possible new owner, few questions.

[jaffaz32]

Hi,

Where do I start?

I am currently a Nissan 300zx TT owner i was running around 520bhp engine fails, sent the car to Thor Racing with the aim and parts to build a 900bhp car. Thor had my car for over a year and a half and in that time only managed to strip the old engine and do a few minor things like brakes and gauges which has led me to the sale of my parts to take me to 900bhp. they really did diddle me a treat, turns out im not the only guy either. So the time has come to move on. Thanks Thor...

Anyway...

I am now looking at 2 options, getting another car which has to be japanese or doing a engine swap in my 300zx.

I want something rare and fast which leaves me with two cars the NSX and a GTR R35. The R35 is a very nice car but i feel that it will become a popular car and very common and to be honest is out of budget.

Which leaves the NSX.

I have tried to do many searches on the NSX for peformance stats, parkers lists 7 sec 0-60 which i can not believe. Other sites list in the 6's and other in the 5's

I would really like a Manual and Targa. My 300zx is a Targa and there is nothing like popping the roof off on a hot day.

I am also into tuning and modding a car.

Is there much availibility for aftermarket mods?

Don't get me wrong i'm not into under car neons and boom boom stereos. I have a pair of Bride Gias seats and takata harnesses to go straight in i was intending on fitting in my 300. I also have some 18" Blitz Type 03 wheels running a 295 tyre on the rear which i believe should fit.

The car will not be a daily driver, but how are they for boot space? I attend a few car shows and road trips and on occasions i need to take a tent and other bits.

What else...

How do they sound? I realise they are a V6 Vtec, when I think of Vtec the typical high pitch vtec sound comes to mind. How does the NSX sound?

Is there much you can do to the NSX peformance wise for extra bhp and peformance before going down the turbo or supercharger route?

I have looked into getting a turbo and supercharger which would probably be a project for next winter if i got one.

Ideally I would like as new as I can get while being withing budget. I would probably have a budget of around £20,000 Which I believe i can get a Manual Targa 95-97 in that price range.

Any more info would be great.

Thanks,

Chris.

[Silver Surfer]

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1265612.htm

This one is the only one that full fills your criteria albeit £2k more.
0-60= around 5-5.7secs
Can be SC at around £10K I think.....It may feel a lot slower than your potential 600bhp monster in standard guise...but may kick ar$e around A and B roads..;)

Happy hunting..

SS

[Ewan]

Chris - welcome to NSXCB!

I'm sure you'll get a few responses to these questions, but I'll start: [EDIT: it's not the first response, given the time it took to type :)]

- performance stats will vary depend side.ing on whether you have a 3.0 V6 (<97 - probably what your price range will get you) or 3.2 V6, and if you have manual or auto. The 7 secs 0-60 time is likely an Auto, all of which are 3.0L engines.

The 2003 brochure I have says 0-62 is 5.7s for a 3.2 with 280PS power; that seems fair, if maybe a little on the conservative side. In general, you won't wring huge power from the NSX engine; supercharging is one approach which will take you into the 400+hp territory.

Power corrupts, to a degree - the sweet thing about the NSX, for many of us, is the way that it delivers the power, rather than the absolute amount of it. The car will be faster on A & B roads than a lot of contemporary cars with similar power...

As far as mods go, the standard route is Intake / Headers / Exhaust, especially on the 3.0 where the exhaust manifold is a particular pinch point. Replacing the headers and exhaust on a 3.0L will bring it up to the kind of power level of a 3.2. I/H/E would cost you in the order of £2k.

Boot-space is pretty good - it's relatively shallow (so don't be thinking big suitcases), but can take the archetypal 2 golf bags. I've done tent + sleeping bags/clothes bags, shoes etc for 2, to Le Mans, for the last 2 years.

Take a look through the "potential owner questions" forum for what to look for, what to watch out for. Most people would say, go for a 3.2 Manual if possible, though your budget would probably put you in 3.0 territory. Some would say a 3.2 with pop up headlights is the most desirable combo, though a lightly modified 3.0 would be in the same ballpark power-wise. Some would say coupe is purer than targa, others that a targa is better suited to road-driving in the UK due to the slightly softer suspension setup.

