I drove to Seattle to check out JH4NA2162VT000099. It looked pretty good on the website. Since red/black is my top color combination, I decided to check it out despite it's a 97. Before I go up I call my buddy who used to live in Bellevue, WA. I was asked to read about the dealership first: http://www.parkplaceproblems.com/ For anyone who is also interested in purchasing ANY NSX I STRONGLY recommend reading this site and all the responses first. The testimonials horrified me, but yet enlightening. Everyone knows one can be robbed the wrong way in used car purchasing, but people shared some outrageous experiences about this place.
I was lucky that I got hold of David Khazi on the 2nd call I made. He's one of the few sales person that was referred as reliable from people's responses. We chat about the condition and the history of the car: A local doctor traded it for a DB9. The car has a aftermarket exhaust(pictured below), and a racing clutch that's really tight.
I drove four hours north to see him, and the car was exactly as he described. The exterior condition is excellent. There are numbers of rock chips, but nothing out of the ordinary for a 97. It was obvious that they power-washed the engine bay and detailed all the visible area. The interior is also in very good condition. However a S2000 shift knob is presented and the leather skirt is not attached to it.(picture below)
The test drive was smooth. The clutch was very tight and definitely would be a pain in the neck for a daily car. The 1st gear get-go required about 4000 RMP or the engine would vibrate and the car starts slow. I've seen the same before on a 99 NSX with racing-clutch. But that was 10 years ago so I hope someone with more experiences can say something about this. The exhaust(picture below) was loud for me, but I am sure many of you would like it. The transmission was smooth. Down-shifting into 2nd at 20 m/h and 3rd at 40 m/h was both smooth. All in all, this car is very nice, especially at where it's priced.
I did find some flaws. There were good amount of moisture/water inside of the right tail light (picture below), and 2 out of the 3 bulbs were very dim. The gas petal was a little lose. The first 1/4 to 1/2 inch was nothing but air. I might be spoiled by my new E60 M5, but I certainly didn't have the same issue on my S2000. I also believe the car was lowered and not mentioned in the ad. The VK wheels looked a bit aged, too.
I am seriously thinking about getting it for a garage queen/track car, but I need to find out about replacing the clutch and the exhaust. Yes, I am a bone stock guy. The recommended NSX technician is only 13 miles away from the dealership and David is willing to arrange to bring the car to Zahntech (http://www.zahntechauto.com/ServicesRates.html).
I was lucky that I got hold of David Khazi on the 2nd call I made. He's one of the few sales person that was referred as reliable from people's responses. We chat about the condition and the history of the car: A local doctor traded it for a DB9. The car has a aftermarket exhaust(pictured below), and a racing clutch that's really tight.
I drove four hours north to see him, and the car was exactly as he described. The exterior condition is excellent. There are numbers of rock chips, but nothing out of the ordinary for a 97. It was obvious that they power-washed the engine bay and detailed all the visible area. The interior is also in very good condition. However a S2000 shift knob is presented and the leather skirt is not attached to it.(picture below)
The test drive was smooth. The clutch was very tight and definitely would be a pain in the neck for a daily car. The 1st gear get-go required about 4000 RMP or the engine would vibrate and the car starts slow. I've seen the same before on a 99 NSX with racing-clutch. But that was 10 years ago so I hope someone with more experiences can say something about this. The exhaust(picture below) was loud for me, but I am sure many of you would like it. The transmission was smooth. Down-shifting into 2nd at 20 m/h and 3rd at 40 m/h was both smooth. All in all, this car is very nice, especially at where it's priced.
I did find some flaws. There were good amount of moisture/water inside of the right tail light (picture below), and 2 out of the 3 bulbs were very dim. The gas petal was a little lose. The first 1/4 to 1/2 inch was nothing but air. I might be spoiled by my new E60 M5, but I certainly didn't have the same issue on my S2000. I also believe the car was lowered and not mentioned in the ad. The VK wheels looked a bit aged, too.
I am seriously thinking about getting it for a garage queen/track car, but I need to find out about replacing the clutch and the exhaust. Yes, I am a bone stock guy. The recommended NSX technician is only 13 miles away from the dealership and David is willing to arrange to bring the car to Zahntech (http://www.zahntechauto.com/ServicesRates.html).
