2000 with 80k miles - needs some work. what should I offer?

[vivanshah]

The owner had a ppi done about a year ago, which stated the following recommended work:
- Clutch
- Front brakes
- Rear tires
- Temp mix motor
- distorted volume control
total estimate was $3671

Also, owner says that the timing belt was done in 2009 but doesn't have any documentation to support this (yet. last I heard he was trying to find it). just the fact that it was replaced in 2009 means the initial interval wasn't followed.

My budget is $45k, so if I can get proof of the timing belt, I would think to offer $41k. without that proof, I would offer just under $40k

Do you guys think this is worth pursuing? or should I hold out for one with all these issues taken care of. This is the only Blue popup NA2 that I've found for sale at the moment. vin is JH4NA2164YT000156 and carfax looks clean.
autotrader link: http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=316797724
Open to any thoughts & suggestions!
Thanks,
Vivan

 

[xxxdominion]

Hello!

Personally I think without the documentation of the timing belt and water pump being changed I would take it as Not being done. I think you should offer 37.5 instead and go from there. But it all depends on how bad you want the car / how bad it wants to be sold. And remember, do not let your emotions come in to play when purchasing. Get a 3rd party to appraise the vehicle, and get a PPI done at the owners expense, after that if a price is agreed upon, possibly tack on the expense of the PPI / appraisal to the final bill. If he / she is willing to do these things then you may have an honest seller on your hands, if not, something may be hidden.

I'd hit him with 35k and see what he says. You need to HAGGLE! :tongue:


Also, with all the other maintenance thats needs to be done and hasn't been, you can bet some things may have been neglected.
Do your due dillegence when purchasing anything used, it will pay off, Trust me.

 

[blue_myriddn]

This is the only Blue popup NA2 that I've found for sale at the moment.

Depending on how fussy you are with your blues, you are talking about 38 cars (Monaco blue ~ which is a bit brighter) or 48 cars (Monte Carlo ~ which is darker). Having seen both colors in person, I can say with certainty that they are very different, so you are likely to have a preference one way or another.

The first 3 items on your list are non-issues, any NSX that is driven is likely to need a clutch at some point and will certainly need tires & brakes. That's just a reality of performance car ownership. I dunno about the other two really, although a distorted volume control sounds like something messed up when they did an aftermarket stereo install (which is sucky). All in all though, we aren't talking frame damage, serious engine dmg, etc - so this appears to be a "good" car. Don't take my word or a ppi from a year ago - make sure you have someone experienced look at it to verify that.

With all that said, when talking about 38 cars, and in a color that people tend to hold on to - I personally wouldn't let $4-5k stand in my way. Would I offer under $40k? Sure why not, its just an offer. However, I would decide before walking in to that room if I was willing to pay the buyers list price up front. If you can't go over $45k, perhaps a well sorted NA2 is out of your budget, and you should look for a less expensive NSX.

 

[RPM217]

No owner in their right mind, would pay for a prospective's buyer's inspection. That's the buyer's responsibility.

 

[shawn110975]

or someone local to the car thats a member of prime. and where the link to the car so we can see it. I dont think anyone is gonna jump over your head to get the car we are not like other forums

but read this article I post for newbee's

http://www.hondatuningmagazine.com/includes/htup_0810_acura_nsx_buyers_guide/viewall.html

good luck

 

[vivanshah]

I found it a bit odd that the seller had a PPI done as well. It was performed by eddie spears at hendrick acura who is a respected mechanic from what I gather.

I'm not picky about monaco vs. monte carlo, but either blue is by far my color of choice.

Of course I would get another PPI done were I to move forward - just wondering if it is even worth it given numerous small issues. The previous owner (before this one) states that he tracked the car often as well.

autotrader link:http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/vehicledetails.xhtml?listingId=316797724

 

[ekhonda87]

In my opinion, that car is a steal at his asking price of 46k. You get the classic pop-ups with the updated perforated leather interior, and considering the rarity of the color.

 

[itrsteve]

In my opinion, that car is a steal at his asking price of 46k. You get the classic pop-ups with the updated perforated leather interior, and considering the rarity of the color.

Agreed, maybe say 44-45 if you're feeling froggy.