I looked for over a year, and eventually got one of the two (that I've ever seen details of) facelift, manual targas. There are a few other pop-up targas doing the rounds, but there are only a handful of any NSX for sale at the moment and it's pretty unusual to get a targa (esp a 3.2). Basically, if you want to get an NSX, be prepared for a long wait, or else take a good car that maybe isn't what you first wanted. Take the current 3.0 Midnight Purple car on PH - few people would approach the market thinking that a purple NSX with tan upholstery would be their ideal, but that combo does look great in the flesh.

cheers
Ewan

[AR]

Hi Chris I had a Z32 SWB back in 1994 and love it until I sold it in 1999, they are T Tops not Targas.

The NSX compare to the standard Z32 TT is way faster. The boot on the NSX is more paractical than the hatch in the Z32, the NSX sounds way better inside and out. Brakes are better, handling is better, but the 300 is easier to drive fast IMHO, until you get use to it.

Parts, there are lots, but they are more expensive than the 300, not many JDM imports worth having unless special editions, and only a hand full of thos in the UK.

For 20K you will only find a T Auto, and they are a nice car but not performance orientated, more of a GT. The NSX really does not need a Targa, there is enough glass around it and if you go Targa you end up with a softer, heavier, PAS car. Some like it, I hate the combo.

Headre and a nice exhaust will see you near to 300 BHP, loose the spare which will be over 10 years old and useless and loose a few bits to get down to 1200 KG and you'll be flying.

If you are after power set aside 10K minimun for Turbo or SC low boost to net you near 350 RWD.

In the words of Porky pig...that's all folks!

[jaffaz32]

Cool,

Thanks guys.

There is something about a Targa that really appeals to me.

I have been on the Science Speed website and found a few items on there. Intake, headers, system and a simple chip for now.

Then when i am in a position to turbo it i will go down the full stand alone ems.

So the 7 sec myth from parkers as complete rubbish then. With a Targa manual on a NA1 3.0 I am looking at around 5-5.7 sec.

Is there much you can remove on a NSX to bring the weight down as mentioned?

I have done some youtubing and got some sound clips off science of speed. They do sound very mean and aggresive.

What mileage would you say is a max?

What are the stock internals good for power wise before going forged?

I have found two other cars to look at.

How do these look?

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/200937341382906/sort/priceasc/usedcars/make/honda/model/nsx/page/1/radius/1500/postcode/nr203qp/quicksearch/true?previous=%2Fsearch%2Fresults%2Fusedcars%2Fpos tcode%2Fnr203qp%2Fradius%2F1500%2Fmake%2Fhonda%2Fm odel%2Fnsx%2Fpage%2F1%2Fsort%2Fpriceasc%2Fquicksea rch%2Ftrue&anchor=advert200937341382906&logcode=p

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/200945345290281/sort/priceasc/usedcars/make/honda/model/nsx/page/1/radius/1500/postcode/nr203qp/quicksearch/true?previous=%2Fsearch%2Fresults%2Fusedcars%2Fpos tcode%2Fnr203qp%2Fradius%2F1500%2Fmake%2Fhonda%2Fm odel%2Fnsx%2Fpage%2F1%2Fsort%2Fpriceasc%2Fquicksea rch%2Ftrue&anchor=advert200945345290281&logcode=p

Is 98,000 high mileage as in the red one?

The yellow one looks good but... need to ring for more info e.g. is it a uk car and mileage.

Might pop down take a good looks over one on the weekend.

Thanks for you help :D

I will take a look at the "potential owners questions"

Don't get me wrong I do love my 300 and with the engine i am thinking about it will be very special and extremly fast however i think the time has come to move on and start again.

I am already starting to think about the looks, a Type r look a like sounds good or there are some nice carbon undertray edition and centre exhausts sound like a nice look/sound.

[AR]

The mileage is not a concern if the history is there to back it up, but this would worry me:



Total re-spray by Rowes Honda


Why a full respray???

[jaffaz32]

The mileage is not a concern if the history is there to back it up, but this would worry me:



Why a full respray???


Yeah i did notice that, Makes you wonder. I don't want to rush into anything. That one does seem a bit dodgy.

Any thoughts on the yellow one?

At a quick glance it has smoked tail lights which i believe it is a JDM option, will need to double check it is a UK car. I was paying over twice on insurance on the 300zx than other owners because mine was a import.

