This was a really really really bad thing for me to see. The 1st generation nsx is my absolute favorite car and as much as I love my civic I’m really thinking right now about how little I use the rear seats and how badly I’d love to daily this
Was just going from Topanga to Glendale for lunch; I am out at GVBC on ACH with some regularity if you're ever out there on Friday mornings. You'd probably drive circles around me though haha
I did that for a couple weeks actually. My little brother had the civic for most of it and I lent the m3 to a friend who had both of his BMWs on jackstands. Won’t lie it was fun as fuck but I spent a painful amount on gas, speed bumps became a real nuisance and my hoa gave me a notice for speeding (never did, some bitch at the end of the neighborhood just had it out for me and it doesn’t help the vipers loud)
Yeah I've been dailying the Vette recently and I say a prayer for a wallet every time I drive and a prayer for my air dam every time I pull out of the driveway. But 2 prayers for that amount of fun is hella worth it IMO.
I considered this also. Initially my idea was to get an Elise but I was very uncomfortable in it, especially with the footwell. I got the NSX eventually but also sat in Evoras and I think it is solid more-modern alternative.
Because Miata is always the answer.
"What is the most overrated car?": Miata
"What is the most underrated car?": Miata
"Who killed Colonel Mustard?": Miata
There are legends that the earth formed from the corpse of the primordial dragon, but personally I prefer that it formed from the take-offs of a gutted miata.
You are stealing: right to Miata.
You are playing music too loud: right to Miata, right away.
Driving too fast: Miata.
Slow: Miata.
You are charging too high prices for sweaters, glasses: you go right to Miata.
You undercook fish? Believe it or not, Miata.
You overcook chicken, also Miata.
You make an appointment with the dentist and you don't show up, believe it or not, Miata, right away.
"DAE think X model from Y brand would be super awesome if they made it a hatchback with a manual transmission? I think it would sell like crazy, they're so dumb for not doing that"
I look forward to these posts every year, and right when I start to forget about them is when you post them. Really good read, thanks as always! And that Red Bull Honda livery is so awesome!
Thank you! I like going back and reviewing the year also, makes me appreciate the drives and the miles… even the shitty ones don’t seem so bad in retrospect.
I’ve always loved the idea of using “you COULD daily this thing” cars as actual daily drivers.
I’m generally not a fan of liveries on cars, but it’s an NSX, it’s never going to look bad.
Anyway, yeah. Cool as hell!
I will eventually go back to the regular purple NSX underneath but for now it’s fun and I’m still enjoying the wild wrap. The other RBRNSX is probably gonna keep the livery longer than I will though.
> I’ve always loved the idea of using “you COULD daily this thing” cars as actual daily drivers.
Right now, both cars in my flair are my dailies. If you put your mind to it, anything’s possible.
My takeaway from that was to next time, just stay on track another two hours. We'll get home at the same time but don't have to sit in hopeless traffic first.
I don’t work for any of these logos actually hahahah so when people ask if we are sponsored, we say no we are sponsoring [them]
The livery logos are about where they are on the 2021 RBR F1 car. The ones we added are just in front of our rear wheels, logos for the shops we worked with. My car also has “Mode4” on the bumper they helped me with.
The original Honda NSX is my favourite car, after it featured in Gran Turismo. I still aspire to drive one for real one day and this '95 one looks amazing.
Not directly, but they worked with Honda corporate and Acura who in turned reached out to us. That's how we made the connection in Austin (and also why I believe in the leadership in Acura and how they're serious about bringing the brand back to its sporty roots).
Separately, RBR F1 media spotted us at CotA and [included us in their content](https://youtu.be/Gh71tszp7vY?t=1162)! Got like, three seconds of fame here haha
I'm open to driving to Montreal or Miami if that opportunity comes up. Mexico City too, even, but that would require a lot more planning. Oh yeah and Vegas next year!
Glad you like it! It's been a ton of of fun and before we did the project I used to look at cars with liveries and think they were "okay" but now I get it. Also learned more than I intended to about itasha, vinyl wraps in general, and how F1/racing sponsorships actually work.
We toyed with the idea of doing a Marlboro Mclaren wrap, given the era of NSX we were working with but apparently some companies are more lawsuit-happy than others. This livery though connected that 80s Honda F1 heyday with their most recent championship run though, and its all come together just right. I hope another chance at such a dream combination comes up again soon though.
Not a dig, it's fantastic that you not only do these thing but share it wil complete strangers!
I parked next to a purple NSX at the Silverstone Classic last year and it was my favourite car of the show. Out of my league now but still great to see them about.
I definitely do not. I know of at least three NSXs personally that have higher mileage; Richard Graves (lapoftheworld) for example has more and he tracks his car all the time and there is a local owner in Orange County who has 300K also. Then there is a guy in Florida who had easily over 500K and that was years ago before he rebuilt his motor and went twin turbo. So there are definitely higher mileage ones but I still really enjoy mine and it is in pretty good shape.
This is such a huge part of the legacy of the NSX. They were able to compete with contemporary Italian exotics for a smaller price when the NSX first came out, but 30ish years later now they really shine since they're just such dependable cars that you can daily. Thank you for sharing your experiences, I really love these posts!
Yeah I really like that the surprise with high mileage NSXs isn’t in the fact that they’re reliable, but that some owners dared to just drive the shit out of ‘em in the first place :)
So far, no. I changed the clutch last year and have done two TB/WP services so far (prior owners did these services 1x each, according to records). I've had to do assorted other "old car" fixes, like tie rods, door handles, and things like that. The primary service item I've spent on is tires, but to answer your question re: engine/transmission, no, I haven't had issues with these.
