2 of my friends have 350z's i like them, i like my nsx better, but i still like the car :biggrin:
Friend of 350Z owner are "giving away" a 97
- Thread starter comquat1
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schuey1010 said:
Hey all, this is the "Clown" that's considering getting the NSX. I'm sorry if everyone thinks I'm crazy for not immediately jumping on purchasing this car--I'm not the type to jump in blindly I guess. I want to check out the car thoroughly before decide to sell my perfectly good three year-old car for a car that's ten years old.
I know NSXs are incredible cars, and I never thought I'd have a chance to own one, but I don't want to get myself into a situation where I have to spend thousands of dollars in repairs after I buy the car. The NSX owner isn't in a dire situation where he has to get rid of it right away, and he's okay with letting me have the car checked out first, so I might as well tread carefully and make sure the car is in good shape.
I started reading this forum to learn more about this car's repair and maintenance tips/cost when I came across this thread, so I had to chime in.
spf4000 said:
At the price you are stating you will get it for, I don't think you have to worry about jumping blindly into the car unless it's been in a wreck and the frame is/was bent. The only reason to hesitate is whether or not you will be able to afford the upkeep and maintenance on it.
spf4000,
don't take the comments on here personally. I believe that the members on here just see that as a steal at that price even if you have to do maintenance, things I can think of are TB, waterpump as important to do. one thing that will be expensive is the clutch replacement as it has the twin disk clutch and I have heard some high quotes on getting that replaced. However even if you still do that you are still on top, what I mean is if you decide you don't like the car you can sell it and make a profit and buy yourself another 350Z. KBB really doesn't apply to NSX's its a poor way to price the car, look at NSX prime market place for typical values, even autotrader.com is a good place to check the market. Another thing to think about is that your 350Z is on a constant decline in price whereas the NSX is not and will eventually hit a bottom dollar amount, the earlier ones already seem to of about $25K for a fair condition one, keep in mind there are less than 9000 NSXs in the US, think supply and demand. In any case the comments by the members are just that they are frustrated that you aren't jumping on something that they wished they were given the opportunity for.
If you have questions on the NSX there is plenty of kowledge and experts on this forum. Search is your friend, anything else that you can't find, post and you will get your answers.
Best of luck with your decision:biggrin:
Carl
don't take the comments on here personally. I believe that the members on here just see that as a steal at that price even if you have to do maintenance, things I can think of are TB, waterpump as important to do. one thing that will be expensive is the clutch replacement as it has the twin disk clutch and I have heard some high quotes on getting that replaced. However even if you still do that you are still on top, what I mean is if you decide you don't like the car you can sell it and make a profit and buy yourself another 350Z. KBB really doesn't apply to NSX's its a poor way to price the car, look at NSX prime market place for typical values, even autotrader.com is a good place to check the market. Another thing to think about is that your 350Z is on a constant decline in price whereas the NSX is not and will eventually hit a bottom dollar amount, the earlier ones already seem to of about $25K for a fair condition one, keep in mind there are less than 9000 NSXs in the US, think supply and demand. In any case the comments by the members are just that they are frustrated that you aren't jumping on something that they wished they were given the opportunity for.
If you have questions on the NSX there is plenty of kowledge and experts on this forum. Search is your friend, anything else that you can't find, post and you will get your answers.
Best of luck with your decision:biggrin:
Carl
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spf4, welcome to our forum, and please understand why prime members are doubtful of your post...
my 97 nsx cost me nearly $50K less than a year ago. Granted I bought it with less than half the miles...
Only thing, I don't understand why anyone would sell an NSX for that low of a price. Is it a family discount or salvage title?
I spent hours everyday for 7 months before I found the NSX I wanted for the price I wanted. In that time, I never once came across a clean NSX discounted so heavily. If indeed the deal you have is true, you are a very lucky.
While this looks like a deal to JUMP ON, you may want to be judicious in your purchasing process, as I have found with most things in this world, "if its too good to be true, it probably is"
my 97 nsx cost me nearly $50K less than a year ago. Granted I bought it with less than half the miles...
Only thing, I don't understand why anyone would sell an NSX for that low of a price. Is it a family discount or salvage title?
