Hello from newbie

[rkanaga]

Hi, I've finally joined the fold and have bought NSX 5 a 33,000 miles 1991 Red/Black manual (thanks Neil) (and the Caterham wil now HAVE to go to avoid marital strife!)

I picked the car up last weekend, and drove the 130 miles home. I didn't realise until I got home that I felt comfortable with the car and its handling almost at once, pretty impressive for a mid engined car! Also it's every bit as comfortable as what I thought was the most comfortable car around (my wifes Volvo V70 with big squishy seats!) ANd the noise!

I wasn't prepared for all the looks and tailgaters on the motorway however, it really is a bit special. (the last really niche car I owened was a Renault Alpine V6 turbo which likewise got knowing looks from those who realised what it was and bafflement from the general public who can't comprehend any sports car that isn't a Ferrari or Porsche!). I really like the fact that it is not one of the more obvious choices (especially in my part of the country where 997's and DB9's are SO common)

Photos to follow when a)I have time and b) I've washed and polished it


Anyhow a few questions if I may;

Has anyone tracked down any OEM tyres recently for the original 15/16 inch wheels? (I've asked Plans to look as well, but does anyone have any pointers?)

The car has at some point had the front drivers wing and door resprayed. The finish isn't bad, but is not the mirror like finish of the original paintwork. It has a faint orange peel effect in places. I understand that the NSX paint is a base colour and then a clear coat on top (unusual for non metallic colours). Do I need to have

1) the clear coat machine buffed or
2) the clear coat polished off, the base colour polished flat and the clear coat reapplied or
3) the whole thing redone

to rectify this?

(I understand that Kowlaski has had some bodywork done by Plans and it was done to a high standard - is that right? Does anyone have experience of them for wheel refurbishing as well. they are very local to me so would be convenient

If anyone else is in the Guildford area, do drop me a line (there is at least one other NSX nearby, a magnum grey reg:P27 OLU in Shalford - I pass it everytime I take the kids to the swings. Any others?)

regards


Robin

[Kevin]

Well done on your purchase. Sounds like you know what the NSX is about.

How do you know if the respray has been painted in the same way as the factory paint? I have had a respray, by Honda, and there is no clear coat on top. I flatted down the paint and rebuffed to get it smooth.

[WhyOne?]

Hi, and welcome (I am also a newcomer - I picked mine up just 3 short months ago).



As you are based in the SE you might find this thread, and link therein, interesting with regard to your paint problem - if you want any more info, do not hesitate to shout.

http://www.nsxcb.co.uk/testvb/showthread.php?t=1669

[Paul]

The magnum grey NSX-T near you, belongs to a site user here called CrazyMixedUpKid. It's the sister press car to P26 OLU, an Imola Orange Pearl NSX-T, which belongs to another site user here ... you'll spot his posts quite easily as all his posts currently have a photo of his car by them.

Welcome to the wonderful world of NSX ownership ... I think all of us here who own, or have ownwed at some stage, an NSX can appreciate the feelings you have now you own one for yourself ... good isn't it :!:

[Senninha]

Welcome to the wonderful world of NSX ownership!

Speak to Robert Coakes of Redstar Tyres in Braintree, 01376 347452, as I believe he may sourced some OEM size tyres. He owns an NSX which normally wears Michelin Cup tyres (amazing levels of grip) but is reverting to 'normal' road tyres for the winter months.

HTH and regards

[simonprelude]

Did someone mention me :)

P26 is the Magnum Grey Pearl Targa
P27 is the Imola Orange Pearl Coupe

Congratulations on the purchase.


The magnum grey NSX-T near you, belongs to a site user here called CrazyMixedUpKid. It's the sister press car to P26 OLU, an Imola Orange Pearl NSX-T, which belongs to another site user here ... you'll spot his posts quite easily as all his posts currently have a photo of his car by them.

[Paul]

... ... ...
P27 is the Imola Orange Pearl Coupe
... ... ...Doh :!: ... don't know why ... but I thought yours was a T too ... whoops :!:

[Papalazarou]

With regard to the paint;

On red cars the original paint has a tinted cleacoat over the top of the paint.
However, and as Kevin has stated, the new paint will be different even if done through a Honda approved paintshop.
If you can find out who's done the work from an old invoice then you could contact the paintshop for advice.
The likelihood though is that it's been resprayed with a clearcoat on top which means that some careful machine buffing will normally remove most of the orange peel.

Cheers,

James.

P.s, if you want some professional advice on this subject, you could always message 'Pande' he sprays cars for a living.

[rkanaga]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

I have contacted Graham at Plans and he is fixing up to do the various bits and pieces. re the painwork I think that I wil go with the suggestion of trying getting it machine polished first (as if it still is not good enough that doesn't prevent respraying it later).

I'm still searching for tyres however and it looks like I will have to go non OEM to get some.

Robin

[Martin]

Hi Robin,

Congrats on your wise choice of transport :-)

If you ever want to meet up, I am currently living in Fleet, Hampshire.

Cheers
Martin

[Rob_Fenn]

You are in safe hands with getting the paint sorted out by Plans, you should see the assortment of cars outside of the bodyshop...last time there was a Ferrari 250GTO sitting outside.