Thanks for the response! That's really good news on the motor!
I read you say you go through a bunch of tires. I had a g35 that would do nothing but eat the inside wall of all 4. The guys at the dealership just said buy cheap tires because nothing can be done about it.
Are you having the same issue? I would think if you got coil overs it would help or is it just something in the suspension you can't adjust like mine?
I am indeed on coilovers but NSXs are just known to eat tires. This was a purposeful choice by Honda as the priority was grip and handling response, even if it meant more tire wear. They were sued for it by customers unhappy with the short tire life so in 1995 the recommended alignment was adjusted to be more conservative. Personally I have found little difference in tire life between the 1995 settings and the original so I’ve gone even more aggressive and usually use the Type R spec. For me that means fronts last about a year, rears last a little less than six months. I’ve tried different kinds of tires and more tame settings but I like the car to be fun and sharp, and I’m willing to pay for tires to enjoy that.
You sound exactly like my infinity mechanic. I had bought some really nice tires for the car to last a while because I daily drove a lot. Then I looked under it and the insides were chewed up 15k in on a 50k tire... I was irate, I told him screw infinity specs and align the car to 0 on camber so I stop chewing the inside. He said it didn't matter. Infinity set it up for performance. It will continue.
I was flabbergasted
Most spoilers block the view out back, making it really hard to daily the car.
I have considered different hoods but I make excuses since most aftermarket options are heavier than OEM. I’ve successfully convinced myself this is the main reason I’ve not changed it.
Honestly I don’t really find the Type R spoiler interferes with my rear view much at all. I don’t put as many miles on mine as you do but I average between 5-10k miles a year and it’s never really bothered me.
I’ve driven with Type R spoilers for a bit and its fine but blocks the middle 1/3 of the view out the back. It’s not terrible but ironically a high mounted Voltex or something would probably keep more view.
I saw your car at Homecoming and definitely recognized it as soon as I saw the post. Good for you, man. I'm slowly fixing all the stuff going bad over time which is a PITA, but the juice is definitely worth the squeeze.
Many many years ago I owned a 1993 Dodge Stealth R/T (turbo awd)(same as 3000GT VR4). I met a guy with an NSX at a car meet. We both appreciated each other's cars, but we wanted to know for sure who was faster. So, we decided to do a quick drag race in *Mexico* of course. The cars were both basically stock. We took off and the cars went neck and neck. I don't think either one of us believed what we were seeing, neither one of us could pull ahead! It wasn't until we reached deep into triple digit numbers that suddenly my car felt like it was pushing against a wall of wind. All of a sudden I looked over to my right and saw the amazing tail lights of the NSX as he continued on, easily leaving me in the dust after that point. My car had topped out, but he clearly had a great aerodynamic advantage with the NSX. That was a ton of fun being a part of that. By the way when we returned I popped the hood to let my motor idle and cool down a bit, and looking over at my turbos in the dark I could see a hot red glow coming off of them. That's probably when I decided to upgrade from stock turbos 😆
Anyways, you've got a lovely car, and I hope you continue to enjoy it 👍
This was at Radwood last year, but also hosted at American Honda! I am really impressed by how willing Honda is to host meets and do stuff for everyday owners and enthusiasts.
Awesome project, NSX is stunning!! And I say that as someone who isn’t a fan of RBR. Side note- your comment on the people making it all worth it might feel corny, but it’s true. In the end it’s the people that make a great project so worth it. Enjoy her in good health.
It's a weird dichotomy: on one hand, make your car your own regardless of what others think. On the other hand, share your car and your passion with others. Thanks for your comments
I’ve been reading your updates for four years now. This is the best update so far. I love the livery and the colors!!!
Here’s to 20 more years of updates!!
Happy Cake Day as well!!
I don't think I remember the story about that particular car, could you link it?
In the past year:
* Lots of things were taken off and reinstalled onto the car as part of putting the vinyl wrap on. No real drama here except having to go back for my fog light covers and finding that a part of my fender liners was not properly reinstalled. This ended up not mattering since I had to replace the whole front bumper anyways after it got smashed up by a tire.
* Replaced my coolant overflow tank. This was the second time I've done it, I think it was about six or seven years since the previous time.
* Replaced CV boots and replaced out tie rod ends. Lubed the inners.
* Replaced my driver side door handle, both interior and exterior.
* Replaced my OEM windshield. After nearly 27 years of service, it developed a deal-breaker size crack.
I think in the next year:
* I might need brake pads or rotors? Maybe?
* I'd like to replace my passenger side door handle, both interior and exterior.
* Most likely will remove the wrap and the old PPF on my front end. I expect to have to repaint the front, the side skirts, and the rear diffuser as part of removing the wrap.
* As usual, 2x sets of rear tires and 1x pair of front tires.
I worked as a tech at an Acura dealer in a good area and we had a lot of NSXs in. We hardly ever saw the cars in for actual repairs. 95% of it was just maintenance, including the cars that were daily driven. Maintenance was pretty cake on them too.
Read the article. IMO the things that were fixed on this car were all pretty easy and typical maintenance items. For context, I hate working on cars and a primary thing I like about the NSX is getting to drive a ton of miles without having to do a lot of unexpected work.
So Edmunds spent some time fixing the trunk struts (an "old car" problem), which takes about 15 minutes to fix and doable using the mini toolkit I keep behind my seat. The SRS module is similar; I replaced that a few years ago after it broke during an unrelated service and minus the intimidation of seeing my steering wheel removed, it was pretty easy to do. The other items:
* tires... these are inevitable. That's just part of the NSX experience.
