damaged nsx

[jimmy_]

hi, I live in new Zealand and I work as a panel beater. At my work there is a red manual nsx but it damaged and been sitting for years. I plan to buy it but I wanna to know how much body panels cost and if there even posable to buy, or will have to be buying an after market body kit. it will need both rear fenders and bummer and both doors and most like other things. I understand I will basically have to import parts from somewhere because I wont find them in nz.

if you have any info i should know about the nsx before I buy I would like know.


useless info
im 17 and i had a na miata and turbo nb Miata done by myself. I will be doing the work myself. I know it will take me awhile to finish but I have always wanted an nsx this would be the only way for to get into one really.

thanks

 

[HYPERTUNE]

Can't help you with panels but if you want to sell it I'd buy it just for the engine and box.

 

[drew]

The likely most inexpensive route would be to purchase some lightly dented panels (which show up often) or a used widebody kit from somebody going back to stock. eBay, auctions.yahoo.co.jp (via buyee.com), www.nsx-parts.com, and nsxprime.com.

It is going to be expensive, but I don't know your budget....but I suspect at age 17 it is going to be a tough haul.


Where are you located?

/I'm living in NZ now, but currently Stateside for an emergency.

 

[Hass]

Sounds like a very expensive project. Good luck

 

[jimmy_]

manawatu, levin

I live in the manawatu. your right I don't have a lot of money and it would take me afew years most likely to get it back on the road. i would do almost all the work my self and i would be able to use the recourses at my work. I don't really have a budget it just gonna be whatever I can spend on it I will till its finished

 

[drew]

Working on aluminum (aluminium) is vastly different than steel. Few panel beaters are versed in it and it is requires a LOT of skill to do...you are years away from getting your cert I would think.

At your age, it is nice to dream, but this likely not a project at your age with a low budget....it will likely severely lower your trajectory for the next 20 years. The NSX is going to be a very old car before you get the opportunity and means to complete it.

 

[jimmy_]

i just see it sitting there everyday at work and think its abit sad. its one of my dream cars I did some research to me after 30k or so in repairs. I'm not planning on have pristine condition nsx.

 

[MaxGeek]

At 17 definitely focus on your future career. However, if it's your dream car and you can comfortably buy it and sit on it for many years, then sure.

 

[goldNSX]

I'd stay away and would concentrate on other things.

When I was 20 I've bought an old car but never got around to fix it. It a was stupid 'emotional' buy I should not have done. But not much money lost from todays perspective. But it was quite a lot of money back then! I finally sold it after some years...

My father would have said: only because an NSX is sitting in your shop doesn't mean it's good to buy and repair it.

 

[docjohn]

If you can buy it for very little....drag it to a barn....invest your money, learn your craft, it will always be there waiting for you when you have the resources..

 

[Old Guy]

Go to this website

Genuine Japanese Car Part Imports - Amayama

They have access to the complete range of available NSX parts at prices which are as good as anybody else and they ship internationally. Bring a box of tissues to deal with the nosebleed that you are going to get as you check out parts prices. As noted, the body panels and the tub are aluminum which requires a set of additional skills for welding and panel beating beyond the typical sheet metal massagers.

You could follow docjohn's advice to purchase it and store it. However, parts availability is not going to improve and the price of parts that are available is likely to increase. Give consideration to the fact that if the car has "been sitting for years" it may have some significant engine and drivetrain problems in addition to the body work. I don't know the condition of the car; but, if there is engine work in addition to body work I could see that you could spend $10,000 - $40,000 to get it running. How long is it going to be before you have that kind of surplus cash available to finish off the car? The fact that a potentially valuable car like the NSX has sat unattended rather than the owner repairing it or selling it off suggests that the repair costs are probably towards the high end.

The first gen NSX is now a 30+ years old design and is more like a vintage or classic car. The general rule for people who purchase vintage cars is you purchase the most expensive version of the car that you can afford rather than the cheapest version and plan to restore it. The guys who purchase cars that need to be restored are guys with money and free time and want a project to work on. Since you are looking for advice, if you don't already have the surplus cash for the restoration work I would give the car a hard pass.

 

[drew]

I'll jump on the bandwagon again: Restoring such a car in NZ is going to be EXTREMELY difficult and EXTREMELY expensive. I'm well situated in NZ and it will be painful. And I'm good at it.

I understand that NSX's in NZ sell for US$70K-US$80K in great condition You will likely be upside down with just the cash layout and thousands of hours of your time will be free/worthless.

