What would you do?

12AMNSX

12AMNSX

Experienced Member
Joined
28 June 2002
Messages
287
Location
Corrales, NM
I bought my NSX last July and I must say that I LOVE my car!
biggrin.gif
Now that spring is almost here I am interested in doing some modifications to improve power, handling and looks. My intent is to keep the car reliable and as trouble free as possible yet improve my fun factor. I am interested in your opinions as to where I might get the best bang for my buck. To make this fun (sort of like Monster Garage) let's set a limit. What would you do next if you had $10,000 to spend on goodies?

Here is what we have to work with:

95 NSX-T
27,000 miles
Comptech headers, exhaust and intake.
Ray's Volk Racing rims with Dunlop 9000 hoops.
Everything else is stock except for stereo, alarm etc.

Let's put the suggestions in categories such as:
- Engine
- Suspension
- Body
- Brakes

I appreciate your thoughts!
 
Originally posted by sr71tg:
My intent is to keep the car reliable and as trouble free as possible yet improve my fun factor. I am interested in your opinions as to where I might get the best bang for my buck.
Click to expand...

$8,000 to upgrade to a '97.

Use part of the rest to go to NSXPO 2003, where you can upgrade the nut that holds onto the steering wheel.


[This message has been edited by nsxtasy (edited 10 March 2003).]
 
Originally posted by nsxtasy:
$8,000 to upgrade to a '97.
Click to expand...
If I wanted a '97 I would have bought one. At this point I am happy with the car I have and want to enjoy the process of modifying it.

Originally posted by nsxtasy:
where you can upgrade the nut that holds onto the steering wheel.
Click to expand...

I will take this as a well intended remark.

[This message has been edited by sr71tg (edited 11 March 2003).]

[This message has been edited by sr71tg (edited 11 March 2003).]

[This message has been edited by sr71tg (edited 11 March 2003).]
 
Originally posted by sr71tg:
I will take this as a well intended remark.
Click to expand...

Yes, please do, as nothing personal was intended by it. It's a common expression in the world of HPDE (high performance driver education) events, where it's often thought that you will go faster by using money to get more track time than any money spent on aftermarket mods for your car.
 
How do you use the car? What do you consider to be specific characteristics you would like to improve? That would largely determine where you'll get the best bang for your buck.

With a $10k budget and a goal of more power, it's impossible to ignore forced induction.

Beyond that, specific suspension, brake or body mods really depend on what you are trying to achieve. Do you have brake problems now? Is there something about the suspension or body you wish to change?
 
Do you have a picture of your car? Do you mind posting the picture?
biggrin.gif
 
BRAKES !!!!

Then suspension.

Then tires.

Then engine.

The above sequence is predicated on you being a road course junkie, not a quarter mile dragster.

Of the people that have so far responded to your post, myself and Lud have the most mods on our cars that includes the four categories I mentioned above. We have actual experience, not "well I think this or that will work".

Please post pictures to the picture department of this forum, not to this thread.
 
I would put 5K in IBM and the other 5K GE and wait a year. This way I could do my upgrades and still keep my initial 10K.
 
Lud, thanks for your questions. My goal is not necessarily more power, but improved overall performance. I am pretty happy with the brakes although I would like greater brake pedal feel. Would stainless brake lines help? The only complaint I would have at this time about the suspension is lack of compliance in hard cornering. The car tends to break loose abruptly and “skip” sideways. There is no sense of the tires sliding prior to letting go.

In the power department, don’t we all want more? Yes, I would like to add a CTSC, but that would eat up my entire budget, if not more. Maybe if I could do the SC and still have some left over for other improvements….

Tiger740, I posted a picture in the pictures forum. The post is simply “Pic”.

steveny, I already have a bunch of GE stock (used to work at GE). Considering it has lost 40% of its value over the past few years, I just hope to get back to where I started.
smile.gif
 
I have to agree with Andy. You may be happy with the brakes now, but if you track your car in the future, you may find them to be a little lacking. I haven't done my brakes yet, I did suspension first, but after my first track experience, my 4th & final run for the day, I began to experience the brakes were overheating. I don't think you need to spend the thousands on a Brembo kit, but I think for <$1000 in parts, you can put stoptech rotors on the front with Dali air deflectors, better pads and stainless brake lines. For suspension, I think a little lowering, stiffer sway bars, & non-compliant toe links from Comptech will work wonders. Then spend the rest on lots of track time to gain the experience required to drive really fast safely (which is where the fun is). Then if you feel you need more acceleration in the straights, you will have had time to save up mo' $ for those real expensive engine mods.
 
Lets not forget about the potential of a little co (practically recession proof) ticker: WAG, that along with GE is how I plan to upgrade to a 97+ in the next year or two. I know at least one of us
biggrin.gif
on this board has made alot of $ in the last couple of years in a fun game I call: playing the dips. Mod away after capital gains.
 
Originally posted by nsx4fun:
after my first track experience, my 4th & final run for the day, I began to experience the brakes were overheating. I don't think you need to spend the thousands on a Brembo kit, but I think for <$1000 in parts, you can put stoptech rotors on the front with Dali air deflectors, better pads and stainless brake lines.
Click to expand...

Note that there is no need to replace rotors or pads before they need replacement (rotors due to cracks or shudder or thickness, pads due to thickness). Rotors and pads are consumables that eventually are shot. Wait until they need replacement, and then consider aftermarket alternatives if you like.

There is absolutely no need for stainless brake lines...
 
I have a set of SS lines and have never put them on the car. What will they change? I have heard they create a stiffer pedal feel? I also read they need to be replaced every year. Is this true?

------------------
Please visit http://www.nsxparts.com. The best place to buy and sell parts for your NSX.
 
Originally posted by Joel:
OT: You guys know anything about the GE stock? Pardon my ignorance, I've never invested before but this sounds like a good bet.
Click to expand...

I make my living doing this, I work for a large national firm, trust me when I tell you, nobody knows anything!!!! The only truth is the two certainties, death and taxes. When you get the capital gains, take them, but don't be afraid to take your losses. The big mistake (read on a post a few above yours) is to hold to break even. There are people who hold Worldcom and Enron stocks who will never break even. There are no sure things!
 
Originally posted by nsxparts.com:
I have a set of SS lines and have never put them on the car. What will they change? I have heard they create a stiffer pedal feel? I also read they need to be replaced every year. Is this true?
Click to expand...

The theory behind stainless steel brake lines is that rubber lines can swell and give a spongey feel to the brake pedal. I have never found this to be the case on my NSX or other cars, and if my rubber lines ever do start to swell, I will just replace them with new rubber lines.

You can read about the maintenance of SS brake lines and how they can deteriorate here.
 
What braided steel lines do for you is they reduce the amount of pedal travel required. Why? Because part of the pedal travel you feel is the expansion of the rubber lines under pressure. They won't improve braking, and if you are not use to the feel, it is very easy to push the pedal more than required, so until you get use to it, you may have some less than smooth stops after installing them. I have never heard that stainless lines need to be replaced every year. I do know that not all braided steel lines are DOT approved. In which case, technically, installing non-DOT approved brakelines is against the law.
 
Originally posted by Joel:
OT: You guys know anything about the GE stock? Pardon my ignorance, I've never invested before but this sounds like a good bet.
Click to expand...


If he had invested his 10,000 yesterday it would be worth ~10,500 today. Not to bad for only one day.
smile.gif
 
If I were you, I would spend some of $10K to check the suspension alignments and adjust if necessary since correct alignment is a key part to enjoy NSX's ultimate handling.

Also I would consider to replace 7 yrs old struts, like Honda's refresh plan for NSX(only available in Japan).
 

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