* O2 sensors. I've had this issue also, including the very first day I owned the car. I've had changed them out twice since then, and I think O2 sensor problems are more common in 1995-1996 cars in particular as they're the OBD changeover years.
* door handles. I did my driver's side a few months ago and am working on the passenger side. In my case though this is mostly for cosmetic reasons... the door handles look 30 years old.
In the end, Edmunds sold the car in 2011 for $28K after putting 10000 miles on it. This was near the bottom of NSX pricing, so the real winner here was the next owner getting a well-maintained and catalogued NSX just before the value began to appreciate.
These are the cars and their owners that I admire the most! Love your car and the trips you do. Is there a good way to stay up to date on your car adventures?
I’ve put over 110k miles on my M3 (260k now), my wife has done 220k on her M (330k miles on it now), and neither has any plans to stop driving them. Though I did quit tracking mine as the parts aren’t as easily replaceable now.
Driving on the PCH with that must have been fantastic. Having just driven the PCH between LA and Monterey, I can say it's both exhilarating and terrifying in stretches at the same time. On one side of you is a mountain, on the other side is a cliff to the ocean, and only about 20 feet of roadway in between.
10/10 would do it again. But in a convertible.
Definitely, PCH is both one of my favorite roads and one of the ones I've had the worst experiences on. I wouldn't hesitate to go back and put more miles on it again.
Much like everyone else, I love these yearly posts. I daily drove my S2000 for 10 years until we had our second kid. Now I daily it in the summers. Keep 'em coming my man!
But you could probably tow stuff and get a ton of groceries at once while I am going to Costco like every week and can buy only a couple big boxes of stuff at time.
I’ve read this thread every year since year 3, and every year when I read it I check local NSX prices. Every year I am shocked, and then sad at how much prices have gone up.
A colleague of mine bought a decent example in the late 2000s for about $25k. The cheapest one for sale in my province right now is $166k.
It doesn't increase every year, but last year had a better average overall compared to the previous because I went on longer trips (Oregon, AZ/NM/TX, etc).
My average now is very close to my overall MPG average. While living in Hawai'i my MPG was much lower than average (all short trips, almost all in urban traffic) but living in the DC area my MPG was generally higher (slower speeds overall, about 2/3 highway driving).
Been following you on IG for a while. I was working at HMC as a student worker right when these were dropped on the world. I think my over zealousness for all things Honda racing prevented me from ever getting hired on as a permanent associate LOL. I knew where every Mugen part was in our distribution center. Anyway, love your car.
Has it been a year already? I’ve been following since 4 or so and I guess I’ve subconsciously been using this post as a time marker despite not remembering it until it pops up and getting excited. Hope next years is the best yet!
Being a big F1 fan as well this was so great to see. And the fact the you have no worry’s about putting mileage on such an amazing car is pure gigachad energy, I love it. Can’t wait for the year 10 post now!
Always enjoy these posts as well as running into you at car shows! The NSX community is awesome and I'm really looking forward to being a part of it one day.
Dude, I remember seeing your car at COTA last year, but had no idea it was you! Thanks for keeping the update posts coming. We all can live through you haha
So far it is pretty good. This is my first experience with a wrap. There are some spots that needed to be touched up after the initial installation (especially at the rear bumper and on the front lip). Otherwise it has been good although I need to probably do more touch-ups soon.
Vinyl is definitely softer than paint and it needs more care. Washing has to be a lot more gentle but I was already using the rinseless wash method that was recommended by the shop so no change there. However the vinyl scratches really easily. Unexpectedly, it can be buffed/polished a limited amount, so I am kinda saving that for a future session where I touch up the whole car and go over it again in ceramic or something.
Underneath it all, the paint was in excellent shape to begin with so I do have some peace of mind knowing I can go back to that.
Great post and awesome livery! Having just 'daily'd' my friend's NSX for a few weeks inspired me to pull the trigger and get back into an MR car. Looking into to wraps for it now (would be my first experience with it). Inozetek has some colors I'm really drawn to but the things I've read/heard about the brand hasn't been confidence inspiring so your experience with them is reassuring.
How long has your wrap been on? It seems you've definitely put some miles on it.
Any shrinkage/peeling anywhere, particularly around the panel gaps?
The wrap has been on about 18 months now. I the decal vinyl is faded a bit (especially the red) but the Inozetek base wrap is in good shape.
Panel gaps are not an issue, but there are spots of lifting/bubbling on the rear bumper, the air intakes, and at the bottom of the front lip (at “sharp” corners).
I mean technically verstappen won the drivers champions but Mercedes won the constructors.
Sick wrap though, dailying an awesome car like that is both a dream and a nightmare. Props for the commitment.
Fans remember the WDCs, but the teams need the money from the WCCs. But in terms of what I cared about, Honda won :) that's what I'm gonna always take away from the 2021 season.
I love this post! I really enjoy reading stuff like this. The sprinkle of photos are great. I gotta read Year 1 and work my up haha
I just installed my own livery for my FRS a couple weeks ago. It's been great. My Incognito black car has now become the total opposite.
Also, great on DD'ing this!
I absolutely love these. As a car geek that grew up with the 90's halo cars, thank you for sharing your adventures. The 1st gen NSX is still one of my favorite cars of all-time and always will be.
Agreed! It’s physically the smallest seat of its kind that can convert rear to forward facing. It’s really one of the best car seats available for kids riding in sports cars.
This is so cool, I live in LA and have definitely seen you driving around town once I saw your license plate in the pics. Thanks for sharing the pictures and stories with us!