I spent hours everyday for 7 months before I found the NSX I wanted for the price I wanted. In that time, I never once came across a clean NSX discounted so heavily. If indeed the deal you have is true, you are a very lucky.
While this looks like a deal to JUMP ON, you may want to be judicious in your purchasing process, as I have found with most things in this world, "if its too good to be true, it probably is"
schuey1010 said:
About time. 5 pages of rant about 350Z vs. NSX... Yet not one 350 enthusiast on the MY350Z forums really even stopped to question if the deal was legit. Given that a average condition 97' with ~40K miles is still going anywhere from 37-38+ USD wholesale to 42-48 retail, it would seem worth one's time to really investigate the details and establish the legitamacy of the seller, particularly on a large dollar international transaction.
schuey1010 said:
Oh well... see now this all makes a lot of sense. One of those RHD's with CA emissions that was already transported to Italy.
schuey1010 said:
Free round-trip international shipping and customs clearance too. Now we're talking. Customer satisfaction is priority one. Well I guess beggers can be choosers after all. I'm all over this one. Let me guess.. Western Union?
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if someone is selling dollars for fifty cents, they are either very nice or very dumb
and if someone doesn't buy a dollar for fifty cents, they are just plain....nevermind:wink:
and if someone doesn't buy a dollar for fifty cents, they are just plain....nevermind:wink:
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Today, I took the car in to a shop recommended by an acquaintance who has his NSX serviced there all the time. The mechanic went over the car and found a couple of minor oil leaks, but no major problem besides the EPS. The total cost to get this car into shape will end up being around $8000-8500 (New steering rack, timing belt, water pump, fix oil pan leak, new front tires, etc.) Another interesting note is that both the front and rear bumpers have been replaced due to minor accidents. Fortunately, there is no visible frame damage.
I forgot just how tough it was to do a 3 point turn in a car with no power steering! The lack of power steering does make the steering feel really direct, once it gets going, however. The engine feel is excellent. I love how the car pulls all the way to redline.
There are a few things I don't like about the car, however. I don't care for the targa top. It's very squeaky--every time the car goes over a bump it reminds me of how targa tops takes away from the rigidity of this otherwise wonderful sportscar. There are other annoying rattles coming from the dash and rear deck as well, which I'll have to learn to live with. The other thing I'm not happy with is the paint condition--it's definitely not a garage queen. Although it's better than average, it can't hide the fact that it's a 10 year old car. The paint swirls are pretty bad, and there are enough scratches and nicks to make me want to get it repainted. This car definitely needs some tender love and care to get it back into a shape I'll be happy with.
I forgot just how tough it was to do a 3 point turn in a car with no power steering! The lack of power steering does make the steering feel really direct, once it gets going, however. The engine feel is excellent. I love how the car pulls all the way to redline.
There are a few things I don't like about the car, however. I don't care for the targa top. It's very squeaky--every time the car goes over a bump it reminds me of how targa tops takes away from the rigidity of this otherwise wonderful sportscar. There are other annoying rattles coming from the dash and rear deck as well, which I'll have to learn to live with. The other thing I'm not happy with is the paint condition--it's definitely not a garage queen. Although it's better than average, it can't hide the fact that it's a 10 year old car. The paint swirls are pretty bad, and there are enough scratches and nicks to make me want to get it repainted. This car definitely needs some tender love and care to get it back into a shape I'll be happy with.
spf4000 said:
One thing I think you missed, is you have power steering on that car. I'm no mechanic, but why does it need a new steering rack? Could someone who's mechanically inclined tell me why this might be a needed repair? With so few miles, I can't comprehend why.
What color is this car? If you are just dealing with swirls and some light scratches, you should be able to compound it and get it back to almost new. I had that issue on my Evo (it was black) and compounding made it look like new again.
Does this owner not have any record of a timing belt/water pump done? You shouldn't be out more than $2000 on that (I'm estimating high), you should be able to do two front tires (Bridgestone S03's - which aren't cheap) for under $600. Fixing an oil pan gasket should not be more than two hours shop time (less than $200). How are you getting $8000 worth or work? Is this steering rack issue that expensive?
On another note, did you take this car to an Acura dealer where a trained NSX tech could diagnose the car? That can be a night and day difference, perhaps you are getting fed a line of bull from an unexperienced mechanic?
