Finding the One NSX

[Patricio]

I guess what would help all of us neubies out would be to hear all of your stories. How each one of you guys found your cars.

What you started out looking for
What you endded up looking for
How many you looked at
Where did you travel to
how long did you look

give us all the stories I think they should be interesting.

thanks
Patricio

 

[skyline23]

I actually got really really really lucky with finding mine...I was actually deciding between a used e46 m3 or an nsx, and was having the hardest time making a decision...I remember finally coming to the decision that if within the next few months, i somehow find the exact nsx i want (black on black coupe, supercharged with a manual tranny and less then 60k miles, in my budget), i would get the nsx, but otherwise id stick with the m3 since i would have a much easier time finding one that had everything i wanted...Since what i wanted from the nsx was sooo specific, i was almost certain i would never find one....The funny part was i think within the next few days or maybe even hours after i came to that decision, someone posted an nsx for sale on prime that had EVERY single thing i wanted, and it was within my budget...The only problem was that it was in rochester,NY, and i live in san jose,ca....so i ended up flying out there to check out the car while at the same time making arrangements with a shipping company to be ready to pick up the car if i ended up getting it...anyway,just thought id share my story...good luck finding yours!

 

[Hugh]

1. What you started out looking for
2. What you endded up looking for
3. How many you looked at
4. Where did you travel to
5. How long did you look

1. A Red/Black 1993
2. Same as above
3. 1
4. 200 miles from home
5. 10 minutes. (Thanks Prime)

 

[KooLaid]

Started out looking for 91's. Red w/ red top w/ black interior, manual, sub 100k miles some mods. Ended up looking for black manual w/ black interior, sub 70k miles, stock, major services completed, any year. Physically looked at 2. Drove across town, 5 miles, then another 50 miles away in Denver. So not far. Looked for maybe 2 months.

Ended up with 93 black with white interior. 63k miles. Manual, close to stock. Services completed. Flew one way from Colorado to Houston. Drove it back. Just saw pictures of what it was before, moderately modified, lowered, body kit, etc, not of what it was gonna be when I picked it up. Didn't even look it over very closely at all. Was just anxious to make her mine and start my journey home.

 

[NSX-GUY]

I guess what would help all of us neubies out would be to hear all of your stories. How each one of you guys found your cars.

What you started out looking for
What you endded up looking for
How many you looked at
Where did you travel to
how long did you look

give us all the stories I think they should be interesting.

thanks
Patricio

a.) Don't remember (but it was NOT an NSX)
b.) Silly - the NSX :wink:
c.) One
d.) Chicago (from NY) The '98 Yellow NSX was 72K (early 2000) with 3K miles on it and it was love at first sight. But I couldn't pull the trigger at that price. About 6 months later, the VERY SAME CAR turned up at Luxury Motors in Chicago for 66K (now with 4K miles) and I did it.
e.) Didn't really "look" for another NSX during those 5 months.

 

[blodi]

What you started out looking for
What you endded up looking for
How many you looked at
Where did you travel to
how long did you look


thanks
Patricio

1. Red/Black 5spd low miles around 30G
2. The same.
3. I looked at many online, but in person, just two.
4. I ended up flying to El Paso Tx, 2000 miles away and drove the car back.
5. Well dreamed for 7 years, but actually really looked for a few months....I got lucky and got exactly what I wanted...actually even better than I had hoped for.

 

[Ray Rodriguez]

I guess what would help all of us neubies out would be to hear all of your stories. How each one of you guys found your cars.

What you started out looking for
What you endded up looking for
How many you looked at
Where did you travel to
how long did you look

give us all the stories I think they should be interesting.

thanks
Patricio

1. 91-94 auto red
2. 91 manual red/ivory
3. one
4. West Chester, PA
5. 8 months

 

[The Kid]

1. 1991-1992 NSX, red/black, and it had to have under 30k miles and
bone stock.
2. Bought a 92 Red/Black with 26k on it in Virginia, had 01 rims on it and
was like a brand new vehicle. It was the newest one i'd ever seen.
3. I looking at roughly 25 of them.
4. I looked at ones in DC, Virginia, PA, Conn., Mass., NY, NJ and Ohio.
5. I took my a year and half to find the one I wanted.

I knew a NSX was what I wanted and that I didnt plan on selling it once I got it, so I waited and waited and waited till I found that car I'd sell my soul for I posted an ad on NSX Prime under "NSX Wanted" and someone called me at my dealership about a month later. I remember saying to myself, I just bought a house and just started a new job, is now the right time. The phone rang and it was a gentleman named Keith. He was telling me about this NSX he had and he never drove it. I remember looking outside and it started to snow, REAL BAD! I was driving an Escalade at the time and it was tough to get home. I have an hour commute home and this night it took me about 2 and half. The next morning I called keith back and told him id take it. No haggling, no nothing. I flew down to Virginia a couple days later, threw my dealer plate on the back and hauled ass home to NJ. My parents were waiting at my house the moment I pulled home. They said they were so tired of hearing me talk about this "magical car", they wanted to see what was so special.

