Cost of Ownership

[sidwac]

I'm seriously in search of an NSX and wanted to ask the folks in this forum what it costs (approx.) for the following maintenance of a 1991 car:

1. snap ring preventative maintenance
2. timing belt, water pump and belt tensioner
3. wind up window motor problem (per window)
4. Air conditioning not blowing cold
5. replace drivers seat (serious bolster issue)
6. missing front spare (available??)
7. crappy sounding stereo ($endless)

are there any other weaknesses??


I know its not an exact science, but just looking for a guide on what the expense may be. Thanks.....

 

[Eclipsed]

1.) The odds of finding a 91 nsx still in snap ring range is pretty slim, most if not all of them have had the issue corrected.
2.) Eh if you follow the service schedule i believe the timing belt/water pump service at a dealer is around 2400$
3.) Havent had this issue
4.) Mine was recharged prior to purchase
5.) Go to leatherseats.com and you can order exact replicas of the original seat leather pre-cut , pre-fabbed for our cars (you just take the old leather off and replace it with the new stuff) i've heard anywhere from 1200-2400$ price ranges
6.) If the front spare is that important to you im sure anyone with a Type-R hood would probably cut you a deal on their spare tire thats no longer in the car
7.) I am still running the factory stock 1991 stereo in my nsx, and honestly i think it works just fine. But to each his own. I rarely listen to the stereo, more interested in hearing the motor growl when i'm gettin on it.

Probably your biggest re-occuring expense is going to be clutch replacement which can run you upwards of 3000$ if you take it to a dealer.

 

[Sarge]

i have a 1991 and i think every owner should do the following, if you dont have documentation

1. replace timing belt. the rest is part of a package deal (1,200) normally
2. radio and spare make no difference
3. snap ring (check prime to see if your vin # falls in that catagory)
4. ac not blowing cold (add freon)
4. if you really want one you will make the extra $$$ available for these types of things. im not being rude, just want you to be realistic. lets say $500 a month extra for your first year of ownership would be way more than enough to tackle everything on your list, after that everything should be gravy, just go easy on that clutch. me...ive got an automatic

 

[sidwac]

Thanks guys for the feedback. Really appreciated. Any other views for the cause out there? Regards....

 

[slamstrom]

Once you get the above items taken care of, tires will probably be you biggest continual cost excluding mods.:biggrin: Good luck on your search.

 

[Sulley]

1. I think some '91s had evaporator leaks in the AC system. A simple recharge won't fix that and the repair was really expensive. A search should find some threads on it. I'd investigate this one further. May just be a recharge, but could be more serious.

2. Climate control boards start going bad, but BrianK on here rebuilds them.

3. OEM clutch was about $2300 at the dealer, when I had it done about 4 years ago.

Are you looking at a car that needs all these things? If so, I would guess its just been driven and not maintained. It will probably need many small things replaced. Coolant hoses, etc. Unless you can do some or most of the work it's going to really get expensive.

Sulley

 

[Energy1]

3. wind up window motor problem (per window)
buy the window fix thingy's they are pretty cheap but the labor to do if you cant do it yourself can be a couple hours for the complete job.
If your window drops you may break a plastic clip on the bottom (or the window) and need a new window, plus having the regulator re wound, you can do a search on prime to find out the regulator fix price...ask me how I know!

 

[sidwac]

Thanks again for this great feedback. I'm looking for an NSX but want to price it right based on any deferred maintenance or things not working. Regards....

 

[Dtrigg]

Thanks again for this great feedback. I'm looking for an NSX but want to price it right based on any deferred maintenance or things not working. Regards....

Make sure you get the maintenance records when you're looking. Good luck.

 

[nsxtasy]

1. snap ring preventative maintenance

I wouldn't do it until you need transmission work (e.g. clutch replacement), unless the snap ring fails. The parts are around $900 and the labor is 8-16 hours, but if you're doing transmission work anyway, there's no extra labor. And if the car isn't in the range (80 percent of '91 cars are NOT in the snap ring range), it won't need it at all.

2. timing belt, water pump and belt tensioner

$1200-1700.

3. wind up window motor problem (per window)

If it hasn't failed, the thingies are $20 and it's about an hour per side to install.

4. Air conditioning not blowing cold

You can get the climate control board refurbished by BrianK for a couple hundred bucks, I think.

5. replace drivers seat (serious bolster issue)

Most cars don't need this.

6. missing front spare (available??)

$100-200 used, $900 new.

7. crappy sounding stereo ($endless)

You can get the stereo amps refurbished by BrianK for a couple hundred bucks, I think.

1.) The odds of finding a 91 nsx still in snap ring range is pretty slim, most if not all of them have had the issue corrected.

Not true. Many of those 20 percent in the snap ring range have not had the issue corrected. But if the snap ring doesn't fail, there's no need to do so unless symptoms of failure become evident.

2.) Eh if you follow the service schedule i believe the timing belt/water pump service at a dealer is around 2400$

That's really high. Even the most expensive dealers should still come in well under $2000. Unless you're also including the cost of the major service (fluids, filters, and valve adjustment) in the number.

Probably your biggest re-occuring expense is going to be clutch replacement which can run you upwards of 3000$ if you take it to a dealer.

That's really high, too. Figure around $2200-2600 at a dealer.

 

[Eclipsed]

I wouldn't do it until you need transmission work (e.g. clutch replacement), unless the snap ring fails. The parts are around $900 and the labor is 8-16 hours, but if you're doing transmission work anyway, there's no extra labor. And if the car isn't in the range (80 percent of '91 cars are NOT in the snap ring range), it won't need it at all.

$1200-1700.

If it hasn't failed, the thingies are $20 and it's about an hour per side to install.

You can get the climate control board refurbished by BrianK for a couple hundred bucks, I think.

Most cars don't need this.

$100-200 used, $900 new.

You can get the stereo amps refurbished by BrianK for a couple hundred bucks, I think.

Not true. Many of those 20 percent in the snap ring range have not had the issue corrected. But if the snap ring doesn't fail, there's no need to do so unless symptoms of failure become evident.

That's really high. Even the most expensive dealers should still come in well under $2000. Unless you're also including the cost of the major service (fluids, filters, and valve adjustment) in the number.

That's really high, too. Figure around $2200-2600 at a dealer.

The dealer here qouted me 1700$ for the clutch, and 1300$ for the install. But then again thats why most people here refuse to use steven acura. I think even Shaun Ray refused to use them due to their pricing. They qouted me 2400$ for the timing belt/water pump/seals and fluids service as well.

 

[BluryNSX]

coming from a Dealership(service dept Honda) I feel it my duty to say that price will always be based on the area in which you live, as overhead is always different based on so many variables... I know at our shop we pay some of our oldest techs around 50 an hour because they are 25 year vets. with great performance and low comeback rates.I have deal hunted in my time too but experience I believe is worth a premium!

I make more money off the people who are cheap and pay other places to do t/belts and other major maint. AND MESS UP THE VEHICLES.:tongue: in the past month I have had 1 odys that the timing belt seized due to improper install, and 1 with bad valves due to over tightening, both are around 5k with machine work and parts...

*steps off soap box*
I will stop hijacking now :wink:

 

[sidwac]

So I'm reading that I should be very careful where I take my NSX (hopefully soon to be) for service. Who are the top mechanics/places in the SF/East Bay area then? Thanks....

 

[slamstrom]

Many Bay Area Prime members use Don's Hilltop in Daly City and/or Foreign Affairs in Santa Clara.