Frustrated in my NSX search
- Thread starter ThumperAC
- Start date
I purchased my car from a Primer after only looking for about a month. I negotiated the price over the phone and purchased it sight unseen. Sounds crazy, right?
My red '93 had each and every dealer service acccording to the book done BEFORE it was needed, the car looked like it had 8600 miles, not 86000 and I spoke at length to the privious owner and Acura mechanic. And, yes, I did a PPI at my cost.
I picked the car up in Texas and drove 1000 miles back to Florida and have loved each and every second of ownership.
Some on this thread say maintenance is not to worry but in my mind, maintenance is by far the single most important factor. An owner that will defer maintenance will probably leave the car outside for weeks on end, wax it once a year, put autozone brake pads on it, save a few cents by putting plus rather than super, attempt to hide flaws and park it at wal mart.
My red '93 had each and every dealer service acccording to the book done BEFORE it was needed, the car looked like it had 8600 miles, not 86000 and I spoke at length to the privious owner and Acura mechanic. And, yes, I did a PPI at my cost.
I picked the car up in Texas and drove 1000 miles back to Florida and have loved each and every second of ownership.
Some on this thread say maintenance is not to worry but in my mind, maintenance is by far the single most important factor. An owner that will defer maintenance will probably leave the car outside for weeks on end, wax it once a year, put autozone brake pads on it, save a few cents by putting plus rather than super, attempt to hide flaws and park it at wal mart.
Not crazy really, I negotiated over the phone and bought it sight unseen also- but from a Primer out of the market. You gotta get a feel for the seller and do a little digging to get your warm fuzzy then pull the trigger.
I guess that I seached for about 6 months mainly in the market on Prime but cross-checked autotrader and cars.com. I was a little pickier than Shawn.
Stay close to Brian / Source and he will keep you pointed in the right direstion. We need more NSX owners in the area that actually drive their cars and like to hang!
+1 for you to buy Ken's car, go to Chicago and get it!
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I searched for 6 months and had a couple choices that I wanted to pick up, but if you want a premium low mileage find you will have to pay for it. I got my second choice in color, which I am very happy with, but I was more happy to find my 99 with 16k miles. And yes I had to pay for it.
Dont give up hope, just keep looking. =)
Dont give up hope, just keep looking. =)
On the maintenance issue here. I am not saying not to worry about oil changes etc. What I mean is if the Tbelt has not been done in 8 years and 20k miles dont worry... It has not broken. There will be no damage to the car unless it is broken. So an old tbelt is ok as long as you immediately get it done to prevent it from breaking. The basics.. Oil, coolant, trans, etc is all important stuff to me. But a simple glance inside the oil fill cap, radiator will usually tell you how those were taken car of. If there is sludge on the valves etc in the motor that are visible stay away... Its all simple automotive knowledge. The big maintenance things are easily remedied. Just because they have not done a tbelt and hoses in 8 years doesnt mean they park at walmart :biggrin:.
I buy A LOT of these cars, 19 of them so far. 2 last week alone. I am confident in the cars that I buy because I have done this for a long time. If you do not carry that confidence or have that level of trust in your seller then you MUST get a PPI done by someone that not only knows cars but knows NSX's. And knows them well. Not just a tech at an Acura dealership. Trust me it is worth the money. I pass on a lot more than I buy because I get a bad feeling or see something that doesn't make sense to me.
Brian
I buy A LOT of these cars, 19 of them so far. 2 last week alone. I am confident in the cars that I buy because I have done this for a long time. If you do not carry that confidence or have that level of trust in your seller then you MUST get a PPI done by someone that not only knows cars but knows NSX's. And knows them well. Not just a tech at an Acura dealership. Trust me it is worth the money. I pass on a lot more than I buy because I get a bad feeling or see something that doesn't make sense to me.
Brian
^^^^
So true about what Brian just said. Listen to him, he knows what he is talking about! Call him again and see may be he can hook you up with one of his car or get one for you.
So true about what Brian just said. Listen to him, he knows what he is talking about! Call him again and see may be he can hook you up with one of his car or get one for you.
+1
I've been looking at ads for nearly a year and only seriously here in the last month or so as I plan to buy around November. I have a pretty wide range of "wants" as far as an NSX is concerned, but finding a black/ivory 91-93 is getting difficult. I guess it's good because at least the perfect one hasn't popped up when I'm ready to buy.