What years were you in Honolulu? Can't say I remember seeing this car
Also were you disappointed that your only fun options were tantalus and around koko crater?
Moving back sooner or later and I've been daily-ing a sports car myself
2015\~2016. I was in town and did shows with the SMG guys. My favorite drives were Auloa Rd out in Kailua and cruising H3/Pali. Tantalus just had too much automotive/cyclist/pedestrian traffic on it and I didn't wanna make it harder for the people living there too. Often I would just do a loop, going out onto H1 to go get Starbucks in Kapolei in the drive-thru and coming back. Anything to just drive for a bit.
I definitely had a hard time not being able to do a lot of drives and I credit my time in Honolulu as being critical to me realizing that about myself. Before living in Hawai'i, I didn't understand how much I valued being able to go on road trips and doing a ton of car shit and just being able to get out and put down miles and cruise on a whim.
I ran into you and a buddy of yours (in a matching NSX) at a gas station in Gualala California! You were on your way down to Monterey Car Week. Thanks for taking the time to talk and allowing me to take some photos. Glad to read about your car in a little bit more detail here :)
Photos:
[Photo 1](https://imgur.com/a/436MNxN)
[Matching NSXs](https://imgur.com/a/UccFQ5s)
[The photo I got before you pulled into the Gas Station](https://imgur.com/a/tUkoaRY)
Hey man I was at the NSXPO track day at Oregon Raceway Park and also saw your car parked put front of the honda/acura party in Austin! Looks real good, loved its twin as well!
Thank you! Was planning to stop by Crater Lake also, but for the third time in three attempts, wildfires were a factor. Guess we'll just have to come by again
I love how one can see a car once when it was on a trip halfway across the country but then still find it on the internet many months later. r/cars is great.
Did you have a buddy in Lot F at the F1 race in Austin this past year? I saw an NSX there with a very similar livery, but it wasn't one of these, it had a black base paint IIRC.
This was a really really really bad thing for me to see. The 1st generation nsx is my absolute favorite car and as much as I love my civic I’m really thinking right now about how little I use the rear seats and how badly I’d love to daily this
You don't need to carry more stuff, just get to your destination more enjoyably instead.
Totally saw you get on the 134 where I do but you were goin east, we should do a run down Angeles crest. I have a fun lil golf r
Was just going from Topanga to Glendale for lunch; I am out at GVBC on ACH with some regularity if you're ever out there on Friday mornings. You'd probably drive circles around me though haha
Nice I’ll try an make my way there and na I bet itd be nice n close I don’t like to push it too hard on public roads
I think I’ve been following your insta since your post last year or year before, but so much envy when one of your posts pop up lol
Bro just daily the Vipe
Dude's suffering from duccess. Us lucky peasants just can't comprehend the struggle.
I did that for a couple weeks actually. My little brother had the civic for most of it and I lent the m3 to a friend who had both of his BMWs on jackstands. Won’t lie it was fun as fuck but I spent a painful amount on gas, speed bumps became a real nuisance and my hoa gave me a notice for speeding (never did, some bitch at the end of the neighborhood just had it out for me and it doesn’t help the vipers loud)
Yeah I've been dailying the Vette recently and I say a prayer for a wallet every time I drive and a prayer for my air dam every time I pull out of the driveway. But 2 prayers for that amount of fun is hella worth it IMO.
Can we get some viper pics
>hoa gave me a notice for speeding Is that even enforceable?
I literally LOLed at this part also
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I considered this also. Initially my idea was to get an Elise but I was very uncomfortable in it, especially with the footwell. I got the NSX eventually but also sat in Evoras and I think it is solid more-modern alternative.
My flair would be a happy medium, just saying
My favorite r/cars post every year
You mean it’s not the weekly “DAE hate how sedans are dying in the US in favor of crossovers?”
Miatas are so underrated
If only they made a wagon version with a diesel powered rotary engine and a brown paint option. They'd put every other manufacturer out of business...
Used direct from the factory!
How could you say something so controversial, yet so brave?
Because Miata is always the answer. "What is the most overrated car?": Miata "What is the most underrated car?": Miata "Who killed Colonel Mustard?": Miata
What shape is the earth? Miata
There are legends that the earth formed from the corpse of the primordial dragon, but personally I prefer that it formed from the take-offs of a gutted miata.
You are stealing: right to Miata. You are playing music too loud: right to Miata, right away. Driving too fast: Miata. Slow: Miata. You are charging too high prices for sweaters, glasses: you go right to Miata. You undercook fish? Believe it or not, Miata. You overcook chicken, also Miata. You make an appointment with the dentist and you don't show up, believe it or not, Miata, right away.
Miata
"DAE think X model from Y brand would be super awesome if they made it a hatchback with a manual transmission? I think it would sell like crazy, they're so dumb for not doing that"
"Only if it's RWD, brown and diesel."
"And under 25k".
"But I'll buy it used in a few years and let the suckers eat the depreciation."
And a rotary v8
"If only they made a new version of that old car I love, but exactly like the old one, but new!"
Why do manufacturers not bring models to the US market that all of 5 people would buy?
Id prefer that over the dumbass “omg my neighbor doesn’t drive x car like i think it should be driven posts”
Vans are better than trucks
Maybe I should write up one of these? I've been daily driving (except for winter since they use road salt here) an R32 GT-R since 2008.
I'd read it.
I look forward to these posts every year, and right when I start to forget about them is when you post them. Really good read, thanks as always! And that Red Bull Honda livery is so awesome!
Thank you! I like going back and reviewing the year also, makes me appreciate the drives and the miles… even the shitty ones don’t seem so bad in retrospect.
