New owner first impressions

[JJM4life]

Many of the owners are still around and we all get older. D 15 years on prime can't be erased out of the brain so quickly.


...as long as you do moderate mods and keep it reversible, no problem. If not, have fun!

I went extreme on my 964. 993 custom geared 6 speed with a billet lsd, Rebuilt motor with big cams etc. 993 turbo brakes, euro rs suspension with coilovers and 993 gt2 evo uprights. Took about 350lbs out of the car. glass out repaint.
I don’t plan on going as crazy this time, but I’ve been known to change my mind. Once the wheels and suspension are done I’m sure I’ll enjoy driving it more, which just means more modifying too.

getting parts from japan seems like an even more exhausting undertaking than Europe. Does any US company make good stuff? As much as the fujitsubo Ti exhaust sounds ideal, I’m also wildly impatient haha

 

[Honcho]

getting parts from japan seems like an even more exhausting undertaking than Europe. Does any US company make good stuff? As much as the fujitsubo Ti exhaust sounds ideal, I’m also wildly impatient haha

No one in the US makes anything close to the Super Ti. Believe me, I looked! Marc at the NSX Shop can make it easier to order stuff from Japan. But, the lead time on the Super Ti is about 3 months, as they build them to order. The only one in the US who comes close is Brian at Prospeed. He made a copy of the GRF EX-001 JDM exhaust that sounds amazing, only weighs 1 lb more than the Super Ti and allegedly tunes out the dreaded drone. It's called the DSE-01. Problem is that Prospeed seems to be out of business despite the website. I myself am on the fence about trying to track down Brian to have him make one of these for me, or just importing another Super Ti, given the favorable exchange rate right now.

 

[JJM4life]

No one in the US makes anything close to the Super Ti. Believe me, I looked! Marc at the NSX Shop can make it easier to order stuff from Japan. But, the lead time on the Super Ti is about 3 months, as they build them to order. The only one in the US who comes close is Brian at Prospeed. He made a copy of the GRF EX-001 JDM exhaust that sounds amazing, only weighs 1 lb more than the Super Ti and allegedly tunes out the dreaded drone. It's called the DSE-01. Problem is that Prospeed seems to be out of business despite the website. I myself am on the fence about trying to track down Brian to have him make one of these for me, or just importing another Super Ti, given the favorable exchange rate right now.

Seems like everyone who once was big for this platform is out of business. I wish there was a supercharger available. Really not interested in turbos. As far as the nsx goes, it Seems like it’s More about keeping them original than modifying now

 

[goldNSX]

As far as the nsx goes, it Seems like it’s More about keeping them original than modifying now

Well, in the early years of prime this plattform was a good info source for updates and mods and most people did mods. Stock cars are a little bit more valued nowadays, that's why people hesitate to mod to the degree we did in the past. On the other hand, people with modified NSXs have fun with their cars and don't return to stock.

But most big names are still around except CT. But SoS also has a supercharger kit. In fact, now we have pretty much more options than 15 years ago.

 

[Honcho]

Seems like everyone who once was big for this platform is out of business. I wish there was a supercharger available. Really not interested in turbos. As far as the nsx goes, it Seems like it’s More about keeping them original than modifying now

Yeah the big players like RM Racing, Dali and Comptech are all gone now. Science of Speed is still going strong, though, and a lot of quality smaller vendors (like NSX Rack Repair, for example) have stepped up to fill the voids. Strongly recommend against any kind of forced induction for the NSX unless you are willing to fully build the engine, use quality aftermarket engine management (Infinity, FCon or Motec) and have access to a really good tuner. It's asking for trouble otherwise. This forum is littered with tons of "my car dies, my car won't start, my car idles funny, my car has a weird hesitation, my car is throwing XX code," etc. They always trace back to the supercharger or turbo lol.

