Sunday morning, 6:00am downtown was the meeting spot for Dennis’s NSX, myself and Mayday Danh as we patiently waited for the sun to rise. Greeting us with Kolaches was the man of the day, Dennis as he stepped out of his Do-Luck kitted red Acura NSX. A Couple of things came to mind when Dennis rolled up, first being how tired I was at the ass crack of dawn on a Sunday morning and secondly was how that slumber can be easily eliminated by a nicely executed NSX. The sun however was nowhere to be found. This was nothing however as there is always something there to throw a wrench in the plans of a shoot. So we grabbed our gear and headed to the first shoot location to give justice to the Japanese exotic. Improvisation was in effect.

The previous day Mayday David and I were scoping spots that would have been harmonious with the lady in red. The country? Nah. Parking Garage? Hell No. Graffiti wall? Oh HELL no….then it hit, Chinatown. Well, more like ol’ Saigon in our case. But really, what better way to awaken the ricer in you than to hit up and pay respect to your local temple?

The NSX is an awesome platform that can be opened to multiple styles of tuning. Dennis’s car is a prime example of a NSX built within the lines. Nothing too over the top, Do-Luck aero adds aggressiveness but still retains the OEM lines and the Advan RS-Ds coupled with Spoon calipers grace the machine with a undercover race look. It is the first of two different styles that we will be featuring over the next month here on Mayday Garage.

Words by Dennis Meriel:

“Being in the import scene for almost 10 years, I was able to see how the import scene has evolved. I was the type of person that I couldn’t keep a car for over a couple of years and I always wanted a change and to keep up with the import scene trend. After owning a few Honda’s, Toyota’s and a Nissan 240sx, I was on a mission to search for that one vehicle that would take me the next stage. I wanted a vehicle that was rare, fun to drive and supported the import scene in Houston, TX. I wanted a vehicle that had the exotic look but the reliability of a Honda. The vehicle that came to mind was the Acura NSX.

I started searching for NSX’s through the internet, classified ads and dealerships. It wasn’t easy finding the right NSX but with patience and dedication, I found my car. I ran across a 1993 NSX with only 56K miles located in Illinois. With my family still residing there, I was able to have my Dad take a look at the car first hand. The car had just arrived at local exotic car dealership and already had 10 people inquire about it. I worked out the details and by the end of the day she was mine.

I had the vehicle shipped to Texas and it was delivered a week later, which seemed like months to me. As with any import enthusiast, I immediately started planning and searching for performance parts for the NSX. Did the basic upgrades with TEIN Coilovers and Volk Racing TE37 wheels. Next upgraded the engine with Taitec Exhaust and Comptech headers. I wanted to add a body kit that was clean, simple and kept the fine lines of the NSX.

The kit that was chosen was from a Japanese manufacturer Do Luck. The kit included a front bumper with a carbon Kevlar diffuser and side skirts and I opted to upgrade the rear bumper with a 2002 rear valence to give the NSX a newer look, I think it worked out pretty good.”

Next on Dennis’s list is a tubo kit from FX racing. If no one is familiar with the FX Time attack car check it out here. Even if the kit that Dennis puts on is a toned down version of the competition car’s, it is still going to haul some ass!

When I asked Dennis what car is next on the list, he mentioned he was currently in the market for a Datsun 240z. In a normal world one might be looking to graduate to a Porsche or a Ferrari from an NSX, but in the world of ricers the norms don’t apply. Therefore, it shouldn’t be a surprise that such a decision would be made by Dennis.

Until next time.

——————————-

Dennis Meriel’s Official Mod List:

Engine:

Comptech Headers
Comptech Strut Tower Bar
Downforce Intake Scoop and K&N Filter
GT-One Carbon Fiber Engine Dampner
Honda NSX-R Rubber Coolant Cover
Taitec GT Light Weight Exhaust
Optima Battery Red Top

Interior:
Alpine DVD Head Unit
Acura Type R Shift boot and knob
Bride (Drivers Side) Low Max with Carbon Kevlar reupholstered seat pads with Alcantara fabric.
(Passenger Side) Gias and seat rails.
Focal Component Speakers
JL Audio WS series 10” subwoofer (mounted custom enclousure passenger floor board and
amplifier mounted in trunk.)
Momo 350mm Tuner steering wheel
NRG Quick Release
Downforce Carbon Fiber Door Sills

Exterior:

Acura OEM 2002+ Rear valence diffuser
Do Luck Front Bumper with Carbon Kevlar Diffuser & Side Skirts
Downforce Carbon Fiber Rear Window Vent Cowl / Carbon Fiber Trunk Lip Spoiler
Umbrella Auto Designs Carbon fiber A and B Pillars
Downforce Carbon fiber rear lip spoiler

Suspension/Wheels/Brakes:
Advan RS-D 19’ x 10’ (Rear) 18’ x 8’ (Front)
Falken 452 Rear 275/30/19 Front 225/35/18
Goodridge Stainless Steel Brake Lines
Hawk HPS Brake Pads
Spoon 4 Piston Monoblock Calipers
Teins RE Coilovers with EDFC controller custom mounted in center console

——————————-

** Bonus Photographer Stance**

All pictures taken exclusively for MaydayGarage by Danh Phan and Myself.
For higher resolution photos, click HERE!
— JohnP

JohnP @ MaydayGarage.com

Mayday Garage’s Facebook Page:
Mayday Garage | Promote Your Page Too