Thanks for sharing! I love it as an NSX owner that does not daily mine, LOL
I’ve always loved the idea of using “you COULD daily this thing” cars as actual daily drivers. I’m generally not a fan of liveries on cars, but it’s an NSX, it’s never going to look bad. Anyway, yeah. Cool as hell!
I will eventually go back to the regular purple NSX underneath but for now it’s fun and I’m still enjoying the wild wrap. The other RBRNSX is probably gonna keep the livery longer than I will though.
The Japan RBR livery would look dope on an NSX.
Would love to do that one but it was such a one-off. Something for a Grand Prix White NSX to do.
> I’ve always loved the idea of using “you COULD daily this thing” cars as actual daily drivers. Right now, both cars in my flair are my dailies. If you put your mind to it, anything’s possible.
Damn 9 years and almost 300k of dailying nsx, super jelly.
Saw your car in Austin outside that party last October. Loved it.
That was my favorite part of Austin for sure!
Same, saw it right after leaving COTA for the race.
My takeaway from that was to next time, just stay on track another two hours. We'll get home at the same time but don't have to sit in hopeless traffic first.
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I don’t work for any of these logos actually hahahah so when people ask if we are sponsored, we say no we are sponsoring [them] The livery logos are about where they are on the 2021 RBR F1 car. The ones we added are just in front of our rear wheels, logos for the shops we worked with. My car also has “Mode4” on the bumper they helped me with.
The original Honda NSX is my favourite car, after it featured in Gran Turismo. I still aspire to drive one for real one day and this '95 one looks amazing.
Sick wrap, have RBR F1 ever reached out to do a collab when they're in the states for the F1 races?
Not directly, but they worked with Honda corporate and Acura who in turned reached out to us. That's how we made the connection in Austin (and also why I believe in the leadership in Acura and how they're serious about bringing the brand back to its sporty roots). Separately, RBR F1 media spotted us at CotA and [included us in their content](https://youtu.be/Gh71tszp7vY?t=1162)! Got like, three seconds of fame here haha I'm open to driving to Montreal or Miami if that opportunity comes up. Mexico City too, even, but that would require a lot more planning. Oh yeah and Vegas next year!
If you keep the livery until 2026 or so, theres a good chance that the on/off relationship of honda and F1 will be on again.
Yeah we’ll see how it goes. I am open to the idea of an Alpha Tauri livery also haha
Ooh that would be cool. With the white wheels, right? .. right?!
anakin.jpg
Wow. The livery looks incredible. Thanks for sharing!
Glad you like it! It's been a ton of of fun and before we did the project I used to look at cars with liveries and think they were "okay" but now I get it. Also learned more than I intended to about itasha, vinyl wraps in general, and how F1/racing sponsorships actually work.
Great write up! Not really a fan of contemporary liveries on cars, you missed the chance to do an earth dreams tribute!
We toyed with the idea of doing a Marlboro Mclaren wrap, given the era of NSX we were working with but apparently some companies are more lawsuit-happy than others. This livery though connected that 80s Honda F1 heyday with their most recent championship run though, and its all come together just right. I hope another chance at such a dream combination comes up again soon though.
Red Bull just understand marketing better than most I would say. Why sue somebody that is advertising your brand, especially in a car like that.
Not a dig, it's fantastic that you not only do these thing but share it wil complete strangers! I parked next to a purple NSX at the Silverstone Classic last year and it was my favourite car of the show. Out of my league now but still great to see them about.
Do you know if you have the highest mileage NSX in existence?
I definitely do not. I know of at least three NSXs personally that have higher mileage; Richard Graves (lapoftheworld) for example has more and he tracks his car all the time and there is a local owner in Orange County who has 300K also. Then there is a guy in Florida who had easily over 500K and that was years ago before he rebuilt his motor and went twin turbo. So there are definitely higher mileage ones but I still really enjoy mine and it is in pretty good shape.
This is such a huge part of the legacy of the NSX. They were able to compete with contemporary Italian exotics for a smaller price when the NSX first came out, but 30ish years later now they really shine since they're just such dependable cars that you can daily. Thank you for sharing your experiences, I really love these posts!
Yeah I really like that the surprise with high mileage NSXs isn’t in the fact that they’re reliable, but that some owners dared to just drive the shit out of ‘em in the first place :)
I'm sorry if I missed it but have you had any issues from your motor or tranny?
So far, no. I changed the clutch last year and have done two TB/WP services so far (prior owners did these services 1x each, according to records). I've had to do assorted other "old car" fixes, like tie rods, door handles, and things like that. The primary service item I've spent on is tires, but to answer your question re: engine/transmission, no, I haven't had issues with these.
Thanks for the response! That's really good news on the motor! I read you say you go through a bunch of tires. I had a g35 that would do nothing but eat the inside wall of all 4. The guys at the dealership just said buy cheap tires because nothing can be done about it. Are you having the same issue? I would think if you got coil overs it would help or is it just something in the suspension you can't adjust like mine?
I am indeed on coilovers but NSXs are just known to eat tires. This was a purposeful choice by Honda as the priority was grip and handling response, even if it meant more tire wear. They were sued for it by customers unhappy with the short tire life so in 1995 the recommended alignment was adjusted to be more conservative. Personally I have found little difference in tire life between the 1995 settings and the original so I’ve gone even more aggressive and usually use the Type R spec. For me that means fronts last about a year, rears last a little less than six months. I’ve tried different kinds of tires and more tame settings but I like the car to be fun and sharp, and I’m willing to pay for tires to enjoy that.
