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Behind the river Acura NSX with Helix Auto Works
Behind the river Acura NSX with Helix Auto Works
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About this episode
A deep dive into the fascinating story of an Acura NSX pulled from a river, featuring insights from the team at Helix Auto Works, including Neco Saga, J Bozeman, and Ramsey Vincent. The hosts discuss the car's mysterious past, its restoration journey, and the unexpected media attention it has garnered. Listeners will enjoy anecdotes about the challenges of restoring a submerged vehicle and the community's engagement in the project. The episode also touches on the hosts' personal interests, including YouTube reaction videos and automotive culture.
Topics:
acura nsx restoration
car found in river
helix auto works
automotive community engagement
restoration challenges
media attention
youtube culture
personal anecdotes
ep165
The owners of Helix Auto Works - Nico Zaga, Jay Bozeman, and Ramzi Vincent join the show to talk about the most talked about automobile of March 2023. This NSX was recovered from a river after being reported stolen over 16 years ago. Helix Auto Works purchased it for $8,500 and plans to fully restore it. But what will come of the vehicle now that it has gained so much attention from news outlets and automotive journalism from around the world?
Also in this episode, Jhae decides on a new vehicle to replace the 2011 Audi A4, and has a slight YouTube obsession in watching other people.
You can follow the Helix Auto Works progress at the following:
https://www.youtube.com/@helixautoworks
https://www.instagram.com/helix_auto_works/
Other stories on this "River NSX"
Road&Track: Someone Actually Paid $8500 for This NSX Dragged Out of a River After 20 YearsFoxNews: Acura NSX supercar found in river after 16 years sold for restoration
TheDrive: Acura NSX Underwater for 16 Years Will Get a Second Chance at Life
Connect with the show:
https://www.instagram.com/jhaepfenning/
Patreon.com/HardParkingPodcast
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Now it's dripping time. Ain't nobody got time for that.
This is our barking brought to you by right hunting, right.
Toyota out of Scottsdale, Arizona.
Those of you who listen to this show already know.
I'm your host Jay Finning recording from my home studio in Gilbert Arizona coming up on today's show, you've heard about the NSX that was found in a river today.
We talked to those behind. He looks Auto Works, Neco, Saga,
J, Bozeman and Ramsey, Vincent, Aunt.
And I also tell you about my current obsession with YouTube, all that and more coming up after this word from four-wheel online, J finding here. And I want to tell you guys
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So visit them online at forward online or call them in a one three seven six, nine two four, five one.
Again, that's four wheel online. The number four wheel online.
At the Circle K the other day and they have this self checkout. So the thing is, you walk up
there and you just place your items underneath this scanner.
Like you don't, you don't do the normal thing where you slide, the bar code across the eye, you just put your item or items on this thing and it's somehow scans them all, and gives you a total, the Circle-K had two of these.
And then there's a girl who works there and she's just sitting there hammering, social media, or whatever.
On her iPhone. I don't know.
Maybe she had an Android. And I don't know why she was
there. I guess if you wanted to buy
gas, but that was the craziest thing.
That's the future self, check out a Circle K.
So I've been on this reaction video, kick on YouTube.
I used to think, why would you want to sit there and watch people watch other things or react to certain things?
Because in theory, it sounds dumb doesn't make any sense.
But I am being honest, when I sit there and watch people react to music for the first time, like, certain songs from the past, you know, might be Some couple hearing Phil Collins In the Air Tonight, for the first time.
And, of course, everyone loses their minds.
We need is a break down with the drums.
Oh my gosh. He plays the drums to movie
reactions is always a good one, but when you watch people, react to something that you already like, it's almost like validating the sounds funny, right?
But it's almost like, it's almost.
That's right. I told you.
I told these people that was good.
Now you get to experience it too.
Yes, that's what I thought. I love it when that happens, but
one of my favorite ones to watch, are people reacting to Jordan videos. I've seen people react, like
I've seen the Michael Jordan mixtape that the NBA created a few years ago, and it's called like Bulls Jordan mixtape.
So, it's only him as a Chicago Bull.
I probably watched that video or reaction to that video 50 times in every single time I get hooked and I watch the same thing over and over, but it's a different person reacting One of the things these people do is they keep what they do is they upload the same thing in react to it more than once to kind of generate more views and all that kind of shit.
And it's kind of like it's kind of cheating the system I think That catches up with you. Another one is called Jordan
Voyager. Look them up!
They are freaking amazing. There's also actors on actors or
Hollywood Reporter. That's where one actor
interviews, another actor. So you get like the raw
interview, essentially, the raw conversation is not the red carpet question. It's something they both can
relate to and talk talk through and it's feels like you're you're listening to and watching a real.
