Question on 97+ model year difference

[watchdogd]

I have been a long time s2000 owner and looking at getting an NSX. In regard to the 97+ Model years, is there one year or certain years that are better in terms of reliability or is there a site/page I can view any known issues for specific model years. I prefer the 6 speed and thats why was inquiring about 97+

Thank you,

 

[Speedmaster]

Check out the model change information in the Wiki above. Read up and post more questions after.

 

[watchdogd]

Check out the model change information in the Wiki above. Read up and post more questions after.

Will do thanks.

 

[Old Guy]

In 2000 Honda made a significant change to the ABS system, they also changed to perforated leather on the seat inserts and made some non specific change to the transmission to improve shifting. Aside from color availability, those are the only significant changes from 1997 to 2001.

 

[watchdogd]

In 2000 Honda made a significant change to the ABS system, they also changed to perforated leather on the seat inserts and made some non specific change to the transmission to improve shifting. Aside from color availability, those are the only significant changes from 1997 to 2001.

Thanks, I really like that wiki page describing all the detailed changes. The major ones I was interested in are power steering, 6 speed and horse power increase.

Is the shifting that considerably different for the 2000 models ? And I noticed no scheduled tune ups for 100,000 miles. I assume that includes things like Valve adjustments or spark plugs etc ?

 

[Old Guy]

I have a 2000 which I have owned since 2011. 7 years of ownership of an Na2 and exceedingly limited experience with the 5 speed suggests that the 5 speed might be a slightly nicer shifting gearbox than the 6 speed. When my 6 speed is stinking hot it shifts exceedingly smoothly. When it is cold, it will sometimes balk on the 1st - 2nd and infrequently on the 2nd - 3rd shifts. Slow and deliberate until its hot and then everything is fine; but, it does take some time for the transmission to get hot when it is cold out - longer than it takes the engine to come up to temperature. I can't comment on whether my 2000 has improved shifting relative to a 1997-1999 because I have never sampled one of those years.

And I noticed no scheduled tune ups for 100,000 miles. I assume that includes things like Valve adjustments or spark plugs etc ?

Yes/No! You can find the recommended maintenance schedule for any model / year Acura on Acura's website. You are supposed to inspect valve clearance at 48,000 km intervals along with air filter replacement. Fuel filter at 96,000 km. Timing belt and spark plug replacement and 168,000 km. Acura is making an interesting distinction between scheduled maintenance and scheduled tune ups. Modern cars with electronic fuel injection and controlled ignition don't really require tune ups. Acura always puts a time limit on the maintenance intervals. Most NSX owners bump into the time limit before they ever hit the mileage limit for maintenance items.

 

[Sterling Sackey]

Thanks, I really like that wiki page describing all the detailed changes. The major ones I was interested in are power steering, 6 speed and horse power increase.

Is the shifting that considerably different for the 2000 models ? And I noticed no scheduled tune ups for 100,000 miles. I assume that includes things like Valve adjustments or spark plugs etc ?

The reality is, these cars are two decades old now - they are reliable, but there are going to be some "unscheduled" tune-ups.

 

[watchdogd]

The reality is, these cars are two decades old now - they are reliable, but there are going to be some "unscheduled" tune-ups.

No doubt I was just curious what they meant by "scheduled tune ups". I totally expect things to break and get replaced. Cost of enjoyment and ownership

 

[BATMANs]

If you have plans for forced induction u may want to consider the 3.0 liter engines since they have steel sleeves for the cylinder walls.

Also, the heads seem to be more optimized for FI - if I recalled correctly.

Didn't someone mention that the 5-speed was stronger due to thicker gears?

 

[neuronbob]

If you have plans for forced induction u may want to consider the 3.0 liter engines since they have steel sleeves for the cylinder walls.

Also, the heads seem to be more optimized for FI - if I recalled correctly.

Didn't someone mention that the 5-speed was stronger due to thicker gears?

It’s the other way around, I thought. The NA2 (97-up) headers are better for forced induction, and the head gasket is also more robust for FI. I only know this because I’ve been planning out a CTSC build for my 1999 for-ever...

 

[jwmelvin]

AFAIK, the NA2 head gasket is better but it is true that with the FRM lining you can’t really switch pistons without sleeving the cylinders. Also, there seem to be more reports of NA2 pulling head bolts out of the block than NA1.

Note: [MENTION=17226]BATMANs[/MENTION] said head not header. NA2 header is much better. I don’t know the differences between cylinder heads.

 

[Old Guy]

No doubt I was just curious what they meant by "scheduled tune ups". I totally expect things to break and get replaced. Cost of enjoyment and ownership

The NSX is remarkably durable, more so when compared against things like Ferraris and Porches. An unmodified and well maintained NSX drivetrain probably enjoys the same kind of durability associated with Accords and Camrys. The bodies being aluminum are pretty much stellar, unless bent in an accident.

If you troll the forum, the maintenance issues that are emerging are related to the electronics and electrical systems. That is not a uniquely NSX problem. All cars from the '90s are suffering from ageing electronics, its a non issue because most of those cars tend to end up in the pick and pull. Be prepared to deal with that. The other thing to consider is that there were roughly 16,000 NSXs that ended up in North America between 1991 and 2005. In the US, Honda has sold a nudge under 30,000 Accords a month over the last 10 years or so. Just because its a Honda, don't expect the same level of maintenance support, parts availability (Honda or aftermarket) and parts pricing. Every Honda dealer maintenance facility has dealt with an Accord. I am sure that there are Acura dealerships that have never had an NSX through their doors. Unless you already have a line on a local NSX specialist or a dealership with a proven track record, get a service manual and be prepared to do much of your own work.

