Life, Liberty, And The Pursuit Of Honda's Renowned Flagship
Natural progression is a byproduct of time. As time passes, progression occurs...naturally. For example, babies become children, children become teenagers, teenagers become adults. Each period is significant. None can be skipped. For Orange County, California's Jose Macias, the journey began in 1996.
Luckily, Jose started on the right path, the Honda path. "My Honda fetish began when my best friend Miggy rolled up in a tan lowered '89 Civic EF hatchback. It was so clean and pleasantly stylish," Jose says. After attending a few Battle of the Import events and seeing racing legends like Jojo Callos, Tony Fuchs, and Adam Saruwatari, Jose picked up a '91 Civic of his own, which he quickly nicknamed "Big Red." A few years down the road he landed in the driver seat of a '99 Accord, only to be totaled by a taxi. Soon after, he picked up a yellow S2000 and added a few Honda motorcycles and ATVs to the collection. Eventually, the Honda gods struck Jose with a bright-yellow bolt of lightning. He was surfing the "for sale" section on www.nsxprime.com when he discovered "the mother goose," as he calls it. Like most Honda enthusiasts, Jose yearned for an NSX since he began driving. It was "the car in which I remember Saruwatari dragging down the Pomona Raceway in," he says. A quick phone call and Jose found himself driving home in what many revere as Honda's greatest machine to date. Most Hondas--take Civics and Integras for example--are great cars with tons of potential. The NSX is a different story--many will argue that the mid-engine platform is perfect as-is. It's easy to destroy what makes the car great. That's why Jose eased into the build and carefully selected each part along the way for his beloved "Vanessa." Jose says that the name is smooth and sexy, "just like the NSX."
Jose first focused on the suspension, installing TEIN S.Tech springs. "The NSX's factory suspension is nice and tight; I'd go TEIN everything, but it's so tight already," he says as he flips gut wrenching 90-degree turns in SoCal suburbia thumping "Cookie Jar" by Gym Class Heroes. Once Jose felt better about the slightly stiffer springs, he devoted his attention toward the NA2's most visually appealing feature, its exterior. While searching the forums, Jose stumbled upon an NSX featuring a Cantrell Studios GT series widebody kit. Prior, he had no intentions of installing such a kit. "I think the kit looks aggressive while sticking to the NSX's factory lines," he says. The kit adds 30 millimeters to both the front and rear. While parked in the driveway on a sunny Sunday afternoon, a young child walking nearby with his parents yells with excitement to his father, "Dad, that's a cool car!" The dad confirms, as father and son begin smiling in appreciation of the yellow beauty.
Equally screaming for attention is a Brembo Gran Turismo big brake kit that keeps the NA2 in check at all times. The massive kit tucks seamlessly behind Work Meister S2R rims covered in Goodyear Eagle FT tires. The brake kit's functionality is obvious as Jose hits triple-digit speeds in seconds, then slows down to zero with an equal amount of gracefulness. The combined efforts of a Downforce cold-air intake, Comptech headers, and a Taitec GT lightweight exhaust, amongst other aftermarket components, net a combined total of 292 whp.
Jose credits his brother, Tony, and various nsxprime members for helping in the four-year build. Well, "4 years, 5 months, and 10 days, but who's counting?" Jose says. Jose and Tony worked countless hours on the NSX as he set his sights on perfection. He even installed Mugen bolts in every spot that he could find. Given that Jose loves working on his baby, he and Tony find themselves in the garage at least once a month, listening to funky beats on the iPod. "I get a new part and call Tony to come over. It turns into sleepless nights because a one-hour project always turns into a 20-hour one," he laughs.