Senor, no longer watching an actor and then when they do The Hollywood Reporter, it's a whole table of them and it could be.
For example, I'll say Morgan Freeman.
Tom Cruise, you know, Joe Pesci. John boyega.
In some other up-and-coming someone who's not really known, but they're sitting around the table with these other iconic actors from the last 50 or 60 years, and they just, there's usually one interviewer and they kind of go around the table and answer the same question and have discussions.
Is it kind of joke and play around with each other?
And it's pretty raw. That's the randomness of this
podcast. Here I am, it's a non-automotive
automotive podcast and I'm talking about shit that I watch on YouTube. I'm talking to you about self
checkouts at Circle K, but that's not what you're here for coming up. Next, he looks Auto Works, Neco,
Saga, J, Bozeman and Ramsey, Vincent, So I many of you have seen unless you're were born yesterday that, you know, an intersex was pulled from the river was purchased by Hilo Autosports, on the phone. I have Niko's Agha, J, Bozeman
and Ramsey Vincent of Hilo Autosports gentlemen.
How are you doing? Very good.
My boy being moody. And so first off Nico.
So you have that dinner for you guys because I can't you know, people aren't used to it. Well everybody knows Niko's
voice because you can't really understand.
You know everything I know. I'm but absolutely captions you
guys so which one of you are spearheading this effort.
Well J, so I don't line and then we have a quick poll.
Then I shall we do this. We were actually pursuing
another in a sex that was kind of like, you know, not in the best is of shifts to like restore it.
And you know, we were like, let's see, let's do it.
You know, let's restore this thing.
So Jay. Yeah, great.
So you see this online because that's my question is like, okay how how are you notified of this?
You just always look for cars to like restore and fix up and stuff like that. So it was you know what the what
the actual origin story of this car being found in the river was Someone correction or so. Well, what happened was I was
kind of poking around Facebook saw a post that had only a few views at the time of this car and I saw a number on the sign in the picture, so I decided to call him call.
The guy found out that he only wanted 6K for it and got a little bit information on it. The time heard that it was
stolen and 2003, or it was you know that it was reported stolen about what really happened but then they either dumped it in the somehow ended up in the Yadkin River and then it kind of stayed there until 2019 when and missing person investigation was re-opened to look in a specific area for this is kid that they believe was in a car under the water there and they ended up doing some sonar and they found, I think they found three cars,
they found on the truck and then this this kids car They found the NSX further up the river and then they, the police came and pulled it out. And it really did, once I got
out, I think it was Saturday, maybe an impound lot until the paperwork cleared because it was a kind of a stolen car.
So that that's pretty much story.
I know a guy who bought it, who will net salvage yard?
Save it from being crushed, just because I thought it was kind of cool and then decided to see if he can sell it.
And then, of course, you know, Paul.
Now, I don't think I was the first.
I don't know if between, you know, Becca or me but I don't know who was the first, but it ended up getting up the price to about 8,500 bucks. - all right. Hold it.
So we need not only the trigger and, you know, kind of rest yesterday I blew off I didn't even know.
This is going to be that big of a deal and so the next day I was working on this customer car. I was under this Civic doing an
alternator And my phone, will you stop you know, buds in and bringing in something other than found out that it was all over the news. And you know, it was just weird
this whole thing. And so I've heard that when you
guys fully restore this car, if you're able to, which is it's an awesome almost looks like an impossible task with anything is possible. Today, when you're able to, is
this, is this a Ramsey car? Because Ramsey we've had
conversations before in the past and in person I know you love the unisex you need and it's actually one and it X could this end up being your car? It's a distinct possibility.
Yeah, I guess, you know, kind of pick up a little bit where Jay left off, right. You know, we, that was kind of
the plan is like I didn't I didn't want to buy a pristine car cause like I'm kind of a track rat, right?
You know, I'll hold my cursor Beatrice and I start but they're nice. They're nice.
Yeah, so yeah, I mean, I was kind of looking for something.
Less than perfect and you know again now it got huge popularity and his massive following and there's so many people engaged where, you know, it's like well what do the people want?
So it's kind of like almost like a, you know, to be decided by the, you know, the followers kind of thing.
So I'm I'm excited to see where it goes and I'm kind of open to whatever, you know, obviously, yes, I would like to have an NSX that I can call my own and, you know, it's it's a good platform and I guess we'll just see what the with the comments and in the polls. And, you know, you guys are
doing a great job of Coordinating on that.
So kind of leave it at that for now.
So, do you guys know that once you get everything, you know, put together, and it seems like, it's a long ways from now.
It could be maybe not but you guys know already, if it's something that can be, you know, registered or is it like a Chris cut situation where you don't have a lot of options and you basically have to cut the car in half?
