92 GPW w/20k miles----> Is it the one?

tpolonyi · 1 December 2012

Hello everyone, I been a member here in forum for a couple of months now. Currently driving a 08 S2000, but in a process of selling it for this 92 GPW or 2000 NFR

I am about to purchase this 92 GPW, but before I do I want to make sure I made the right decision. Give me you guys opinion. Either spend $38k for a 92 GPW/20k miles mint condition or a 2000 Formula Red/tan interior with 17k Miles for $52K. Decision, Decision. Please feel free to post your comments and opinions. Any advise?

Picture of the 92 GPW. I don't have a picture of the 2000 NSX New Formula Red but its also mint with tan interior.

macready · 1 December 2012

Get a 2002+ with a bit more money or a higher mileage for 52k. I've seen a few in that price range. I bought a 1997 NSX-T and regret not buying the 2002+. The 2002+ has all the small things that you will want and will notice after you own the 92 or 2000. The interior is different, the seats are different, rear lights, front bumper, rear valence, power steering, stitching, speedometer, center console. Just wait for pay a little more and you will have much more happiness. If you get the 92 or 2000 then you might feel like the what if. You might even in the long run pay more and do the 02+ upgrade.

Think of Honda as the company that keeps tweaking there models every year and 2002+ the endpoint. All the previous years are Honda's work in progress.

tpolonyi said:
Hello everyone, I been a member here in forum for a couple of months now. Currently driving a 08 S2000, but in a process of selling it for this 92 GPW or 2000 NFR

I am about to purchase this 92 GPW, but before I do I want to make sure I made the right decision. Give me you guys opinion. Either spend $38k for a 92 GPW/20k miles mint condition or a 2000 Formula Red/tan interior with 17k Miles for $52K. Decision, Decision. Please feel free to post your comments and opinions. Any advise?

Picture of the 92 GPW. I don't have a picture of the 2000 NSX New Formula Red but its also mint with tan interior.

blue_myriddn · 1 December 2012

Going to guess this is the 2000 red/tan:

27022224528.328030902.IM1.18.565x421_A.562x421.jpg

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?&listingId=328030902

My personal opinion is both obvious and irrelevant - either way it looks like you are going to get a great car. I would just have an experienced eye look for things that may not be obvious to casual inspection.

Best of luck!

- - - Updated - - -

macready said:
The 2002+ has all the small things that you will want and will notice after you own the 92 or 2000. The interior is different, the seats are different, rear lights, front bumper, rear valence, power steering, stitching, speedometer, center console. Just wait for pay a little more and you will have much more happiness. If you get the 92 or 2000 then you might feel like the what if. You might even in the long run pay more and do the 02+ upgrade.

A few inaccuracies there which I highlighted in bold.

With the 2000-2001 years, there are only minimal differences on the interior. The exterior (bug eyes, squared body kit) is the big change from 2000 to 2002.

tpolonyi · 1 December 2012

blue_myriddn said:
Going to guess this is the 2000 red/tan:
View attachment 95515

http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?&listingId=328030902

My personal opinion is both obvious and irrelevant - either way it looks like you are going to get a great car. I would just have an experienced eye look for things that may not be obvious to casual inspection.

Best of luck!

- - - Updated - - -

A few inaccuracies there which I highlighted in bold.

With the 2000-2001 years, there are only minimal differences on the interior. The exterior (bug eyes, squared body kit) is the big change from 2000 to 2002.

Thank you. Is the white GPW well price you think>

blue_myriddn · 1 December 2012

tpolonyi said:
Thank you. Is the white GPW well price you think>

Price is always a touchy question. I believe that $38k is above market price for a '92 NSX (as a reference, Edmunds spent $33 on their well maintained silver 91), but there are several reasons that this car could command above a market price:

1. White is a desired color for NSX enthusiasts
2. 92 was the first year that White was available, so this is a "first" type of car.
3. While there were 215 White '92s sold, it has been 20 years since then and a lot of them have built up significant mileage, been totaled or been modded. From the photos this car appears to be as pure as mountain snow and that is unusual to find.

Ultimately though, whether it is priced well is going to be your decision and to be perfectly honest I was never looking at the early years so I don't have a great knowledge of how they are priced. Either way, I hope you make the decision that makes you happy.

tpolonyi · 1 December 2012

Thank you.

Anymore opinions???? Anyone?

wagyshag · 1 December 2012

If you buy the 2000, ask for the factory wheels to come with the purchase. The wheels he has on that car now are hideous.
If he doesn't have the factory wheels to go with the car, negotiate the price. my .02 on that car.

