The following is an article that I copied and saved from the NSX Prime Forum. It is signed by an individual only identified as "JK" a Clinical Psychologist from Southern California. Perhaps this individual is still an NSX owner and may be reading this. It is perhaps the most thorough analysis of an automobile acquisition that I have ever read. It is lengthy, but certainly worth reading, especially if your considering an NSX purchase.
After searching for many months, I recently acquired my first NSX. It is a 1991 model. It is Formula Red with a black interior.
The car had slightly more than 25,000 miles when I purchased it several weeks and several hundred miles ago. It is an immaculate, entirely original example complete with all tools, manuals, keys, and the factory cover and bag. The spare has never been down. It is equipped with the NSX telephone (an amusing anachronism) and fitted with Acura sheepskin seat covers. Comprehensive service records indicate the car received the timing belt/water pump service at a local Acura dealer two years/1000 miles ago. It does not fall within the "snap ring" range.
A thorough PPI revealed the need for rear tires, recharge of the A/C, and support struts for the deck lid and rear window. The car is further afflicted with the ubiquitous Bose speaker/amplifier maladies. Replacement of all hoses was recommended due to the car's age. The mechanics who inspected the car opined that it was as fine a specimen of an early NSX as one could reasonably hope to find and that it warranted the price I paid to purchase it, approximatley $7K above the KBB PP "Excellent" valuation.
The process of purchasing this car was protracted over several months. The process culminated with an intensive interview intended to assess my suitability as caretaker for the vehicle: I essentially adopted rather than purchased the car from the woman who had owned it since 1992. She reported that she bought it impulsively after seeing it displayed in the showroom of a local exotic car dealership. She stated that the salesman informed her that the original owner had traded it towards a Testarossa after several months and fewer than 1000 miles because he found it not fast enough to suit him.
The previous owner, a woman of obvious means, explained plausibly that she was selling the car because she felt it deserved a more active lifestyle than she was providing. She reported that she sold it to me for less money than she had been offered by other prospective adopters because she trusted I would provide it a good home. I intend to keep her trust.
Unlike the woman from whom I purchased the car, acquiring an NSX for me was not an impulsive act. I devoted considerable attention to the issue of what sports car I wanted to own for what will likely be a very long time. The NSX effectively replaces a 911 I owned from 1984 through 2004.
The parameters for the car I sought included reliability, durability, well-rounded performance, and cachet. I wanted a car that offered spirited performance, a rewarding driving experience, and, of necessity, the ability to comfortably tolerate the unpredictable perils of Southern California traffic. Having derived little satisfaction from the experience, I did not want another "garage queen."
Among the cars I considered was, naturally, another Porsche. Having owned Porsches for many years, however, and despite the allure of the spectacular new 997 GT3, I wanted something different.
I briefly considered another V-8 Ferrari, but my experience owning a Mondial cabriolet was so vividly unpleasant in so many ways that the consideration was short-lived. Even on those rare days the car could be made to run properly, it had little to commend it other than the sounds it made.
I imagine there are those who have successfully run Astons/Lamborghini’s/ Etc as daily drivers, but I am not confident in the ability of even a Ford- or Audi-sired exotic to cope with the grueling slog to which I would regularly subject it. I would be glad to be proved wrong, however; my son continues to lobby for a Gallardo.
While the Corvette and Viper meet the parameters I established, I am not a Corvette or Viper guy. That a friend was obliged to return his new C6 to the dealership for repair three times within the first month of ownership did little to promote my enthusiasm.
Having relished the superlative Lexus ownership experience, I contemplated an SC430 despite its bulbous appearance and relaxed demeanor. That the car is as soft to drive as its contours suggest eliminated it from consideration.
I fleetingly entertained the notion of an XK8 or XKR. As former owner of several "E" types, I harbor a sentimental fondness for the marque. I can not conjure much enthusiasm for the bland new XK, however. While dramatic depreciation renders the previous generation XK’s appealing, the cars are far smaller inside than their robust dimensions would lead one to imagine, and they are not much fun to drive. I wonder too when or even if Ford's stewardship impacted reliability...there must be a reason a three year old XK8 that cost about as much as a contemporary NSX is now worth half as much.
Like a pre-owned XK, a pre-owned Mercedes SL offered the appeal of relatively low acquisition cost. Reports from friends and colleagues who run current and previous generation SLs suggest that quality and durability are marginal, however. Also like the XKs, the cars are not especially sporting or involving.
The car that met my parameters and that I wanted to own was an NSX.
Having settled upon a manual shift NSX, the next issue I considered was which model year or series of model years to consider. With emphasis on the facts that I am explicating my priorities and biases and that I recognize that others may have different, equally valid priorities and biases, I will explain how I came to decide upon an early car.
I rejected the 2002-2005 cars because, although I liked the idea of warranty coverage, I prefer the appearance of the earlier cars. Having resolved on a 1991-2001 model, I then considered the relative merits of Berlinetta versus Targa. I decided I wanted a Berlinetta rather than a Targa because, for me, the benefits of a small open top I would rarely utilize did not offset the costs associated with the design: increased weight, reduced structural integrity, higher center of gravity, and increased likelihood of wind noise.
Having narrowed the field to an NSX Berlinetta, I chose to seek a 1991 or 1992 model because my young son would occasionally occupy the passenger seat and I did not want him seated in front of the passenger air bag fitted to 1993 and 1994 models. Having narrowed the field further, I began my search for an early NSX.
I had expected the process of locating a clean, stock, early NSX would be simple. I was wrong.
