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View Full Version : Newbie Question: the VIN No. of the NSX I will buy next week



710
05-12-2004, 11:21 PM
I would like to introduce myself, my name is Peter. I have been looking and saving for an NSX for over a year now.

This is my first posting ever, I hope I do it right.

I have been reading the NSXCB site for a few weeks now and NSX Prime for about 11 months. I am very very impressed by the support, friendliness, and information on these sites. Congratulations on a very good site.

I have spoken on the phone to a couple of the Dutch NSXers who post on NSX Prime, they are really friendly and helpful. I can see by your posts and your colleague's posts that you are all nice too. I hope to meet you one day. I will attend a few UK meetings too and hope to be able to contribute something. Will you have a Christmas get-together this year?

I went to the NSX days in Spa this year and got my first ride in an NSX. I also met a Brit there with a black NSX with a wing, and learned a lot about NSXes from him. He and his wife and friend were very friendly. I forget his name but he goes by j14nsx on NSX Prime. If you read this, thanks for all the help and info.

Several months ago I had a chance to finally drive an NSX. Now I know.

Next Tuesday I will go to buy one. A 1991 red one from Holland. 51,000 km (about 32,000 miles) and in really good condition.

I will import it to Britain next week. I live in Kent, but I spend much of my time in the BENELUX, Belgium, actually, so I am buying a LHD model, like my other cars.

I have been in cars my whole life and am reasonably sure about the facts of this car. But I do have a question about the VIN number.

My question:
The car is registered in Holland. The Dutch log book shows Jan 1993 as the year. I looked at the VIN number and it shows it's a 1991. I understand that many European cars remained in the dealers for some years due to their high price and, when finally sold, received that date (as some countries do it that way) as a registration date. Does that sound correct?

I checked with Honda UK (since I'm importing it to the UK) and they had to contact Japan because they didn't have any info (UK or European) on it. The Japanese responded to the Honda UK homologation department; it was produced on 9 November 1990 (the number is JHMNA11500T000211). 1990?

Does that mean it was the 211th one brought here to Europe? Incidentally, do UK models (because they are RHD like Japan's cars) have a different numbering system than the European system, possibly similar to Japans system? Anyway this is a non-UK one (LHD).

Also, I checked the "check digit" in the VIN number and it doesn't add up the way it should according to the American system on NSX Prime. I guess our system is different. Do we actually HAVE a "check digit" system, and can anybody tell me what it is? The year is there though, an "0" meaning European 1991.

The gearbox is not in the "snap-ring range" (see nsxprime.com), it is before it.

Also Honda Japan (and Honda UK) can't find the actual "destination country" of this car. Honda UK found that strange. There is no record of the "destination country", either in the UK or Japan. But it is clear to me the car is a European NSX (blinkers, codes on the lamps and windows). And the owner says that an importer in Holland got it from an Italian Honda Dealer and imported it to Holland (in 1993). The owner says he is the second private owner. He says the first private owner was Dutch too (he was not the actual importer). But, as yet, I haven't seen any documents to show this. I must say, though, that I trust this seller. He is known and trusted by the Dutch NSXers I spoke to to a high degree.

I have checked the car and it is not crashed, made from two cars, numbers welded in etc. I believe it is legitimate and it is in such good condition I guess I will buy it anyway. The price is about right. The owner is selling it because he has several NSXes and no time to drive them all.

Are there many NSXs in Europe that have strange VIN dates compared to actual (first use) registration dates? Can it be a Nov 1990, as Honda Japan says? Did Honda start producing them in 1990, but shipped them in 1991 (1991 being the first year the NSX was registered/sold in the world)?

Next week, when I give it its final thorough check before paying for it, I will ask again where the service documents are. But I don't think he has them. Which brings me to the next question; the age/mileage of the car appears genuine. It is not worn and looks inside and in the motor compartment as a 32,000 mile car should (so, new). There is nothing to make me think it has been clocked (miles turned back). So should the timing belt be changed? Honda says 100,000kms (I think) or 6 years. The car is 13 years old. If the miles are genuine, as I believe they are, then the car has been sitting in a garage a good part of its life. Do the belts get brittle? They may be twice as "old" as they should be, as opposed to twice as "worn". If the timing belts are 13 years old, would they already have broken, so am I to assume they were already changed? It could be a dangerous assumption. Can I tell by looking at them if they have been changed?

