looking, lurking... question re: a specific VIN JH4Na1156MT000588

[Ferris B]

:smile:
Here goes the first post...

I have found a low mile '91 (<40k), black with ivory seats. Cost is around $33k. It seems like a great deal. The only history I know is that it apparently belonged to a collector who owned a car dealership (not Acura) who recently passed away. If this is true, he has a very good rep.

Does anybody know anything about JH4Na1156MT000588?

Your assistance is appreciated.

 

[BD]

Re: looking, lurking... question re: a specific VIN

33 is a little high, it probably should be around mid to high 20k. Add little more to 33k, you can find a 95 with similar mileage.

 

[scorp965]

Re: looking, lurking... question re: a specific VIN

$33k is a fantastic deal for that car, with those miles... '95+ is targa, which some (myself included) find undesirable... Well-kept coupes easily go to $30k with twice the mileage... if the car checks out I would jump on it.

This being said, the 'collector' story seems a bit odd... most collectors I know keep the car as original as possible, while this one has obvious aftermarket rims. Still, the details sound great; if the car is clean, drives great, and passes a PPI, go for it.

 

[OLDMNSX]

Re: looking, lurking... question re: a specific VIN

$33k is a fantastic deal for that car, with those miles... '95+ is targa, which some (myself included) find undesirable... Well-kept coupes easily go to $30k with twice the mileage... if the car checks out I would jump on it..

I am not going to comment on the price but I will say "Miles on these cars don't worry me, the maintenance is more important than miles" I won't pay a premium for low miles. Things to consider would be to perform a 90K service just because of the age of the belts, brake fluid, trans fluid, anti-freeze etc.

This being said, the 'collector' story seems a bit odd... most collectors I know keep the car as original as possible, while this one has obvious aftermarket rims. Still, the details sound great; if the car is clean, drives great, and passes a PPI, go for it.

As well as we all like our NSXs I think that most owners would have to agree that there were two areas that would appear to be afterthoughts when ACURA put the NSX into production. One was the original 91-93 wheels, which IMO didn't do the car justice. I think that the 6 spoke wheels on this car look very respectible and definitely improve the appearance of this car.

The second was the crude exhaust manifolds on the 91-96 5-speed and all of the automatic cars. More than likely nothing has been done in this area.

If it checks out and you like the price, by all means, buy the car. You will love it.
Brad

 

[nsx1]

Re: looking, lurking... question re: a specific VIN

33 is a little high, it probably should be around mid to high 20k. Add little more to 33k, you can find a 95 with similar mileage.

I agree. For that price... add a little bit more and you can get a much better car.

 

[MCM]

Re: looking, lurking... question re: a specific VIN

"I agree. For that price... add a little bit more and you can get a much better car."

To some, nothing is better than a coupe, and this one sounds like a great example. I have never seen a super nice, less than 5k mi per year NSX go for under 30k. Sorry. After 15 years on the road, several are now dogs.
Many confuse their selling price with mint cars that need nothing.
I know of several "nice" 91's that sold for well over $35k in 2006.
Many to forum members.

 

[my1stnsx]

Re: looking, lurking... question re: a specific VIN

"I agree. For that price... add a little bit more and you can get a much better car."

To some, nothing is better than a coupe, and this one sounds like a great example. I have never seen a super nice, less than 5k mi per year NSX go for under 30k. Sorry. After 15 years on the road, several are now dogs.
Many confuse their selling price with mint cars that need nothing.
I know of several "nice" 91's that sold for well over $35k in 2006.
Many to forum members.

I couldnt agree more!!!:smile:

 

[nsxtasy]

There's no way to tell whether or not this is a great deal without more information, like...

- what maintenance has been performed on the car (major maintenance, incl timing belt and water pump, etc)

- whether the window regulators have been upgraded

- whether it is in snap ring range (almost certainly not, based on the VIN, but it wouldn't hurt to check)

- complete mechanical inspection to ensure that everything works properly

- complete aesthetic inspection for overall exterior and interior condition and any evidence of poorly repaired accident damage

- clean title and Carfax history

I realize that the purpose of your post is to obtain this kind of information. You should also consider getting the car inspected by a qualified shop, and asking for maintenance records, pulling a Carfax, etc.

 

[Ferris B]

Thanks all for the replies and good advice. I would never purchase a car of this nature w/out a PPI. I haven't been able to ascertain the level of mechanical maintenance. If it was part of a collection, I would expect the docs to be complete, but a quick look in the manual showed no entries.

I'm beginning to suspect the validity of the ownership claim. That said, it may still be a good one to go after.

The only issue I have w/ the coupe is that I'm tall- 6' 3", and putting a helmet on for track days would be almost impossible.

 

[Ferris B]

Anther question I'm sure you've all seen:

My experience is with Porsche 928s. They are inexpensive (by-and-large) to purchase, but not particularly cheap to maintain. I would expect that the NSX, because it's an Acura/Honda, would be significantly more reliable. However the fact that it's a mid-engined car and rare has me a little concerned about maintenance costs.

I did a search in FAQ about this subject and came up dry, so I apologize for what must be a common question. In your experience, is the NSX more/less costly to maintain than other supercars? What should one expect, assuming that the car's maintenance is current, as yearly maintenance costs?