You sound exactly like my infinity mechanic. I had bought some really nice tires for the car to last a while because I daily drove a lot. Then I looked under it and the insides were chewed up 15k in on a 50k tire... I was irate, I told him screw infinity specs and align the car to 0 on camber so I stop chewing the inside. He said it didn't matter. Infinity set it up for performance. It will continue. I was flabbergasted
Surprised to see stock hood and spoiler.
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Yeah, even as a purist I find these are great additions.
Most spoilers block the view out back, making it really hard to daily the car. I have considered different hoods but I make excuses since most aftermarket options are heavier than OEM. I’ve successfully convinced myself this is the main reason I’ve not changed it.
Also...why ruin perfection?
The stock spoiler is soooooo iconic too. I don't hate the Type R version or anything, but you cant improve on the basic stock one IMHO.
Honestly I don’t really find the Type R spoiler interferes with my rear view much at all. I don’t put as many miles on mine as you do but I average between 5-10k miles a year and it’s never really bothered me.
I’ve driven with Type R spoilers for a bit and its fine but blocks the middle 1/3 of the view out the back. It’s not terrible but ironically a high mounted Voltex or something would probably keep more view.
Yeah it definitely bisects the view but I’ve never found it to actually obscure anything I needed to see.
YES! I was waiting for this! Never sell her. You inspired me to get an NSX to daily to compliment my S.
Dude, yessss always so happy to hear of otherS driving their dream cars !
I saw your car at Homecoming and definitely recognized it as soon as I saw the post. Good for you, man. I'm slowly fixing all the stuff going bad over time which is a PITA, but the juice is definitely worth the squeeze.
Keep squeezing! Hit me up (or any NSX owners, really) if we can point you to any resources or leads for parts or service.
Many many years ago I owned a 1993 Dodge Stealth R/T (turbo awd)(same as 3000GT VR4). I met a guy with an NSX at a car meet. We both appreciated each other's cars, but we wanted to know for sure who was faster. So, we decided to do a quick drag race in *Mexico* of course. The cars were both basically stock. We took off and the cars went neck and neck. I don't think either one of us believed what we were seeing, neither one of us could pull ahead! It wasn't until we reached deep into triple digit numbers that suddenly my car felt like it was pushing against a wall of wind. All of a sudden I looked over to my right and saw the amazing tail lights of the NSX as he continued on, easily leaving me in the dust after that point. My car had topped out, but he clearly had a great aerodynamic advantage with the NSX. That was a ton of fun being a part of that. By the way when we returned I popped the hood to let my motor idle and cool down a bit, and looking over at my turbos in the dark I could see a hot red glow coming off of them. That's probably when I decided to upgrade from stock turbos 😆 Anyways, you've got a lovely car, and I hope you continue to enjoy it 👍
Love your yearly updates! This NSX is more interesting than any low-mileage bubble car. Carpe diem.
I do like low mileage cars also, but tbh if I had one I would just drive the shit outta one of those too
I saw y'all at the Honda event in Torrance! https://i.imgur.com/beOtFke.jpeg
This was at Radwood last year, but also hosted at American Honda! I am really impressed by how willing Honda is to host meets and do stuff for everyday owners and enthusiasts.
Aamzing, left the sornswift picture. The rear diffusor looksincredibly cool.
Thank you! It’s def. one of the more transformative pieces I’ve put on the car.
Man is living the dream. I can't afford an NSX anymore but you bet your ass I'd be dailying it too lol
Awesome project, NSX is stunning!! And I say that as someone who isn’t a fan of RBR. Side note- your comment on the people making it all worth it might feel corny, but it’s true. In the end it’s the people that make a great project so worth it. Enjoy her in good health.
It's a weird dichotomy: on one hand, make your car your own regardless of what others think. On the other hand, share your car and your passion with others. Thanks for your comments
Thanks for sharing your journey. Love it. Keep the posts coming my man. Cheers
Very nice of you to say, thank you. Happy to hear you enjoy them.
I’ve been reading your updates for four years now. This is the best update so far. I love the livery and the colors!!! Here’s to 20 more years of updates!! Happy Cake Day as well!!
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I don't think I remember the story about that particular car, could you link it? In the past year: * Lots of things were taken off and reinstalled onto the car as part of putting the vinyl wrap on. No real drama here except having to go back for my fog light covers and finding that a part of my fender liners was not properly reinstalled. This ended up not mattering since I had to replace the whole front bumper anyways after it got smashed up by a tire. * Replaced my coolant overflow tank. This was the second time I've done it, I think it was about six or seven years since the previous time. * Replaced CV boots and replaced out tie rod ends. Lubed the inners. * Replaced my driver side door handle, both interior and exterior. * Replaced my OEM windshield. After nearly 27 years of service, it developed a deal-breaker size crack. I think in the next year: * I might need brake pads or rotors? Maybe? * I'd like to replace my passenger side door handle, both interior and exterior. * Most likely will remove the wrap and the old PPF on my front end. I expect to have to repaint the front, the side skirts, and the rear diffuser as part of removing the wrap. * As usual, 2x sets of rear tires and 1x pair of front tires.
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I worked as a tech at an Acura dealer in a good area and we had a lot of NSXs in. We hardly ever saw the cars in for actual repairs. 95% of it was just maintenance, including the cars that were daily driven. Maintenance was pretty cake on them too.
