Advice for using ITR as daily driver?

SWFL_NSX · Post by **SWFL_NSX** » Wed Sep 08, 2021 1:45 pm

Hi All,

I'm looking for some advice on how usable an ITR is as a daily driver with a toddler.

For about 10 years my wife and I used an NC Miata and then my 92 NSX as our only car. We bought a prius for baby-hauling duty when my son was born 2.5 years ago, but he is getting to an age where we don't need to carry as much stuff (i.e. no diapers, no stroller, etc). He'll also be going to daycare soon and we don't need to drive that many places with all 3 of us in the car.

1. How harsh is a stock ITR as a daily driver? Bonus points for comparing it to an NSX or an NC Miata. Are there any sensible mods that would be recommended for DD duty?

2. Has anybody here used it with a forward facing child seat, either in the front or the back? If the seat is in the front, will my wife be ok in the back? Any comments about child safety are welcome as well.

The other cars I'm considering is a 996 or 997 porsche, but am really not happy with how unreliable the engines are. I do all the maintenance on the NSX and am building a d16a6 turbo CRX as a track car, so am pretty comfortable with Hondas.

Any other advice is welcome, and I realize this sounds a little crazy. If the NSX had a backseat I wouldn't be looking for anything else =P

carpayments4life · Post by **carpayments4life** » Wed Sep 08, 2021 2:21 pm

You can absolutely use your ITR as a daily. If you let us know your zip code, we'll keep an eye out for it.
I'll bet a few of us could really use a running parts car.

Dave7CDMTYPER · Post by **Dave7CDMTYPER** » Wed Sep 08, 2021 2:36 pm

Just don't park it anywhere haha.

SWFL_NSX · Post by **SWFL_NSX** » Wed Sep 08, 2021 2:51 pm

Not really concerned with theft.

Any constructive advice here?

Stin1 · Post by **Stin1** » Wed Sep 08, 2021 3:21 pm

Car itself is a great driver. That is what it was built for. It is louder inside than the other models or variants. These cars are very reliable. The above statements about theft are viable and realistic.

Stin1 · Post by **Stin1** » Wed Sep 08, 2021 3:27 pm

Roadside repair kit for these cars is igniter/ coil / distributor . Maybe a main relay. The modern day vw beetle. Also OIL. They burn oil.

Outrun · Post by **Outrun** » Wed Sep 08, 2021 4:15 pm

It's a bit more difficult extracting a child in a rear facing car seat compared to a front facing seat. The loudness and stiffness didn't affect the baby. He went to sleep as usual, regardless of what car he's in. Daytime driving will be an issue when the sun is behind you. A suction cup shade should help. My nephew's car seat has a shade that went down to his feet but can also leave the top open so you can see his head.

aklackner · Post by **aklackner** » Wed Sep 08, 2021 6:51 pm

Is it doable yes, is it a bad idea unfortunately yeah.

Leaving theft potential aside it’s a 20+ year old limited run vehicle. Honda has stopped making many necessary parts (evap system, brake calipers, window seals, bumpers….). Many of these are not common to other trim vehicles. Anything that’s not a museum piece has likely had a rough life, so anyone buying an ITR today should be ready for an expensive project after purchase.

Just a thought but if you’re already in the $40k+ neighborhood and want something track friendly you might consider looking at a CTR. They’ve been very well reviewed, have 4 doors, better safety, can get better gas mileage than an ITR, and parts (both factory and aftermarket) are widely available.

https://www.edmunds.com/inventory/srp.h ... genumber=2

PeteTheCarFreak · Post by **PeteTheCarFreak** » Wed Sep 08, 2021 7:03 pm

aklackner wrote:Is it doable yes, is it a bad idea unfortunately yeah.

Leaving theft potential aside it’s a 20+ year old limited run vehicle. Honda has stopped making many necessary parts (evap system, brake calipers, window seals, bumpers….). Many of these are not common to other trim vehicles. Anything that’s not a museum piece has likely had a rough life, so anyone buying an ITR today should be ready for an expensive project after purchase.

Just a thought but if you’re already in the $40k+ neighborhood and want something track friendly you might consider looking at a CTR. They’ve been very well reviewed, have 4 doors, better safety, can get better gas mileage than an ITR, and parts (both factory and aftermarket) are widely available.

https://www.edmunds.com/inventory/srp.h ... genumber=2

I very much so agree with this. I used to daily drive mine but because of the reasons mentioned above.. I was in a situation that forced me to get a new daily driver. I was going to go with the FK8 but since I live in a place that gets snow I chose the WRX STI.

The ITR was an awesome daily, definitely better than a Miata IMO. The NSX.. hard to say.

pman811 · Post by **pman811** » Wed Sep 08, 2021 10:10 pm

I daily drove my '97 for about 10 years with zero issues. Ironically it was stolen a few weeks after it became my weekend caR.

I drove it for two years with a kid seat in the back, and it wasn't an issue with our youngest, but the bigger kids weren't excited lol.

Type R Club of America