Give yourself longer than 2 months and act FAST when you find exactly what you're looking for when you find it.
Getting close!!! I will start looking for ya!
gotta love this forum, 30 serious replies in less than a day.
Thanks for all the input.
Again, looking for early NA1, must be 5 speed, prefer black on black or black on ivory, under 100k miles.
Willing to spend around $25k.
curtsr, I plan on putting miles on the car, not make it a garage queen.
Thanks for all the input.
Again, looking for early NA1, must be 5 speed, prefer black on black or black on ivory, under 100k miles.
Willing to spend around $25k.
curtsr, I plan on putting miles on the car, not make it a garage queen.
FWIW, I've been eyeballing Binh's 1991 Black/Ivory but it probably won't be around when I plan to buy.
Here's his Prime ad:
http://nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php?t=111379&highlight=black+ivory
and his craigslist:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/2578879597.html
Maybe an option?
Here's his Prime ad:
http://nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php?t=111379&highlight=black+ivory
and his craigslist:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/cto/2578879597.html
Maybe an option?
Knowing what I know now, I would get the cheapest priced NSX that:
1. has a clear CARFAX
2. Manual
3. OBD-1 (easier to deal with power mods that won't trip the CEL)
4. coupe
After seeing that 400k miles NSX on sale for $15k, my confidence in NSX's holding their value and condition is even greater.
I would then take the $$$ saved in a higher mileage NSX and use it to rebuild the engine to handle nice power and a blower (if in CA or some tough smog state) or turbo (in a non-smog state or one that is laid back).
That's just me. Spending $$$ on a low mileage NSX and then modifying it just doesn't make sense to me. Seems like a waste.
1. has a clear CARFAX
2. Manual
3. OBD-1 (easier to deal with power mods that won't trip the CEL)
4. coupe
After seeing that 400k miles NSX on sale for $15k, my confidence in NSX's holding their value and condition is even greater.
I would then take the $$$ saved in a higher mileage NSX and use it to rebuild the engine to handle nice power and a blower (if in CA or some tough smog state) or turbo (in a non-smog state or one that is laid back).
That's just me. Spending $$$ on a low mileage NSX and then modifying it just doesn't make sense to me. Seems like a waste.
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I followed the market for a couple of years and looked seriously for well over a year....I told myself that all variables had to be in place before I jumped (color, model, year minimum, condition, and of course price range) nothing came up , and I was tempted many times to stray from my original plan. When one came up "close" to all my conditions, I hummed and hawed, thought about how much I would negotiate price, and bingo, by the time I got my ducks in a row, it was gone...this happened twice to me.....then a long period of patiently watching/searching ...then out of nowhere, another Primer put me on to one for sale that was being advertised for sale locally to them, but not in the traditional places ( like Prime, autotrader, craig's, etc)...I started over the phone immediately with the seller, I made a deposit to allow me the time to get other Primers in the area to inspect it for me, and get a PPI done (at my cost)....all turned out good, and had to pull the trigger very fast with all this, because it might not have been available even a day or two later...
To be honest I didn't even concern myself with maintenance history, if all the other variables were in place. When I got the car via shipment, I was pleasantly surprised to get every single piece of information, service work from day one, and even original bill of sale from dealer in a nice fat envelope in the trunk...total BONUS....as it confirmed all that the original owner said to me on the phone.
In the end, I met all of my orignal conditions, other than price, which I had to go up a bit to get my other conditions of mileage and condition. I was probably not being realistic originally when considering budget and my other stipulations. I have not once ever looked back with regret, and I only get to drive it between June and early October up here ....
My advice, as hoky as it sounds, get the one you want in terms of color and features...maintenance can always be done, but you can't change your color (easily) or transmission.....this is what you will "look back at" each time you park it....I wanted Silver right from the start...less flashy than some of the great colors out there, but timeless in terms of a classic look. Kind of like me...ha, ha
Be ready to move quick when the "one" comes up, then go for it!
shawn110975
Suspended
+1000 on what BATMANS said. as thats exacty what i did got a low priced NSX, and brought her back from not so perfect to MINT in everyway. and had fun doing knowing I made this car perfect.
all of the advice people are giving you is good advice in my book, but in the end you do what you want.
we can only tell you want we did.
but trust me when i say this you will find an NSX perfect or not so perfect but in the end she WILL be perfect for you.
good luck
all of the advice people are giving you is good advice in my book, but in the end you do what you want.
we can only tell you want we did.
but trust me when i say this you will find an NSX perfect or not so perfect but in the end she WILL be perfect for you.
good luck
I wouldn't get so jacked up about an item on a CarFax! If it was salvaged or flooded; avoid it!