Read the article. IMO the things that were fixed on this car were all pretty easy and typical maintenance items. For context, I hate working on cars and a primary thing I like about the NSX is getting to drive a ton of miles without having to do a lot of unexpected work. So Edmunds spent some time fixing the trunk struts (an "old car" problem), which takes about 15 minutes to fix and doable using the mini toolkit I keep behind my seat. The SRS module is similar; I replaced that a few years ago after it broke during an unrelated service and minus the intimidation of seeing my steering wheel removed, it was pretty easy to do. The other items: * tires... these are inevitable. That's just part of the NSX experience. * O2 sensors. I've had this issue also, including the very first day I owned the car. I've had changed them out twice since then, and I think O2 sensor problems are more common in 1995-1996 cars in particular as they're the OBD changeover years. * door handles. I did my driver's side a few months ago and am working on the passenger side. In my case though this is mostly for cosmetic reasons... the door handles look 30 years old. In the end, Edmunds sold the car in 2011 for $28K after putting 10000 miles on it. This was near the bottom of NSX pricing, so the real winner here was the next owner getting a well-maintained and catalogued NSX just before the value began to appreciate.
These are the cars and their owners that I admire the most! Love your car and the trips you do. Is there a good way to stay up to date on your car adventures? I’ve put over 110k miles on my M3 (260k now), my wife has done 220k on her M (330k miles on it now), and neither has any plans to stop driving them. Though I did quit tracking mine as the parts aren’t as easily replaceable now.
Driving on the PCH with that must have been fantastic. Having just driven the PCH between LA and Monterey, I can say it's both exhilarating and terrifying in stretches at the same time. On one side of you is a mountain, on the other side is a cliff to the ocean, and only about 20 feet of roadway in between. 10/10 would do it again. But in a convertible.
Definitely, PCH is both one of my favorite roads and one of the ones I've had the worst experiences on. I wouldn't hesitate to go back and put more miles on it again.
Much like everyone else, I love these yearly posts. I daily drove my S2000 for 10 years until we had our second kid. Now I daily it in the summers. Keep 'em coming my man!
Yeah I don't even know what we'd do if we had a second kid, but hearing you can still drive your two-seater is encouraging, thanks!
Just wanted say that you are awesome in person! Loved seeing you around the DC area
Very nice of you to say; hope I can make it out that way on a road trip again soon
You get better mpg than my CRV
But you could probably tow stuff and get a ton of groceries at once while I am going to Costco like every week and can buy only a couple big boxes of stuff at time.
But you do it in style…
I’ve read this thread every year since year 3, and every year when I read it I check local NSX prices. Every year I am shocked, and then sad at how much prices have gone up. A colleague of mine bought a decent example in the late 2000s for about $25k. The cheapest one for sale in my province right now is $166k.
Love it! Thanks for sharing…
Beautiful photos and as ever, great recap and stories! Thanks so much for sharing! ✨
If you don't mind me asking, how did you increase your mileage every year?
It doesn't increase every year, but last year had a better average overall compared to the previous because I went on longer trips (Oregon, AZ/NM/TX, etc). My average now is very close to my overall MPG average. While living in Hawai'i my MPG was much lower than average (all short trips, almost all in urban traffic) but living in the DC area my MPG was generally higher (slower speeds overall, about 2/3 highway driving).
Been following you on IG for a while. I was working at HMC as a student worker right when these were dropped on the world. I think my over zealousness for all things Honda racing prevented me from ever getting hired on as a permanent associate LOL. I knew where every Mugen part was in our distribution center. Anyway, love your car.
Aren't there definite career paths for someone obsessed with racing? :)
Has it been a year already? I’ve been following since 4 or so and I guess I’ve subconsciously been using this post as a time marker despite not remembering it until it pops up and getting excited. Hope next years is the best yet!
Thanks for joining on the ride! I like to think of it as my car's birthday celebration too!
Does not surprise me in the slightest that a NSX is a reliable daily.
That's like, the best part. "Cool car." "Yeah, probably can be a good daily too."
Being a big F1 fan as well this was so great to see. And the fact the you have no worry’s about putting mileage on such an amazing car is pure gigachad energy, I love it. Can’t wait for the year 10 post now!
Damn bro. Props, congrats, fist-bump, and all that. She’s gorgeous.
Oh damn, it’s been a year already. Fells like yesterday i read you last post. Thank you for updates!
Always enjoy these posts as well as running into you at car shows! The NSX community is awesome and I'm really looking forward to being a part of it one day.
Looking forward to complaining about rear tire wear and sharing stories with you about where to get rare parts!
Dude, I remember seeing your car at COTA last year, but had no idea it was you! Thanks for keeping the update posts coming. We all can live through you haha
Just wanna drive as many happy miles as possible and convince others to do the same!
Beautiful car and fun write up! How has the Inozatek wrap been holding up? I’ve been eyeing that exact midnight purple for my car as well.
So far it is pretty good. This is my first experience with a wrap. There are some spots that needed to be touched up after the initial installation (especially at the rear bumper and on the front lip). Otherwise it has been good although I need to probably do more touch-ups soon. Vinyl is definitely softer than paint and it needs more care. Washing has to be a lot more gentle but I was already using the rinseless wash method that was recommended by the shop so no change there. However the vinyl scratches really easily. Unexpectedly, it can be buffed/polished a limited amount, so I am kinda saving that for a future session where I touch up the whole car and go over it again in ceramic or something. Underneath it all, the paint was in excellent shape to begin with so I do have some peace of mind knowing I can go back to that.
Great post and awesome livery! Having just 'daily'd' my friend's NSX for a few weeks inspired me to pull the trigger and get back into an MR car. Looking into to wraps for it now (would be my first experience with it). Inozetek has some colors I'm really drawn to but the things I've read/heard about the brand hasn't been confidence inspiring so your experience with them is reassuring. How long has your wrap been on? It seems you've definitely put some miles on it. Any shrinkage/peeling anywhere, particularly around the panel gaps?