Anyways, thats my tale and how Ive come to get my NSX. Been bout the best 3 years of my life.:biggrin:

 

[kreh]

Great story Kid. Thanks for that.

Kim

 

[Deltron Zero]

I thought I was one of the only ones that grabbed the first one I looked at...

 

[TomCat]

I guess what would help all of us neubies out would be to hear all of your stories. How each one of you guys found your cars.

What you started out looking for

SILVER or ANY COLOR NOT RED OR BLACK
What you endded up looking for[/QUOTE]

BLACK
How many you looked at[/QUOTE]

SINCE 1993?????
Where did you travel to[/QUOTE]

HOUSTON 1,200 MILES...DROVE IT HOME IN 18 HOURS SOLID RAIN
how long did you look[/QUOTE]

PASSIVELY SINCE '93 ACTIVELY 3 MONTHS

give us all the stories I think they should be interesting.

thanks
Patricio[/QUOTE]

 

[Patricio]

I love it, these stories sound like there about their first house or long lost brother its awsome group of owners. The only other group ive seen this attached was the ffcobra group for factory five cobras also an awsome car but im too young for that car. the nsx is so much more my era. and a better built car any way.

 

[robr]

What you started out looking for
What you endded up looking for
How many you looked at
Where did you travel to
how long did you look

1. Silver NSX, 91 was likely the only thing I could afford back in 96.
2. Same
3. Zero. I bought it sight unseen after Ken Sax checked it out for me. Silver 91 with 11k. Never checked out any vehicle in person. It was a little more expensive than I planned on ($43K, I was looking at spending high 30s) but it was exactly what I was looking for. It was basically a new car.
4. Chicago from Boston
5. On and off for about a year via perusing ads on the net, bought it in Sept 97.

 

[Ski_Banker]

I actively looked for about 6 months, for 02 or 03 in perfect shape, in Silverstone or LB Blue Pearl. Couldn't find a perfect one. Then, I saw that new 05s could actually be had for mid-high 70s, so I decided to go new. Especially since the last ones were being shipped at the time. Took 2 weeks to locate a dealer with Silverstone / Onyx (the perfect combo, had changed my mind about LBB). Two left on the east coast. Once I knew I was "in the ballpark" on pricing with the NY dealer, I bought a plane ticket on a Friday, flew Miami to LGA on Sat morning, spent ALL DAY at the dealer with a NYC buddy but left with an 05 at 6pm on Sat. Drove my buddy back into Manhattan, dropped him off, sped through Times Square, hopped on the Turnpike and drove till 4am to NC. Crashed at my Pop's house a few hours, took him for a spin and my 1st VTEC (hit 600 mile breakin on way down), dropped him off, drove 12 hours to Miami. Got home at midnight, went to bed with an enormous grin, woke up Monday morning and drove to work in a new NSX.

Coworker buddy: "So, what'd you do this weekend?"
Me: "Not much"
:wink: :biggrin:

 

[DV8]

1. 1st choice was the NSX, but was toying around the idea of serveral cars (i.e. G35 coupe, BMW M3, etc.) but as I said, only toying:wink:

2. 1991-1994 Black or White (but was open to any color)

3. I inquired on serveral, but bought the car unseen and undriven (if that's the correct word). Had a fellow member, mmmikemo (thanks Mike!), check it out for me

4. From Colorado to Wisconsin - 900+miles (hit a racoon or oppossum on the way)

5. Been waiting for over six years for the car, but when I was ready to buy, probably about a year and a half.

The most important thing is if you really want the NSX or another car, DON"T SETTLE!! Since I've purchased the car, I have not thought about the other cars that I was toying around with purchasing and have absolutely NO REGRETS. If I were to purchase any of the other cars mentioned I would most certainly be thinking of the NSX - I guarantee that!

 

[|Adeel]

I guess what would help all of us neubies out would be to hear all of your stories. How each one of you guys found your cars.

What you started out looking for
What you endded up looking for
How many you looked at
Where did you travel to
how long did you look

give us all the stories I think they should be interesting.

thanks
Patricio

- 1991 Berlina Black, max. 50k miles
- Found the car!
- Through a USA-import dealer who imported for me and fixed alle the papers, including snap-ring check and test drive in USA before purchasing
- About 5 min. from here to the dealer to pick it up
- About a month


Now I want a 1997+ NSX, the same colour, not NSX-T but coupe - this search begins when summer ends here in about a month or two.

 

[lutera]

What you started out looking for - 91 to 93 NSX, any color
What you ended up looking for - 91 to 93 NSX, Black/any
How many you looked at - 3
Where did you travel to - 35 miles
how long did you look - Many years

I guess what would help all of us neubies out would be to hear all of your stories. How each one of you guys found your cars.