While some sellers were thoughtful enthusiasts, many were not. I encountered numerous sellers who alleged they were selling an NSX on behalf of a friend/relative/neighbor/associate/boss; I am wary of cars being sold on behalf of another because I can conceive of few legitimate circumstances that would lead an enthusiast owner of a solid, high-demand speciality car like the NSX to delegate responsibility for its sale to someone else. I encountered another group of sellers who had owned their cars for short periods of time; I am disinclined towards any used car being sold within a few months of purchase, a period of time perhaps not coincidentally just long enough to discover the full extent of a car's problems and the prudency of unloading it.
I encountered sellers who only reluctantly disclosed salvage histories, sellers who had perpetrated radical, ill-advised modifications to their cars, and sellers whose enthusiastic accounts of reckless street racing exploits clearly informed me that their cars were not likely to include the cherished example I sought. I found that sellers belonging to the irresponsible "street racer" group were also the most likely to have owned the cars for relatively short periods of time and the most likely to punctuate their conversations with gratuitous profanity. Inevitably and invariably, such owners would repeatedly assure me that their NSX was "f---ing fast, man!"
In contrast with my variable experiences interacting with NSX sellers, I have enjoyed uniformly positive experiences interacting with NSX owners. Many NSX-Primers have extended remarkable consideration to me since I began my search for my NSX.
Although I have been a member of the NSX community for only a short time, I have noted some pronounced differences between this community and the Porsche and Ferrari communities with which I am more familiar. Emphasizing again that I am sharing my opinions which I know will differ from the opinions of others, the NSX community seems to me to be comprised primarily of enthusiasts for whom a car's performance is more relevant than its heritage, pedigree, or prestige.
The Porsche community is less homogenous and consists of diverse elements. Porsche owners range from purists who know the exact number of threads on every bolt used to assemble a pre-A 356 to racers whose '69 912-based race cars outperform factory Cup cars to poseurs for whom the primary appeal of Porsche ownership is the ability to casually toss a PORSCHE keychain onto the bar of the local nightclub.
The Ferrari community, like the Porsche community, is diverse, but seems comprised of two primary elements. One element consists of enthusiasts who own and use the cars because they appreciate and enjoy them. These owners, few of whom are compelled to advertise their automotive affinities, lament the attention their cars elicit because of the restrictions such attention impose on their ability to comfortably use and enjoy them. The other element consists of persons who know little and care less about the cars. For this element, owning a Ferrari is attractive because of the statement they believe it makes to others; they would be just as happy driving a Hyundai if owning a Hyundai made the desired statement. Such owners are easily identified by the presence of Cavallino adorning every article of clothing and every piece of jewelry on their person and, if male, on the person of their current wife.
As for the driving experience...I consider it reasonable to compare my '91 NSX with my '84 Mondial and '73 911 (a car I had fitted with a '78 SC engine and '84 Carrera suspension/brakes). I consider the comparison reasonable because all three cars feature engines displacing approximately 3 liters delivering power to the rear wheels through a five speed transmission.
Prefacing my impressions of my Mondial with the statement that some of the most gratifying driving experiences I have had have been at the wheels of a 275 GTS and a 456GTA, I found the Mondial to be truckish and churlish. Disregarding the issue of its fragility, the car was not especially quick, fast, or satisfying to drive. The impressive sounds it made became tiresome and intrusive on extended drives. The gated shifter was useful only for executing the 1st to 3rd gear shifts made necessary because 2nd gear was MIA for many miles following start-up. It was an ergonomic disaster, and its HVAC was primitive and ineffective. Raising and lowering the top was an exercise in frustration, and I could never find a comfortable driving position. It was a demanding car that offered few rewards to compensate for its capricious nature.
The 911, conversely, was a very satisfying car. The 911, like every other Porsche I have owned extending to a 356C, was reliable, agile, and, for its displacement, both quick and fast. While its minor controls were arranged somewhat haphazardly, it was a comfortable, relatively spacious car that excelled as a sports car and could also serve as a touring car. Unforgiving if driven insensitively, it was immensely rewarding if driven properly. Although I believe the NSX is also up to the task, the 911 offered me the ability to cruise comfortably to track events, motor aggressively for many hours, and drive home without incident.
The NSX is easier to drive than either the Porsche or the Ferrari, but it is no less rewarding. Power delivery is linear and accompanied by a stirring, but pleasantly subdued soundtrack. Gear changes are far more precise, and clutch take-up is significantly smoother. Handling is leagues more precise than the Mondial's and more comfortably predictable than the 911's. Ergonomics and HVAC seem to have been given far more attention in the development of the NSX than either the Ferrari or the Porsche. Rather more like the 911 than the Mondial, the NSX places function over form. It is an honest car that eschews novelty for novelty's sake and complexity for complexity's sake.
The primary issue I have with my NSX is lack of headroom: even after having removed the sheepskin seat cover, my head brushes the headliner when I adjust the seat to a preferred driving position. As noted, I also need to attend to the malfunctioning Bose speakers/amplifiers.
I welcome information from those of you who have installed the Dali seat cushion or devised some other means of increasing headroom. I further seek advice on whether to repair or replace the Bose system and invite referral to a competent Bose technician and/or skilled stereo installer in Southern California.
With summer approaching and my son's burgeoning interest in cars, I anticipate we will be participating in NSX events in and around Southern California. I look forward to sharing our enthusiasm and making new friends.
JK, Ph.D.
Clinical Psychologist specializing in the intellectual (IQ) testing and academic assessment of children and adolescents in Southern California
