Thinking about making the switch from a Vr4...

[B Feelgood]

I currently own a 1992 3000GT Vr4 with 50,000 miles running the 1/4 in the low-mid 12's... I have had the car for a little over a year now and am starting to lose interest with it... I must have spent honestly 4-5 hours today browsing the prime forums looking at pictures/videos/reasearching, and every NSX I look at makes me want one even more... I will not be getting rid of my Vr4 untill the end of this summer if I even decide to go through with it... That is why I am here though, for some convincing from NSX owners : ) If I do decide to purchase one it will be a 91-93 with under 50K on it... When going to purchase a NSX what should I look for "snapring, clutch life, etc?" I know for the 3kgt's there are alot of cheap mods that can be done to make the car pretty fast... What kind of parts would I be looking at to get a 91-93 NSX into 12.8-13.3 range and what kind of prices? I doubt I will want to supercharge it because of the hefty price tag for the moment, so basicly I am asking what kind of bolt-ons are available and what kind of performance will they bring? I am not looking to have a 10sec straightline monster because I am aware of the NSX's other capabilities other then going in s atraight line but having it close to 13.0 without supercharging would be nice, "if it is even possible which I highly doubt" : )

Another issue I wanted to get familiar with is being how hard are the NSX's to work on yourself "sparkplugs,oil,etc"... Of course I know that I am browsing a NSX forum and opinions are going to be biased, but thats kind of why I am here : ) So lets hear it, why should I sell the Vr4 and get a NSX?

 

[RP-Motorsports]

You will have a 13 sec flat NSX with bolt-on's. They run around 13.5 stock. I too made the jump from DSM's and even a turbo Integra to the NSX. NO COMPARISON! The wow factor alone is worth it. These cars are rarer than a Ferrari and Porsche etc on the public roads, and people will constantly be interested. The NSX is made for the track, but can easily break into the 12's on the strip with a good clutch and tires. The reliability factor alone should have taught you to dump the DSM years ago. I used to have about 25 DSM turbo friends, I can now think of about 3 left! They all saw the light.

 

[Sig]

If you are interested in doing the straight-line thing every once in and a while, you may want to consider a small nitrous kit in the 75-100 shot range. This will be less expensive than all the bolt-ons (i.e. headers/exhaust/intake) and give you a much faster car. With a well set up 75 shot kit, you will be deep into the 12's without breaking a sweat. There are some good threads discussing nitrous on these forums. Do a search and read through them if you are interested.

Just some food for thought.

 

[hlweyl]

Welcome to Prime. I would say if you buy the NSX, live with it for a while before any mods. The car has alot of power and you'll probably be happy. There are other cars to be had if 1/4 times are important to you. If you really enjoy racing, consider a track only car.

Maintaining the NSX isn't that difficult. Just a little difficult in some aspects because of the mid engine layout. There's a wealth of information to be had here in the FAQ and www.danoland.com.

Good luck

 

[nsxexotic]

buy one that has the snap ring repaired with a new case or buy one not in the snap ring. My car has over 80k on it and a few months after I got it the snap ring went. Ouch!.


btw... a friend of mine is looking for a VR4 - if your interested in selling PM me with details and price. We are about 3 hours from pitt.

thanks.

 

[DocL]

So lets hear it, why should I sell the Vr4 and get a NSX?

Because the VR-4 is an overstuffed fat piggy that handles like a cruise ship.

I had a 1995 3000GT Spyder VR-4 with a lot of mods that was fast as stink, but the brakes and handling are no where near that of my NSX which I bought to replace my 3KGT. Yes the Spyder's were a different animal than the coupe, but they were also very similar. I warped the rotors every 1000 miles, the tranny had to be replaced twice, and the stinkin' top always gave me problems (not present on the coupe obviously.)

I loved being able to bolt on simple mods with the 3KGT, and they were much cheaper. But there is no comparison between the two cars. The NSX carves through the twisties without hesitation, whereas I always felt that the 3KGT would plow off the side of the road. The 3KGT was built as a touring coupe and it does that job very well. The NSX was built as an exotic and it truly is. It's hand built from the start to finish, and you don't see them on every corner.

I haven't any regrets in making the step up into an NSX. Yes it's a little slower in the 1/4 mile, but what it loses there it makes up ten times in it's exclusivity and overall performance.

Good luck and please don't take offense at my opening statement.

