Meet the $151K Gen 1 NSX | FerrariChat

Meet the $151K Gen 1 NSX

Discussion in 'General Automotive Discussion' started by LightGuy, Apr 2, 2019.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. 05011994

    05011994 Formula 3
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    May 1, 2004
    1,859
    Golden, Colorado
    Been following that auction, unbelievable low mile example. It is great to see the NSX getting the appreciation it deserves. This must be the lowest mile NSX out of Honda hands in the world.
     
  2. DIGMAN52

    DIGMAN52 F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jan 30, 2004
    3,999
    Dallas Texas
    Full Name:
    Philip C
    I had a buddy with a really nice NSX with titanium exhaust and a few other tweaks. We switched cars one day with my 355 Spider, and hit some windy roads. It was a cool sensation sitting so far forward in a car, kind of like in a fighter plane, but the driving experience did nothing for me. Even with the better exhaust, it sounded just ok, and was not fast enough for me. Like the looks, not the performance.

    It was a service free vehicle for him, and he sold it after a couple of years, and moved into a 911.
     
  3. Sterling Sackey

    Sterling Sackey Formula 3
    Sponsor

    Not quite, there are still a few out there with essentially delivery-mileage. We will see what comes out of the woodwork after this sale.
     
  4. Sterling Sackey

    Sterling Sackey Formula 3
    Sponsor

    That's funny, to me it has one of the best sounding V6s in existence, particularly the induction note. 8,000 RPM in the NSX is something else.
     
    Boomhauer and LightGuy like this.
  5. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 30, 2007
    91,699
    1st gen NSXs worth more than current NSXs....oopsy daisy, Acura.
     
    carguyjohn350 likes this.
  6. LightGuy

    LightGuy Three Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 4, 2004
    39,594
    Texas
    Full Name:
    David
    #7 LightGuy, Apr 4, 2019
    Last edited: Apr 4, 2019


    Remember the competing Ferrari of the day was the 348 that had only 30 more hp and a tad more torque but carrying 300 lb more weight. The NSX waxed it in almost every way.


    But the 355 was similar weight and about 100 HP more.
    It would be like comparing a 360 to a 355. The 355 comes out as a dog.

    The Japanese big shots at the time all agreed to a 300 HP max limit as anything more would just be irresponsible. How arrogant. If they could see us now ! ;)
    Everyone said the NSX needed 100 HP more even Senna.
    Comptech solved the problem with a supercharger which was a dealer installed option.
    IMO if it had that 100 HP extra from the start we'd be talking about it like some talk about the F40.
    Just like Chris Harris compares the new NSX as a "poor mans" 918.

    Also many alignment shops "fixed" the NSX's front end by putting toe in just like every other car on the road.
    WRONG !
    It is one of the very very few cars designed with toe out specs which makes it a dart in handling.

    Yes there is nothing like the sound of a NA Ferrari V8's. Except a V12 Ferrari ?
    Even the turbo Ferraris of today cant compare. However a Gen 1 with an exhaust is no slouch in the sound department.

    The gen 1 NSX is not about power. Honestly a main reason I like it is because it was such a milestone car.

    I've had several 911's.
    All gone except the GT2.
    Another "keeper" like my Gen 1 NSX.

    But perhaps at 151K I may be tempted :D
     
    boxerman, cnpapa24 and DIGMAN52 like this.
  7. Miltonian

    Miltonian F1 Veteran

    Dec 11, 2002
    5,966
    Milton, Wash.
    Full Name:
    Jeff B.
    I remember driving a dealer's demo NSX on a test day (1990?). I probably had it for about four hours, giving rides to the office staff, lot attendants, etc. That car probably had about 7500 miles on it, and it had the worst brake vibration/pulsation of any car I've ever driven.
     
  8. BMW.SauberF1Team

    BMW.SauberF1Team F1 World Champ

    Dec 4, 2004
    14,244
    I loved the looks of the NSX back in the day, but it just hasn't aged that well imo...I don't know why. I like the cleaner lines of the 355.

    Anyway, I was at a tuner shop this weekend and found an old magazine on their table with this NSX. They did a custom longitudinal engine mount for the V6...pretty cool. Does anyone know of other first gens with this mod?

    http://www.speedhunters.com/2013/12/ultimate-nsxesprits-time-attack-monster/

    It's only 2,400 lbs...I want one. :)
     
  9. tbakowsky

    tbakowsky F1 World Champ
    Consultant Professional Ferrari Technician

    Sep 18, 2002
    19,344
    The Cold North
    Full Name:
    Tom
    Saw one on a flatbed the other day. Loked like it was just pulled out of a barn. Followed the truck for a bit, but he went east and I was headed west. Would have loved to ask the driver about it..
     
  10. xotik

    xotik Formula Junior

    Feb 23, 2009
    259
    Gulf Coast
    Full Name:
    Chad
    I passed on a black first gen NSX 10 years ago for $20K. Boy, do I regret that decision.
     