I think you registered we're still looking at still looking into that but I don't see why it wouldn't be able to do.
We have the old tag that was recovered.
It was still on the car when we pulled out of the water or when they go down the water. So I think we'll be able to, you
know, contact the right people and just hey, we bought this car. We're gonna restore it.
What we need to do to get is titled.
Have you guys found anything fun in the mud?
How much mud was there? Did you ever disclose how much
of thing actually Because I saw the Instagram poll, but I don't know if the results are or is that top secret or is it coming out? One of your videos that you guys
are making it is coming out in one of the videos.
Okay. The reason we I started like
more wondering about how much the actual car weights is because, you know, they put up the Dennis X on the you Crow trailer, right? And I'm just like, you know, do
Anna. A slow pace, you know, Towing
the to the car and was, you know, some tiny with a raptor a night in a whole other cars with my Raptor before.
Never have an issue. Everything was great and the
moment after leaving North Carolina, right?
And I'm on the, on the highway are revered a bit are spilling that things likes, seven years ago.
So I'm not going to 70 75, 80. And I The bumps, right?
Heat. A bump and almost kill myself,
like the car star, like moving left and right, left and right left. And luckily, there was nobody
around me and I start slowing down like, like 40.
So I can recover, you know, control of the car and I was like, what the hell's going on. But, you know, Anna and I, and I
stopped. And I like, I called the guys
that I met some days. We are my cars.
Like, you know, that is this way going on every time, I'm I hit a bump like the trailer was like swinging and making my Raptor like going left or right. I was like this is so strange
and happen. Once happened twice have been
three times and I you know I'm not I'm not touching this car anymore so who we call up a buddy of ours fancier blowpro and I was like yo you need to help me out.
I don't feel comfortable driving this thing.
Like almost hit someone that their time is like this.
This is not good. So we park right next to a Honda
dealership. I mean we didn't plan though I
just happened to be Okay. Sure, like everybody was
stopping by and then and then Falls.
He came over and he got out of his car.
He's like, yo, look at that thing is like look at your tires. So I went to look at my car is
like, my tires are fine. Zach, no, no, look at the
trailer but that has not read. Dude, that thing was almost
flat. Oh, like almost flat like the
car. So the the guy that good the NSX
and that's on the trailer since the car doesn't roll, he couldn't put it on. The by the door, start without
damaging the frame. So he's I'm going to put on the
middle but then like you know, when I look at things like this thing doesn't wait Rita surpass this thing weighs way more and then when the force he put on his bed on the Thunder tow truck but you could see like it was moving.
The actual tow truck a lob handles.
Okay, this I need to find our asses.
So let me tell you that. Any thinks weighs almost as much
as a raptor know. You guys don't have to tell us.
Now, but have you found anything cool through all the river crap, all of my gun. Just a beer can out of all that
you don't tell us what it was but you people like, yeah, we found something or now if I shit for what.
Well, I think they find something in the engine bay, right? What's he like a bird nests or
like maybe like a rat? Think idealism, I think was a
mouse Nestor sample. So that was the kind of creature
was outright. That's probably because I mean
it sounds like it could have been sitting for a couple years and no one knew about it. Yeah.
Yeah, I think I think it's sad since since 2019 until until we purchased it survived covid. Yeah.
They're all right. So could you guys two questions
for you? Because I know you guys are
short on time, number one, and you kind of mentioned it earlier. But I mean, the amount of
attention this thing is grab every major.
Publication has been talking about it.
You know, Haggerty Road & Track, Motor Trend, whatever else I think what Fox News someone. Posted a story.
He how could you ever even imagined something like this?
Because really And I know you guys are friends with Chris.
You know with his NSX trailer, I mean for Jeff Foxworthy to say that's what happens when rednecks, get money, you know, his, his car is caught crazy amount of attention.
I would argue that this caught quicker faster, bigger attention than even that. I could, you guys even have
imagined that, No, nothing. We didn't buy this.
We invite this car for, you know, any notoriety.
I saw it. I was like, man, I want to build
that. That would be cool to fix know
that you guys are attention, whores.
First off, I know every single one of you and you none of you guys like your humble is shit. So I mean it's kind of it's
nuts. Give it.
What a very low-key, right? So I saw some articles, they
were like, oh my God, like those guys.
I bought it because they knew they going to have all these crazy attentions. Like, no.
We Bought this car because we were planning to buy another car, another chassis and they were asking too much money for what we were getting. So we were like, you know what,
we're not gonna buy this chassis anymore.
And then Jake, am I with this picture?
And they were, like, I know, I asked him like, wasn't a couple of a peeler here likes, you know, not in a good thing.