Yes, the trend now is back to the original style, or "original +". You got yourself a really nice example of that, so I wouldn't go too far with this one. I too had an ivory interior on my first NSX and I re-covered the seats. It really freshened up the look of the interior. There also is a guy who can take your factory radio and make it do all the cool tech stuff like USB, Bluetooth, apple car play etc, while keeping the factory look of the radio. I think with headers, exhaust and maybe a custom ECU tune, you'll be in a good place performance wise. Throw in a little weight reduction (this car LOVES weight reduction) and freshen up your interior and you will have a truly respectable NSX that will be a ton of fun to drive. Gearing is another level. I had the JDM gear set and NSX-R differential in my last car and it was superb. But, if I had to do it again (and I am lol), I would just buy the 6 speed.

 

[Honcho]

Many of the owners are still around and we all get older. D 15 years on prime can't be erased out of the brain so quickly.

It's been a long time, hasn't it my friend? 12 years for me...

 

[JJM4life]

Well, in the early years of prime this plattform was a good info source for updates and mods and most people did mods. Stock cars are a little bit more valued nowadays, that's why people hesitate to mod to the degree we did in the past. On the other hand, people with modified NSXs have fun with their cars and don't return to stock.

But most big names are still around except CT. But SoS also has a supercharger kit. In fact, now we have pretty much more options than 15 years ago.

Sos has been helpful and very responsive. Seems like really well designed stuff. Not crazy about the way their exhaust sound though. Looking for something more high pitched and less drone. They also no longer make the supercharger.

Yeah the big players like RM Racing, Dali and Comptech are all gone now. Science of Speed is still going strong, though, and a lot of quality smaller vendors (like NSX Rack Repair, for example) have stepped up to fill the voids. Strongly recommend against any kind of forced induction for the NSX unless you are willing to fully build the engine, use quality aftermarket engine management (Infinity, FCon or Motec) and have access to a really good tuner. It's asking for trouble otherwise. This forum is littered with tons of "my car dies, my car won't start, my car idles funny, my car has a weird hesitation, my car is throwing XX code," etc. They always trace back to the supercharger or turbo lol.

Yes, the trend now is back to the original style, or "original +". You got yourself a really nice example of that, so I wouldn't go too far with this one. I too had an ivory interior on my first NSX and I re-covered the seats. It really freshened up the look of the interior. There also is a guy who can take your factory radio and make it do all the cool tech stuff like USB, Bluetooth, apple car play etc, while keeping the factory look of the radio. I think with headers, exhaust and maybe a custom ECU tune, you'll be in a good place performance wise. Throw in a little weight reduction (this car LOVES weight reduction) and freshen up your interior and you will have a truly respectable NSX that will be a ton of fun to drive. Gearing is another level. I had the JDM gear set and NSX-R differential in my last car and it was superb. But, if I had to do it again (and I am lol), I would just buy the 6 speed.

Big fan of the oem+ idea. Who does the radio conversion? I’d be very interested in that’s thanks for spoon feeding me info!

 

[goldNSX]

It's been a long time, hasn't it my friend? 12 years for me...

Yes, indeed, my friend! Memories...
Nearly 1/3 of my life and 1/2 of my 'automotive' life.
I'm with you on FB and similar kind of 'picture/message' plattforms. While I understand that todays communication demands ask for them and people have other priorities as well at the same time, I feel on FB like watching 'Police Academy' the 1000th time, just another episode. I hope it attracts some people over here on prime.

Very sad, that the supercharger is not available anymore. The low-boost CTSC was very reliable. The SoS version was relying on parts from CT which is out of business and nobody stepped into their feet.

One way to mod the car is along the JDM route but the JDM stuff is expensive and not easy to get by sometimes. The short gears have been one of my first significant mods (after headers, susension, wheels) and they really make a difference. I favor the 5-speed with 4.23 instead of the 6-speed without the 4.23 because it's a tad faster and 5 gears are sufficient and I guess cheaper too.

 

[JJM4life]

I’d be all over a supercharger, or ITBs, Aem infinity, plus a gearset or 6 speed swap. But there aren’t any Sc kits, and not a ton of info on ITBs other than people having trouble with them on street cars, which seems odd. Short gears might be the answer to waking this car up. Feels sluggish. It isn’t making much less hp than my 911, but a lot less tq. Gearing in that car changed it significantly. Also thinking a light(er) flywheel would help too.

