buying a 92 NSX

[Anopheles]

hello folks, i'm going to buy a NSX 92 from Missouri. i am in PA. i have purchase the Carfax already everything is good. the dealer claims a 100 PPI inspection done on it. how good is a "100 PPI inspection"? is it good enough to make a decision to purchase? the picture they send me everything looks good and straight.
i am ready to buy. should i get another PPI if the dealer PPI is not up to date?

thanks in advance

 

[kertong]

I would get a PPI done by somebody who specializes in NSX'es - dealer PPI's aren't quite as comprehensive/model specific as far as I'm aware. It'll just be generic things like checking fluid levels, tire pressures, wipers/blinkers/headlights working, etc. A dealer PPI might just check off a box saying "windows go up/down", but an NSX specialist will know to watch the speed, listen for crinkling/cracking as it's a common failure in NSX'es, for example.

For reference: I got a PPI from one of the area's most reputable NSX specialists - aside from a few things not too surprising for a 23 year old car (leaking clutch master/slave cylinder, leaking inner/outer axle boot on driver's side rear, slow window regulators, some corrosion on ignition coils), it passed the PPI with flying colors. 200psi compression on all cylinders with zero leakdown, solid body/frame, tb/wp were verified to be updated and new, etc, etc.

Bought the car with confidence after that (and some leverage to get a few thousand knocked off the asking price) - and 6 hours later, my wife and I were stranded on the side of a highway waiting for a tow truck. The throttle cable had snapped, so we got it towed to the nsx specialist's shop the next morning, and found out the throttle cable part is now discontinued. Custom cable had to be made, which took a few days. Got the cylinders and coils, window regulators replaced in the meanwhile, which all in all parts+labor, cost $3600. Still needs a new clutch now before the car is daily driveable (the current one shudders once warmed up), so once all is said and done I'll have spent about $6000 on top of the price of the car - and this is a car that passed the PPI from a reputable mechanic. So, to summarize - a PPI will be thorough, but it will be nearly impossible to predict/catch everything. Which is why I recommend you get as thorough a PPI as you can, you can't have one that's too thorough.

Moral of story: You can't have a "through enough" PPI, and even then it won't catch everything. I def. would not trust the 'dealer PPI', especially from one who is incentivized to sell the car. Even then, get an NSX specialist to PPI, and budget another $2-5k just in case - as reliable as these cars are, they are still 20+ year old cars and it *will* need some TLC. Don't let minor failures from the PPI scare you away though - instead, I'd recommend using that to negotiate the asking price down.

YMMV, sorry to ramble but I hope this can provide some insight. My story many not be typical though, I got the '91 nsx with only 35k miles on it, so it wasn't driven very often and sat in storage a lot.

 

[docjohn]

where in Pa are you?

 

[Anopheles]

i'm in bryn mawr Pa. i'm going to buy this car from Missouri. does anyone know of a NSX specialists around Philadelphia? its a 92 with 16k miles it wasn't used much so thats good lol.

 

[docjohn]

there should be someone at Davis acura in Langhorn

 

[Anopheles]

cool i'm going to check it out tomorrow.

 

[kertong]

i'm in bryn mawr Pa. i'm going to buy this car from Missouri. does anyone know of a NSX specialists around Philadelphia? its a 92 with 16k miles it wasn't used much so thats good lol.

Whoa, nice! a 92 with 16k miles is awesome, but it probably means it wasn't driven often and sat in storage a lot. From what I understand, these babied/stagnant cars tend to have more problems surface once they start getting driven regularly. Pay special attention to hoses, throttle cable, cv/axle boots and gaskets, and a/c - make sure nothing is leaking and nothing is too brittle/cracking, etc. Good luck! Got any pictures of the '92? What color is it?

 

[Anopheles]

yea man i got some pictures i have not brought it yet. i'm waiting for them to get back to me on my credit app. my main concern is if it has been in a accident.
i'm paying the asking price for this baby. the dealer is willhoit enterprises in MA they says money back "if not as exactly as represented when you recieve it" it looks good and everything not sure on the mechanical bits that why i want to get a PPI here in PA. here are some pictures let me know what you think!

 

[docjohn]

first thing i think when seeing those pics...wow how clean the suspension and wheel wells are...then I think where did all the spray on black goop go that honda puts in to protect the aluminum.....then I wonder if that was removed and painted by an anal owner who was into show car details or whether the car has had body work done.