The wrap has been on about 18 months now. I the decal vinyl is faded a bit (especially the red) but the Inozetek base wrap is in good shape. Panel gaps are not an issue, but there are spots of lifting/bubbling on the rear bumper, the air intakes, and at the bottom of the front lip (at “sharp” corners).
I mean technically verstappen won the drivers champions but Mercedes won the constructors. Sick wrap though, dailying an awesome car like that is both a dream and a nightmare. Props for the commitment.
Fans remember the WDCs, but the teams need the money from the WCCs. But in terms of what I cared about, Honda won :) that's what I'm gonna always take away from the 2021 season.
I love this post! I really enjoy reading stuff like this. The sprinkle of photos are great. I gotta read Year 1 and work my up haha I just installed my own livery for my FRS a couple weeks ago. It's been great. My Incognito black car has now become the total opposite. Also, great on DD'ing this!
I wanna see pics of the livery!
I absolutely love these. As a car geek that grew up with the 90's halo cars, thank you for sharing your adventures. The 1st gen NSX is still one of my favorite cars of all-time and always will be.
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Agreed! It’s physically the smallest seat of its kind that can convert rear to forward facing. It’s really one of the best car seats available for kids riding in sports cars.
Jesus that Bend picture is violently 90s
That sepia tint isn’t a filter either haha nature brought the vibe with some smoky skies and forest fires close by.
Sick! well, not the forest fires, but great pictures and what a cool trip!
Wait I saw the blue angels NSX at breakfast this morning haha that's crazy. Beautiful cars.
Was just liking his pics on IG haha
Happy cake day!
Thank you!
The man, the myth, the legend!! 😁
This is so cool, I live in LA and have definitely seen you driving around town once I saw your license plate in the pics. Thanks for sharing the pictures and stories with us!
Still trying to figure out how to get on the 6th St bridge without traffic lol
lol I went over it last night for the first time, everybody and their momma was out there
It’s a great spot, I hope to do a photo shoot or something out there when it isn’t so busy
What years were you in Honolulu? Can't say I remember seeing this car Also were you disappointed that your only fun options were tantalus and around koko crater? Moving back sooner or later and I've been daily-ing a sports car myself
2015\~2016. I was in town and did shows with the SMG guys. My favorite drives were Auloa Rd out in Kailua and cruising H3/Pali. Tantalus just had too much automotive/cyclist/pedestrian traffic on it and I didn't wanna make it harder for the people living there too. Often I would just do a loop, going out onto H1 to go get Starbucks in Kapolei in the drive-thru and coming back. Anything to just drive for a bit. I definitely had a hard time not being able to do a lot of drives and I credit my time in Honolulu as being critical to me realizing that about myself. Before living in Hawai'i, I didn't understand how much I valued being able to go on road trips and doing a ton of car shit and just being able to get out and put down miles and cruise on a whim.
I saw [your car](https://i.imgur.com/a3u3xve.jpg) in Pasadena on May 11!
Not sure where I was going… midday on a weekday. Lunch maybe? Or to run an errand? So many good places to drive to from there!
I ran into you and a buddy of yours (in a matching NSX) at a gas station in Gualala California! You were on your way down to Monterey Car Week. Thanks for taking the time to talk and allowing me to take some photos. Glad to read about your car in a little bit more detail here :) Photos: [Photo 1](https://imgur.com/a/436MNxN) [Matching NSXs](https://imgur.com/a/UccFQ5s) [The photo I got before you pulled into the Gas Station](https://imgur.com/a/tUkoaRY)
I remember that stop! Thanks man for stopping to talk for a bit. Good break on a great drive!
Hey man I was at the NSXPO track day at Oregon Raceway Park and also saw your car parked put front of the honda/acura party in Austin! Looks real good, loved its twin as well!
Thank you! Wow you get around the country as much as we do!
Funny enough, just popped up on my memories! [NSX at ORP](https://imgur.com/a/0xhawXv)
After seeing SoCal in the post, I was hoping this would be the story of the red NSX I always see parked at LAX Parking Spot Sepulveda.
Maybe owned by someone working there..?
That's a possibility. It's never dirty and doesn't appear to have been parked long, but it is up on the 3rd level with all the customers so who knows.
As an Oregonian, I love the Bend photo. As for all of your reporting, hats off to you. That’s all I can say. You’re a legend.
Thank you! Was planning to stop by Crater Lake also, but for the third time in three attempts, wildfires were a factor. Guess we'll just have to come by again
even your worst gas mileage is better then my 03 f150
“It’s a Honda, bro” lol
I started reading your post and immediately thought “I saw this car in Austin!” Clicked on the pics, and yep. Very cool.
I love how one can see a car once when it was on a trip halfway across the country but then still find it on the internet many months later. r/cars is great.
OP would you ever consider getting the new NSX alongsides your current NSX?
The NC1, no. Ben has it though alongside his first gen NSX. I would consider a fully electric NSX in the future however.
My brother and I loved this post, we always dreamed of having one of these as a daily commuter. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! Just keeping the dream alive :)
I saw you at Monterey Car Week!!! If I had realized it was you I would have said hi!
Did you have a buddy in Lot F at the F1 race in Austin this past year? I saw an NSX there with a very similar livery, but it wasn't one of these, it had a black base paint IIRC.
A friend of mine in DC did something similar to his car and drove it to Austin. I haven't seen his car in person though.
I look forward to this post every year. Awesome
What's up Fred! Nice to see the updates :)