 

[goldNSX]

Used CTSC kits happen to appear on the radar from time to time. Just be patient.

I don't know the history of your car but a car of that age also needs some preventative maintenance and revisions, sometimes small things but the sum of all items can add up to a certain amount. Depends on how much done by the previous owner. I'd check them first before doing any (hp) mods.

 

[docjohn]

don't forget the RM nos kit:wink:

 

[Honcho]

I’d be all over a supercharger, or ITBs, Aem infinity, plus a gearset or 6 speed swap. But there aren’t any Sc kits, and not a ton of info on ITBs other than people having trouble with them on street cars, which seems odd. Short gears might be the answer to waking this car up. Feels sluggish. It isn’t making much less hp than my 911, but a lot less tq. Gearing in that car changed it significantly. Also thinking a light(er) flywheel would help too.

SoS might still be selling their ITB kit. If so- jump all over it. There are several owners (Ponyboy comes to mind) with this kit/tune and no issues at all. SoS can even build you an airbox that will connect to the factory air filter for a proper street car install. ITB + headers/exhaust + AEM tune + gears will deliver an amazing NSX experience. Much prefer that over the CTSC. The NSX Shop is also selling an ITB kit. SoS might be willing to tune it for you.

 

[JJM4life]

I have a tuner locally that I would trust. I actually called him
about the stock each, but he made it sound like that’s not an option. Shocking to think there are no gains to be made on the stock ecu and that no one seems to tune them

 

[NSX_n00b]

I have a tuner locally that I would trust. I actually called him
about the stock each, but he made it sound like that’s not an option. Shocking to think there are no gains to be made on the stock ecu and that no one seems to tune them

If you do some poking around here on Prime you should be able to find a few threads on this. There actually were/are some options of tuning the stock ecu out there but they all involve installing a Zif socket and then having a hot chip programmed. For example, I'm running a stock ECU but I have the Dali Hot Chip installed (which I have been told is just a flash of the NA1 NSX-R ECU). I know that once upon a time SOS did a hot chip and ProSpeed does an ECU tune for their RDX Injector Kit.

I also think there is a thread here (I can't for the life of me find it right now) where someone got all of the maps off of the ECU and posted them.

 

[Honcho]

I have a tuner locally that I would trust. I actually called him
about the stock each, but he made it sound like that’s not an option. Shocking to think there are no gains to be made on the stock ecu and that no one seems to tune them

If you do some poking around here on Prime you should be able to find a few threads on this. There actually were/are some options of tuning the stock ecu out there but they all involve installing a Zif socket and then having a hot chip programmed. For example, I'm running a stock ECU but I have the Dali Hot Chip installed (which I have been told is just a flash of the NA1 NSX-R ECU). I know that once upon a time SOS did a hot chip and ProSpeed does an ECU tune for their RDX Injector Kit.

I also think there is a thread here (I can't for the life of me find it right now) where someone got all of the maps off of the ECU and posted them.

Like Spencer said, you should poke around the naturally aspirated power threads. Lots of great info in there. Yes, the full definition of the NA1 OBD-I ECU is now available and can be tuned with TunerPro. Prospeed (if you can find him) also has a fully reverse engineered ECU definition that he uses to tune. The vendors largely gave up on ECU chips because (1) the NSX engine is already highly tuned from the factory and (2) gains were variable across engines. The C30A is partially hand built, so each engine is a little different. Thus, it was difficult for a one size fits all chip to show the same benefits across customer engines. Some guys gained 20 whp. Others gained 3. However, if the chip is tuned on your engine, it is worthwhile. The main limiting factor for ECU tuning is the factory fuel injectors, which at 240cc are already running at nearly 100% duty cycle near the top of the fuel maps. Since the main trick in ECU tuning is to add fuel, this makes it hard for the NSX. Thus, you'll need bigger injectors to realize any significant gains with ECU tuning. Prospeed sells a kit that adapts the modern Acura RDX 410cc injectors that many owners have used to great success on the NSX. Another owner recently went with OsideTiger injectors from Ebay, but he had some issues with lean codes (though those were on the OEM tune).

