Swapping out interior color.

[neurobound]

Heya - I'm having a frustrating time locating the right NSX. If it isn't one thing, its another. I'm looking for a blk/blk manual trans, virtually any year I suppose, price permitting.

Thing is, I find one - it's blk/blk but automatic.. then a blk manual - but ivory interior! arggg. The fact that most of them aren't in california (so I can't see it in person) makes it that much more difficult.

I'm getting to the point where I'd like to investigate how worthwhile it could be just to grab one of these tan/ivory interiors (sorry, just not what I'm lookin for ;/ ) and swap out the interior with black parts.

Has anyone in here had any experimence with this? Whats the most difficult part of the process? I'd imagine swapping out the carpet would be the biggest nightmare. I'm a little scared to ask, but anyone have a rough idea of how much two new OEM black seats would cost?

any advice?

Thanks for reading!

.jeremy

 

[jgtcnsx]

it shouldnt be that bad the work. the hardest part would be if you tried to get all the parts off other people instead of buying them from the dealer. but if you buy them from the dealer it shouldnt be that bad. ripping out the carpet would definiatly be the worst. everything else just snaps in and out or bolts and bolts. keep your eyes open though dont rush into buying just yet cause you know right when you by a black/tan you will see a black/black :biggrin: thats how it always works

 

[nsxtasy]

anyone have a rough idea of how much two new OEM black seats would cost?

List price is $4-5K per seat, and you can probably get them for a 20-30 percent discount.

However, from a strictly practical viewpoint - there are plenty of black/black NSXs around. (20 percent of all NSXs are black/black, and there are more than twice as many black with black interior than black with ivory or tan interior.) There are so many, that buying a black/ivory with plans to swap the interior is silly. Just keep looking for the one you want. You'll find it.

Incidentally, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a car that's for sale somewhere else in the country. Let's say you find one for sale in, oh, New York City, or Chicago, or Atlanta, or Dallas, or Phoenix. You could ask on NSXprime and find out which dealer or independent mechanic in that area has a lot of NSX service experience and thus is qualified to perform an inspection on the car, then arrange with the seller to have it inspected as a condition of the sale. (Expect to pay labor charges of 1-2 hours at $80-100/hour for the inspection.) If the car passes the technical inspection and is as represented by the seller, you could either have it shipped (yes, sight unseen) or, if you insist on seeing it in person yourself, spend a few hundred bucks to fly out and pick the car up yourself to drive it home.

 

[1TITENSX]

Check out this thread which talks about taking the carpet out.

 

[moehr]

I had the same problem, except I swapped my black interior for a camel one. I thought it would be difficult, but with a little coaxing from a local upholstery shop, I tried it on my own. It only took 5 hours to switch out both seats (very easy), the carpeting, and bulkhead pieces. It would probably take less time if you knew where everything was. I had to figure it out as I went. Most of the trim pieces use simple hooks and snap in connectors. The carpet is molded and uses plastic hook like tabs to hold it in place. You just have to remove all of the trim pieces that conceal the mounting tabs (door threshold, foot rests, etc). You will need a philips head screwdriver, various socket sizes (including a 10mm)for the footrest. My biggest problem has been with locating all the individual pieces. In fact, I am still looking for some. I opted to buy used pieces from nsxprime members. My local acura dealer quoted me $1700 just for the carpet. I have spent about $1100 so far and have most of the interior switched (except the headliner and door panels) and it looks great. The cost of the pieces can be offset by selling the pieces you remove (which is what I intend to do). I would recommend the swap if you cant find the exact car that you are looking for. Good luck

 

[caseycarson]

I say get the black/ivory MN tranny and learn to love it.....I have a 94 blk/blk MN tranny. I would give ANYTHING for the ivory interior.....but I learned to love the black....I guess it's kinda like those "arranged marriage" situations....You learn to love that person you were forced to marry.

 

[neurobound]

Hey guys - some excellent responses. Really appreciated. At 4-5k per seat, I can see your point. That is rough. From what you guys are sayig though, the actual process doesn't sound half bad. Not sure where I'll go from here. I suppose I'll just keep looking for a blk/blk.

I guess buying from an out of stater isn't too bad if you put it that way, though It seems like it would be a bit of a problem if ya find an NSX on Ebay (I know, probably not most ideal place to look) where theres a timelimit. I can just see it, I send a mechanic out there to check it out, then right during the inspection, someone hits the buyitnow button ;P Roughly $200 out the window. I'm looking at other places for NSXs, so I guess it should work in most other situations.

Comment about learning to live with something other than blk/blk, probably right - but then again you have my color ;P tee hee.

Thanks again - really great advice.

.jeremy

 

[MJK]

Uh, if one person wants black/ivory and has black/black, and another person has the reverse... perhaps you both should chat?

 

[NSXYchick]

First off pulling the carpet is EASY! I pulled the carpet out of my Blk/Ivory X last week. It was so easy i was shocked. Once you get the Seats out (10 mins each). The carpet slides out as simple as changing clothes. You only have to remove those leather base plates at the bottom of the door (they pop up w/a tug) It took 5 mins on the passenger-side (No Joke) and 15 mins on the Driver due to removing the foot rest. Total time was roughly 1 hour for 2 seats & carpet. To top it all off, i did this on a cold afternoon nearing evening so i was loosing light. It was absolutely easy!

I would Not think twice about swapping interiors. Good used seats here @ Prime go for far less than a thousand for both sides! I plan to change my Ivory interior to Red, as soon as i find red seats (or have them made). It would be a shame to pass on an NSX for a great deal when all you have to do is swap the interior. Its a the easiest job a common person can do themselves.

BTW before you vacuum...keep an eye out for lost jewelry from previous owners. :biggrin:
Best wishes

 

[TheYellowBeast]

Incidentally, I wouldn't hesitate to buy a car that's for sale somewhere else in the country.

Neurobound - what nsxtasy said! Assuming you don't want "a NSX now" but "the right NSX", give yourself a few months and keep an eye out not just at EBay but here; you will find the price / mileage / condition / modification / distance to purchase car you are looking for -- and learn alot that you will want to know as a new NSX owner in the process.

 

[drew]

I too wanted blk/blk, but got blk/ivory.

A color change will require that you remove and restitch the dash and door panels. I've been saving up parts for a black conversion...but I'm really learning to like the Ivory...it really is kinda cool.

If a red interior ever shows up: I'll probably convert,

Drew