The greatest of shapes are like, you think we can fix it?
And he's like, yeah. And I was like, you know what,
let's pull the trigger or some to work with one and I with a chassis. But like, not thinking much.
I love it and then here we are. So I have a set of tail lights.
If you guys need them, I don't have the centerpiece but perfectly working left and right.
No cracks all, you know, all bolts intact.
So just let me know. We also have a centerpiece but I
guess you wouldn't have to watch the video called I want.
Yeah. Okay, yeah, and so talk to me.
Okay, real quick, but the families like, how is this as this affected your families at all?
Is it basically kept you up at night or your wives and kids just like Yes. Yeah.
Shut the hell up. It's crazy.
I got customer cars today. I'm still working on, you know,
and then my car my car is just got back from paint and I was hoping to have that thing, ready?
And it's like okay I got to put this aside so but also don't want to neglect. Customer customer worry.
You know, we want to get that done and so I've been real clear that I'm only going to support one day a week until my customers cars are done then. Then I'll, you know, focus on
this a little bit more because J in the NSX world, like you're the one that's known out of the three of you more for actually.
Working on NSX is around the clock and unveiling things.
So at least your wife is used to it.
Oh yeah, Monica's great. I mean, I did build a really
nice in a sec so she really don't do it.
Yeah. See you guys leaving kind of
excited about it. She thinks it's kind of
hilarious hell. You know, we showed her the car
and she just thought it was. She thinks we're crazy.
So, so guys, tell us about the show, tell us about the the, your video series is coming out and where people can really, you know, in case, they just woke up, yesterday were born yesterday, where can they find out information to follow along other than being tagged? Everytime Nico posted on
Instagram. I mean we have like the the
channel are Helix our works and then we're going to be posting like videos once a week. The demon is going to be kind of
like the longest episodes or black.
We have to break it in part so we have the trunk, the engine bay, the, the Frank, and then the interior.
So and then from there, we're going to take it to like, you know, assess what we need to buy because We already saw that the suspension is not on the greatest shape and we'll all the ways that hopefully toasted and potentially like, you know, attached to the rotors. Does that thing is crazy.
You know, I have a wheel as well.
It hurts. It hurts so bad because, you
know, you know, most of us need a security or rock and, you know, 150 Plus or, you know, 100,000 plus miles and see somebody dumped in a sex. It's got 37,000 miles on it,
it's just like it hurts. So you think it was an insurance
thing. All right, you know?
I mean I do I do because it's too strange, that somebody would steal a car with a doughnut on it and you know what I mean?
And like, it's just the whole thing is weird.
It was probably an insurance scam, but we'd those down to, you know. Yeah, it's weird.
The windows are intact, are rolled down.
I mean, they look, they look in taxes as you know by assessment.
We haven't torn the doors off or anything.
It's just the whole thing is just very strange.
At the end of the day is ours now and I'm glad because it's a fun project. I love doing stuff like this.
I love my favorite customer. Jaws are the full Restorations.
I love that accent speaking from somebody else in the SS Community, if the three of you are well known, you know, the Honda Acura world and I can't think of a better group to have picked this thing up. He looks Autoworks Ramsey Nico,
Jay thanks for spending time with me on hard parking.
And hopefully, I can connect with some you guys again in the future. I will definitely stop you.
Don't worry, these guys, one of the Ramsey, Nico and J for joining. You know, a little bit of
trivia. Nico was one of the first
sponsors of this podcast way back in its infancy.
I'll always be in debt to him for being one of the first people or companies to believe in this podcast.
I mean, this Was way back when we had nothing.
There's not a lot of intersex owners out there.
And so many of us either know each other or no, of each other and Ramsey Ramsey is a, I haven't seen Ramsey in a few years. I think the last time I saw him,
I don't think it was an NSX, but I think it was maybe Pikes Peak.
We were at Pikes Peak together, chronicling Peter Cunningham in the real-time. TLX GT as he broke a record.
Then he broke his own record and then he broke his own record.
Again, I would not do Third time.
Excellent group of guys and excited to follow along again.
That is he looks Autoworks. Just look for them.
We're popping up everywhere and the amount of attention they've received so far. It's almost it's almost like
they're pressured to just keep going.
Like they have to do it now, but I hope they find that balance.
That's one of the things I struggle with is finding that balance between what I'm doing this and the family and other things. Because at some point, something
gives, but I think with the hydro approach of the three of them, Them all three heads, you're going to do great things with this and again excited to see what the future holds for this project. And with all interviews that was
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We did settle on a car. We have sold my wife's out e,
and we have closed on a lease. I will tell you about that next
week, when the thing right hunting, right?
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