As of about 3:00 pm on October 5th 2009, I had been the humble owner of a 1992 Acura NSX for exactly one calendar year; one very educational, enlightening, frustrating, occasionally cussin’ & fussin’, definitely expensive, but overall enjoyable calendar year. While not necessarily unique, I believe my car’s situation remains fairly rare for an NSX.

Purchased from a well meaning but mechanically inept gentleman in White Plains, New York, the car was in quite a state when I took possession. I logged fully six (6) check-engine codes, a leaky windshield, and a measurable oil leak all within the first week of ownership. I knew probably 70% of what I was actually getting into when the money and keys swapped hands. The rest manifested as the spice of life, otherwise known as “surprises”.

The list of maladies included, but may not have been limited to:

-9…NINE! different oil leaks of varying sizes

-Crunchy coolant hoses

-Cantankerous-shifting transmission

-Rev limiter lowered to 7000 rpm

-Engine hesitation at part throttle between 3 & 4k rpm

-Brake fluid from the Cretatious Period

-A car alarm with a mind of it’s own

-A shoddily installed radar detector with a rats-nest of wiring

-THE WORST radio reception known to modern man

-Flaky A/C

-Cat urine stains & claw scratches all over the paint

-Bricks for tires

-Dashboard lights that worked when they felt like it.

-Headlights that would only go down if you asked nicely

-A speedometer that never worked

-Sundry other trivial issues I have probably deliberately forgotten.

Purchased at a $65,600 (per the window sticker) price point, this NSX saw daily use and relatively thorough maintenance in the hands of a businessman in New Jersey for 200,000 miles. He then left it in the care of his son who, while appreciating the car, deferred a bit too much maintenance....before I stumbled across it on e-bay and found myself the only buyer not scared off by the potential repair bills. My forum-lurkng on NSX Prime seemed to indicate that hardly anything goes seriously wrong with an NSX if properly maintained. However, if something does go south, your bank account is likely to follow.

While this chassis: #371 in 1992, has probably lived a harder life than some of its siblings, I would like to think that the past twelve months have represented a decisive up-swing in the rollercoaster of its existence. My car’s road to recovery began the same day I arrived with it in Knoxville. Since that time I have replaced, repaired, or had replaced or repaired* (in no particular order):

-chin spoiler

-nose badge

-re sealed windshield

-driver’s side marker light

-door panel light & cover

-valve cover gaskets (Thanks European Auto Garage [EAG] www.europeanautogarage.com)

-cam plugs (Thanks Barney & Ashland Motorsports aka Barn Man on Prime)

-All coolant bypass hoses (Barn Man)

-3rd (allegedly. No proof of #2) Timing Belt job & valve adjustment (Barn Man/Ashland Motorsports)

-speed sensor

-coil-cover gasket

-spool-Valve gaskets, o-rings, & filters

-oil pan gasket

-oil pressure sensor & o-rings

-ignition coil (just one)

-O2 sensors

-coolant temperature sensor

-engine hatch struts

-a crushed AC condenser line

-thermostat (EAG)

-coolant pressure cap (EAG)

-proper transmission fluid at proper level (Ashland Motorsports)

-clutch slave cylinder

-brake master cylinder

-brake calipers (all four)

-brake lines (new stainless)

-wiring connector (for dash lights & headlights)

-car phone (removed)

-radar detector (removed)

-wheel wells (cleaned & painted)

-change tray & center console box (restored false-bottoms)

-window fix-its & lube (Ashland Motorsports)

-polished cat-piss marks out of paint

-dash lights now work when I tell them to

-radio aerial connection scrapped in favor of i-pod adapter

-replaced rusted-through stock exhaust with ARK DT-S

*unless noted otherwise, I performed all labor.

Parts were sourced from:

-Barney D. @ Asheland Motorsports

-Harper Acura (Mike Phelps at the parts desk is THE man).

-Science of Speed

-Umbrella Auto Design

-A couple of non-commercial NSX Prime members

-Rock Auto

I’m sure I am probably leaving out a couple of smaller details…but you get the point. There are a few minor electrical and cosmetic items left to address, but I seem to have met my primary goal of getting the car mechanically solid. I thoroughly enjoyed giving it a healthy workout at a (don’t laugh) Porsche Club autocross over the weekend while not having to worry quite as much about something exploding. (my fastest and most fun runs respectively below )