If it was a minor accident and the repair work was done right; go for it!
I recently looked at a 2005 NSX that had a clean CarFax, however; it had been involved in an accident.
CarFax didn't report the accident. The owner of the NSX insisted it had never been in an accident. However, I discovered it had been in an accident by looking at the seller's previous posts here on NSXPrime. In one of his posts, he was asking for recommendations for a body shop to repair his NSX since it had just been involved in an accident.
I would have bought the car if the seller would have been honest with me when I asked. My concern was if he lied about the paintwork, he'd probably lie about any other issues.
Had the seller been honest about the paintwork, I would have bought it then and there! Again, minor accident/paintwork is no biggie if done right! The paint work was done well in this case and was no issue for me!
These cars are getting old. Finding one that hasn't had some body or paintwork done is going to be very difficult to find as time goes by. Don't be too concerned or you may never have a chance to get one!
If it was a minor accident and the repair work was done right; go for it!
I recently looked at a 2005 NSX that had a clean CarFax, however; it had been involved in an accident.
CarFax didn't report the accident. The owner of the NSX insisted it had never been in an accident. However, I discovered it had been in an accident by looking at the seller's previous posts here on NSXPrime. In one of his posts, he was asking for recommendations for a body shop to repair his NSX since it had just been involved in an accident.
I would have bought the car if the seller would have been honest with me when I asked. My concern was if he lied about the paintwork, he'd probably lie about any other issues.
Had the seller been honest about the paintwork, I would have bought it then and there! Again, minor accident/paintwork is no biggie if done right! The paint work was done well in this case and was no issue for me!
These cars are getting old. Finding one that hasn't had some body or paintwork done is going to be very difficult to find as time goes by. Don't be too concerned or you may never have a chance to get one!
TB is timing belt and WP is water pump, usually abbreviated this way TB/WP because they are normally replaced together.
I bought one of Brian's 19 and it was the best thing I could have ever done. He had taken impeccable care to ensure everything was in top shape. While it had 125,000 on the clock, he had gone over everything with a fine tooth comb and done all the things one would have wanted on maintenance and then some. The interior had been redone, the PPI showed a really strong engine, and the mods were in line with my taste. And, I wanted to DRIVE this car! So what was most important to me was how up to date everything was when I purchased it, but that's me. While I may not have had every receipt from new, I knew the car I had in my hands was in great shape, so I went for it. I drove it home 21 hours and haven't looked back. My local NSX master tech (non-dealer Prime member) verified I had "a very good one" and it runs and looks like new. Now he's the only one to touch it. Do yourself a favor and work with Brian, and you'll be glad you did. He's fair and he cares. Good luck in your search. I hope you turn out as happy as me!
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- 19 December 2010
- Messages
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I wanted to buy a NSX so badly this year as a gift to myself for getting that promotion at work. It was so hard to find something that I really wanted. I just ended up buying a 05 S2000 with 6k miles to hold me over until I find a NSX I fall in love with.
I am always on alert looking around for a perfect NSX...I'm at like month 4 of searching...
I am always on alert looking around for a perfect NSX...I'm at like month 4 of searching...
I come from the mindset that I'd rather buy a car that is in need of the major maintenance, and negotiate accordingly, then I can have it done on my watch, knowing nothing was skimped on. I get a certain peace of mind from that. I recently bought a 2000 NSX in need of a major service, and I'll get it to LarryB as soon as I am able. I negotiated the purchase on that basis knowing I could have the best of the best make sure the car was perfect.
These are good cars. Don't be afraid to buy one with maintanance needs, just be afraid of ones with questionable owners/body work/history. During your ownership, or when you sell down the road, these are the things that are going to affect you.
These are good cars. Don't be afraid to buy one with maintanance needs, just be afraid of ones with questionable owners/body work/history. During your ownership, or when you sell down the road, these are the things that are going to affect you.