Enjoy the car, make sure you check the insides of the tyres now it's heading for winter, they wear very quickly.

[rkanaga]

Thanks for all the advice guys. I took the car to Plans today and they are ordering a clutch and various bits to get it back to 100% fitness. I saw their own moddified NSX there looking VERY mean in its dark matallic purple with big wheels (and I think widened front wings to accomodate them). Very nice (but a bit Max power for me, I'm the shy retiring type!)

Speaking of which I then dropped in at the local Honda dealer to pick up a touch up paint pot. Have never felt so conspicuous in all my life drawing up amongst the civics etc in the NSX! I couldn't have felt more out of place if I went to work in my pyjamas if you know what I mean (and this from someone used to tearing through central London in a Caterham.)

Discovered that the famous shrinking windscreen surround strip (the one at the top) can be cured by simply taking it off and stretching it back to length (saving £48 on the price of new one!)

And what a car! The response of the engine is like nothing else I have ever been in (more like the kind of endless turbine thrust you get when taking off in an Airbus than a car). God knows what a really fast car must feel like if the NSX is considered slow by todays supercar standards! I know you get used to power, and familiarity breeds contempt, but on the public highway, trackdays apart, how much power can you actually use? The NSX feels like the perfect balance of power and useability without being scary. It actually feels as responsive and accessible as my Caterham, and those of you who have owned Caterhams will realise what a compliment this is (remind me I wrote this in a few years when I start wanting a used Gallardo!)

regards

Robin

[TheQuietOne]

Good to hear things are going well. I have had mine for 15 months now, and covered best part of 27,000 miles in that time. Earlier today I caught myself accellerating hard on the motorway in 3rd, staring at the speedometer needle thinking 'bloody hell that thing is moving fast' even after all this time. I think from the outcome of the rolling road day some of us attended recently the biggest thing that makes the acceleration feel so totally inspiring and endless is the flat torque curve, it just never feels like it's going to stop pulling, and couple that with the noise, I'm just not sure anything compares if you can live with an H staring back at you when you hop in....and for my money that is just about as reassuring a sight as you could hope to see!

Keep enjoying it! TQO

[Lankstarr]

I think from the outcome of the rolling road day some of us attended recently the biggest thing that makes the acceleration feel so totally inspiring and endless is the flat torque curve

There you go talking about my torque curve again;)


I think from the outcome of the rolling road day some of us attended recently the biggest thing keeps coming abck to haunt me is the lack of power my car produces when compared to some of the other 3.2s

You really must get over this Matt, yours is still quite fast and like I keep telling you, if you stop driving it like a girl it will eventually losen up to produce a respectable power figure for a 3.2:p

[rkanaga]

The 'H' on the steering boss is half the point actually.

I like the fact that I value the I value the NSX for its performance and engineering integrity not because it has a prancing pony on the steering wheel. One of the reasons I wouldn't buy an old Lamborghini is that they seem to me to be all style and show over substance (and don't get me started on TVR). The NSX is the reverse for that and all the more alluring because of it. In my view Ferrari and Lambo have only recently come close to matching the depth of engineering detail that Honda achieved in 1991 with the NSX (tellingly when I spoke to the service manager at the dealer who originally sold and serviced my NSX, he said that aprt from selling and performing the routine servicing on those cars, they hardly ever saw them again as nothing went wrong!)

And anyway I think that a clutch of F1 titles makes the H badge stand proud alongside the more obvious marques if heritage is your thing!

[Senninha]

You really must get over this Matt, yours is still quite fast and like I keep telling you, if you stop driving it like a girl it will eventually losen up to produce a respectable power figure for a 3.2:p

As I've not seen you drive I couldn't possible comment, however, as was clear from the RR day, the cars that have explored the rev range on track ALL produced higher outputs. If going on track isn't your thing, find some good A & B roads where you can play in the Vtec zone for long periods and dont be shy of finding the 8***rpm limit from time to time. It hasn't harmed any of the cars tested.

regards from the high powered 3.2 ;)

[TheQuietOne]

As I've not seen you drive I couldn't possible comment, however, as was clear from the RR day, the cars that have explored the rev range on track ALL produced higher outputs. If going on track isn't your thing, find some good A & B roads where you can play in the Vtec zone for long periods and dont be shy of finding the 8***rpm limit from time to time. It hasn't harmed any of the cars tested.

regards from the high powered 3.2 ;)

Not quite the answer to higher output, my main theory is cars who were babied from new (13,500 miles in 5 years) are always going to be at a disadvantage to ones that have been ragged from new in the output game:D!!!!!!!

I would say there isn't a drive, and I drive mine at least twice a day, every day of the week where the full rev range isn't explored (this is about my 5th Vtec so it comes as second nature now) - my fantastic tyre wear is down to driving responsibly around roundabouts and bends IMHO...:p

Regards from the Purists 3.2 ;)

[AR]

I am so lucky there is a couple of long tunnels nearby, I have my own tunnel runs.:) I come out of the roundabout in 2nd V-tec already and then unto 3rd for a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong time.

Cheers,

AR