The car was purchased in Ohio in 1998 with 13821 miles on it, by my late father. Both he and I drove it back to Nevada where it was registered. There were two owners prior to him. He had the car until his death in late 2013. While my mother held title for three years, I was responsible for the vehicle until title was officially transferred to me in 2016. I was technically the 4th owner. When my father purchased the car, it had a Vortech supercharger that was installed by Hennessey Motor Sports. Comptech Machine in Eldorado Hills Ca did all of the maintenance on the vehicle until they went out of business in 2007. Shad Huntly of Driving Ambitions, and a former Comptech employee, and “NSX guru,” has maintained the car since. When the car developed a head gasket leak, Shad oversaw an extensive engine rebuild that included forged low compression pistons and ARP head studs.
When I took over ownership of the vehicle, I decided to do a remake of the car both mechanically and cosmetically, and register the car in California. Again, Driving Ambition were at the forefront of this project. This included swapping the Vortech blower that created high end power, for a CT/Comptech 2.3L blower that created power throughout a wider power band. Injector Dynamics 725cc injectors and AEM FIC unit for tuning were also added. The old catalytic converters were dying, and were swapped out for a set of larger 2000’+ catalytic converters. A set of Comptech/Ct headers were modified to fit the new cats and also installed. The car had a previously installed ARC titanium exhaust (see below for explanation) which was rebuilt and modified.
The stock brakes, which are inadequate for hard driving, were swapped with four big Brembos. Not only do the brakes perform much better, but they look great too. That same parts dealer also located a brand new 6 speed transmission, that I installed in favor of the old 5 speed. The gear spacing is much better with the 6 speed transmission as apposed to the 5 speed. The suspension was vastly upgraded with KW V3 coil over springs and shocks. Comptech sway bars and Driving Ambition non-compliance beam and toe link kits were also installed. New wheels were needed to clear the big Brembos. Sticking with the JDM theme, a classic set of forged black 17”/18” Volk TE37 SLs replaced the old wheels. The new wheels were mounted with Yokohama Advan Neova 215/40 R17s in the front and 285/30R18s in the rear. The spare tire was removed from the front, being that it would not clear the larger new brakes.
On the cosmetic side, I located a catch of 02’-05’ OEM body parts, and gave the car a face lift. This equated to new bumper covers front and rear, rear valence, hood, rocker panels, headlights, tail lights, and all the other small brackets and parts needed for the later body style. Aside from the front lip, the only other non-OEM body part on the car is the Downforce Type “R” rear spoiler which is very well made. For durability and ease of maintenance, the car’s finish was given a full ceramic coating. Additionally, the front bumper, lights, hood, and side mirrors were covered in Xpel premium protective film. All of the car’s lights were sent to Clear Corners to be converted to LED. The headlights were also painted black internally to match the exterior color in a type “R”style. While the paint work was being done on the new body parts, I had both A-pillars which were showing wear, repainted. In order to do it right, it took a fair amount of disassembly and reassembly of that area of the car, but it came out very nice. As a finishing touch, and tribute to the car’s true origins, all of the exterior “Acura” badges were removed in favor of "Honda" badges.
The cabin of the car was the next on the “to do” list. A five-point shoulder harness bar and belts were installed on both seats for spirited driving and any possible track days (I only did one driving school). The factory seat belts work fine and the five-point belts easily tuck behind the seats when not in use. A Euroboutique matte finished fully carbon fiber double DIN center console and matching door panels were installed. This included a full audio upgrade with Sony AVX 5500 head unit and a Helix M4 amplifier. For security, a Viper keyless alarm was installed. Additionally, a front and rear parking camera system was installed that utilizes the new head unit screen. A custom leather Euroboutique steering wheel with a Honda logoed airbag were added for improved feel and look.