Assuming you can fit larger injectors, the C30A has a lot of potential in the engine. Remember Honda tuned this platform to a specific power goal: 280 PS, which is the maximum allowed under the "Gentlemens' Agreement" the major Japanese manufacturers applied to themselves in the 1990's to avoid regulatory intervention (though Nissan started cheating almost right away with the GT-R). Being a bunch of F1 engineers, Honda of course left a lot on the table. Indeed, the VE of the OEM engine is not ideal and there is a way to wake it up:

1. Headers and Exhaust
2. Injectors
3. Cams
4. Big bore throttle body
5. Throttle matched and ported intake manifold
6. ECU Tune

Doing the above will get you over 300 at the wheels. It's essentially what Honda's factory race teams did with the C30A for the JGTC 500 race cars, except they also increased displacement to 3.5L, added ITBs and used high compression pistons. On race gas, that setup made over 500 horsepower without any superchargers or turbos. You should reach out to Shawn (Ponyboy), who has a "civilian" version of this race engine. He's not on Prime much anymore, but as I understand it he has had no issues and the engine makes more power than a low boost supercharger. So, it is fully possible to realize serious power gains from tuning, but the reason you don't see much is that historically it was far simpler for owners to bolt on a CTSC. However, that comes with its own issues and we are seeing more of them now that the miles are stacking up on these CTSC installs. As an open deck, high compression engine with a paper head gasket and small fuel injectors, the C30A just isn't well suited for boost.

 

[JJM4life]

That might be the most comprehensive explanations I’ve seen yet. I have more reading to do.

 

[goldNSX]

that historically it was far simpler for owners to bolt on a CTSC. However, that comes with its own issues and we are seeing more of them now that the miles are stacking up on these CTSC installs. As an open deck, high compression engine with a paper head gasket and small fuel injectors, the C30A just isn't well suited for boost.

I agree with you that the CTSC was a very easy mod for some serious hp gains. But the failure rate of the low boost version (Gen 3: Lysholm unit) is near to non-existing. The problems mainly date back to the first Autorotor unit (Gen 2) (2007/2008) and all high-boost versions.

The low-boost CTSC was the best way to get more hp without touching the internals of the engine (which was very important to me). Plus the character of the engine (esp. throttle response) is the same as stock, just with more punch.

Starting with a completly stock NSX, I'd say adding a header/exhaust will gain 20 hp and the NSX-R gearing 'feels' like another 20 hp. Mounting 265/35/18 in the rear instead of 225/50/16 will feel like 30-40 hp less, I'm afraid to admit.

 

[JJM4life]

I agree with you that the CTSC was a very easy mod for some serious hp gains. But the failure rate of the low boost version (Gen 3: Lysholm unit) is near to non-existing. The problems mainly date back to the first Autorotor unit (Gen 2) (2007/2008) and all high-boost versions.

The low-boost CTSC was the best way to get more hp without touching the internals of the engine (which was very important to me). Plus the character of the engine (esp. throttle response) is the same as stock, just with more punch.

Starting with a completly stock NSX, I'd say adding a header/exhaust will gain 20 hp and the NSX-R gearing 'feels' like another 20 hp. Mounting 265/35/18 in the rear instead of 225/50/16 will feel like 30-40 hp less, I'm afraid to admit.

yea i know the big wheels wont help, but it goes a long way towards the car looking proper. the rears came today actually. fronts due in tomorrow. coilovers and tires should also be in before the end of the day too.

looking for the right header/exhaust now. doesnt seem to be a ton of current info on cam choices. need a steering wheel too. this factory one is awful to look at.

