Signature Detailing New Jersey was contacted by a favorite long term customer, telling me with childlike enthusiasm he purchased a NSX from California and it would arrive in Jersey soon.
“Sweet!,” I exclaimed.
On top of its very good condition, it was Berlina Black with New Pure Red interior. One of only 13 in this distinctive color combination!
Signature Detailing is fortunate to detail a lot of very high end exotics. However, something especially pulls at my vehicle enthusiast heart strings with the Acura NSX. It isn’t super powerful or even crazy exotic looking. However the overall package with balance of its handling and design features really stir my passion.
And, the fact that Senna was involved in the development of this car was AWESOME!!!!
I decided to contact Chris A, a good friend who used to race around the roads of NJ with me in my youth. Later when we were old enough, we traveled around the east cost bombing all of the top tier race tracks.
I informed him an NSX was on the way for paint correction and CQuartz FINEST ceramic coating service, so I asked if he wanted to include a few words of history about the vehicle in this article.
The NSX’s Birth & Pedigree Story
“Uncharted territory. In the 80’s, Honda decided to not only pursue Ferrari on the Formula One circuit, but to take to them on the street as well, hiring Ayrton Senna to pilot their Formula One team to multiple world championships.
Honda utilized his skills, and their technology, developed through motorsports, along side Italian design company Pininfarina, to build their first supercar. Honda wanted to design a vehicle to go head to head with the likes of Ferrari, Porsche, and Lotus.
In 1984, development began and by 1989 the NSX made its first appearance. Honda really pushed the envelope, and the end product was amazing. They produced a car with heart, soul, and emotion, which featured race-car like performance, and the reliability of an endurance car.
The mystique added to the car, through the involvement of Ayrton Senna, is one of the elements that made the project so special. He captivated the people of Brazil and fans of motorsport the world over. The NSX design seemed to display some the essence of who Senna’s essence was, both on and off the track. Senna’s charisma and style that drew people to Honda and Senna. The marriage was something of a perfect fairy tale.
Another component of the success of the NSX was its price point. With a base price of almost half that of the Ferrari that it was challenging, Honda had produced a dream, one that seemed attainable for car enthusiast young and old, unlike the thought of a Ferrari in the driveway.
The initial investment of ownership was still nearly three times that of Honda’s Acura Integra at the time, but in the world of exotics, it was a bargain and drastically less than the competition. As Honda’s new flagship vehicle, the NSX set the stage for Honda’s identity for years to come, cementing their place as a premier engine builder and leader in automotive technology.
It created the outline for the Honda S2000, which I personally couldn’t pass up. Here in the U.S. it also bolstered the Acura nameplate and helped to define Honda’s luxury brand as it’s own entity. This move by Honda was interesting, specifically because the Acura dealership network was still in its infancy and the brand wasn’t global. Those were the reasons that Nissan gave for keeping the GTR under the Nissan nameplate when it launched. Having seen how history has played out, it seems that Honda was wise in it’s thinking.”
– Chris A.
The Detailing and Paint Correction Process
From the initial inspection with the owner, it was clear that to restore this beauty to her full potential, a two step paint correction would be needed. However, she first she needed a proper bath and decontamination.
Beginning with the wheels, Sonax Full Effect and wheel woolies cleaned the wheels and tires thoroughly.
Next the entire vehicle was foamed and given a deep washing. Afterward, iron-x was applied liberally to all surfaces, then gently agitated, removing all ferrous iron particles from the paint’s pores. This was followed by a topical decontamination with Autoscrub fine grade wash mitt. Finally she was given one last foam bath before drying.
Once the NSX was washed and decontaminated, the condition of the paint can be see very well under proper LED lighting.
Many defects were so heavy that some areas were very gently wet sanded. This ensures a faster cutting of heavy defects. After the wet sanding; a two step paint correction was performed around the entire vehicle. Below is a 50-50 (Before & After) of the drastic paint correction transformation.
The tail lights were also paint corrected, restoring color, gloss, and reflectivity.
After a heavy first compounding step, the two step paint correction was completed with a finish polish a foam pad for the final polishing process. This step brought out a deep rich black and incredible gloss and reflectivity of the surface. After the final polish was finished, the NSX absolutely glowed while reflecting EVERYTHING inside the shop.
Signature Detailing New Jersey definitely didn’t forget the interior!
All of the leather received a complete deep conditioning treatment. This turned out to be more of a revival. While the leather was soft, clean, and supple, there was some missing color throughout the bolsters and in some seams. So a repair was needed in order to properly restore this NSX.
Protecting the Finish with a Ceramic Coating
To finish the NSX’s transformation, two coats of CQuartz Finest Ceramic Paint Coating were applied to all of the paint and lights. CQuartz Finest Ceramic coating provides paint with further richness, depth, and insane gloss. The coating adds barrier of protection against chemicals, environmental contaminants, water spots, light swirl marks, and the suns UV rays.
The results are no less than stunning, especially in the direct sun which tells no lies.
Needless to say, my long term client was thrilled. And his jaw just about it the ground when he saw this beauty in the sun when she was picked up.
As always thanks for reading 