 

[Anopheles]

so your saying normally the suspension is in a black goop? plus all the alumium bits?

 

[docjohn]

no not the al suspension pieces ,but the painted surfaces of the wheel well should be black not red.

 

[Stephen@NCAutoUSA]

I'm short on time and no professional but am in Philly for a bit longer so if you need help just shoot a pm.

 

[Anopheles]

when i get the car right after the truck unloads it what should i look for regarding collision damage? that is my main concern. i have the carfax and autocheck and its all clean. i'm thinking at looking at the seams and pulling up the carpet in the trunk and so on.

 

[Stephen@NCAutoUSA]

For bodywork or collision repair member pbassjo will tell you any bolt that's ever been removed or touched. He's in ny. For mechanical items Larry b is also in ny and one of the best if not the best in the country.

 

[DocL]

when i get the car right after the truck unloads it what should i look for regarding collision damage? that is my main concern. i have the carfax and autocheck and its all clean. i'm thinking at looking at the seams and pulling up the carpet in the trunk and so on.

Why not get the car looked at by a reputable bodyshop before you purchase it? You're doing it a little backwards.

 

[socalx]

There is a Story behind those inner fenders. Be careful

 

[scbeast]

you are taking on a very high amount of risk to pay first before having an independent ppi. The cost of a PPI is generally <1% of the car cost...small amount to avoid a ?$40K+? mistake. I can guarantee you that the professionals selling you the car will be better at keeping their money than you are at getting your money back should you find yourself unhappy.

 

[xsn]

first thing i think when seeing those pics...wow how clean the suspension and wheel wells are...then I think where did all the spray on black goop go that honda puts in to protect the aluminum.....then I wonder if that was removed and painted by an anal owner who was into show car details or whether the car has had body work done.

A picture of a normal NSX wheel well for reference:

This isn't dirt, it's a spray-on coating applied at the factory that is hard as hell to remove. As docjohn said only a handful of owners are anal enough to have done this, and it's a nightmare project according to their reports.

jizheng - You are getting a lot of good advice in this thread which you seem determined to ignore. If it's not too late, have it inspected by a good independent body shop and someone who knows NSXs. If it is too late, good luck, hope it was just one of the few owners anal enough to have removed the coating and that you won this roll of the dice.

 

[docjohn]

If there is still time have Mitch from mechanics direct in lowell look at it...heck he may know the car.

 

[Anopheles]

the car is in missouri. anyone know any shop that is around springfield Missouri ?

 

[docjohn]

never mind mitch I thought you said the car was in Massachusetts....

 

[asitzes1]

something does not look right & tip

Yea..something does not seem right looks to good to be true. But here is TIP .... make sure you take pictures of every area car before you purchase. That includes the undercarriage!!!! I fail to do that when I purchased my car. and the first time had up on jack I noticed some fresh scrapes on the undercarriage. I think the transport company forgot how low the car sits and put the scraps on it from the ramps . It was to late to claim it from car transport company. When car is delivery check it over very slowly and carefully. do not sign for it until you inspected the car for any new marks!

 

[shawn110975]

do you have a pic of the cluster I wanna see what 12K mile cluster looks like. as for the goop from factory that is true and looking at the fender wells they are def painted.

but.... like others have said it may have been an anal owner, all the alum suspension looks very very clean also a car with 12,000 miles would have some dirt under the car again inless the owner cleaned it after each drive which I wouldn't put I past anyone, I once knew a guy that took his rims off every time he washed his car so he could clean the rims LOL wack job

poor thing suffered all its life not seeing the road

if this is a private seller don't wire money over trust me NEVER WIRE money for no reason, get you paper work ready from the bank etc. hand the person the check

DO NOT WIRE MONEY EVER I got robbed for 1000 dollar deposit on an NSX last year, then I find out after I lost the money the car had been wrecked and they put a bra over the front to hide the damage, no maintence was done ever, not even an oil change so learn from my mistake NEVER WIRE MONEY

 

[Anopheles]

good evenings folks, i just pull the trigger on this baby after i took it to a local acura dealer to take a look. everything is fine they said. i had my brother run to MO to take a look just to make sure it is good. glad to report the car is coming home next week! now time for some Type R mods! anyone recommend a NSX shop here in Philly? oh yea shout out to all the folks who gave some good advise.!

 

[Cincy Jamie]

Did the car deliver?