Longest member without an NSX - finally gets one!

What a moving read, Ryan of the lLeft Coast! I felt I was there with you experiencing the moment.

Congrats again, from Ryan of the Right Coast!
 
Is your front lip spoiler missing ? Cant see it on your photos. It usually scrapes on ramps and speed bumps and degrades over time so I guess the previous owner removed it but it looks a bit weird.
Oh also, "no wind noise" - cant believe it, wind noise is a feature that comes with those frameless windows ;) It's an NSX, by default it comes with slow noisy windows and leaky capacitors in the A/C controller and audio system, unless the previous owner has made the appropriate mods (but there's no mod to prevent wind noise..).
 
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What a moving read, Ryan of the lLeft Coast! I felt I was there with you experiencing the moment.

Congrats again, from Ryan of the Right Coast!
thank you so much!!!

If you visit look me up
Is your front lip spoiler missing ? Cant see it on your photos. It usually scrapes on ramps and speed bumps and degrades over time so I guess the previous owner removed it but it looks a bit weird.
Oh also, "no wind noise" - cant believe it, wind noise is a feature that comes with those frameless windows ;) It's an NSX, by default it comes with slow noisy windows and leaky capacitors in the A/C controller and audio system, unless the previous owner has made the appropriate mods (but there's no mod to prevent wind noise..).
yea, front spoiler has some scratches from driveway , so he took it off. i want to add a new one and will ship it to Ramon directly. It needs it to be complete imo

so i am a long term mr2 and elise guy. everyone tells me mr2 t tops leak. in 20 years not a drop of water in mine. people say elise ate unreliable ac doesnt work. 17 years bulletproof elise with cold ac.

its possible i have gotten lucky. no wind noise at all on the nsx. as someone who despised their frameless window on subarus and miatas - maybe i got the good seals on my nsx and s2000. who knows, but this has been good so far.


windows normal and not slow. maybe in future?

have not turned on stereo - thus dont know

if there are needed ac repairs i can have ramon checked. functioned excellent at 60 F

no mods .
 
if there are needed ac repairs i can have ramon checked. functioned excellent at 60 F
I highly suggest you open up the stereo and A/C controller. If the caps are the original (and old school) chemical type: change them now, not later when they spill their contents on the PCB and corrode it beyond repair. It's a cheap enough preventive repair, you can get these out yourself as it's relatively easy (just be careful when handling the center console plastic, it's brittle).
There are people around who can do the re-cap for you - really do it if you want to keep that equipment. the mod consists of replacing the old leaking chemical caps with modern solid state caps.
My car is a '98 and the A/C controller PCB was almost completely corroded through by the leaked chemicals. No matter how the car was handled or maintained, they will leak and slowly kill the electronics.
 
I highly suggest you open up the stereo and A/C controller. If the caps are the original (and old school) chemical type: change them now, not later when they spill their contents on the PCB and corrode it beyond repair. It's a cheap enough preventive repair, you can get these out yourself as it's relatively easy (just be careful when handling the center console plastic, it's brittle).
There are people around who can do the re-cap for you - really do it if you want to keep that equipment. the mod consists of replacing the old leaking chemical caps with modern solid state caps.
My car is a '98 and the A/C controller PCB was almost completely corroded through by the leaked chemicals. No matter how the car was handled or maintained, they will leak and slowly kill the electronics.
thank you.

i will search here to see how to take off caps

then see where one orders the modern solid state caps
 
Look around the forum I think there's someone who can do it for you in the USA, unless you are confident in your soldering skills of course :) (and PCB cleaning in case the leak happened)
NOT confident

will search for it today. appreciate the heads up
 
I expect you have not driven your new car fast enough to get the windows to leak yet. About 130 mph or so should do the trick! Enjoy your car in good health, the experience never gets old
Coupes do it too. Mine starts to make noise at 110. It's because the window isn't adjusted properly.
 
Congratulations.

Let's get you signed up for NSX Club of America and make it official.

Please visit www.nsxca.org
The current owner has been a NSXCa member for ever and gave me his card with his low member number

I will sign up at lunch today.

Do you guys have the nsxpo cities planned ahead of time?
 
Yes, this year is going to be in Dallas Texas and based on the information floating on the internet , it sounds like it will be towards October time frame.

Once you sign up at NSXCA, reach out to your local regional Representative for any detailed info about Texas NSXPO 2024.

Seeing that you hail from the SouthWest, there will be a group drive from California to grab folks from AZ and New Mexico along the way. Stay tuned!
 
re people around who can do the re-cap for you - really do it if you want to keep that equipment. the mod consists of replacing the old leaking chemical caps with modern solid state caps.
Where do you get the replacement to re-cap and is there a tutorial or guide to get this done?
 
