Description
For sale is my 1991 Honda NSX imported from Japan in Sep/ 2015 at 79500km (49700 miles) and I have enjoyed it for 16500 miles and 9 years since. It is in very good condition inside and out. The colour is Kaiser Silver, which is a rare NSX colour.
It’s been comprehensively maintained in my ownership, both in terms of required servicing, preventative maintenance, and an ongoing program of refreshing parts. For evidence, please look at the MOT history available online. I have two large folders of receipts for work done since I brought it to the UK, totalling around £30000 spent in my ownership.
Purchase
I bought the NSX from a car auction in Japan in June 2015, where it appealed because it was a standard specification car, albeit with the automatic gearbox. Its condition was graded as exterior ‘3. 5’, interior ‘B’; I still have the original auction description sheet in addition to the vehicle invoice, shipping records, etc. I paid an additional fee for the examiner to take a closer look at my prospective purchase, and they made the following notes with the NSX:
Dampers not holding boot lid up.
Faint scratches to paintwork on rear.
Power steering rattle.
Evidence fenders were removed/ replaced (no chassis damage was visible and the car is not on the Japanese repair database).
All these issues were rectified in the UK. A full paint correction was performed over 2 days with a local specialist.
Service record
Routine servicing during my ownership has included two major services (cambelt, water pump, etc), crank pulley, and of course all intermediate oil change services. Preventative maintenance performed is too much to mention here, but includes a top end engine refresh carried out in summer 2019 (done simply because the engine was coming out anyway), servicing electronic control units (ECUs) to prevent damage from capacitor leakage, refreshing tired or worn parts such as rubber seals, plastic pieces where lugs have snapped, etc.
The task of converting the NSX from automatic to manual gearbox was performed by Red-R Performance, an exclusively Honda garage in Weedon, Northants, in July 2019. Genuine Honda parts were sourced from various suppliers, including ATR in Austria (reconditioned gearbox which was independently inspected prior to installation, manual ECU, etc), a new clutch kit and many sundry parts. No expense was spared, and the conversion included all the little things such as changing the RPM dial, engine parts (camshafts, valve springs, etc differ from AT to MT spec!), etc. The job took several weeks; a 50-page photo book of the work performed is provided with the car, in addition to all receipts.
Christian at ATR also talked me into an RFY header for the exhaust, which is a high-end artisan performance header made in Japan. Because it’s the header and not the back box or cats, there is no drone or appreciable noise increase. Instead, it ever so slightly improves the engine character and is claimed to liberate an extra 15bhp with no other changes whatsoever.
The other mechanical upgrade was a prior change to the later NSX (2002+ models) ABS setup. This is a much more modern and higher performance ABS, which is also vastly more reliable than the systems fitted to early 1990+ vehicles which need frequent fettling and make strange rattling noises periodically! It’s another expensive upgrade, costing around £2500 for installation, again with all genuine new Honda parts.
A selection of the servicing work performed in my ownership is as follows. Please note this does not include MOTs or other minor jobs:
12/ 10/ 15 Major service at Plans Performance. Oil, filter, plugs, air filter, brake fluid, ABS service, cam belt & WP. Installation of donor EPS rack @79762km
04/ 03/ 16 Interim service (oil, filter) @81043km
17/ 06/ 16 Replacement new ABS system (from 2002+ NSX models) by J D Autos @81820km
28/ 02/ 17 Annual service at Honda Letchworth (oil, filter, gearbox fluid) @82705km
26/ 04/ 18 Service at Honda MK, inc. new brake pads all round @84331km
01/ 07/ 19 Full auto to manual gearbox conversion, using all Honda parts (mostly new), new clutch, top end engine refresh and engine MT parts fitted, cam belt change, valve clearances, coolant flush, new brake fluid, RFY exhaust header, etc., by Red-R Performance @85911km
09/ 09/ 19 Full wheel alignment & geometry check
13/ 05/ 20 Door weatherstrip seals replaced
10/ 12/ 20 Annual service (oil, filter, air filter)
21/ 04/ 21 Audio (Head unit, L&R speakers, sub), CCU, Clock, Cluster, ECU & Main Relay units refurbed to replace electrolytic capacitors which fail over time (preventative)
10/ 06/ 21 Driveshaft and fuel filter replaced by Honda
18/ 01/ 22 Annual service at Red-R (oil, filter, brake fluid, starter motor refurb, new crank pulley) @91909km
27/ 04/ 23 Service (oil, filter)@93500km
11/ 05/ 24 Service (oil, filter)@95280km
18/ 06/ 24 Replace coolant header tank, refresh all coolant (Red-R Performance)Bodywork
It is in very good condition for a 33-year-old vehicle. There are some very minor stone chip marks, and a couple of very small marks on the passenger side of the vehicle. There is a scratch right down by the sill on the passenger side, perhaps caused when someone was manoeuvring a jack by the car. But you have to look very close to notice any of them. The nose and front spoiler were fully repainted (at their expense) by Honda Letchworth in 2021, after it was scratched while parked in their car park! Hence, there are far fewer stone chips than you would expect for a vehicle of this age.
