Can This Car Be Rebuilt? Any Experts Let Me Know!
- Thread starter Superus
- Start date
If you don't already have the expertise to know the answer to your question, then you shouldn't be buying it.
If the car were worth rebuilding, don't you think the current owner would be doing so before selling it?
If the car were worth rebuilding, don't you think the current owner would be doing so before selling it?
Superus said:
Anythings possible. Remember, NSX parts are expensive! Ask me how I know. If your patient, you can scavanger thru the sale section and find parts there, but still, it's not cheap to fix a NSX. But I wouldn't touch this NSX unless I owned a body shop. You can see a bend in the trunk lid also. So the damage seems pretty much front and rear. Can't really tell if any of the fenders or quarter panels were effected. If the frames damaged, I'd run away...
Good Luck,
- Z
Just to give you an example on how much it might cost to get started, here is a guy on ebay selling many of the obvious parts you need with a starting bid of $7000. It is the same color as this car as well.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6783&item=2469416180
Also, you can't really see, but from looks of the hoses in the engine compartment it looks like a big mess under there. I bet some engine parts are missing. The glove box is missing so this leads my to believe this car was a theft recovery and many parts probably have been stripped.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6783&item=2469416180
Also, you can't really see, but from looks of the hoses in the engine compartment it looks like a big mess under there. I bet some engine parts are missing. The glove box is missing so this leads my to believe this car was a theft recovery and many parts probably have been stripped.
I was told the transmission is not included. In the picture below, notice the remnant of an aftermarket air intake cut from the throttle body (I was told the rest of it is in the trunk), a few missing pieces, and the general mess in the engine bay. I was told the engine is okay, but with 125-shot NOS, I’m not so sure.
Um... good luck? <img src="http://www.ojaspatel.com/external/emoticons/ugh2.gif">
Um... good luck? <img src="http://www.ojaspatel.com/external/emoticons/ugh2.gif">
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While it might be a good buy (especially if you want to do a conversion like you say), you should really be prepared for what you’re getting into and all the unexpected problems that may pop-up along the way.
I think you would be doing yourself a huge favor if you really consider nsxtasy’s advice. The seller did not come across as naïve. He also did not wreck the car – he bought it to rebuild. He knows more about this car and what’s involved in rebuilding it than you. He obviously wants to get rid of it for a reason.
I think you would be doing yourself a huge favor if you really consider nsxtasy’s advice. The seller did not come across as naïve. He also did not wreck the car – he bought it to rebuild. He knows more about this car and what’s involved in rebuilding it than you. He obviously wants to get rid of it for a reason.
- Joined
- 10 March 2004
- Messages
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he told me that he doesn't think he could rebuild it thats why he's selling it.
But clearly the body can be rebuilt
engine is fine
it can be done.
its the labor of these body parts being put together.
I don't know how much that would cost thats suxs anyone know an estimate`?
But clearly the body can be rebuilt
engine is fine
it can be done.
its the labor of these body parts being put together.
I don't know how much that would cost thats suxs anyone know an estimate`?
It looks to me like it CAN be rebuilt (it is possible), but doesn't mean that it necessarily SHOULD be rebuilt. While the body panels can be replaced, it may be more expensive than buying a good car to begin with.
If you want OEM nsx body panels check on Ebay, they actually come up and it's alot cheaper than buying from Acura. Might want to consider one of the various full body kits, 'cuz that looks like it would also be cheaper than returning to factory. Have you considered theVeilside fortune model for about $10,000? If it was me, that would be what I put on the car, provided you can buy the car for $10,000 or less.
If you want OEM nsx body panels check on Ebay, they actually come up and it's alot cheaper than buying from Acura. Might want to consider one of the various full body kits, 'cuz that looks like it would also be cheaper than returning to factory. Have you considered theVeilside fortune model for about $10,000? If it was me, that would be what I put on the car, provided you can buy the car for $10,000 or less.
And, with a salvage title, it will be worth less than a good car to begin with.paulviriyapan said:
Also, replacing the body panels alone may not be sufficient to restore the car to the same level of structural integrity as a good car to begin with. Remember, this is not only a performance issue, but also a safety issue.
Sure, you CAN rebuild anything. Let's make some wild guesses here. Let's say you spend $10,000 on this car, and you spend $10,000 on body parts for this car, and 500 hours of your time (or more cash for someone else's time) to restore it. And when you have it inspected by a good mechanic, he notices that some suspension pieces are bent, and those cost you another $5,000 to replace. And when you're done, you've spent $25,000 or more, and you have a car with a salvage title and less-than-perfect paint, that's worth about $18,000. So the answer to your question, "Can you rebuild it?", will be yes. The real questions you should be asking is whether you SHOULD rebuild it, and whether it's worth it.
If you go ahead with this, please report back to us on how much you spent for the car, how much it cost to rebuild, how roadworthy and crashworthy it turned out to be, and how much it was worth afterwards. You know, all the information that the current seller is not sharing with you when he did the same analysis.
If you have never rebuilt a car before I would stay away from this one. Aluminum is not easy to work with. I have rebuilt a lot of cars but never have I rebuilt an aluminum car. Why? Because it requires special knowledge and tools I do not have. These tools would cost a lot to acquire, and I am not even sure if I have the patience it takes to repair aluminum.