Congrats!! Know the same feeling!
After working @ an Acura dealership in the mid 90s it certainly wasn’t hard to fall in love with the car!! I acquired my favourite 91 red/black 2 years ago. There’s days l still pinch myself to know that it’s all real!
Your color is gorgeous!!
Have fun with it and enjoy your pride of ownership!!
 
Where do you get the replacement to re-cap and is there a tutorial or guide to get this done?
BrianK in the US, Kaz in the UK and Heineken in Germany all do this service. T3TEC does the job in Japan. Brian did mine.
 
Very cool story. Congrats! I'm not far behind you in number of years on here and still working to get my first NSX. Hope my turn comes before year 20!
 
Congrats!! Know the same feeling!
After working @ an Acura dealership in the mid 90s it certainly wasn’t hard to fall in love with the car!! I acquired my favourite 91 red/black 2 years ago. There’s days l still pinch myself to know that it’s all real!
Your color is gorgeous!!
Have fun with it and enjoy your pride of ownership!!
Thank you very much! Nice to see other people make the journey. How has your ownership been?

I need to make some local NSX friends
 
Well the fun was over. Time to head over to one of the last remaining original NSX mechanics trained by Honda. I head over there, he tells me how he is now on his 14th NSX. We talk for 2 hours. He knows the car very well. Tells me he can’t believe the owner sold it. Tells me, enjoy as is, don’t modify, maintain and a good detail. He has one other gentleman that comes to his shop over 90 years old, with the last 05 Blue car. Respect!

He shows me the Zanardi NSX that comes to the shop, the rare as hens teeth (mid 6 figure $) NSX Type R (one in the shop as we speak on the lift). Usually 3-4 NSX in there all the time. I have heard of him for 20 years, I know all about him, but the first time I meet him. He is a 1 man show. I ask him how long will it take, for the T belt/water pump/ fluid service? “Ryan, I will call you – he says.” He writes down on a piece of paper my phone number and the service needed.

He tells me he doesn’t take new customers. Sends them to other shop. However, this is “Frank’s NSX, and I will keep working on it.”

He is right. This is Frank’s NSX. It will forever be, and I am proud to continue the life of the NSX, and be a steward for Frank’s NSX as long as the car gods allow.

Thank you Frank. Thank you for making this dream come true for me. I appreciate you. You are an inspiration to a generation like me. Thank you for keeping the candle alive for us. Here is to a friendship for many years to come….

The NSX is now tucked into a lift. Where Ramon says, no coolant lines needed. Looked it all over. He doesn’t do engine out service. Says no need. I trust him….

Looking forward to the NSX coming home and then I start enjoying it for real..
Ramon is solid. I stopped by his shop a couple of years ago and spent nearly 2 hours chatting about our NSXes.
 
We spent a good 2 hours chatting about the car, my excitement, and his reluctance on selling. I can tell how attached he was. I was already attached, I can’t tell how much more attached he was over the years.

I told him he can not only drive it anytime, he can visit anytime, and I will stop by to say hi from time to time. I will take the car to NSXPO and keep up his legacy of him taking the cars there, and creating the memories he has. It still hadn’t hit me that the car was mine.

It was finally mine. I had earned it, worked for it... hasn't hit me yet.. it was my NSX... it is my NSX..

I get in the car, start it for the first time. I put on the watch he gave me, and set on my way. The clutch is so gentle, the controls feel like any 90s Honda would, easy. The seats are comfortable.

I pull out of his driveway … He waves good bye… it was difficult..I see it.. I could feel it. What a gentleman and a true automobile enthusiast, who loved the NSX, took care of it, enjoyed it, made memories with it. Truly an inspiration… hope I can live up to what he started…


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I read your story and my mind goes back to 2000 when I got my NSX. I still remember details of picking up Lucille in Houston, and driving her back to Corpus Christi. 3 ish hours of absolute bliss. 23 years later I still remember like it was yesterday.
I lived in OC right before I got my car; and I know several current owners up there. The club used to be very active; now not so much. But a good bunch of owners.
 
Changing the twenty-something hoses is certainly a pain in the ass and not cheap, but unless you have service records showing they have been changed, I think it is a HUGE mistake not to replace those 30+ year old hoses. They always "look fine," until one of them fails, which if you're unlucky, can cause extensive engine damage in only a few seconds.

I have seem multiple CA cars sold on BaT where the seller says that "Ramon" says the car doesn't need hoses or belts or water pump, even on cars where there is no documentation that any of those services have ever being done.

Maybe he's right. But for me, having a 30 year old six-figure car with a pretty exotic and high-revving engine means it's much better to spend extra on preventative maintenance and eliminate some possible huge future problems.

I had the hoses/belt/water pump done on my 15k mile 2005 a couple years ago, and after I sold that and bought a 30k mile 2001, I have that scheduled for February at Source 1, who, yes, removes the engine to do the belt service.

Not cheap, but worth every penny to me.
 
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