Long Distance Purchase

freeon

freeon

Experienced Member
Joined
9 July 2006
Messages
612
Anybody ever buy a car without personally seeing it first.Seems like every nsx i find is always far away.I've thought of getting a prime member check one out for me then getting checked at the dealer and if everything checks out,getting it shipped.But I'm just to scared of getting ripped of.
 
I just bought a 92' sight unseen but with lots of pictures and had it checked out by a well known Mechanic familiar with NSX's. I then flew from Denver to Orlando to pick it up and drive it home (1800 miles in 3 days). I was the most fun I've had in years ! Such a great and very comfortable car. A Car dealer handled the transaction , so both seller and I were protected. I had to look out of state, since there were very few NSX's for sale in the Denver area.(2 weeks ago)
I would always try to find a local car if possible, first.
(cheaper and less hastle)
 
sptrader said:
I just bought a 92' sight unseen but with lots of pictures and had it checked out by a well known Mechanic familiar with NSX's. I then flew from Denver to Orlando to pick it up and drive it home (1800 miles in 3 days). I was the most fun I've had in years ! Such a great and very comfortable car. A Car dealer handled the transaction , so both seller and I were protected. I had to look out of state, since there were very few NSX's for sale in the Denver area.(2 weeks ago)
I would always try to find a local car if possible, first.
(cheaper and less hastle)
Click to expand...

I live in eastern Canada and nsx are almost unseen so buying local is impossible and besides the ones i have seen are close to double the price.What do you mean by " a car dealer handled the transaction"
 
I bought a '91 from out of the country. Used a broker to make the purchase. Then, a co-worker test drove it and took an addition 100 pictures. The seller sent me over 200 pictures.

It arrived at my home on a car transport. (the first I really saw it in person)

I paid a little more using a broker, but the car turned out better than I expected.

I paid 42k for a '91 with 31000 miles.
 
It is always a craps-shoot.

I have bought several cars site-unseen but I have also walked away from about the same number. Always buy a return ticket and let the seller know just to make sure he tells you everything about the car.
 
freeon said:
Anybody ever buy a car without personally seeing it first.Seems like every nsx i find is always far away.I've thought of getting a prime member check one out for me then getting checked at the dealer and if everything checks out,getting it shipped.But I'm just to scared of getting ripped of.
Click to expand...

I purchased an 05 3 weeks ago long distance. Ask for lots of high-res pics. Front bumper and hood will be prone to rock chips. Driver side seat bolster will also be prone to cracking and wear. Check for finger nail scratches at door handles. These are just a few examples of what I would look for in any car prior to purchase. There are hundreds of items that a camera and a good tech could miss. Do yourself a favor and check it out for yourself. I personally would not take a short cut in this department. Good luck and if you see one near Tampa, let me know and I will be happy to take a look at it for you.
 
nope. buy a plane ticket if it looks worthy, I've done it twice and both times it worked out well, mainly if it's a private owner you can feel them out on the phone. if it's a dealer or ebay..goodluck.
 
Last edited:
Where in eastern Canada do you live?

There is a shipping company called TFX international. They have enclosed transportation and they are located in Toronto. They will pick up the car anwhere in the US and they will do the paper work. You do not have to pay them shipping costs until the car comes to your door and they also do all the paper work at the border for you. Their prices are not bad, for example a quote from Florida to Toronto costs around $1500 CAD right to your door but its best to contact them for exact rates depending where the vehicle is located.

Its best to check the car and not buy it unseen because if it reaches your door and its not what its suppose to be then you will have many headaches to come. Listen to HTN and quack for their great advice and even sptrader went to pick it up and drove it back so he get to see it before finalizing the deal. You can ask prime members and I know they will do their best in checking it out for you but if anything goes wrong you cannot blame them when you receive the vehicle because its a used car and anything can happen.

I was looking at many NSX in the US but got one here in Ontario so I did not have to go through the border and deal with customs. With the dollar being strong my next NSX will probably be purchased in the US, aslong as the dollar is still strong by then of couse but not anytime soon because just got mine about 2 weeks ago.

Good Luck in your search! :smile:
 
Ask Prime members in the area to preview the car for you first. A Prime member will probably know what to look for. Prime member can also take photos for you. If the car receives a thumbs up from a Prime member, then you may consider buying that plane ticket. Good luck on your search.
 
So who holds the record distance for unseen long distance buy of a NSX??

I recently bought a CTSC NSX from Sterling VA fully based on massive amount of pics and on speaking to the owner who was a Prime member too.
Car is in the process of beeiing shipped to my home near Leiden in The Netherlands, Europe right now, hopefully arriving in about 3-4 weeks.
Must say I'm still a bit nervous on how the car will really be when it arrives.

My buy distance: about 4.730 Mls:eek: :wink: :biggrin:

Who bids more:rolleyes:
 
Any car worth over $10k needs a PPI and a personal inspection. IMHO.
 
I live in Austin and bought my NSX in the Denver area. I found the car on Autotrader. I followed the standard prescription:

1. As a Prime member to check it out
2. Get a PPI from an Acura expert
3. Negotiate by phone before you travel
4. Fly, with a round trip ticket (cheaper than one way most of the time)
5. Enjoy the 1200 mile drive home!
 
Bought mine in St. Petersburg, FL. Had it PPI'd by an Acura dealer, did the Prime FAQ Buyer's Guide, CARFAX'd, flew out to see it, and made an offer, and flew back. Flew out again to drive it back to Tulsa.

Whole process was a little more expensive (especially with a ticket on the first day of ownership) but it's worth the peace of mind.

All that said, be prepared to walk away. I succumbed to the car with a noticeable "Deer in the Headlights" stare and lost all rational thought.
 
My distance = 24,886.55 miles. Turns out the guy was only 15 miles away, but I started out in the wrong direction ....
 
Albuquerque New Mexico to Dubai United Arab Emirates...

When I purchased mine I basically felt out the seller and had him take it to Acura for an inspection. Luckily it was a dealer that knew the seller well and knew the car very well. Based upon that and pictures I felt comfortable plus he was a NSX Prime member so that helped with the comfort level.
 
freeon said:
I live in eastern Canada and nsx are almost unseen so buying local is impossible and besides the ones i have seen are close to double the price.What do you mean by " a car dealer handled the transaction"
Click to expand...

In my case the NSX owner was buying a new car from a Ford dealer at the same time that I was buying his NSX, so the car dealer handled the transaction, just like a trade-in, with me being the pre-arranged buyer but at a price specified by the owner and myself.
I know in the Ferrari world (should be the same with Acura in the NSX world) that you can contact a Ferrari dealer to handle a long distance transaction like this, for a small fee, (few hundred $), thereby protecting both the buyer and seller from fraud, even though neither party is buying a car from the dealer.
 

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