Buying a High Mileage NSX for a DD

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12 December 2011
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I have been looking at buying an NSX for a while, and I am finally in a good position to purchase one. I was wondering how "risky" buying one with high miles (100k plus), but a well documented service history would be for daily driving (10k miles/year)? I know these cars are reliable, but what's the limit before a rebuild is necessary? Thanks!
 
I felt (and still do a little bit) the way you do about my '93 with 180k.

What makes me feel a great deal better is my two friends with '93 Integras. They have 300k and 456k, respectively, and haven't replaced a single metal part, aside from wear items. It's the rubber stuff that you have to stay on top of.

I'm going to start treating her like a DD, and we'll see!

FX
 
Proper maintenance is far more important than mileage!
My NSX has over 150,000 miles and I would confidently drive it anywhere.
Good Luck!
 
I bought my '91 in '01 and it was already at 90k with some track miles (so, about 9k miles/yr). I then put 90k miles on myself as a DD in about 10 years, including about 25k+ miles of Canadian winter driving at temperatures that you wouldn't even go outside in yourself. Plus I've added some autocross and road course track miles of my own. So, from my personal experience, 100k with good maintenance records is no problem at all as a DD.

In fact, I'm on the belief that the more often you use the vehicle, the more the parts get used/exercised and the less issues you have with parts drying out and cracking. The more you use the a/c, the more the seals get lubricated; etc; etc. And because of the 90k miles major service interval .. and the fact that people shy away from 'sports cars' with 100k miles on them, you can usually get a pretty good deal once you get into the 100k range. If you can find one with 100k; with the 90k service recently done; and a new clutch at the same time; with good maintenance records .. buy it.
 
HONDA craftsmanship, second to none. I have had three CRXs, bought them with a little over 100k, sold them with well over 200k and never had problem one with any of them. Unbelievable! I changed TB/WP, and oil, thats it. They were all DD, used when I was a grocery store merchandiser. About 35,000 miles per year. I always tell people the first 100K doesnt count on a HONDA. Previous post mentioned 400K+, that says it all.:smile:
 
Don't believe the hype... I bought one with 76k miles on it (low, I thought) intending to daily drive it. Replaced tb/wp/hoses right away and figured I was good to go.

However, in the two months or so since I've had it, I've had to diagnose and repair a fuel leak, a weird electrical issue, and I'm currently waiting on a new head gasket. $$$$ Not exactly a daily driver, either - I basically need a second car at this point to get to and from the shop where my NSX perpetually sits with some new ailment.

It is absolutely luck of the draw - it might be smooth sailing, or you might get a nightmare car. There are lots of things even the most thorough PPI can't spot.

If you are getting a high mileage car, here are some other things to replace immediately besides the tb/wp/hoses that everyone tells you to do:

-thermostat
-injector o-rings
-main relay
 
After 3 NSXs in 18 years and counting (and my current NSX over 184,500 miles now), I have never had more confidence in the car than I do now. They have needed only factory recommended maintenance for the most part, and very little else that was not caused by human error. Most NSXs that have 'issues' can have those issues traced back to human error or neglect.
 
They have needed only factory recommended maintenance for the most part, and very little else that was not caused by human error. Most NSXs that have 'issues' can have those issues traced back to human error or neglect.
I wouldn't entirely agree with that. A few problems (e.g. window regulators, snap ring) were caused by problematic design or production problems, and were fixed later in the production run, but can be fixed/corrected with preventive measures that are not part of scheduled maintenance. Other problems (e.g. cooling hoses, stereo and climate control boards) are the result of aging; these too can be fixed/corrected with preventive measures that are not part of scheduled maintenance, but failures can and do occur. And even the stock clutch often lasts only 35-50K miles, although other owners get up to 80-90K, and it's big bucks when it needs replacing.

I would not call the NSX unreliable, and I wouldn't caution against buying a higher-mileage one, but problems can and probably will occur from time to time. Any expectation that the scheduled maintenance is all you'll have to do will probably turn out to be overoptimistic.
 
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