[Sudesh]

The Yellow car is a UK car

Before I would jump into big modifications, I would go down the light weight route as per the NSX-R, then go with headers and exhaust and possible air flow mod. ECU can be re-mapped also or chipped to give between 10/15bhp.

I have owned 8 Z32 300ZX's over the years and absolutely love them, still have all the original brochures etc too. I even owned a yellow 300ZX that was featured in max power back in 1994 I think, had 400bhp tuned by Skeete Motorsport.

However I cant compare the ZX to the NSX. The NSX is a much surperior car in my opinion, from the driving aspect, handling, balance, weight, how the power is put down and so forth, it also looks much better lol!

All I have done so far on my car is, to go down the light weight route and re-map. I had my car weighed earlier this year and it came in at 1290kg, [NSX-R 1230kg] I have since done some more weight reduction so the car will be further down the scale now. On a performance par for me, I recently had a run out with some friends and my brother. [All on a track obviously]:)

My bro drives a facelift 996 Porsche think its 320bhp and the NSX left him sitting lol. Another friend has F430 Spider and although I didnt get passed him, I was right on his tale all the time and that car has 490bhp but weighs around 1520kg

[Sudesh]

Weight reduction thread here:

http://www.nsxcb.co.uk/testvb/showthread.php?t=4582&highlight=Weight+reduction&page=7

[jaffaz32]

Cool have checked that out.

Called up the Yellow NSX

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/200937341382906/sort/priceasc/usedcars/make/honda/model/nsx/page/1/radius/1500/postcode/nr203qp/quicksearch/true?previous=%2Fsearch%2Fresults%2Fusedcars%2Fpos tcode%2Fnr203qp%2Fradius%2F1500%2Fmake%2Fhonda%2Fm odel%2Fnsx%2Fpage%2F1%2Fsort%2Fpriceasc%2Fquicksea rch%2Ftrue&anchor=advert200937341382906&logcode=p

Has done 88,000 miles.

Wanted to go have a look Saturday but the garage has someone else already going to take a look.

Ticks all the boxes, nice colour, targa, manual, fairly newish.

Does it look a good one?

[Dragonlady]

Hi and welcome.
Where are you travelling from to have a look at the yellow one?

[jaffaz32]

Hi and welcome.
Where are you travelling from to have a look at the yellow one?


I live near Norwich.




I might even wait a little longer and get a 3.2 model but on the NA1. I really like the NA2 and the facelift is very nice but i prefer the lift up lights.

Maybe I could get a NA2 and fit the lift up lights, who knows. Sounds allot of work though.

Although i want a nice car asap as i have been without mine long enough there is no point rushing into it. Although the Yellow NSX is exactly what i was after maybe a few too many miles than what i had in mind but is it worth waiting to get a 3.2 on the same shape.

[Ewan]

NA1= 3.0L
NA2= 3.2L

so you can get pop-up 3.2s ... with 6-spd gearbox (3.0L manuals have a 5-spd), an updated interior, bigger brakes and (obviously) a larger engine.

The facelift car is mechanically the same as the 1997-2001 pop-up 3.2s, just had different wheels, cosmetic changes to front, rear and lower sides.

cheers
Ewan

[NoelWatson]

The facelift car is mechanically the same as the 1997-2001 pop-up 3.2s, just had different wheels, cosmetic changes to front, rear and lower sides.

cheers
Ewan

And a stiffer front suspension

[AR]

Better aerodynamics too.

[Ewan]

yes, I forgot about the front suspension. And it goes that aero (with lights on at least) is smoother on the facelift car, and there's less weight at the front too...

Anyhoo: some (Senninha, mainly) would tell you that a 3.2 Targa is the ideal car for the UK roads, and the pop-up variety sticks to the purity of the original. Each to their own :)

Whatever, buy your NSX on condition rather than mileage: there are a few in the UK with well over 100k and in the US, there's tell of 250k miles. As long as it has been looked after, it'll eat up miles - I wonder what a Ferrari 360 with 100k miles on it would be worth (or what it would have cost the owner to get to 100k).

rgds
Ewan

[TheSebringOne]

Also the disc brakes are bigger diameter from the 3.0 to 3.2 too.

[jaffaz32]

Thanks for your help.

I am off next week to have a look at a nsx. :D

I have started a new thread to keep it on topic, torn between a 3.0 and 3.2.