 

[vivanshah]

In my opinion, that car is a steal at his asking price of 46k. You get the classic pop-ups with the updated perforated leather interior, and considering the rarity of the color.

even taking into consideration the the 3-6k of pending repairs/maintenance? you would say a pristine 80k mile 2000 blue would go for $52k? that's high mileage 02+ territory...

 

[blue_myriddn]

that's high mileage 02+ territory...

you gotta pay extra to avoid the goofy bug eye look

as you can see opinions on pricing tend to be widely varied. Go with what you are comfortable with, and perhaps more importantly what the seller is willing to take. I do believe this one has been on the market for a few, so perhaps the seller is firm on his price? Dunno. Either way, I hope you find a happy price point.

 

[vivanshah]

you gotta pay extra to avoid the goofy bug eye look

as you can see opinions on pricing tend to be widely varied. Go with what you are comfortable with, and perhaps more importantly what the seller is willing to take. I do believe this one has been on the market for a few, so perhaps the seller is firm on his price? Dunno. Either way, I hope you find a happy price point.

personally I agree about the bug eyes .
I'm waiting for the seller to get back to me regarding the timing belt. Once I have that info I'll decide what my offer will be. My hope is that since it's been on the market for several months, he hasn't found a buyer willing to meet his price. I personally think that is more likely than him being firm on price. Fingers crossed.

 

[JD Cross]

You seem to be more interested in the deal than the car.
You want a blue NSX, you found one, there aren't that many out there.
It needs some work - most 13 year old cars need some work.
Most of the work is consumables - normal stuff.

Make the seller an offer you are comfortable with, and that is respectful of the car itself
Do the negotiation.
Buy your car.
Fix what's needed.
Drive it for 15 more years.

Good luck

 

[warrenw]

In my opinion, that car is a steal at his asking price of 46k. You get the classic pop-ups with the updated perforated leather interior, and considering the rarity of the color.

I agree, everything on the list is minor. Timing belt isn't major either. the 2000 - 2001 are sought after for many reasons. I think it is a deal at $46k

 

[riddl3r]

You may want to consider this one. Fully up to date with maintenance for only a slight bit more and maybe you can get him down.

http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...-Blue-Tan-6-speed-84K-miles-JH4NA2169YT000122

 

[itrsteve]

you gotta pay extra to avoid the goofy bug eye look

as you can see opinions on pricing tend to be widely varied. Go with what you are comfortable with, and perhaps more importantly what the seller is willing to take. I do believe this one has been on the market for a few, so perhaps the seller is firm on his price? Dunno. Either way, I hope you find a happy price point.

I wanted the wheels, side skirts, rear valance of the 02+ but didn't want the 3000gt headlamps nor the premium price tag so the 00-01 was the only way to go.

OP, this car has been on the market for a bit and I doubt it's not because people aren't making offers rather he's probably not accepting them. If you can hold out till spring I'll sell you a black 2000 on a rather fresh timing belt too

 

[nsxtasy]

I don't think the need for a clutch is minor. A new clutch for the six-speed costs $3500 or so, parts and labor. Granted, when buying used, you never know how long the clutch is going to last unless it was recently replaced. But knowing that the car needs a new clutch right away, I would consider that an automatic $3500 deduction from whatever price I would otherwise offer. (Keep in mind, once it's replaced, it shouldn't need it again for a while.)

What I don't understand about the timing belt and water pump is, doesn't he remember where he would have had it serviced? If he does, call up that dealer/shop and they should be able to give you documentation of it being done.

The other items are minor because the amount of money is not large. Front brakes are around $300-400 if they only need pads, $500-600 if they need rotors as well. Rear tires are $400-600. The stereo issue is probably one for which you can get spend $100-200 with NSXprime user Briank to get it fixed, maybe another $100 for labor if you don't want to install his refurbished parts yourself.

 

[dablackgoku1234]

You may want to consider this one. Fully up to date with maintenance for only a slight bit more and maybe you can get him down.

http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showt...-Blue-Tan-6-speed-84K-miles-JH4NA2169YT000122

Comparing these 2 cars, you have one that has maintenance all up-to-date and asking $48.5k. The one you are pursuing is $46k but needs maintenance (I would estimate $6k including the tb/wp). Doing the math, your $40k offer has no "savings". Everything said and done, you're back up to $46k.