Please don't think I'm ripping on you, I still think this car sounds like a very good deal even with the maintenance you state needs addressing. Your price is incredible.
Edit: I just thought of this regarding the oil leak. Make sure your pan bolts are torqued to the proper spec. Mine leaked and the dealer just retightened the pan bolts, no leaks since, and I switched to Mobil 1 after that too.
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comquat1 said:
The power steering problem is one that the current owner's been struggling with for a while. They performed the 97 EPS recall TSB on it, and it was apparently fixed for a while, but the power steering went out again 6 months later. When he took it back to the Acura dealership where they performed the recall repair, and they told him that they'd have to replace the entire power steering rack, which costs 5300 for the part alone. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time today for the tech to take a good look at the power steering system, but he suspects that it may just be a problem with the EPS control unit. If that's the case, the repair will only cost around 1500.
As for the timing belt and water pump, the owner has confirmed that they are still the original parts. Therefore, I'd want to replace those parts before they cause a catastrophic problem.
As for the paint, most of it should buff out okay, but there's a few scratches that go down to the metal. I may try getting it touched up to see if I can live with it before I opt for a full repaint.
There is one concern that I encountered that I forgot to have the tech look into more carefully. When I rev the engine with the clutch disengaged and let the rev fall all the way down, the engine shudders and almost stalls out before recovering again. Is this a common problem?
Edit: btw, the car is black.
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You might just have to lube up the weather stripping/seal.spf4000 said:
That is a little odd; mine is completely silent with no rattles or squeaks. All the others that I've talked to regarding that issue also have a rattle free ride, and we're from '05s back to '91s. You may want to look a little more into a possible accident repair or maybe some other members have tips on this.spf4000 said:
spf4000 said:
At least you know it woln't rust :tongue:
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redshift said:
Hmm, that's definitely a cause for concern. There's definitely a noticeable rattle coming from the dash, which I can't seem to isolate. The one from the back sounds like the engine cover, so it shouldn't be too hard to fix. I guess I 'll have to take a closer look.
spf4000 said:
i took my engine cover off and it got rid of some ratteling... i don't know how it is setup with the targa, but on the little support arm that holds the engine cover up when you are working on the engine, the clip that holds that to the engine cover when it is not i use was loose and rattled around... i weged some foam around it so it quit and that cut down a bit, but i have since just taken it out anyway to do some stuff...
old_S13 said:Thats a completely stupid statement.
Besides having excellent sales figures, the Z is indeed ahead of its time in design and very reasonably priced. Its one of the newer car that actually has distinctive features that seperate it from the rest, unlike many of the newer cars. Many other companies right now have grown tired of ideas and keep making bubble-cars that dont have character, or they go retro to re-invent the past. The 350Z has subtleties that hint to its predecessors, but nothing is actually taken directly that stands out. If you put a 240Z next to a 350Z, its still a very unique looking design.
I have appreciation for many cars, and its upsetting when you hear people belittle a car because its a "NISSAN." I always hear people complain about the NSX, saying its a dated design, its underpowered, and its overpriced. But you know what? Regardless, I like the car.. and thats the only thing that matters.
As for my opinion, if I had a Z33 and had a choice of getting an NSX at that price? Sure, I'de buy the NSX...
...and I'de keep both.
I just traded in my 03 H2 for an 06 Armada. I bought it because it is a "NISSAN". The 350Z is disappointing when it comes to power and it's propensity to go boom when boosted. If sent to hell, in the after life you have to choose between a 350Z or Miata.
Go easy on those younguns Doc! They'll come around in about twenty years!
Zap
Zap
The engine cover rattle should be simple to fix; you could always just remove the cover entirely if push comes to shove. The sound coming from the dash might be your climate control fan. Listen near that little vented area on the console that the parking brake points to when in the down/off position. If it gets louder as your ear gets closer, then you have a noisy fan. I actually had that problem too, but I fixed it by removing the fan, disassembling and cleaning it, and re-lubing it with the oil that came with my hunter ceiling fans. It's actually a relatively easy task.spf4000 said:
The rattle can also be coming from the Keyless entry system, it's bolts onto a plastic panel under the glove box...This unit can become loose and make some noise.
Bram
Bram
clr1024 said:
Actually, '97 and newer cars have a single disk clutch, the older cars are twin disk.