 

[Old Guy]

I have a tuner locally that I would trust. I actually called him
about the stock each, but he made it sound like that’s not an option. Shocking to think there are no gains to be made on the stock ecu and that no one seems to tune them

Can you say "Moates Ostrich please" and spell hexidecimal. If so, you have tuning options for the ECU on the na1 NSX. Definitely not for idiots and probably above the experience range of most tuners who really just know how to fill in the configuration variables on a software interface and are not really up for coding. On a stock engine adjusting the high MAP, high RPM cells in the fuel map to alter the AFRs in those cells may net you a small change in horsepower. Reality is if there was material horsepower to be had by tweaking a few fuel cells I doubt that Honda's engineers would be so stupid as to leave free horsepower on the table.

The na1 cast iron headers are sub optimal; but, keep in mind that the na2 has tubular steel headers and 3.2 l and only makes 290 crank hp. With a stock engine, the pressure drop in the intake manifold at wide open throttle has been reported as less than 5 kPa below atmospheric so changes to the intake system are not going to net you much for peak hp if anything. Intake changes (including ITBs) are going to yield little until you change the cams to something with a more aggressive profile, address potential port restrictions, increase the red line and perhaps increase displacement. Increasing compression ratio will yield some additional horsepower; but, the yields diminish as the compression ratio increases and you rapidly enter into the zone of broken piston ring lands and other detonation detritus. Once you are into the cams, flowed ports, valve train components, elevated RPM, higher CR and perhaps larger engine, you are into serious $.

Talk to SOS about their 3.5 l short block kit and by the time it is installed with a suitably modified head and ITBs if you are inclined and cams and sorted and tuned and you have fixed the clutch and half shaft issues you will have close to doubled the purchase price of your car. There is a reason why people select FA.

 

[JJM4life]

^^ no one ever said N/A was the easier or cheaper route haha. if there was a supercharger still on the market, this wouldnt even be part of the conversation.

 

[Sportsmind4me]

JJM4life regarding your query about upgrading the internals of your stock stereo head unit, check out Willman's Electronics. I don't have personal experience, but they seem to be the go-to source for what you're looking for. Love your previous stable BTW! http://www.willmanselectronics.com/nsx.htm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQpMzvPrsPY

 

[Sportsmind4me]

Here's a link to their website: http://www.willmanselectronics.com/nsx.htm

 

[JJM4life]

JJM4life regarding your query about upgrading the internals of your stock stereo head unit, check out Willman's Electronics. I don't have personal experience, but they seem to be the go-to source for what you're looking for. Love your previous stable BTW! http://www.willmanselectronics.com/nsx.htm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQpMzvPrsPY

Hey thanks, and thanks for the tip. I’ll check that site out.

Wuixk update. Wheels and suspension are in. Front sits higher than I’d like. The helper spring seems to be keeping good us from lowering the car more as the coilovers collar would come in contact with the upper control arm. Very odd. In my quick drive from
the shop to my bar steering effort is lighter, but no more precise. Wasn’t expecting much of a change to be honest.

 

[Honcho]

Hey thanks, and thanks for the tip. I’ll check that site out.

Wuixk update. Wheels and suspension are in. Front sits higher than I’d like. The helper spring seems to be keeping good us from lowering the car more as the coilovers collar would come in contact with the upper control arm. Very odd. In my quick drive from
the shop to my bar steering effort is lighter, but no more precise. Wasn’t expecting much of a change to be honest.

Time for a steering rack rebuild, new tie rod ends and ball joints from Carbon6. You might also want to consider the Prothane poly bushing kit for all of the old rubber pieces in the front control arms. Steering in a fully refreshed NSX with proper tire sidewall rigidity should be direct and nearly telepathic LOL.

 

[JJM4life]

Time for a steering rack rebuild, new tie rod ends and ball joints from Carbon6. You might also want to consider the Prothane poly bushing kit for all of the old rubber pieces in the front control arms. Steering in a fully refreshed NSX with proper tire sidewall rigidity should be direct and nearly telepathic LOL.

I bet you’re right. Was really hoping the steering Would be on par with my exige, but it’s honestly nowhere near. Something must be wrong. The wheels and tires did help.

Ordering pride headers and an exhaust. Gotta check out mechanics direct...