Text by Jonathan Wooley   Photos by Andy Carter   Issue 43

Acura NSX Auto Shop glow LED

In car culture, you see a lot of ‘dream cars’ out there on display. But a lot of times, you don’t see the work, discipline, and flexibility that it took to get there. And it can mess with your head. Especially when you’re younger & newer to the lifestyle, and trying to compete in this twisted reality that car guys live in.

The fact is: Dreams get messy.

Go ahead and learn that now. And take it to the bank. There’s almost always more to the story, than what you think you see.

NSX

Take this NSX for example. Let’s just say – the NSX is a difficult/tricky car to buy in 2017. It’s valuable. But you can’t very easily go out & get a loan on it, because it’s aged. Classic car loans are hard to get, with a lot of hurdles. So ‘cash’ reigns supreme. But if you’re talking about dumping 30k… you’ve gotta start looking at all the options out there. Is a 25-year-old Honda the best way you can invest that money? Maybe yes; maybe no; your choice. But for most of us – that’s a decision that’s just honestly not on the table anyhow.

ABC Liquor

Anthony Hancock was invested in other endeavors. Specifically – new ownership in a company. So for him, a nice NSX was not the best way he should blow his money at this particular juncture lol.

But that didn’t mean it wasn’t still his dream car. Nor did it mean he wasn’t gonna find a way to get one.

So he stayed flexible, lived the lifestyle, and kept his ear to the streets. Eventually – he got word of a salvage title NSX at auction, jumped all over it, and ended up with a great deal on a wrecked hunk of exotic turd. Dream car acquired! Sort of.

Acura NSX interior

From there – he put in some real sweat equity. AKA: work. The car was wrecked on the nose, but honestly, the physical damage wasn’t as bad as the overall neglect the car had been through since the accident. But Anthony stayed patient, level-headed, and dedicated… and turned wrenches.

NSX wheel fitment

And such is often the case with these showcase builds. It’s easy for us to go to an event, and want to throw our hands up at all the perfect cars. Trust me I understand, it can be overwhelming. But remember – it was never as ‘handed to anyone’, as that quick-sparked jealousy/envy makes it out to be in your head. And I say that, not to attack you or call you a hater… but to put my arm around you & refocus you. Haha – I have to do it to myself too. It’s not always easy or obvious, but it’s also not out of grasp. So FIND ways to reach your dreams. Mow down paths. Force it, when it needs a little forcing. Hey… this is how we do. SUBSCRIBE HERE

NSX-9

D2 coilovers

KSPORT 14” Neochrome series brakes – front & rear

Taitec GTLW exhaust

2002 front end conversion

2002 side skirts, rear valance

Carshopglow Japan tail light conversion (with chase signal)

Carbon fiber hood

Carbon fiber roof

Carbon fiber Type R spoiler

Recaro Wildcats

Custom made Vertex 7 star steering wheel (orange & silver) by T&E Japan

Zoom Racing rear view mirror

Advan Racing GT wheels – 18×9 front & 19×10.5 rear

BFGoodrich KDW2 tires

NSX-22

NSX Recaro

NSX-18