Have you any experience of this? Will they break on my way home? Is the 6 year rule due to aging/brittle belts?

Also, in the USA (nsxprime again), there was a "recall" of those early years, due to the water-pump and coolant hoses being defective. Do you think, after 32,000 miles, they were changed? Could a defective part like the water-pump last 32,000 miles? Did European cars (including Holland and Italy, the supposed homes of this car) have the same recall or did they have a different series of water-pumps/hoses? Have you heard of the water-pump/hoses breaking in older European cars? Since I don't have the car's history, I don't know what work has been carried out. Can I tell, by looking, if the water-pump has been changed, or is the new casting the same as the old one?

Thank you very much for reading this. I hope you can give me some answers concerning the above questions.

Peter

ctrlaltdelboy
05-12-2004, 11:45 PM
Welcome Peter

the NSXer you met was Kevin, administrator of this forum and also a member here by the same username as on Prime J14NSX - you will find many posts and pictures here from Kevin.

I do not know the answers to your VIN questions, but hopefully someone else may be able to offer some advice

Kevin
06-12-2004, 10:42 PM
Hello Peter,

I thought you lived in Belgium. Thanks for the kind words.

You have asked a lot of questions which I'll try to answer.

About the VIN. There are sources on the internet to be able to decode a VIN. Try here http://www.autohausaz.com/honda-auto-parts/honda-vehicle-identification-numbers.html for one of them.

NSXs did seem to be held by dealers, so sometimes the year of registration and year of omanufacture don't tally. I know of one or two like that here.

I don't think the number 211 will refer to the number as it was imported, but more likely the number it was made.

There are a few locations for the VIN which you can check. The plate at the front. The door sills, and the front bulkhead in the engine bay. I'm sure the car is fine, if the other Dutch guys know the previous owner.

I doubt anything will break on your way home. Take it easy. My car has had its belts changed twice in its life, due to age more than miles. Also the fact I track the car every time I drive it, means I rather have that re-assurance.

The US dealers did seem to perform recalls more readily than the UK dealers. I assume its due to the way US owners will complain more readily than we do, and the service the US dealer provide.

On asking my dealer about the water pump, they said they have never changed one, before the scheduled change at 90k miles.

There are only a handful of NSX approved dealers in the UK, check elsewhere on this site, for who they are.

Oh, and how's the picture for a reminder of a sunny day at Spa?

Nick Graves
09-12-2004, 09:14 PM
JHM NA1 1 500 T 000211

No, that looks fine compred to my S2000!

JHM = Honda Japan passenger car

NA1 = NSX original version

1 = 1991

500 = area/spec code

T = Tochigi

000211 = the 211th of that series (probably!)

:)

jaytip
09-12-2004, 10:57 PM
i think that if you are going to buy this car then you should spend a LOT of money on getting the things that can go wrong,right.
i would get the car serviced A.S.A.P and have the timing belt changed in that service.have the dealer give the car a thorough(sp?)look over because these cars can be VERY expensive when things go wrong.
good luck with the car though,i know you are going to enjoy it.

710
19-12-2004, 05:10 PM
Sorry I haven't acknowledged your responses before now, I’ve been very busy putting miles on my new car!

After I read my own post, it was clear I should leave the car there and have the belt water pump and hoses replaced. Simple. Thanks for the advice. I took it.

But I post the following description of what I have found because I have been unable to find this info anywhere.

Upon changing the parts, we discovered some interesting points that some of those with earlier NSXs might find interesting especially as they might be driving around with 2 unsound hoses (In the photo of the 3 hoses; centre and right are defective. The left hose in the photo was alright).

The hoses have a 50mm long, 1mm deep depression in 2 of the hoses which definitely looks like a manufacturing defect. I guess this is why Acura had a recall. When I press my finger on the depression, it feels VERY weak. It doesn't look much in the photo, but I can assure you it's really thin there.
Those of you with high mileage early NSXs with the original hoses, I’m surprised your hoses have not split. Are you really not driving your cars hard, then? :D

The new hose-set listed on Acura TSB 92-030 with part number P/N 06195-PR7-A00 did not exist. So we ordered the 3 separate hoses.
But one of the hoses has part number P/N 19518-PR7-A00 (“hose, above, middle”. It/they cost €62 ex VAT) but all 3 hoses came as a set under this number. Strange. So we sent the other 2 redundant hoses back.