Rebuilding this car would be like going to get a pilots license and taking your first lesson on the space shuttle instead a Cessna 182.
Rebuilding this car would be like going to get a pilots license and taking your first lesson on the space shuttle instead a Cessna 182.
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- 10 March 2004
- Messages
- 79
This car only needs body work and new paint which I was thinking the 04 yellow (what paint code is that?) as I will be turning this car to a 02 model.
I did the homework on the parts and I will be spending 6K on front and rear conversion of the updated look all I need is the right quarter panel.
So you figure how much is a 96 NSX-T 32K Miles worth if it was clean?
I was going to spend 25K+ for a NSX that’s not including the 02 conversion.
So far it comes out to a total of about 17K including the paint job.
Engine still runs all I need is a tranny and there we go.
I Don't have info on if FRAME is damaged yet but the suspension is A-OK
Interior will need some work.
That Nos switch is going bye bye and engine so going back to normal and I’m going to make sure the engine is in EXCELLENT condition.
You guys make this look like this car is hopeless i have seen worse nsx can fixed up to loking like new.
I did the homework on the parts and I will be spending 6K on front and rear conversion of the updated look all I need is the right quarter panel.
So you figure how much is a 96 NSX-T 32K Miles worth if it was clean?
I was going to spend 25K+ for a NSX that’s not including the 02 conversion.
So far it comes out to a total of about 17K including the paint job.
Engine still runs all I need is a tranny and there we go.
I Don't have info on if FRAME is damaged yet but the suspension is A-OK
Interior will need some work.
That Nos switch is going bye bye and engine so going back to normal and I’m going to make sure the engine is in EXCELLENT condition.
You guys make this look like this car is hopeless i have seen worse nsx can fixed up to loking like new.
how much is he selling it for.
Take it to a structural testing and repair facility and find out what it needs to be given a rebuilt title before you go searching for body panels and new paint. The frame is the key and what needs to be done to bring it to spec.
Edit: if you're so convinced it's a good deal then why are you asking us?
Take it to a structural testing and repair facility and find out what it needs to be given a rebuilt title before you go searching for body panels and new paint. The frame is the key and what needs to be done to bring it to spec.
Edit: if you're so convinced it's a good deal then why are you asking us?
Clean, good condition, ~$40K.Superus said:
With a salvage title and an accident history, then maybe ~$22-25K.
With a salvage title and an accident history and an '02 refresh, then ~$23-26K.
And you're going to start out spending $31K on this and hope that you've accounted for fixing all the damage, on a car that has never been seen by an expert.
Like I said, please keep us updated as your project proceeds.
Good luck.
I know The Last Detail in North Chicago has this. They have a precision laser machine in which guides are hung from specific parts of the frame, accurate measurements of the point-to-point distances and angles are made using laser light, and these are compared with the specs for an undamaged car. SJJ 28, what's the name of that machine? Contact Steve at [email protected] (or 847-689-8822) to ask him about it.Superus said:
You seem to be confident that the engine is perfect. Has all the service been done (timing belt, etc) and documented? I'd be really hesitant buying a car that had NOS on it. How hard was it run and at what NOS pressures? Since you're not buying from the original owner of the car that put it in this sorry condition, you have no way to gauge the true condition of the engine. Something to think about.
Personally I'd stay away from this since there are too many unknowns.
Personally I'd stay away from this since there are too many unknowns.
Sorry; I misinterpreted your 25K figure to represent your expenditure on the car and the repairs. My error. My apologies.Superus said:
So you're going to spend 18K plus labor on a car for which no one with body repair expertise has taken a look at it for you. Which means you have no idea how much the parts are REALLY going to cost, and you have no idea how much the labor is REALLY going to cost. As Clint Eastwood said, "Are you feeling lucky today?"Superus said:
P.S. No one, not even a body repair professional, can accurately estimate the parts and labor to restore this car (or any seriously-damaged car) until they can inspect the car carefully in person and put it up on a lift. So the REAL question here - is this car worth rebuilding? - can't be answered until that happens. THAT is the only accurate answer you are going to get based on the photos in this topic.
nsxtasy said:
...and even then things always pop up in the process of making the repair. I remember rebuilding a rolled over 91Mr2 back in 1995. The car needed a new roof which I located before I purchased the car, but never used. The car also needed most of front pieces so I allotted 500 bucks to my budget for the front pieces needed. The factory fog lights alone were 500 bucks and the air dam was another 300. This was only two of the ten or so parts I needed. Being a skilled body person I was able to make due and fix/repair some of the parts I would have rather replaced. This helped me to purchase the parts I did not know I needed when I bought the car.
It sounds to me that you do not have any body repair skills and would not be able to make repairs yourself. If you CAN NOT make the repairs yourself or DO NOT have a VERY good friend in the business, you are in for a huge repair bill for the labor end of rebuilding this car. IMO the only way to make money on or own the car for cheaper by repairing it is if you are in the business yourself.
I bet you will have near 30k in this car maybe even more. Just the fact it has been taken apart adds a ton of hours to the repair end, unless the person who disassembled it also is the person who puts it back together. Are all the aluminum bolts there to attach the new body work with. Have you priced the factory aluminum bolts yet or were you going to just use steel ones?
Poor car 
Lay it to rest, that way we never need to worry about seeing it pop up for sale here
Lay it to rest, that way we never need to worry about seeing it pop up for sale here