With 395hp at the wheels (see dyno sheet) the car is very fast with a nice smooth power band that almost feels like a large cubic engine. The car is presently at 9 psi boost, and that is plenty for me, but I have been told that due to the “built engine” and low compression forged pistons it could safely take more boost. The car handles and stops equally well and is a pure joy to drive. The car is in excellent condition and has few flaws. The leather on the drivers’ side seat shows some scuff wear from ingress/egress (see photos), but is not bad. I have put less than 2000 miles on the car since its transformation. The paint is immaculate with very few imperfections. The car has a clean title, but was involved in two rather minor accidents in its 30 year history. In reviewing the Carfax report, it only shows one, but the second does not show up for some reason. The first accident (1997) was to the rear bumper and muffler. The bumper cover was repaired and the muffler/exhaust was replaced with a DC sports exhaust. When I received the car, I opted to remove the DC Sports exhaust and repair the original titanium ARC exhaust and return it to the car. It needed to be straightened (it had a slight bend) and the tips replaced. Tolle fabrications did an excellent job with that project. The second accident was to the front bumper and pop up headlights in 2004. There was no structural damage to the car with either of the accidents. All parts were repaired or replaced, and later when the face lift was done, everything on both the front and rear ends has been replaced with new OEM parts. There are no visual indicators either outside, inside, or under the car of these two incidents.
Sadly, after 24 years of being a part of this car, I realize that it is time for it to go. Although I built my dream car, I rarely drive it. It spends far too much time under a cover in the garage. My minivan and truck are far more practical. Somebody else needs to appreciate this vehicle. As for routine maintenance, it has been meticulously maintained by Driving Ambition, and I have all records starting from 1998 (my Dad’s purchase) neatly organized by subject, category, and timeline in a large binder. It is simply too much to list here. At my last maintenance inspection/oil change, I had a compression check done (see below). All parts that I still have will be included in the sale. Most of the parts are small, but there is a spare 02’-05’ hood that will be included. Although the vehicle is registered in California, and recently passed SMOG, I would not recommend it for California. I cannot guarantee that it will pass in the future. The biennial SMOG inspection is getting tougher on both the visual and sniffer tests. The California SMOG/CARB regulations are tightening, and it’s getting more difficult to pass older modified cars in the state. Please contact me if you have any further questions, I would be happy to talk, answer questions, or send more information. Thanks for looking.
VIN: JH4NA1150NT000443
-Year: 1992
-Mileage: 57,700
-Transmission:
Manual 6 speed
Engine:
-3.0 L V6 “built motor”Compression and Leak test:#1=165psi @5%, #2=170psi @5%, #3=170psi @4%, #4=165psi @8%, #5=170psi @7%, #6=165psi @7%
-Low compression Comptech forged pistons
-ARP head studs-Comptech/CT Engineering 2.3L Supercharger-Injector Dynamics 725cc injectors with AEM FIC unit for tuning
-SOS upgrade front and rear motor mounts
-Comptech/CT Engineering headers (2000-2004)
-OEM 2000+ catalytic converters-Comptech air intake kit with UNI filter
-ARC titanium exhaust with custom titanium tips
Suspension:
-KW V3 coil over springs and shocks-Comptech sway bars
-Driving Ambition non-compliance beam and toe link kits
Brakes:
-Brembo GT front and rear big brake kit (red) with Brembo parking brake calipers
Body:
-OEM 2002-2005 body upgrades
-Downforce Type “R” rear spoiler-ceramic finish on entire car
-Xpel protective film on entire front end, hood, and side mirrorsWheels and Tires:
-Volk/Rays TE 37SLs (black) front 17x8.5 +40 and rear 18x10 +40 no center caps
- Yokohama Advan Neova 215/40 R17 (front) 285/30R18 (rear)
Cabin:
-boost guage on driver side pillar
-5 point Simpson driver and passenger restraint system-Euroboutique custom leather steering wheel and Honda “H” logo air bag
-Euroboutique full carbon fiber matte finish double DIN center console (ash tray delete) and door inserts
Exterior lights:
-Clear Corners LED lights for headlights, tail lights, and running lights
-Head lights were internally custom painted the body color (black) in a type “R” style
Audio /Visual:
-Sony AVX 5500-Speakers Blam Live 165
-Amplifier Helix M 4
-Viper keyless entry alarm system
-front and rear parking cameras
-Smarttena