Hopeful soon to be owner :) Looking for feedback! Eyes on: JH4NA1269RT000020

[Voracious]

Hello NSX Prime! Hopeful soon to be owner of an NSX one of these days checking in with some purchasing questions. I found this pretty nice specimen of an NSX in auto and with relatively low mileage. The VIN is JH4NA1269RT000020. I already have run the Carfax and it looks pretty clean with no real red flags, multiple owners with a lot of work done at different Acura dealerships. It's a 1994 model in red/auto with ~72k miles.

As a prospective buyer, I’m trying to do my best due diligence in asking the right questions and looking for a fair price for the car (I got some feedback from a friend/past NSX owner the price seemed a little high for an auto but at the same time it does some mods that I’d most likely keep if I were to buy it). Any feedback back is much appreciated! Below are the questions I had come up with.

1. Can you provide dates and receipts on the preventive maintenance that listed out the timing belt, water pump, valve adjustment, new axles, steering rack rebuild by nsxrackrepair.com? If so, please send over a copy.
2. Can you provide with the car any past historical documentation such as past service records, manuals, etc?
3. Can you confirm there are no real issues to be aware of? No lights coming on, rust, marks or anything like that on the paint/body?
4. Can you provide a full list of the current mods on the car? I’m not sure if what is listed in the ebay listing is all of it but I’d like confirmation on this.
5. Which bumper is currently on the car? I know the listing says it has the wings west lip but the bumper itself looks slightly different from the stock 1994 bumper.
6. Has the lost motion assembly ever been rebuilt? If not is this in range of an issue to be concerned about on this particular NSX?
7. What are the conditions of the windows and its seals? Is there any experience of windows sliding down or not a good seal being experience?
8. Are the pop up headlights working normally? Any signs issues with the pop up headlights?
9. Are there any other OEM parts or old parts that were on the car included?
10. How can we go about doing a PPI?

Another bit of feedback I am looking for, I am based out of the tri-state area but the NSX is in Mississippi. What would be the best way to do a PPI and have the typical ‘must check on the NSX’ before.

Are there any other questions that I should be asking? It seems like the seller the owner of a reputable shop that specializes in repairs. I don’t want to come off sounding rude or anything, just trying to do my best due diligence and research.

Thanks for all your help and input!

 

[Andr3w]

Welcome to the forum! I have provided my response in red in the quote.

Hello NSX Prime! Hopeful soon to be owner of an NSX one of these days checking in with some purchasing questions. I found this pretty nice specimen of an NSX in auto and with relatively low mileage. The VIN is JH4NA1269RT000020. I already have run the Carfax and it looks pretty clean with no real red flags, multiple owners with a lot of work done at different Acura dealerships. It's a 1994 model in red/auto with ~72k miles.

As a prospective buyer, I’m trying to do my best due diligence in asking the right questions and looking for a fair price for the car (I got some feedback from a friend/past NSX owner the price seemed a little high for an auto but at the same time it does some mods that I’d most likely keep if I were to buy it). Any feedback back is much appreciated! Below are the questions I had come up with.

1. Can you provide dates and receipts on the preventive maintenance that listed out the timing belt, water pump, valve adjustment, new axles, steering rack rebuild by nsxrackrepair.com? If so, please send over a copy. This is a good question to ask. Find out when the timing belt and water pump were replaced as these are important. I believe they need to be replaced every seven years or 90k miles, which ever comes first. Another important thing are the 22 or 23 coolant hoses, as the rubber hoses may crack with age. This may be delayed or accelerated depending on the environment the car is in. Check for recalls done?
2. Can you provide with the car any past historical documentation such as past service records, manuals, etc?
3. Can you confirm there are no real issues to be aware of? No lights coming on, rust, marks or anything like that on the paint/body? Good thing the majority of the NSX is made out of aluminum so there isn’t much places for rust. Rust will mostly be on the nuts and bolts, and on the surfaces of steel alloy components (i.e., exhaust etc.) depending on the environment.
4. Can you provide a full list of the current mods on the car? I’m not sure if what is listed in the ebay listing is all of it but I’d like confirmation on this.
5. Which bumper is currently on the car? I know the listing says it has the wings west lip but the bumper itself looks slightly different from the stock 1994 bumper.
6. Has the lost motion assembly ever been rebuilt? If not is this in range of an issue to be concerned about on this particular NSX? The LMAs don’t get rebuilt, they get replaced. The earlier cars came with piston type LMAs, they later got superseded by spring type LMAs.
7. What are the conditions of the windows and its seals? Is there any experience of windows sliding down or not a good seal being experienced? The windows on the NSX are pretty slow, but there are mods to make it move faster (I.e., Hugo’s mod). The window regulators are prone to failure, I believe.
8. Are the pop up headlights working normally? Any signs issues with the pop up headlights?
9. Are there any other OEM parts or old parts that were on the car included?
10. How can we go about doing a PPI?