I ‘upgraded’ to the later NSX (1995+) alloys as I think these make the car look more modern. These still have the tyres they came with on them, which are Toyo Proxes T1R 225/ 40/ ZR16 on the front, with around 5-6mm tread remaining, and Yokohama Advan Sports 245/ 40/ R17 on the rear, with around 4-5mm tread remaining and all in good condition. The previous owner had the alloys refurbished, but I would say I have seen better jobs done. Nevertheless, the alloys remain in very good condition, and all have the original centre caps.
Interior
The interior is in very good condition throughout and is a great example of an unmolested early NSX. The audio system is the original Bose FM/ AM radio and cassette head unit, which works as it should with the caveat that it can’t pick up all UK radio stations (the Japanese radio bandwidth is different to that of the UK). An original NSX CD multi-changer is fitted in the boot which works perfectly through the Bose unit. With a clean and polish, the interior looks great and there are no unsightly or significant marks anywhere.
All the controls and surfaces are in very good condition. The seats do have wear commensurate with use but are still in very good condition. I have treated the seat leather regularly. There is no significant wear to the seat bolsters or anything like that. Even the floor mats are the original 'NSX' branded items which were supplied with the car when new – as such I have kept them even though they are a little faded now. The tool kit in the boot is present and complete. The boot carpet looks almost like new.
Mechanical
It’s in very good shape for the age, but then so much is aluminium which really is the gift that keeps on giving from a maintenance viewpoint. There is light surface rust evident on some of the underbody parts, but I’m sure it would clean up very nicely if someone was to do a chassis refresh, or have it professionally cleaned.
Major items like the engine, gearbox and clutch have all been inspected and refreshed in the last few years, which should provide a lot of confidence in being able to use and enjoy this fantastic car for many years to come. The suspension is standard, unmodified. It is perfect for today’s roads, with potholes, bumps, traffic calming measures and such. It is comfortable yet handles superbly.
Odometer
As soon as I imported the NSX (at 79500km), I fitted an electronic speedometer conversion device so the display now reads in ‘mph’ and the odometer increments in miles, not km. At the time of advertising, the NSX odometer reads almost ’96000’, which is 16500 miles in my ownership plus the original 79500km (49700 miles). Hence, the total is 66200 miles today.
Why am I selling?
I’ve had the NSX twice as long as any other ‘fun’ car I’ve ever owned. It really is that good, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to regret selling it. But it’s time for a change and I have to admit that purchasing a used Alpine A110 PE recently has shown what 25+ years of automotive development can do.
Summary
The original NSX remains a great car to drive and is a product of Honda engineers at their absolute peak. Even 32 years after this car was made, its inherent quality still shines through. I have converted this car from automatic to manual specification as professionally as possible and have also done lots of preventative maintenance in addition to regular servicing. which should make this car a compelling ownership proposition. It’s an honest car which has seen regular, but light use. I’ve not abused or tracked it, and it drives, steers and rides just as you would expect.
I hope it will go to someone who is as enthusiastic about these vehicles as I am, and who will continue to improve it for the owner after that…
The car comes 4 keys (2x NSX keys and 2x copies) with a rare English language UK NSX owner's handbook, plus an original hard copy of the factory workshop manual (2 volumes). Also, there are some spare parts including 6 spark plugs, air filters, oil filters, etc.
There's probably lots I have forgotten but, if you are in the market for an NSX and you don't mind it not being red and want a car to use rather than a garage queen, then please get in touch for a chat. I’m not interested in part/ exchanges, low-ball offers, or anything similar. But, if you are a genuine buyer I will have lots of time for you.
