The Relentless Pursuit

Nauza’s 1992 Acura NSX.

If you had to tell someone when the golden era was for JDM, what decade would you say? Probably the 90’s right? It’s incredibly interesting how well these cars have aged throughout the years. The 90’s was a very iconic decade for Japanese cars as they had successfully and continuously produced amazing driver’s cars during this time period. Pair it with timeless designs and efficient motors, these cars have gone down to be considered as legends. The NSX is one of the many cars that has held onto this title. With Senna’s inputs in the development of the NSX, you have yourself a very special machine with a touch of a master that will surely get your heart raising.

This is Nauza’s 1992 Acura NSX. Nauza… also known as Nau, is a Honda lover at heart who has always been passionate about JDM. Nau is also the owner of Kodawari Collective, which is a detailing shop that specializes in PPF and is located in Mississauga, Ontario.

Ever since I was young, I’ve always dreamed to experience the cars that I’ve only seen in films, or the random occasional spots both on the streets and on the internet. Whenever I’d see cars that looked cool to me, I would remember what it was and there would be a subconscious list that was being written that I didn’t know would go on forever. Fortunately, I was able to experience one of these cars which gave me a glimpse of what it was like to live in this so-called “golden era.“

Nau’s first car was a 1999 Honda Civic EM1 Coupe. With the help of his older cousin, the Honda brand has been cemented in him through the experiences that his older cousin gave him. When Nau was around 15 years old, his older cousin who is a year older than him, had purchased a white Honda Civic EM1 with a B16B Type-R engine that was in great condition. Being 16 years old with 9,000RPMs right at his disposal, Nau was constantly immersed in an entrancing experience. Like many JDM lovers I’ve met, most people start with a Honda Civic. It’s simply because these cars are built like a blank canvas that encompasses a huge amount of potential. Aftermarket support is endless, parts are relatively cheap and reliable, and there is a large number of communities that offer help when it comes to modifying your own car. If you think about it, it’s kind of like a cult.

The NSX ownership for Nau was always a vision that got manifested as the years went on. His friend Ray had an older brother who has had a black NSX for over 10 years and he would repeatedly and jokingly offer to buy it from him but had no luck.

Eventually, Nau’s luck would come to fruition. He reached out to a friend who also had an NSX to ask him about the ownership experience as he was in the market in search for his own. His friend then mentioned that he was ready to let go of his NSX and without a doubt Nau made the deal happen. That NSX is the very NSX we are looking at right now… The birth of Kodawari’s halo car.

The word Kodawari is derived from a Japanese philosophy which directly translates to “the uncompromising and relentless pursuit of perfection.“ Upon spending time with Nau and having the opportunity to visit the Kodawari shop a couple times, I can confidently say that he has been successful at translating this into his cars, his brand, his own personality, and into the team that he is building. His doors are open to anyone, whether you are an enthusiast who has been encapsulated by his brand, or merely curious what it’s like to build a life around your passion.

For awhile I’ve visited Kodawari multiple times to work with Nau on different projects. As I shoot photos for him at the shop, I can’t help but notice the culture they have in there. It’s very zen-like — with each individual team member passionate about what they do. The waiting area never fails to amuse me with a wide collection of scale models of cars I’d dream to have. The shop is incredibly clean and tidy, with car parts sitting around waiting to be installed. It’s the enthusiast’s candy shop — you can’t help but look at so many things and think about how bad you want these cars.

As a creative myself, one thing I love about their business model is their consistency and quality towards providing value driven content. On occasion, you might walk into their shop with cameras rolling and a production set instead of your traditional shop tools.

As someone who is pursuing a passion project myself which is the very platform you are reading on, I can resonate a lot with Nau and what he is doing with Kodawari Collective. When someone works out of passion, it shows. From how the shop is decorated, the standards they set for themselves, and the value they give to their clients.

The reason why I wanted to highlight the shop together with the car is because of what it all stands for. Nau’s NSX represents the relentless pursuit not only in building the perfect car for him, but it translates to other parts of his life. The relentless pursuit to create the perfect environment for car enthusiasts while building a culture within his circle that brings together people with interests alike.

Going back to the car, it’s hard to take your eyes off of Nau’s NSX. He aims to create the perfect driving experience for the NSX with the help of some of the industry’s best technicians. While the NSX in itself handles great, being a car turning 30 years soon, it is definitely due for some updates. In order to do this, Nau took his car to Robert Magro who is a certified NSX technician that was sent to Japan by Acura to receive special training of the NSX before it was first released in the 90’s.