The white '92 is certainly a great find for an NA1. Beautiful car for sure.

Regardless of miles however, make sure the major Maint. has been completed on the car you choose.

Actually a pretty tough choice. IDK....... can't go wrong with either.....

- - - Updated - - -

come to think of it............ if the Major Maint. has been completed on the '92 AND you can / could possibly buy it for $35k or less,
I say the '92.

my .02

bngl3rt · 1 December 2012

I think the big decider here is coupe vs. targa.

The 91-94 wheels are anachronistic but not hideous. The same is not true of the aftermarket wheels on the '00. If you buy the 92 then there is plenty of room in your budget to pick up a set of 94-01 or 02+ wheels to modernize it slightly. That's all it needs from my perspective. Keep it stock, maintain it well, don't crash it and it will hold value extremely well.

Again... how much do you care about being able to take the roof off? That is, to me, the biggest everyday difference between 91-94 and the rest. Targa, power steering, 5spd vs 6spd. The differences have been discussed ad nauseum on Prime and it just seems to be a matter of taste... Test drive both and see which you prefer.

Brylek · 1 December 2012

macready said:
Get a 2002+ with a bit more money or a higher mileage for 52k. I've seen a few in that price range. I bought a 1997 NSX-T and regret not buying the 2002+. The 2002+ has all the small things that you will want and will notice after you own the 92 or 2000. The interior is different, the seats are different, rear lights, front bumper, rear valence, power steering, stitching, speedometer, center console. Just wait for pay a little more and you will have much more happiness. If you get the 92 or 2000 then you might feel like the what if. You might even in the long run pay more and do the 02+ upgrade.

Think of Honda as the company that keeps tweaking there models every year and 2002+ the endpoint. All the previous years are Honda's work in progress.

While I agree with you I will also like to point out that perforated leather on seats, door inserts and steering wheel was actually introduced in the 2000 model. If you want to go further into details then you will also find out that 2002-03 are practucally identical but some minor changes were applied in 2004. 04-05 models have even brighter center console, different color cluster overlay, different style shift knob and a few more minor things here and there.

tpolonyi · 1 December 2012

wagyshag said:
If you buy the 2000, ask for the factory wheels to come with the purchase. The wheels he has on that car now are hideous.
If he doesn't have the factory wheels to go with the car, negotiate the price. my .02 on that car.

The white '92 is certainly a great find for an NA1. Beautiful car for sure.

Regardless of miles however, make sure the major Maint. has been completed on the car you choose.

Actually a pretty tough choice. IDK....... can't go wrong with either.....

- - - Updated - - -

come to think of it............ if the Major Maint. has been completed on the '92 AND you can / could possibly buy it for $35k or less,
I say the '92.

my .02

The 92 GPW
Timing belt has just been changed and water pump. All fluids have been changed using synthetics, Amsoil synthetic oil is used, a new battery installed, and new Yokohama S-Drive high-performance radials installed. $38 is firm.

2000 NFR
original timing belt and water pump. Most likely just oil change.

- - - Updated - - -

bngl3rt said:
I think the big decider here is coupe vs. targa.

The 91-94 wheels are anachronistic but not hideous. The same is not true of the aftermarket wheels on the '00. If you buy the 92 then there is plenty of room in your budget to pick up a set of 94-01 or 02+ wheels to modernize it slightly. That's all it needs from my perspective. Keep it stock, maintain it well, don't crash it and it will hold value extremely well.

Again... how much do you care about being able to take the roof off? That is, to me, the biggest everyday difference between 91-94 and the rest. Targa, power steering, 5spd vs 6spd. The differences have been discussed ad nauseum on Prime and it just seems to be a matter of taste... Test drive both and see which you prefer.

I have a 2008 S2000 for my daily driver. I love the car, but Im a bit tall. Thats why I am looking into the NSX.

Yes, I have test drove the 91. My friend had one, and I actually drove it around for a couple of days. I loved it. At the time, I was hoping it was a targa. But that before I own my S2000, now after having an S2000 for 3 years, I think I can manage without the targa.

I think my biggest worry is the difference in horsepower. and the 2000 being 8 years newer .lol.

ntenseone · 1 December 2012

92...hands down.

Red is among the most common, white is rare and especially hard to find with that kind of mileage. Not only that, but if the major maintenance has just been done on the 92, then you don't have to spend the money on it for a while.

White = Unicorn

Enjoy your decision.

