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Son's purchase of Acura NSX inspires dad to buy Corvette ZO6
BY MIKE BERRY
The Wichita Eagle
"It's all my son's fault... he started it," says 57-year-old Bill Miller, pointing to what he calls his "mid-life crisis." And what a crisis it is: A jet black-on-black 2003 Z06 Corvette coupe. "I just wanted to say that I had one (a modern Z06)," said Miller, noting that years ago he had a classic '57 Vette with a 283 and two four-barrel carbs, which he and a buddy managed to fix up and then tear up.
So what did 27-year-old Kevin Miller do to spur his dad to try to recapture a chapter from his past?
He bought his own black-on-black sports coupe, but this one wasn't vintage American iron. It is a 1991 mid-engine Acura NSX.
"It's something I always wanted when I was a kid. When I was 13, this was the closest thing I thought I could get to a Ferrari," he said. He had a poster of exactly the same model year and color car hanging on his bedroom wall at that time.
"The body never changed through all the years it was built (1991-2005)... that shows how far ahead of its time this car was," said Kevin Miller. He found the low-mileage car on eBay about six months ago and bought it, sight unseen.
"The body and frame, it's all completely handbuilt out of aluminum," he said. The cars are relatively rare because they were so expensive that most enthusiasts figured they could buy a Porsche for the same amount of money, he said.
Kevin Miller has found little reason to change much on his NSX coupe. He did add a set of 18- and 19-inch three-piece SSR alloy wheels and Exclaim high-performance rubber to the package, along with an Ark stainless steel high-performance exhaust system to get a little more sound out of the car.
"It's like a go-kart for the street. The balance of the car is just unexplainable. I've never even got it to squeal a tire," he said.
"I call it the 'Quick and the Quiet,'" said Bill Miller, "and mine is the 'Rock Star'... it's kind of like Motley Crue, like a fiberglass hot rod."
The elder Miller, not content with the factory Z06 muscle under the hood, opted to improve the V-8's breathing, front to rear. That involves a VR twin intake ram air system, an oversized Granatelli throttle body and mass air sensor, stainless steel long tube headers, and a trick Billy Boat stainless exhaust system that diverts the engine's roar strait out four exhaust cans when you romp on the throttle.
The Corvette was treated to some fine-tuning on the dyno by Chris Lovett at Wichita Dyno. He pumped up the volume from the 405 horsepower at the flywheel to a certified 517 ponies, Miller said.
But he's never abused the car, which has only 13,600 miles on it and Miller has never switched off the traction control for added launch excitement. Inside, the factory "head's-up" driver's display is intact and the only real modification is the addition of a Hurst Billet Plus shifter for the six-speed manual transmission.
Unfortunately, Bill Miller says the Z06 may have to go, as he and his wife are moving to a new location where access is via gravel roads.
But at least for a while longer, this father-son team can share their passion for slick black performance coupes with two completely different approaches to that satisfying equation.
Bill and Kevin Miller share a passion for sleek, black-on-black performance coupes. Bill's is American iron, a 2003 Z06 Corvette, while Kevin's car is a rarely seen import, a 1991 Acura NSX.
BY MIKE BERRY
The Wichita Eagle
"It's all my son's fault... he started it," says 57-year-old Bill Miller, pointing to what he calls his "mid-life crisis." And what a crisis it is: A jet black-on-black 2003 Z06 Corvette coupe. "I just wanted to say that I had one (a modern Z06)," said Miller, noting that years ago he had a classic '57 Vette with a 283 and two four-barrel carbs, which he and a buddy managed to fix up and then tear up.
So what did 27-year-old Kevin Miller do to spur his dad to try to recapture a chapter from his past?
He bought his own black-on-black sports coupe, but this one wasn't vintage American iron. It is a 1991 mid-engine Acura NSX.
"It's something I always wanted when I was a kid. When I was 13, this was the closest thing I thought I could get to a Ferrari," he said. He had a poster of exactly the same model year and color car hanging on his bedroom wall at that time.
"The body never changed through all the years it was built (1991-2005)... that shows how far ahead of its time this car was," said Kevin Miller. He found the low-mileage car on eBay about six months ago and bought it, sight unseen.
"The body and frame, it's all completely handbuilt out of aluminum," he said. The cars are relatively rare because they were so expensive that most enthusiasts figured they could buy a Porsche for the same amount of money, he said.
Kevin Miller has found little reason to change much on his NSX coupe. He did add a set of 18- and 19-inch three-piece SSR alloy wheels and Exclaim high-performance rubber to the package, along with an Ark stainless steel high-performance exhaust system to get a little more sound out of the car.
"It's like a go-kart for the street. The balance of the car is just unexplainable. I've never even got it to squeal a tire," he said.
"I call it the 'Quick and the Quiet,'" said Bill Miller, "and mine is the 'Rock Star'... it's kind of like Motley Crue, like a fiberglass hot rod."
The elder Miller, not content with the factory Z06 muscle under the hood, opted to improve the V-8's breathing, front to rear. That involves a VR twin intake ram air system, an oversized Granatelli throttle body and mass air sensor, stainless steel long tube headers, and a trick Billy Boat stainless exhaust system that diverts the engine's roar strait out four exhaust cans when you romp on the throttle.
The Corvette was treated to some fine-tuning on the dyno by Chris Lovett at Wichita Dyno. He pumped up the volume from the 405 horsepower at the flywheel to a certified 517 ponies, Miller said.
But he's never abused the car, which has only 13,600 miles on it and Miller has never switched off the traction control for added launch excitement. Inside, the factory "head's-up" driver's display is intact and the only real modification is the addition of a Hurst Billet Plus shifter for the six-speed manual transmission.
Unfortunately, Bill Miller says the Z06 may have to go, as he and his wife are moving to a new location where access is via gravel roads.
But at least for a while longer, this father-son team can share their passion for slick black performance coupes with two completely different approaches to that satisfying equation.
Bill and Kevin Miller share a passion for sleek, black-on-black performance coupes. Bill's is American iron, a 2003 Z06 Corvette, while Kevin's car is a rarely seen import, a 1991 Acura NSX.