Thanks again.

 

[nsxtasy]

The only issue I have w/ the coupe is that I'm tall- 6' 3", and putting a helmet on for track days would be almost impossible.

Not necessarily. I know plenty of tall owners who track their NSXs. Many of them remove their bottom seat cushion when doing so, and replace it with either a towel or a thin piece of foam.

 

[TURBO2GO]

Targa has less headroom than a coupe you know that right? so unless you are taking the top off when racing I wouldn't go with targa. You can gain 2" with the dali seat cushion.

Mid-engine has nothing to do with it needing more maintenance. In this area the NSX is a winner. No other car like this will cost you so little in the long run unless you start modding like me (stay away from this forum). :biggrin:

 

[docjohn]

Pic is small but it looks to have aftermarket wheels~ssr's, not typical of collecter cars to have non oem parts,so do your due dilligence on history.In fact it looks alot like this car http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80067

 

[Ferris B]

NSXtasy, good suggestion, thanks.

 

[Ferris B]

Targa has less headroom than a coupe you know that right? so unless you are taking the top off when racing I wouldn't go with targa. You can gain 2" with the dali seat cushion.

Mid-engine has nothing to do with it needing more maintenance. In this area the NSX is a winner. No other car like this will cost you so little in the long run unless you start modding like me (stay away from this forum). :biggrin:

Turbo,
My thought re: the targa is to take the top off.

My thought re: mid-engine is that it might be harder to access, or might have to be pulled to accomplish certain things, thus being more expensive to repair.

 

[MCM]

With the cars lo mi the timing belt may have not been changed.
If any maint. per the manual has not been done, it will need to be deducted from the selling price. If any paint work has been done, its a deduction in my book. I also understand many owners often spend quite a bit if the air cond. needs repair. FAQ will help out with your other questions.
I still say $33k is a deal if its mint, no paint work, all maint is up to speed, no issues, everything works & complete.

IMO - The "no maint history" is what you should zero in on.

This is just my opinion. Worth what you paid for it..........:biggrin:

 

[DocL]

...My thought re: mid-engine is that it might be harder to access, or might have to be pulled to accomplish certain things, thus being more expensive to repair.

Actually, the engine doesn't need to be dropped for any of the routine maintenance, including the waterpump and timing belt. Remember, these cars are not like their Italian competitors where even changing the spark plugs requires you to be a contortionist. :biggrin:

 

[The Kid]

Re: looking, lurking... question re: a specific VIN

$33k is a fantastic deal for that car, with those miles... '95+ is targa, which some (myself included) find undesirable... Well-kept coupes easily go to $30k with twice the mileage... if the car checks out I would jump on it.

This being said, the 'collector' story seems a bit odd... most collectors I know keep the car as original as possible, while this one has obvious aftermarket rims. Still, the details sound great; if the car is clean, drives great, and passes a PPI, go for it.

I gotta agree. I could have bought a 95/96 instead of mine but while I wanted a Targa, a 3.0 and the added weight dont make for a fun time. The price seems well within what others are selling theres for and doesnt seem to outragous.

As for as the "collector" story, what do you consider a collector? I consider myself a collector and modify my vehicles:wink:

 

[nsxtasy]

My thought re: the targa is to take the top off.

For everyday driving, of course you can remove the -T roof (it's not called a "targa", which is a trademark owned by Porsche).

For track events, that's a different story. Some groups holding track events will require you to keep the roof panel in place. Other groups holding track events may not permit a car with a removable roof panel to participate in their events (some not at all, some only with a full roll cage). Check with your local groups to find out what their policies are.

 

[BD]

Seems like the price point between 91 to 94 with similar mileage are very close. It will be a difficult task to find a 93/94, but it's worth the wait because it will make me feel a lot better knowing those cars are 700 to 1000 plus days newer.

 

[Distance Runner]

Re: looking, lurking... question re: a specific VIN

33 is a little high, it probably should be around mid to high 20k. Add little more to 33k, you can find a 95 with similar mileage.

WHAT! I completely disagree!

More information is needed, but $33k is not out of range!

 

[ChrisK]

$33K would definitely get me looking at this car. If all checked out (Even if the collector part of the story didn't I'd buy it). I guess certain parts of the nation NSX's go for cheap. Local owners have been selling 91-93 NSXs with 2X the mileage as this car for easy $30K. I guess when I buy another NSX I'll be shopping for one in California:biggrin: They seem to have all the good deals.

 

[Greg Z]

Re: looking, lurking... question re: a specific VIN

33 is a little high, it probably should be around mid to high 20k. Add little more to 33k, you can find a 95 with similar mileage.

I kinda disagree but yet see where he's coming from. 33K seems very fair for the car if everything checks out.

I just bought a 91 Black w/Ivory, w/40K in mint shape. Recent service with some great mods. I paid what Vancehu suggested you should pay, but IMO and everyone elses I got a great deal. Try to get it for 30K would be my opinion but if you can't and it checks out and you really want it, pay 33K for this car. Good luck.

 

[White92]

FYI, we just bought this car at our dealership. It now has 53k miles. Still has LE-37 wheels, not SSR's like someone above thought. Pic above was rather small. We're sending it through the shop later this week to get it checked out. Needs a good detail as well.