PS. If you decide not to go with the white, let Yinzer know where he can find it. I think he may still be looking.

tpolonyi · 1 December 2012

ntenseone said:
92...hands down.

Red is among the most common, white is rare and especially hard to find with that kind of mileage. Not only that, but if the major maintenance has just been done on the 92, then you don't have to spend the money on it for a while.

White = Unicorn

Enjoy your decision.

PS. If you decide not to go with the white, let Yinzer know where he can find it. I think he may still be looking.

I sure will. I am leaning more towards getting the white one.

wagyshag · 1 December 2012

The fact that the Major Maint. has been completed on the '92, the very low mileage and rare color. I say '92.
If you are comfortable with the price, the '92 is obviously a very nice example of a GPW NA1.

As for your concern on the difference in HP; honestly - the difference is rather minimal. I say this from experience having owned a '94 and '02 at the same time.
The NA2 "feels" faster but the two are very close in-terms of straight-line performance.

Good luck with your purchase!

tpolonyi · 1 December 2012

wagyshag said:
The fact that the Major Maint. has been completed on the '92, the very low mileage and rare color. I say '92.
If you are comfortable with the price, the '92 is obviously a very nice example of a GPW NA1.

As for your concern on the difference in HP; honestly - the difference is rather minimal. I say this from experience having owned a '94 and '02 at the same time.
The NA2 "feels" faster but the two are very close in-terms of straight-line performance.

Good luck with your purchase!

Really!! thats good to hear. Thank you. I always wanted the GPW. Thats why, my 08 S2000 is GPW/with red interior. Took me 2 years to find it.
And I really don't want to loose the opportunity in owning the GPW NSX. At first, I really wanted the 02-05 model, but thats a bit high on price for me at the time and finding a GPW is impossible.

wagyshag · 1 December 2012

tpolonyi said:
Really!! thats good to hear. Thank you. I always wanted the GPW. Thats why, my 08 S2000 is GPW/with red interior. Took me 2 years to find it.
And I really don't want to loose the opportunity in owning the GPW NSX. At first, I really wanted the 02-05 model, but thats a bit high on price for me at the time and finding a GPW is impossible.

Good! Sounds like the GPW is the right car for you

I would recommend however a PPI. Even though the Major Maint. has been completed, you're still looking to purchase a 20yr old NSX.
Regardless of mileage, a PPI is good way to find any "unresolved" issues; so-to-speak.

JMO

NSX167 · 1 December 2012

come on man, that's a white NSX. :smile:

tpolonyi · 1 December 2012

NSX167 said:
come on man, that's a white NSX. :smile:

Yep, starting to think so. :biggrin:

flexthatdx · 1 December 2012

White all the way

jaybird · 1 December 2012

I agree 100% with bngl3rt -- having owned a couple S2000's and a 91 NSX and current 01 NSX, the biggest determinant would be targa vs. coupe. If you really don't want the targa I'd definitely
go with the 92 - that car is a really good find, especially with the TB/WP work having been done. You should ask about the hoses too - if they haven't been replaced they should be, and that is not an
easy or inexpensive job (could be room for some negotiation on price).

My 91 had the 94 NSX wheels on it and (IMHO) really makes the early cars look a lot better - and other than that (and possible exhaust if that is of interest) I'd leave her stock. Good luck, and keep us posted! Jay

Yinzer · 1 December 2012

ntenseone said:
PS. If you decide not to go with the white, let Yinzer know where he can find it. I think he may still be looking.

Thank you! PM was sent yesterday to hopefully stay in touch in case he goes the T route, which of course is the ONLY way he should go in this situation.

docnsx01 · 1 December 2012

first want to state i am a little biased here...being the owner of 93 gpw black with 40k and all my cars being white,,,,i was in the same dilemma as you when i purchased it 5 years ago....was going back and forth between targa no targa...there was a 92 gpw in chicago that i was considering but was in snap ring range and decided to pass...then a 96 in maryland that had 25k on clock and the i was all set to purchase guy was coming up to ny to visit relatives so i would get it delivered and the day before we arranged to meet i asked what time so my mechanic could check it out and he said i could not have that done....obviously passed on that one...then this came along on ebay and bought it outside ebay after auction ended...worked on price which is about what you are considering paying for this white one 5 years later....the only difference is mine had aftermarket exhaust and 05 rims which really make a difference to freshen up the car...never regretted it and love everyday with it...people are amazed that it is a 1993...albeit a true garage queen average about 200 miles year...one of the downfall of having two young kids and working a half mile from my house...my brother has a 91 with 45k black and ivory as well as s2000 grey and red so we cover the spectrum....hope this helps and apologize if i confused you even more...just verify snap ring issue with transmission could be expensive to fix....good luck and happy holidays

