I almost bought this but need advice JH4NA115XNT000594

[skorpio]

I almost bought this but need advice

Hate to be my introduction, but here it is

I own a RSX Type S and have recently relocated to the Seattle area from Dallas. When my car was rolled off the moving truck, I noticed the tail light was out and it's under warranty, so I went to the closest Acura dealer to have it taken care of. As soon as I pull up, this is sitting outside.

Autotrader Link

I drove it. It's the 2nd NSX I've driven. It was in the snap ring failure, according to one of the salesman, but has been repaired.
The car is in good condition, leather is good condition and so is the rest of the car. I hate the rims, but have a souce for the 94 and up rims for $2500.

I have $2k in equity in my car, and the lowest I could get payments down to (60 months) was $630. And if you look on the autotrader link, it says 3yr 36k warranty. This proved to be false and the only warranty they will give is 1 year on the transmission.

I've owned quite a few Honda cars and bikes, so I definitely trust the build quality and reliability. But the price does seem a little high and the false advertising warranty caused me to walk out right when I was trying to close the deal. I've seen 91-92's in mint condition with lower mileage and newer wheels for the same price more than once. The salesman printed off what they paid for it, but I think it's B.S. $31888 is what they listed they paid for it.

So in other words, should I wait and try to find another one in time, or try to haggle some more? Any and all help would be appreciated.

 

[Doug]

For that price on a '92, the car should be complete with all records and recent major services. With records, you should be able to check snap ring repair. Also, '94 up wheelset can be found for under $1500-$2000 with almost new tires.

 

[hlweyl]

I think all dealers have a "dummy" invoice showing what they paid for the car (at least what they want you to see). Here is a good pricing guide http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/BuySell/pricing.htm

I also think you should trust your gut feeling. Your gut feeling told you to walk out of the dealership. There are plenty of NSX's out there in excellent condition also.

 

[nsxtasy]

What's the car's service history?

Were the 30K/60K/90K service done when scheduled due to time, or were they deferred?

Have the timing belt and water pump been replaced?

Have the window fix-it thingies been installed?

There's not enough information to come up with an evaluation of the price. If all service has been done and it's in immaculate condition, the asking price is very reasonable. If not, then not.

 

[skorpio]

First of all I would like to thank you for the responses. I'm not a newb to forums (i know to search ) but I'm new to the NSX. I realize other NSX's can be found with less miles and newer rims already installed. If someone can point me to a list of things to check for in the service records, I would be appreciative because I can learn about the NSX in general by doing so. I don't know you guys, but in general if you think it wise to skip this particular car and look for something better then I'm leaning that way as I'm not in a hurry, I've got time.

I don't like the lack of warranty on this car, nor do I like the wheels on it, or the 58k on the ODO.

 

[nsxtasy]

If someone can point me to a list of things to check for in the service records, I would be appreciative because I can learn about the NSX in general by doing so.

There's a Used NSX Checklist in the Buy, Sell section of the NSX FAQ. Click on "NSX FAQ" at the top of your screen and get familiar with it.

I don't like the lack of warranty on this car, nor do I like the wheels on it, or the 58k on the ODO.

I don't think these are valid reasons. It is rare for an older NSX to come with a warranty. (If it's the misleading ad that bothers you, that's another matter.) The wheels are stock; if they are not to your taste, they allow you to buy an aftermarket set that you like, while retaining the stock set. 58K mileage is average for a '92; you can find cars with less but you can expect to pay more due to the lower mileage.

I am not trying to push you towards this car; as I mentioned, there isn't even enough information here to determine whether the car is worth the asking price or not. But you have not really stated what you are looking for, and it sounds like you have not even looked at the Pricing section of the NSX FAQ yet. I think you should do your homework, then figure out what you want and how much you should expect to pay for it, then go find it. In that order. (I'm not trying to be harsh, only stating that you need to do more research.)

 

[hlweyl]

The wheels are stock; if they are not to your taste, they allow you to buy an aftermarket set that you like, while retaining the stock set. 58K mileage is average for a '92; you can find cars with less but you can expect to pay more due to the lower mileage.

The wheels look OEM, but they appear to be chromed(barf), and the front passenger side is missing the cap for the middle of the wheel.

BEFORE you buy, pay for a pre purchase inspection (about $150) somewhere else besides the dealer you are buying from!!!

I did that for the first NSX I chose and it failed miserable. Thats the best $150 i've ever spent.

 

[skorpio]

(I'm not trying to be harsh, only stating that you need to do more research.)

No problem man, I understand. I need to pull service records and the Carfax before even thinking about it. I'll look up all the data I can off this site. Thanks again for the help.

 

[skorpio]

Carfax looked fine. No service records available. I asked specifically (after reading up on the site) for timing belt/water pump info and the salesman could give me jack. No warranty (no don't expect it) and no service records means no sale. Like others have said, you need to know if the service has been done on time, etc. My guess is that the timing belt and water pump hasn't been changed or they would be boasting about it. I know it's an expensisve service and I'm not paying that + the cost of the cage.

 

[CokerRat]

Sounds like a very reasonable conclusion... I'd do the same. Full service records were very important to me when I bought my used '91. I got lucky since the car was still with its original owner. You may have to hunt high and low to find a car with the right condition, mileage, service history and all for a fair price. That said, trust me, it's worth it!

Good luck with your search.

 

[nsxtasy]

Yes, I think your logic is sound.

Keep in mind that you might consider buying a car whose service wasn't entirely up to date, but the selling price should reflect that (i.e. be significantly lower than for a car whose service was up to date)...

 

[skorpio]

Again, thanks for the info, and thanks for pointing me to the info here without ripping me too bad Good site, good people methinks.