What you started out looking for
What you endded up looking for
How many you looked at
Where did you travel to
how long did you look

give us all the stories I think they should be interesting.

thanks
Patricio

 

[ETLMD]

1. Any NSX under $40k
2. '91-'94 NSX with less than 50k miles
3. 14
4. All over Southern California
5. About 2 years

During my search, I was able to thoroughly look at and test drive NSXs from many different years (1991-1998). Since my budget was less than $40k, the '97 and '98 cars I test drove either had high mileage (80k+ miles) or had a salvage title. I really liked the 6 speed transmission and the larger 3.2 liter engine, however, these cars did not feel as solid as the older, lower mileage, and cleaner history cars I tested out. Therefore, since my budget kept me from purchasing a decent '97+ NSX-T, I ruled them out. The '95 and '96 NSX-Ts I looked at and drove were nice, but they felt a bit heavier, didn't feel as stiff, and had more wind noise than the '91-'94 NSX coupes--so I ruled those out too. That left me looking for a '91-'94 NSX with relatively low mileage (under 50k miles, in my opinion). With my $40k budget, I was able to look at some fine example early model NSXs. The feel of the '91-'94 coupes felt much better than the later model NSXs I tested. The lack of power steering, the fixed roof, and overall lighter car felt really nice. After about 2 years of searching, I ended up with a '91 with 37k miles.

 

[nvrquit4]

Dang...I'll be glad when the NSX is finally in my budget. '02 or later, yellow on yellow and she will be parked in the play garage next to my '01 black on black S2000. Neither will be allowed out except on perfect driving days. Oh how I can't wait.

Thanks for the stories guys. It's inspiring.

 

[scorp965]

What you started out looking for
1994 red/tan coupe

What you endded up looking for
1994 red/tan coupe

How many you looked at
2xred/tan 1994 coupes (according to faq there are 25 total red/tan coupes with a 5spd in the US), about 10 total nsx's (some targas, some non-tan interior red coupes)

Where did you travel to
Ohio (drove the car home to SoCal)

how long did you look
About 4 months, 2.5 months were browsing various cars, including the nsx; 1.5 were serious/nsx-specific

 

[Hugh]

hopped on the Turnpike and drove till 4am to NC <snip>drove 12 hours to Miami.

Did you plow into any curbs on the way down?

 

[nsxsupra]

1. 92~93 GPW coupe under $35k
2. Same as #1
3. 1 in person, many on line
4. Costa Mesa 10 miles away from me
5. 1 year

My story is simple, called the seller immediately after I saw the ad, went down to see the car with my girlfriend. The moment we saw the car, we both know that was the one, no need to look further, and by looking at the owners other car collection, and how mint all of them looked, I knew he is another one of those crazy car guy. The car was completely stock down to the bone with 23k miles and came with a pile of service history and receipts.

The seller allowed me to go for a test drive by myself, I drove around carefully, didn't really push it at all as I wasn't familiar with the car. I then asked the seller to show me what it is capable of, he gave me that smirk, next thing I know is

I took no chances, I asked the seller to drop the car off at SouthCoast Acura for per-purchase inspection. That was one of the longest day I have ever experienced. I hand over the $34.5k immediately after I got the pre-purchase inspection results from SCA, registered the car at AAA, paid the tax and other fees, emission test, insurance, made an appointment for timing belt/water pump all in the same afternoon. I would love to live that day again, one of the best day for me ever.

 

[Ski_Banker]

Did you plow into any curbs on the way down?

Not that I can remember, but I was pretty tired... :biggrin:

 

[Ski_Banker]

'02 or later, yellow on yellow ... Oh how I can't wait.

Thanks for the stories guys. It's inspiring.

Like the username...very Tony Robbins. He'd also approve of the yellow/yellow NSX - like a bright blazing streak of happy sunshine charging down the freeway! :biggrin:

(j/k :smile: )

 

[NSX@40]

What you started out looking for
What you ended up looking for
How many you looked at
Where did you travel to
how long did you look

I started out searching for a Midnight Pearl NSX; when I finally found one, the CarFax report indicated frame damage I then decided that any '91 - '94 coupe in silver or black with less than 75k miles would work. A silver car in Las Vegas got away because the seller's brother had first dibs. I looked for several more weeks, considering black cars in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Kentucky (I had friends check out two of these three). I drove a fourth black car here in California that had great Blitz wheels but was otherwise neglected, so I stopped looking for awhile.

Obviously, I was willing to travel to find the right NSX. When I started looking again -- I think it was on Autotrader.com where you plug in your zip code and specify a radius -- I found a car ZERO MILES away :biggrin: I thought it was a typo, but sure enough, a pristine black on black '93 with less than 67K mi was for sale just a 5 minute walk from my house! (I didn't realize it at the time, but I had found the same car on Prime and had contacted the seller twice about the same car.) It passed the pre-sale inspection at the local Acura dealer, and the rest is history.