tpolonyi · 1 December 2012

92 GPW w/20k miles----> Is it the one?

docnsx01 said:
first want to state i am a little biased here...being the owner of 93 gpw black with 40k and all my cars being white,,,,i was in the same dilemma as you when i purchased it 5 years ago....was going back and forth between targa no targa...there was a 92 gpw in chicago that i was considering but was in snap ring range and decided to pass...then a 96 in maryland that had 25k on clock and the i was all set to purchase guy was coming up to ny to visit relatives so i would get it delivered and the day before we arranged to meet i asked what time so my mechanic could check it out and he said i could not have that done....obviously passed on that one...then this came along on ebay and bought it outside ebay after auction ended...worked on price which is about what you are considering paying for this white one 5 years later....the only difference is mine had aftermarket exhaust and 05 rims which really make a difference to freshen up the car...never regretted it and love everyday with it...people are amazed that it is a 1993...albeit a true garage queen average about 200 miles year...one of the downfall of having two young kids and working a half mile from my house...my brother has a 91 with 45k black and ivory as well as s2000 grey and red so we cover the spectrum....hope this helps and apologize if i confused you even more...just verify snap ring issue with transmission could be expensive to fix....good luck and happy holidays

The owner did say this car is within snap ring range, but the Acura Certified tech that replaced the timing belt as well as the water pump said is not a problem. Shift and hear no symptoms.

docnsx01 · 1 December 2012

not sure if not hearing symptoms or feel any symptoms mean that it won't be a problem...that is beyond my area of expertise...i just looked for one that was not in range...THEY ARE HARD TOO FIND....im sure someone on the forum would know better and shed more light on if it would be problem later on....good luck either way

nsxtasy · 1 December 2012

blue_myriddn said:
I believe that $38k is above market price for a '92 NSX (as a reference, Edmunds spent $33 on their well maintained silver 91), but there are several reasons that this car could command above a market price:

Nope. The ONLY reason this '92 is as expensive as it is - and it's NOT above market price - is the mileage. You don't run into '92 NSX's with only 20K miles very often, and when you do, that's about how much you'll spend. Edmunds bought a car with 46K miles, and that accounts for the $5K difference.

Buy whichever one pleases you the most. The newer one has the big performance improvements (six-speed, 3.2-liter engine, brakes, etc).

- - - Updated - - -

docnsx01 said:
not sure if not hearing symptoms or feel any symptoms mean that it won't be a problem...that is beyond my area of expertise...i just looked for one that was not in range...THEY ARE HARD TOO FIND....im sure someone on the forum would know better and shed more light on if it would be problem later on....good luck either way

It could indeed be a problem later on. The snap ring can fail at any mileage - 20K, 50K, 100K. Or, it may never fail. If you want to prevent it from ever failing, you could have the proper half of the transmission case replaced, for a cost of $2-3K. Otherwise, just be aware of the symptoms (loose shifter, especially shifting between first and second), and if and when you experience them, park the car immediately and have it towed. (At that point you will probably only need to have the half transmission case and the snap ring replaced, but if you keep driving it, you could need to replace the whole transmission.)

tpolonyi · 2 December 2012

92 GPW w/20k miles----> Is it the one?

nsxtasy said:
Nope. The ONLY reason this '92 is as expensive as it is - and it's NOT above market price - is the mileage. You don't run into '92 NSX's with only 20K miles very often, and when you do, that's about how much you'll spend. Edmunds bought a car with 46K miles, and that accounts for the $5K difference.

Buy whichever one pleases you the most. The newer one has the big performance improvements (six-speed, 3.2-liter engine, brakes, etc).

- - - Updated - - -

It could indeed be a problem later on. The snap ring can fail at any mileage - 20K, 50K, 100K. Or, it may never fail. If you want to prevent it from ever failing, you could have the proper half of the transmission case replaced, for a cost of $2-3K. Otherwise, just be aware of the symptoms (loose shifter, especially shifting between first and second), and if and when you experience them, park the car immediately and have it towed. (At that point you will probably only need to have the half transmission case and the snap ring replaced, but if you keep driving it, you could need to replace the whole transmission.)

That's what I'm afraid of. After I purchase this car, should I take it in to Acura and have them replace the half transmission case, even though the Acura certified mechanic said it was fine?

92 GPW w/20k miles----> Is it the one?

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