Another bit of feedback I am looking for, I am based out of the tri-state area but the NSX is in Mississippi. What would be the best way to do a PPI and have the typical ‘must check on the NSX’ . I would suggest posting a thread in the regional forums and asking for recommendations on a nsx specialist.

Are there any other questions that I should be asking? It seems like the seller the owner of a reputable shop that specializes in repairs. I don’t want to come off sounding rude or anything, just trying to do my best due diligence and research. Ask about the air conditioner performance, climate control unit status, brake hydraulic system condition ( I.e., master cylinder replaced before?), tread on tires, age of tires, VVIS butterfly valve fasteners been checked ( most people don’t know about this, but the screws on the valves can come loose and fall into the engine resulting in a catastrophe).

Thanks for all your help and input!

Asides from the body work and collision check, I have come to learn that the following items need attention on early NSXs if they have NEVER been replaced. Check the list below for items that have been taken care of and determine what needs to be done after ownership.

1. Belts (I.e., timing, accessory etc.), water pump
2. Replacing all seals and gaskets on engine
3. Coolant hoses and coolant tank
4. Radiator (oem radiators have plastic fittings that tend to crack from age, fortunately there are aluminum options)
5. Tail light gaskets (replace and aftermarket option)
6. Piston to spring LMAs
7. VVIS butterfly screws (loctite or weld)
8. Radio antenna (clean and lube)
9. Climate control unit (capacitors leak from age, BrianK repairs them)
10. SRS unit (capacitors leak from age. Discontinued from Honda, but BrianK repairs them)
11. Stereo, door speakers and amp (BrianK rebuilds them if they are failing)
12. Clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder (replace since they leak with age)
13. Brake master cylinder (leaks with age), brake lines (discontinued from Honda for early models)
14. Rebuild brake callipers with Honda kits (rotors and pads are consumables)
15. Driveshafts (these need to be checked somewhat frequently from what I gathered since they get stressed from the geometry of the suspension, especially if lowered, and have aftermarket headers and exhaust installed. The additional heat from the aftermarket headers and exhaust wear down the grease quicker)
16. Window regulators (rebuild)
17. Main relay (replace or re-solder, the solders may crack with age)
18. Ignition switch (replace or rebuild?)
19. Starter (replace or rebuild)
20. Alternator (replace or rebuild)
21. Battery (replace)
22. R12 to R134A refrigerant conversion (early models)
23. Gauge cluster (capacitors leak with age and can set the car on fire, replace capacitors or let BrianK take care of it)
24. Negative terminal cable
25. Throttle cable (early models, discontinued from Honda I believe)


If all of the above are taken care of, you should experience a good 10-15 years of trouble free ownership with ongoing maintenance.

 

[Voracious]

Hey, thanks so much for giving me that great feedback. i actually thought a few of those you had suggested. i will have to add the others to the list and ask after my first round of questions are answered first haha. so overwhelming!

Welcome to the forum! I have provided my response in red in the quote.




Asides from the body work and collision check, I have come to learn that the following items need attention on early NSXs if they have NEVER been replaced. Check the list below for items that have been taken care of and determine what needs to be done after ownership.