It would be nice to see photos, but even a lightly damaged NSX is difficult. And the resale value of a "not pristine" NSX will be a lot lower. It is extremely unlikely the car is economically feasible to restore. Probably more of a track car or a wide body candidate as OEM panels are hard to come by (hard = expensive+time consuming). The mechanical maintenance will be ongoing and onerous for somebody that doesn't have thousands a year in completely disposable money.

If you COULD pull off this NSX, then you would be far better off scraping up a down payment for a house and let NZ's insane house market make money for you while you toil away inside your garage making $50K a year in house appreciation.

I recommend a GTR as those cars are free available in NZ and can be just as desirable. The Mazda AZ-1 is also super cool. Look into the Smart Roadster, slow but fun.

I grew up poor and big dreams, so I understand where you are coming from. A US$50K loss for me when I was 19 took me 12 years to recover, fast forward 15 years and it would take several million to have had the same impact on my life. You need seed money to invest: put your money and effort in appreciating assets, your own panel beating shop or whatever...but a reliable inexpensive car is a high enough ongoing expense, an expensive comparatively hard to work on car will crush you. I realize you only get one life, but delay this gratification for a decade.

 

[goldNSX]

I'd vote against getting a 'millstone around the neck' for several years.

 

[Honcho]

I'll jump on the bandwagon again: Restoring such a car in NZ is going to be EXTREMELY difficult and EXTREMELY expensive. I'm well situated in NZ and it will be painful. And I'm good at it.

I understand that NSX's in NZ sell for US$70K-US$80K in great condition You will likely be upside down with just the cash layout and thousands of hours of your time will be free/worthless.

It would be nice to see photos, but even a lightly damaged NSX is difficult. And the resale value of a "not pristine" NSX will be a lot lower. It is extremely unlikely the car is economically feasible to restore. Probably more of a track car or a wide body candidate as OEM panels are hard to come by (hard = expensive+time consuming). The mechanical maintenance will be ongoing and onerous for somebody that doesn't have thousands a year in completely disposable money.

If you COULD pull off this NSX, then you would be far better off scraping up a down payment for a house and let NZ's insane house market make money for you while you toil away inside your garage making $50K a year in house appreciation.

I recommend a GTR as those cars are free available in NZ and can be just as desirable. The Mazda AZ-1 is also super cool. Look into the Smart Roadster, slow but fun.

I grew up poor and big dreams, so I understand where you are coming from. A US$50K loss for me when I was 19 took me 12 years to recover, fast forward 15 years and it would take several million to have had the same impact on my life. You need seed money to invest: put your money and effort in appreciating assets, your own panel beating shop or whatever...but a reliable inexpensive car is a high enough ongoing expense, an expensive comparatively hard to work on car will crush you. I realize you only get one life, but delay this gratification for a decade.

Great advice here. I'll be close to $100k on my restoration and there was no real body work involved... Unless you have that kind of disposable cash, let it sit for a few more years.

 

[alcheng]

mita does carry OEM NSX body panels, you can take a look on their website.

hope it helps!

 

[emac]

The general rule for people who purchase vintage cars is you purchase the most expensive version of the car that you can afford rather than the cheapest version and plan to restore it. The guys who purchase cars that need to be restored are guys with money and free time and want a project to work on. Since you are looking for advice, if you don't already have the surplus cash for the restoration work I would give the car a hard pass.

HAHA! I know that guy very well. I see him every morning in the mirror. Buy a 10K car, spend 20k on it, and have a 20k car! What I have discovered, is if you have staying power, inflation will catch up with your project and you might recoup some of your money.

My 17 year old recently asked me: "If something happens to you, what are we going to do with the cars?"

 

[Jerry@Mobile]

I would also pass on the car. I have completed three body off restorations. I did a 66 and 68 Corvette and a 70 SS Chevelle. GM made thousands and thousands of these cars. The aftermarket is also flush with parts etc. That said, the cost and time to complete is enormous. GM made thousands of Corvettes in one year than the entire run of NSXs. There is an old saying about restoring cars, It is easy to make a small fortune, just start with a large fortune. If you are dead set on going through the purchase, do an inventory of what the car needs and start pricing out parts. The car is built on a unibody, so that must be taken into consideration. How is the engine, transmission, transaxle steering rack? How come the car has not already been repaired? Some pictures would help. Good luck. Jerry