To chase perfection is to become open to any learning experience — and that is what we came for when we visited Rob at his home garage. Building the perfect car means learning about it in and out, and Rob was kind enough to welcome us and take us through the process of updating the transmission. While the unfamiliar might think that this NSX is close to stock, the reality is that it actually has a long list of mods to go through.

As mentioned above, Rob received special training from Japan with a select few master technicians hand picked by Acura themselves. He’s had experiences in some parts of the automotive industry that some of us may only dream to have, like travelling to do track events with Acura Canada, working with GT cars to test them out and being involved in the design, maintenance, and engineering aspects, as well as having the opportunity to work on other brands such as McLarens and Porsches.

As I listened to Rob talk about the NSX, I could see just how passionate he is about the car and the brand. He knows the car’s components like the back of his own hand… maybe even better. He’s a great educator and as I wandered around his garage, I could feel an important part of history and rich characters from all the stories behind every poster or plaque that was up… but we’ll save all these for another article.

I will be visiting him to see his NSX and hear all the experiences he’s had so I can share those with you.

After a crash course from Rob, we left the car to be finished and waited to get it back for the last photoshoot with all the new updates.

After a couple weeks, I received a message from Nau saying his car is back at his shop. I visited once again to do one last photoshoot at its own home and it was great to see the very icon that represents Kodawari once again.

The car has plenty of mods that help enhance the look and the driving experience of the car. It sits on KW Clubsport coilovers with a KW HLS system which basically allows the car to have a lift system. Volk TE37 double staggered, with 17X9+34 in the front, and 18x10x+41 in the rear. It also has an OEM Type R strut bars and sway bars both in the front and the rear to help make cornering more efficient and sharp.

In the front of the car, we have an ATR vented dry carbon hood and ATR front re-bar that is also dry carbon. The lip is a Shine Spec GT carbon lip, and the front fender is actually a Garage Kite Front Wide Fender set. Looking at the car directly from the front, it’s hard not to miss the Spoon side mirrors that help accentuate the sharpness of the NSX.

In the rear we also have an ATR dry carbon re-bar, and an ATR dry carbon B-pillar that was paint matched. A Downforce GT rear diffuser that creates a raw look that shows off the exhaust piping with catbacks from Pride and Science of Speed sports catalyzers. On top we have a Garage Kite trunk lip spoiler and an OEM Honda NSX taillights. On the side we have a carbon fiber running board and Downforce Stacey side skirts to complete the 360 degree carbon fiber additions to help the car’s stance look much lower and more aggressive. Even the side duct and mesh guards are replaced with Garage Kite… it just really shows how much attention to detail has been put into this car.

Inside we’ll find a few good things to love as well. The steering wheel is a Momo Monte Carlo leather attached to a Worksbell quick release hub, and a Zanardi titanium shift knob. The Recaro Profi Spa’s bucket seats hug you tight and keeps you still throughout the ride, and sits on Position Wide NSX seat rails and Racing Factory Yamamoto Super Low.

The engine looks as pristine as a brand new car. As I like to call these cars, it’s a used brand new… It’s better than most of the cars you’d regularly see on the road. It has DC headers that help bring out some character out of the exhaust system; an OEM Type R 5-speed short gear plus final drive paired with a Mita Motorsports short shifter to cut back on shift time and give you a pleasant experience as you bang through the gears, and an SOS coolant expansion tank to ensure the car constantly runs on operating temperature. Lastly, an anti gravity battery and an OEM 2000+ ABS system.

As you can see, this NSX has a long list of upgrades and updates to it. What I love about the build is the fact that it doesn’t scream in your face, yet ironically just because of how the car sits, it’s incredibly hard to take your eyes off of it. I’m not sure if the Italians like it when they hear the phrase “Japanese Ferrari,” but I’m sure they wouldn’t hesitate to give this particular one the chefs kiss.

If you would like to follow Nau’s passionate ventures, you can follow his shop page on Instagram: @kodawaricollective, and his podcast @kodacast where he features guests in the community and talks about their interesting stories.

You can also find Rob on Instagram: @nsxfactorytech if you are a fellow NSX owner looking to get your car worked on only by the best.