The $48.5k one has some additional maintenance done to it like coolant hoses, clutch master/slave, spark plugs etc, and these add a bit of value. It is also lowered on Zeal coilovers which personally add some decent value. Lowering the $46k car will cost at least $1500 and you get BC coilovers. So these 2 cars are pretty much on the same playing field.

I personally think you have a better chance offering $46k to the $48.5k car than offering $38k on the 46k car.

 

[vivanshah]

Comparing these 2 cars, you have one that has maintenance all up-to-date and asking $48.5k. The one you are pursuing is $46k but needs maintenance (I would estimate $6k including the tb/wp). Doing the math, your $40k offer has no "savings". Everything said and done, you're back up to $46k.

The $48.5k one has some additional maintenance done to it like coolant hoses, clutch master/slave, spark plugs etc, and these add a bit of value. It is also lowered on Zeal coilovers which personally add some decent value. Lowering the $46k car will cost at least $1500 and you get BC coilovers. So these 2 cars are pretty much on the same playing field.

I personally think you have a better chance offering $46k to the $48.5k car than offering $38k on the 46k car.

the cali car had a blown head gasket which makes me wary. aside from that, I haven't thought much about it as it is all the way across the country and I can't take that much time off to drive it back.

Thanks guys, for all your input. I'm going to try calling the dealership (hendrick acura) in NC to see if I can get a date/mileage on the timing belt.

edit: heard back from dealership in NC, tb/wp was done in March '08 at 74k miles.

 

[nsxtasy]

Comparing these 2 cars, you have one that has maintenance all up-to-date and asking $48.5k. The one you are pursuing is $46k but needs maintenance (I would estimate $6k including the tb/wp). Doing the math, your $40k offer has no "savings". Everything said and done, you're back up to $46k.

The $48.5k one has some additional maintenance done to it like coolant hoses, clutch master/slave, spark plugs etc, and these add a bit of value. It is also lowered on Zeal coilovers which personally add some decent value. Lowering the $46k car will cost at least $1500 and you get BC coilovers. So these 2 cars are pretty much on the same playing field.

This is good, the kind of analysis you need to do for a fair comparison.

Oh, and if you wouldn't otherwise be interested in coilovers, then paying extra for them would not be worth it to you. So there are personal factors involved in doing the comparison.

I personally think you have a better chance offering $46k to the $48.5k car than offering $38k on the 46k car.

I agree. It's far more likely for a buyer to accept an offer that's 5 percent below the asking price than one that's 20 percent below. OTOH you have nothing to lose by making an offer; if they don't accept it and you think that was a fair offer, you can just walk away.

I'm going to try calling the dealership (hendrick acura) in NC to see if I can get a date/mileage on the timing belt.

edit: heard back from dealership in NC, tb/wp was done in March '08 at 74k miles.

Perfect. That's good information. Not only does it help you estimate the value of this car, but if you buy it, you can decide when to do it again based on knowing exactly when it was previously done.

 

[JD Cross]

the cali car had a blown head gasket which makes me wary. aside from that, I haven't thought much about it as it is all the way across the country and I can't take that much time off to drive it back.

Thanks guys, for all your input. I'm going to try calling the dealership (hendrick acura) in NC to see if I can get a date/mileage on the timing belt.

edit: heard back from dealership in NC, tb/wp was done in March '08 at 74k miles.

Curious to know if you made an offer on the car?

 

[vivanshah]

no I did not - decided to pursue the california car instead as all maintenance was up to date & seller had many more records, despite the head gasket replacement. also found time in my work schedule to take a few days off to drive it back.

 

[Blackhorse06]

Did you get the Cali car? I was also looking at this car for my wife, we are thinking about adding another to the stable.

 

[vivanshah]

Did you get the Cali car? I was also looking at this car for my wife, we are thinking about adding another to the stable.

actually the cali car didn't work out, I'm back in contact with this seller trying to make a deal. According to the seller there's one other interested party as well.

 

[Valkyrie Pilot]

This car is S.L. Henry's old car and it has seen many weekends on the track. Also, does anyone know why it has after-market taillights? Not a big fan of those dark JDMs!

 

[vivanshah]

I decided to hold out for a car with fewer miles. Blackhorse06, feel free to pursue if you want.
fwiw he said $41k was doable and he might be willing to go even lower.