 

[natcc99]

I am sure that there are Acura dealerships that have never had an NSX through their doors. Unless you already have a line on a local NSX specialist or a dealership with a proven track record, get a service manual and be prepared to do much of your own work.

Old Guy highlighted an important note. Yes, most general maintenance items are easy for the DIY such as changing the oil or spark plugs. However, there will be others where you want an expert to help out such as replacing the coolant hoses or clutch.

Since you are in the market, I highly suggest looking for any local shops that specializes in NSX. If you like, you can even ask the shop to see if they know of any that are for sale. As Old Guy has mentioned, there is a small population of NSXs and the shop probably knows most of the local owners.

Speaking of specialized shops, it is key to find someone who can perform a proper PPI. When I was shopping for mine, finding a shop to perform a PPI was a challenge. It was not the end of the world, but I really wanted an expert opinion and someone who is familiar with the common issues of a NSX would be helpful. Obviously, any shop can check the general things such as brakes, clutch, compression, etc but there are others such as slow moving windows, gas shocks for the trunk, and the electronics issues that Old Guy already mentioned. (I think there is a wiki page with a "watch-out" list) If these are noted during the PPI, they can help you with negotiating a fair price to the seller.

Lastly, finding parts. I may sound like a broken record to Old Guy's response, but I want to share one of my experiences. I needed to replace my coil packs. Seems like a simple item to order, right? Little did I know, I could only source 3 of the 6. Eventually, I found the other 3, but they had to be sourced from Japan. Perhaps my choice in dealerships limited parts availability, but wanted to highlight that parts can be difficult to come by.

Thankfully, we have shops like Science of Speed that do supply some OEM parts. They also have some of their own aftermarket replacements. I mentioned SOS because they saved me a few times when I needed to source parts that I could not find at the dealership such as the clutch slave hose.

Good luck with your car hunt.

 

[watchdogd]

I'm use to having things break to say the least. I've hand my s2000 12 years now and have gone through more big ticket items like piston ring and valve replacement due to heavy oil consumption, rear main seal, radiator, alternator, starter, throttle body sensor and too many small items to list . In fact if i didnt have bad luck with cars, I wouldn't have any luck at all

The only mods I would consider are either cosmetic like wheels or suspension.

Fortunately I live near Science of Speed in Arizona which is one of if not the best shops for these cars. :encouragement:

 

[Old Guy]

If you are close to SOS, then that is probably as good as it gets unless Larry B. was your next door neighbor. Based upon your S2000 experience, I expect that a well maintained unmolested 1997 - 2001 NSX will seem like a dream car. The only non-regular maintenance my car has had since 2000 is the upgrade to the window regulators, cleaning the aspirator fan, replacing the trunk struts, refinishing a balding engine hatch cover, repairing the boots on the window sashes and perhaps an impending capacitor replacement on my CCU.

When shopping, keep in mind the restored car mantra, in the long term the cheapest NSX to own will probably be the most expensive one that you can afford up front. Unabused cars with maintenance records will command a higher price that, within reason, is worth it. Unless your plan was to build a track rat or highly modified car, fixers uppers will bleed you to death because of parts availability and cost even if you can do the work your self. If you haven't seen it already, check out the Gen 1 market analysis by RacerXwing so that you are informed about what you should be paying.

 

[watchdogd]

the cheapest NSX to own will probably be the most expensive one that you can afford up front.

I could not agree more, you get what you pay for no doubt. I will check out that analysis as well thanks.

 

[MaxGeek]

I have a 2000 which I have owned since 2011. 7 years of ownership of an Na2 and exceedingly limited experience with the 5 speed suggests that the 5 speed might be a slightly nicer shifting gearbox than the 6 speed. When my 6 speed is stinking hot it shifts exceedingly smoothly. When it is cold, it will sometimes balk on the 1st - 2nd and infrequently on the 2nd - 3rd shifts. Slow and deliberate until its hot and then everything is fine; but, it does take some time for the transmission to get hot when it is cold out - longer than it takes the engine to come up to temperature. I can't comment on whether my 2000 has improved shifting relative to a 1997-1999 because I have never sampled one of those years.

Yeah this part sucks. I have the same issue with my 2002. Others I've asked about it say the same thing. Some of the threads on prime seem to suggest the 1997 to maybe 1999 don't have this issue.

 

[MaxGeek]

I'm use to having things break to say the least. I've hand my s2000 12 years now and have gone through more big ticket items like piston ring and valve replacement due to heavy oil consumption, rear main seal, radiator, alternator, starter, throttle body sensor and too many small items to list . In fact if i didnt have bad luck with cars, I wouldn't have any luck at all

Yikes. I've had my s2000 for like 16 years and outside of regular fluids have only needed to replace the coils and spark plugs (only 1 coil failed).

 

[BATMANs]

I could not agree more, you get what you pay for no doubt. I will check out that analysis as well thanks.

I paid $24k for my 1993 with 35k miles and clean title and original paint.

Any predictions?

 

[watchdogd]

I paid $24k for my 1993 with 35k miles and clean title and original paint.

Any predictions?

Damn thats a great price. We would need a market crash to find one that cheap clean with low mileage like that.

 

[BATMANs]

Damn thats a great price. We would need a market crash to find one that cheap clean with low mileage like that.

I bought mine in 2007 before the other market crash.

Bought from my friend that offered it to me first and said that if I didn't want it he would put if on the open market for $45k.

He sold it to me for the price he paid for it from his friends. I'm the 5th owner, but it's all passed down to friends since all of the previous owners needed a car to learn the balance of a rear mid-engine while they wait for their F-cars.