1. Belts (I.e., timing, accessory etc.), water pump
2. Replacing all seals and gaskets on engine
3. Coolant hoses and coolant tank
4. Radiator (oem radiators have plastic fittings that tend to crack from age, fortunately there are aluminum options)
5. Tail light gaskets (replace and aftermarket option)
6. Piston to spring LMAs
7. VVIS butterfly screws (loctite or weld)
8. Radio antenna (clean and lube)
9. Climate control unit (capacitors leak from age, BrianK repairs them)
10. SRS unit (capacitors leak from age. Discontinued from Honda, but BrianK repairs them)
11. Stereo, door speakers and amp (BrianK rebuilds them if they are failing)
12. Clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder (replace since they leak with age)
13. Brake master cylinder (leaks with age), brake lines (discontinued from Honda for early models)
14. Rebuild brake callipers with Honda kits (rotors and pads are consumables)
15. Driveshafts (these need to be checked somewhat frequently from what I gathered since they get stressed from the geometry of the suspension, especially if lowered, and have aftermarket headers and exhaust installed. The additional heat from the aftermarket headers and exhaust wear down the grease quicker)
16. Window regulators (rebuild)
17. Main relay (replace or re-solder, the solders may crack with age)
18. Ignition switch (replace or rebuild?)
19. Starter (replace or rebuild)
20. Alternator (replace or rebuild)
21. Battery (replace)
22. R12 to R134A refrigerant conversion (early models)
23. Gauge cluster (capacitors leak with age and can set the car on fire, replace capacitors or let BrianK take care of it)
24. Negative terminal cable
25. Throttle cable (early models, discontinued from Honda I believe)


If all of the above are taken care of, you should experience a good 10-15 years of trouble free ownership with ongoing maintenance.

 

[mrtexas]

This car is far from stock in both interior and exterior if you haven't noticed. May or may not be a concern.

 

[mrtexas]

Sold, you bought it?

 

[Voracious]

Sold, you bought it?

Yep, the seller is actually the person who runs nsxrackrepair. hes super reputable and we chatted for a few hours. worked out a deal! cant wait to get it

 

[Voracious]

Welcome to the forum! I have provided my response in red in the quote.




Asides from the body work and collision check, I have come to learn that the following items need attention on early NSXs if they have NEVER been replaced. Check the list below for items that have been taken care of and determine what needs to be done after ownership.

1. Belts (I.e., timing, accessory etc.), water pump
2. Replacing all seals and gaskets on engine
3. Coolant hoses and coolant tank
4. Radiator (oem radiators have plastic fittings that tend to crack from age, fortunately there are aluminum options)
5. Tail light gaskets (replace and aftermarket option)
6. Piston to spring LMAs
7. VVIS butterfly screws (loctite or weld)
8. Radio antenna (clean and lube)
9. Climate control unit (capacitors leak from age, BrianK repairs them)
10. SRS unit (capacitors leak from age. Discontinued from Honda, but BrianK repairs them)
11. Stereo, door speakers and amp (BrianK rebuilds them if they are failing)
12. Clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder (replace since they leak with age)
13. Brake master cylinder (leaks with age), brake lines (discontinued from Honda for early models)
14. Rebuild brake callipers with Honda kits (rotors and pads are consumables)
15. Driveshafts (these need to be checked somewhat frequently from what I gathered since they get stressed from the geometry of the suspension, especially if lowered, and have aftermarket headers and exhaust installed. The additional heat from the aftermarket headers and exhaust wear down the grease quicker)
16. Window regulators (rebuild)
17. Main relay (replace or re-solder, the solders may crack with age)
18. Ignition switch (replace or rebuild?)
19. Starter (replace or rebuild)
20. Alternator (replace or rebuild)
21. Battery (replace)
22. R12 to R134A refrigerant conversion (early models)
23. Gauge cluster (capacitors leak with age and can set the car on fire, replace capacitors or let BrianK take care of it)
24. Negative terminal cable
25. Throttle cable (early models, discontinued from Honda I believe)


If all of the above are taken care of, you should experience a good 10-15 years of trouble free ownership with ongoing maintenance.

Thanks for all your feedback, it helped me learn about about the car in the asking of my questions process