
Valhalla said:
Thanks for the warm welcome. Nice to be part of the community. I'll continue to watch the SoCal action and if the stars align, make one of these runs. Would love to see some of your machines and get some more ideas on tuning and such.

I am hopeful that I'll be picking up the car in two weeks and will drive her back from Sacramento. That should give me enough time behind the wheel to figure out what I want to add first!
Click to expand...

Welcome and glad you are in socal. The first mod, lowering springs. If not for anything else to make your car look sleek as the nsx looks like a lifted car for some reason. Then its all down hill from there.....in regards to your wallet lol. Good time to get one, summer is right around the corner, I think. Weather in socal is crazy lately.
 
Shawn - you are immortalized on this board. You do amazing things with wounded NSX's and your high praises for this car got my initial attention. When I get settled finally, I look to participate in this craft as you currently do. I can only hope to attain your levels.


Wow very nice to say but my level only grows with each day of building.
its on hold till my silver one comes back from the paint shop.

most of the time other members ask me where I come up with half the sh_t I type. I dont make anything up. it actually comes from somewhere I swear.

but seeing pics make them want a project car.


welcome to the NSX world
 
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Talked to Shad yesterday and got a bit of good/bad news.

Good News - Motor is out and inspection tells us the top end is in good shape. Rings look like they were "frozen" to the cylinder walls possibly to racing/poor oil distribution/or sitting. Cylinder bores look good. So new rings, add some break in oil and through it on the dyno and we're all good.

Bad News - Rod bearings need to be replaced along with some dried/cracked o-rings. Will find out tomorrow time frame for obtaining parts as things are a bit up in the air with the devastation in Japan. I'll keep my fingers crossed that the parts are here in the states.

So changing out all fluids/filters and finding some little parts & pieces, I hope to have it back first week of May. I've got my fingers crossed.
 
you will love the car bud i put allot of time into the car! i will be back on the market next year after my housing situation is settled.
 
Thanks macninja, I know you did as I watched the rebuild every step of the way.

Slight setback as is seems that #2 & #3 cylinder head valves are leaking a bit too. So the heads are off to the shop to see if there are bad guides, seats or valves. I'll know more when Shad get back in touch. Very impressed that he would even check the heads after diagnosing the weak compression to the bad rings but I guess that is why you all swear by him. Very astute and impressive of him to look at everything.

Quick question that might be rhetorical, are NSX's like boats? A hole that you keep pouring money into and the cheapest day you own one is the day you buy it?:rolleyes:
 
nsx is a money pit as far as upgrading it besides that no way i have owned many of them very low maintenance vehicles! that yellow one drove nice and strong shad was amazed that it had any issues internally. but never the less ive known shad for years and he has inspected all of my nsx's before they left my possession! good dude and i trust his word!
 
Macninja, no worries. I had an idea of what I was getting into when talking with Shad after his PPI. I'm glad he found this issue out while it's sitting in pieces on his bench. I was just detailing what he found on the blog so that others would not be surprised should they pull a motor apart that had bad compression. More a documentary than a critique or flame. We're all good.
 
I have to aplaud valhalla on his mature, realistic,aproach to buying a used car and accepting the known and undiscovered engine issues,but also choosing the right shop for the job, and treating the previous owner with respect,unlike some other folks in the past.
 
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OK, latest update. Valves are beat up and the intake valve on #3 needs to be replaced. So with a valve job now needed, it has pushed my delivery back a week. It's all good as I would just as soon have this all fixed now rather than find out it was needed later. Thanks to Shad for being so thorough.

I just want to be clear with macninja77, that we have no issues. I purchased the car from him at a good price for both of us and I knew the motor needed some work. It has been a good business deal to date. I just wish I had it in my garage sooner than later...
 
Valhalla said:
OK, latest update. Valves are beat up and the intake valve on #3 needs to be replaced. So with a valve job now needed, it has pushed my delivery back a week. It's all good as I would just as soon have this all fixed now rather than find out it was needed later. Thanks to Shad for being so thorough.

I just want to be clear with macninja77, that we have no issues. I purchased the car from him at a good price for both of us and I knew the motor needed some work. It has been a good business deal to date. I just wish I had it in my garage sooner than later...
Click to expand...

Shad is the best so you are in good hands! I actually saw your car there when I picked up my car from him a couple of weeks ago (one of red ones there getting a TB/WP service as well as SOS red valve covers).
 
Docjohn, thanks for the compliments. My wisdom comes from many years of experience and learning from poor choices. I went into this adventure with eyes wide open, a lot of research, and a firm grip on what I would spend on the right car.

Macninja77 did a very nice job restoring this car and documenting almost every step of the way. The PPI by one of the best shops on the left coast gave me the confidence to pull the trigger on a fair offer. I had an idea of what parts needed to be replaced and how much that would cost before I made an offer. I also added 20% to that amount for the repairs for the unseen damage that might be found once they opened the heart of that beast.

As it usually goes for me, they found more damage and that will eat up that 20% cushion plus a little more. It's OK, I had planned for it. Not real happy about it but I bought the ticket and I'm now taking my ride. Do I blame macninja77? Hell no. Shad drove it and it seemed strong. Only by doing compression and leak down tests did we find the weak cylinders. We had an idea that it would take some extra money to get it back 100%.

Could I have just driven it until something broke? Of course I could. Who knows how long the TB/WP, rings and valves would have held on. But I'm buying this car for pride of ownership, performance, and to drive a marvelous sports car for a very long time. I choose to do the right thing and prepare for the long run rather than to cut corners and suffer the consequences. Wisdom comes with experience more than age.

I'm happy with the purchase, just not the time span to aquire it. But nothing I can do to hurry that. I have to wait.....
 
Update: Spoke with Shad this morning. Parts are in and the new valve and guides are at the machine shop. Heads should be back this afternoon after all the work.

Motor should start reassembly tomorrow or Saturday. We're on track for me to pick her up on the 11th.

I'm having a good day.
 

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