 

[Doc C]

I had a 95 VR4 Spyder as well. It was a good car and fast as hell in a straight line. I agree with DocL though. My NSX is a way better car. It is so much more exclusive. I hated that there was a lower model of 3000GT and so everyone thought theirs was the same as mine. Obviously, I had a retractable roof that made a big difference, but most people didn't know that. You never see an NSX on the road. As far as handling goes, there is no comparison. My NSX will WAY outperform the 3000GT. Resale is amazing, and the VTEC sound system is incredible as well. There are times I miss the Spyder, but they are few and far between. I would hate to not have my NSX, and I've only had it for a very short time!!! You won't be sorry getting an NSX. Good Luck.

Doc C

 

[bangbang001]

I also had a 3000gt spyder before I got the nsx, I can tell you that you will be in a whole different league. I used to see the gt's ragged out all the time and the only thing made my car look any different was the retractable top. I have not looked back since I sold it. If you decide to purchase one, you will be satisfied.

 

[B Feelgood]

I would probaly want to stay away from nitrous, because I would want the power to be ready available on the street... What kind of prices would I be looking at for say an exhaust, headers, and intake? What kind of power would each mod prevail?

How is the clutch pressure on the NSX? I know on my Vr4 it is as heavy as a rock, which I hate... How is the wheel selection for the NSX's? For the Vr4 I found about 8 sets of 18-19" wheels that actually cleared the front brake calipers on the car without speacers, and finally went with a 19" 35mm offset... If I said the aftermarket selection of wheels for that car was plentiful, I would be lieing... How is the selection on this end of the spectrum? HRE's being out of the question, $4,000 for just wheels is a little rich for my blood right now

As a couple of people have quoted already "my Vr4 is lost in a sea of base, and SL models" which I look down upon also... I can honestly say I have seen only 2 NSX's up close and in person before... One was a 04 at a Acura dealer in west palm beach when I was on a business venture, and man did it look sweet... Another was a red one at a car show, I believe it was a 92 with something like 8000 miles on it... When searching for a 91-93 NSX what preventive measures should I look for the previous owner to have had done, and what kind of questions should I ask about "mechanically"? Keep in mind I will be purchasing one with under 50K...

The only other cars I was looking into were a Lotus E-spirit, and a Spyder Vr4... But I Have heard that the realibility issues on the E-spirit would make it a bad choice... And as for the Spyder, I think the NSX would be a huge change as pace... For everyone that owned a Vr4 or Spyder before owning their NSX, how do they feel going from a AWD turbo car, to a RWD NA car?

Thanks for the input everyone, keep it coming

PS: NsxExotic, PM'ed you

 

[nsxtasy]

I haven't any regrets in making the step up into an NSX. Yes it's a little slower in the 1/4 mile

According to almost all the magazine tests, even the 3.0-liter five-speed NSX was FASTER in the 1/4 mile than the 3000GT VR-4.

Good luck and please don't take offense at my opening statement.

Why not? I think a weight difference of 800 pounds is sufficient to justify comparisons both porcine and marine...

 

[NetViper]

How is the clutch pressure on the NSX? I know on my Vr4 it is as heavy as a rock, which I hate...

My friend and I drove one a couple months ago... I would agree.. the clutch pressure is TERRIBLE. I would not buy it just because of how heavy it is.

The NSX is nothing like that at all. It is nice and easy to use. I love it.

 

[DocL]

According to almost all the magazine tests, even the 3.0-liter five-speed NSX was FASTER in the 1/4 mile than the 3000GT VR-4...

I was comparing the VR-4 with mods to a stock NSX. Almost everyone who buys a VR-4 ends up doing mods because the horsepower gains are tremendous compared to the NSX. That is the one thing I miss about owning a turbo car.

For everyone that owned a Vr4 or Spyder before owning their NSX, how do they feel going from a AWD turbo car, to a RWD NA car?

The NSX feels so much more stable at speed that the difference is not even noticeable. There is a difference in the seat of the pants between the turbo's and NA 3.0, but once you arrive at VTEC and hit 8000rpms, it doesn't matter that much anymore. As for the clutch effort, I don't remember the VR-4 being too stiff, but the linkage mechanism in the NSX is much better feeling and the throw is way shorter.

As for wheel selection, I think there are more available for the NSX such as Volk, HRE, BBS, OZ, etc... You shouldn't have too much difficulty finding wheels for a good price, plus there are a few vendors here that can help you out. (Do your due dilligence first.)

Whatever you do, stay away from the Spyder VR-4. There aren't many around, and there are even fewer mechanics capable of working on the hardtops. That was the main reason why I sold mine even though I had a five year extended warranty. I'd hate to be stuck with the bill to replace the sensors for the top.