I purchased my NSX in a not so perfect state but got it at a decent price. I've been fixing it up little by little and now I have the piece of mind knowing that things were fixed correctly. Eventually it'll be perfect for me which is all I really care about, so don't let the NSX with needed maintenance scare you away especially if it's at a good low price.
99% of the cars out there are not created in my image. there is always something that I like to customize to my tastes. either what I think should have came from the factory stock or just some personal touches.
The newer NSX didn't have enough "updates" to justify it's "value" to me. There weren't any factory GPS offered in the US models, for example.
If anything i viewed the OBD2 and targa top as a unfavorable
"update".
Just be patient and be a little more open in your switch. I searched for a year and a half and fell into a one month Spanish where funds were perfect and found a great nsx with maintenance done. Some minor cosmetic issues but it was still in pretty stellar condition. I looked at plenty prior to this one and it was my favorite. Took it home, got some prime members to help me out and I'm happy.
Interestingly enough I bought my 6,000 mile '06 S2000 back in Oct. 2007 and had I known then that I could have gotten a low mileage NSX around the same price ($27k) I would have opted to do so. Things you learn. I'm not sorry I bought my S2000. Absolutely love the car. I actually have a deal pending to sell my '06 GPW right now, just working out the finances. I'll be car-less for a few months but I know exactly which NSX I want to buy. It's just a matter of getting my finances together and the car still being for sale when I'm ready.
Good luck with YOUR search.
I had always wanted the red/black hardtop model 91-94 right from day one. So when I started my search about 2 years ago thats what i looked for. But then I strayed from my original target car and looked at black, yellow and silver colours and also liked the idea of a targa top version as well. I soon realized that getting a really nice shape yellow one was likely too much coin as I had a budget of around $30000.oo. to work with.
As I got more serious and had looked at a few I knew red was the only colour for me and after my wife jokingly said that if your buying a sports car it better be red or dont bring it home (i think she was actually serious)
i then focused on only that combination.
I finally found the one I had wanted in St louis, it was a very clean 1991 with a nice exhaust and up-graded wheels...exactly what i wanted. We talked some numbers as it was a little more then I initially wanted to spend but after thinking about for a while I decided to fly down and check it out. I called the dealer involved and was so dissapointed when he told me that i just missed out on the deal by a day that i felt really sick.
I moped around the rest of the day and went back on Prime fairly late that same evening and low and behold there was a new post for an even better version of the same car for less coin!
I then jumped on it, pm'ed the primer selling the car and basically made a deal within a day. The seller lived in Cincinatti and was kind enough to meet me half way as im from London, ontario.
the car looked great and checked out fine.
2 weeks later I got a buddy to drive me down to Cincinatti and we picked up the car, drove it back to Canada and got it plated for Ontario.
Brian from sourcensx may know this car as it was Blaines red/black 1991.
in the end I had stayed under my budget, got a great car that had some of the major services already completed and the exact colour combo i wanted. It really has only cost me a set of tires and alignment since i have had it and I couldn't be happier.
the right car is out there....just keep looking and when that `one' comes up
go for it!!!
eddy
As I got more serious and had looked at a few I knew red was the only colour for me and after my wife jokingly said that if your buying a sports car it better be red or dont bring it home (i think she was actually serious)
i then focused on only that combination.
I finally found the one I had wanted in St louis, it was a very clean 1991 with a nice exhaust and up-graded wheels...exactly what i wanted. We talked some numbers as it was a little more then I initially wanted to spend but after thinking about for a while I decided to fly down and check it out. I called the dealer involved and was so dissapointed when he told me that i just missed out on the deal by a day that i felt really sick.
I moped around the rest of the day and went back on Prime fairly late that same evening and low and behold there was a new post for an even better version of the same car for less coin!
I then jumped on it, pm'ed the primer selling the car and basically made a deal within a day. The seller lived in Cincinatti and was kind enough to meet me half way as im from London, ontario.
the car looked great and checked out fine.
2 weeks later I got a buddy to drive me down to Cincinatti and we picked up the car, drove it back to Canada and got it plated for Ontario.
Brian from sourcensx may know this car as it was Blaines red/black 1991.
in the end I had stayed under my budget, got a great car that had some of the major services already completed and the exact colour combo i wanted. It really has only cost me a set of tires and alignment since i have had it and I couldn't be happier.
the right car is out there....just keep looking and when that `one' comes up
go for it!!!
eddy
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