Refering to my original post, the timing belt was alright. It’s 13 years old, I guess. It was worn, but not cracked and still felt as flexible as the new one. It was replaced anyway.

The water pump was a little rough, rougher than it should be for 32,000 miles, but just barely, says the Honda mechanic. We ordered a new one anyway, as per TSB 92-030.
But the new water pump that arrived was very different to the old (surely original) pump. This was a surprise.

By looking at this difference, it will be possible for you to see if the water pump on your car has been replaced with the newer version, without taking anything off your engine. I explain below.

The timing belt cover is different too (to match the new water pump), and is included in the water pump kit we received (P/N 19200-PR7-A01, again from Acura TSB 92-030 on NSXprime). So that's why it costs €342 ex VAT!
See the photo of the old water pump and the photo of the old cover.

If anybody has a photo of the new water pump and new timing belt cover, please send it to me and I will post it. My photo is corrupted.

The water pump pulley also acts as a timing belt pulley so it is under a lot of strain, more than a normal car, which usually has a separate belt for the water pump and alternator. The timing belt actually turns the water pump shaft. It’s a nice idea that makes the motor shorter too.
The water-pump has a small drain hole in it. See photo. This is to allow the water to drain out if the water seal on the pump shaft fails (correct me if I’m wrong). The water should go through the drain hole and out the front of the timing belt cover. But on the old pump and timing belt cover, it seems that the water might fall onto the timing belt anyway, because the seal isn’t so good.

So on the new water pump, Honda has moved the drain hole about 60mm further away from the pulley than it is on the early model. Any leaking water will now not be near the timing belt. The new drain hole also has a tube pressed into it. This tube protrudes outside the new timing belt cover. Now there is no way any leaking water will end up on the timing belt.
Look at the front of your motor. If you can see the tube when you look at the front of your engine, you have a new pump. The little tube will stick out about 1 cm from the timing belt cover. With the old water pump, you won’t see a tube, but just the little hole.

I hope this info will help you decide what to do about your water pump and hoses. Judging by how weak the hoses are, you should replace them (according the Acura Recall TSB 92-030 depending on your VIN info), but the water pump, while a little rough, might be alright for the life of the car. But I’m happy I changed it.

Peter

duncan
20-12-2004, 01:06 PM
More info on change in water pump castings see nsxprime/FAQ/Maintenance/timing-belts. text reproduced below,

Water Pump Note
The the vendor in Japan who was casting the pumps changed ALL the molds and can not cast the old pump any more. The weep hole was moved in the 1997 pump. The new pumps are the same price as the old pumps. The new pump will fit the 91-96 cars but one of two things must happen:

Replace the lower timing belt cover for about $100
Drill a hole in your existing lower timing belt cover so the water pump weep hole tube can stick out, then fill the old hole w/silicon glue.
If you buy a new cover you will need a grommet.

19200-PR7-A03 Water pump
11810-PR7-A02 '97 lower timing belt cover
11816-PR7-000 Grommet

Many dealers who do not work on many NSXs are still not aware of this change. They will get halfway through the job and call to say there was a parts change and they need to get a new timing belt cover. Some owners have been able to get the dealer to give them a discount on the new belt cover when they get a call like, especially if they negotiated a flat fee for the work first.

ctrlaltdelboy
20-12-2004, 01:24 PM
you can get a 90k mile service kit from Dali for $565 (£291 at today's exchange) including OEM Oil filter & crush washer, fuel filter, air filter plus the water pump, new water pump cover, timing, alternator and A/C compressor belts. + 6 spark plug seals and 2 valve cover gaskets.

looks like this
http://daliracing.com/v666-5/catalog/x-images/90K_servicepak_withwaterpump_im.jpg


the water pump is listed here (http://daliracing.com/v666-5/catalog/index_browse_part.cfm?focus=1568) at $188 (£97) on its own with no cover if you want to drill your own hole as detailed by Duncan above, and although I couldn't find it listed I'm sure you can buy the pump and cover alone without the rest of the service kit.