    Boomhauer and Ak Jim like this.
  11. Challenge

    Challenge Formula 3

    Sep 27, 2002
    1,933
    PA
    Full Name:
    Kevin
    Funny, Brooklands Green was always a joke to the guys with normal colors.
     
  12. malex

    malex Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 5, 2007
    1,245
    FL
    Are you sure? There shouldn't be that large of a difference in weight between a 348tb and 355 Berlinetta - and it's likely almost all due to the 355's lighter wheels. I also didn't think that the 1st gen NSX was significantly lighter than either the 348 or 355. Maybe a bit, but 300 lbs lighter than a 348? I think if you check out curb weights, the differences are lot tighter than you're indicating.
     
  13. David_S

    David_S F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 1, 2003
    11,260
    Mountains of WNC...
    Full Name:
    David S.
    Call me crazy, but I'd sure love an NSX in Brooklands Green, but with the tan interior. Would have gotten one back in the day, but it was just out of my price range, and got a '93 964 C4 instead. Still wish I could have had the NSX & pretty sure I'd still have it.
     
    LI2782 likes this.
  14. Sterling Sackey

    Sterling Sackey Formula 3
    Sponsor

    Me too, I have always wanted a nice '94 in Brooklands Green, such a unique & classy color.
     
  15. Auraraptor

    Auraraptor F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Sep 25, 2002
    13,196
    MO
    I miss my NA2 generation 1....I keep trying to find a white 3.2L pre-facelift without much success
     
    boxerman likes this.
  16. BMW.SauberF1Team

    BMW.SauberF1Team F1 World Champ

    Dec 4, 2004
    14,244
    Best way is to import one from Japan. They are in better condition and lower price than US models. Plus, being a JDM car, it was made the way it was intended and not messed with US DOT/EPA and whatever other requirements that were altered.

    https://www.carsensor.net/usedcar/bHO/s042/index.html?YMIN=1989&YMAX=2004&SORT=2
     
    NbyNW likes this.
  17. max930

    max930 Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Apr 16, 2017
    20,022
    vancouver
    A few pop up for sale in Canada imported from the Japanese market. Canada has a 15 year or older rule on importing non conforming vehicles. The problem I have with all JDM imports is they are right hand drive. Id rather pay more for one out of Europe in left hand drive.
     
    boxerman likes this.
  18. Sterling Sackey

    Sterling Sackey Formula 3
    Sponsor

    Sorry, but this is very inaccurate. It's true that NSX can be had for a lower price in Japan, but like other relatively inexpensive sports cars in Japan, most of them are either totally beat up, covered in oxidation, modified like crazy, have major paintwork/accident history, have automatic transmissions (much more popular there than here), or some combination of all those. NSXs tended to be treated with more care in the USA on average as they became used cars. On top of that, there were essentially no "DOT/EPA" differences to the USA NSX other than different side markers. I would much rather have a USDM NSX than a RHD JDM NSX, unless it's a special RHD-only variant such as the Type R.
     
  19. max930

    max930 Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Apr 16, 2017
    20,022
    vancouver
    Its true the Japanese love automatics. In European cars, mostly Porsches, you can find plenty in left hand drive in Japan. But they are almost always automatics. Since Canada has a 15 year or older rule, we see lots of JDM cars here. I don't see many with oxidation or obvious collision damage. But with the Porsches they are almost all automatics.
     
  20. Sterling Sackey

    Sterling Sackey Formula 3
    Sponsor

    They love manuals too, but in the '80s & '90s there was a definite push in Japan towards the "future of technology" in the wake of the economic boom there. I think automatics just seemed like the future at the time, so they were buying a lot of them.

    It's not necessarily that they will have more of a % chance of collision damage, but car culture in Japan has much less of an issue with repainting panels for simple things like scratches, where in the USA we would make more of an attempt to keep the paint original at all costs. And, NSXs there had a higher chance of being tuned and used on the track etc. (likely a symptom of how inexpensive they got in Japan), so a higher chance of having "incidents" than many of the lightly driven examples in the USA.

    Oxidation / rust is definitely a big problem in Japan, any steel constructed car that is located in a seaside town there will have serious issues with this. It's not a given, but you see a lot of cars looking like this in Japan:

     
  21. Ak Jim

    Ak Jim F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 23, 2007
    8,451
    North Pole AK
    I spend quite a bit of time in Japan. Usually don't see very much rust because there are so few old cars. I'm not sure of the exact rules but once a car gets past a certain age there are expensive inspections required.
     
  22. Sterling Sackey

    Sterling Sackey Formula 3
    Sponsor

    This is true, but we are talking about the older cars that do exist there...
     
  23. Ak Jim

    Ak Jim F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 23, 2007
    8,451
    North Pole AK
    Very true.
     

Share This Page