Mission Impossible? 91 NSX for 18-20K?

G

Gatchaman

New Member
Joined
28 October 2009
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4
Hi everyone,

I've been lurking a while and flirting with the idea of picking up a NSX as a second car (weekender) sometime in Nov-Dec of this year. I may be wrong, but from the little bit of research and looking I've done over these few months, it seems like the entry price to a NSX has dropped considerably.

My question. Is it possible to find myself in a decent 91 with around 100K miles for under $20K? I'd like to stick to this as my budget as much as possible. I'm certain my childrens college fund would appreciate it.

I see many of the cars on ebay routinely being bid up to 16-18K but failing to meet reserve. Are most owners holding out hoping for a bounce back in the market?

A project (non-working, salvage) would be out of the question. I'm really just to busy at this time.

I'm currently using ebay and autotrader for my search and am located in the Louisville, KY area.

Any pros, cons or suggestions anyone can provide?

Thanks in advance,
Gatcha~
 
Save up another $5k and you'll be a lot happier in the long run. There seem to be plenty of good cars in the mid 20's range.
 
Welcome:smile:

I'm sure you could find one but most likely it will have quite a bit of deferred maintenence and by the time you get it up to date you could have a better car for the same money.

Good Luck on your search!
 
Got my 92 NSX 5/speed 108,000 miles found it in SC im in tampa,, I was checking listing in all states,, for about a week,, found one, drove up paid cash 20,000 drove it home,, not one issue,, google, "NSX buyers guide",, will give you the low down on high milage NSX's just as reliable as a low mile NSX,, at least you know its working,, and just as fast as the low miles cars,, possible even better,, been broke in proper!! not rotting away in a garage,, hoses rotting, gaskets rotting doe to no oil, etc. and when you go to sell it you will get every dollar back for the car!!!
 
Cozmo said:
Save up another $5k and you'll be a lot happier in the long run. There seem to be plenty of good cars in the mid 20's range.
Click to expand...

indeed


but to answer the OP's question, it is totally possible to get one for that price if you don't mind waiting, but you will probably have a couple of thousand into maintenance on it
 
Good sluething Doc. That's what I'd expect in a car for under 20k. Your other advice is better. Wait for one and put a little more in and get a better or in this case more complete car!

Good work!
 
HERE, HERE or HERE

But, as everyone else has said, you never know how much deferred maintenance is going to be involved.

Good luck in your quest though....
 
I bought my 1992 in May with 118,000 for just under $20K. It was in good shape and I drove it home from LA to Nebraska, 3 days through the desert and rockies, what a hoot.

I was just adding up maint/improvements and am just over $30K with a VERY reliable car. I expected to spend at least $5K on any car I bought. Just a lesson I have learned over the years. Seems to work for airplanes too. No matter what a person has done, there is something missed for the next person to address.

Side note: I just scored some engine/tranny mounts and headers tonight, so I guess I am over $31K, ha. But what the heck, I bet I could get $24K tomorrow no problem... except I already plan to have my ashes blown out the exhaust.
 
21acres said:
I expected to spend at least $5K on any car I bought. Just a lesson I have learned over the years. Seems to work for airplanes too. No matter what a person has done, there is something missed for the next person to address.
Click to expand...

Good advice here, and elsewhere in this thread. You can "save" money on the purchase price but end up spending well more than that down the line.
 
But getting to own the NSX and fixing her up is the fun of it,, worth every penny, knowing i got this machine back from the dead! makes me love the car that much more,, lucky for me i have had to put some money into my 92 100,000+ miles but with every part she looks even better,, these cars can run forever as long as you keep them happy!! these guys that keep their NSX's in a garage for 18 years makes me sad,, DRIVE THE CAR dont store it,, these NSX's that have high mileage are probably better anyway,, who wants to buy a 1991 NSX with 200 miles on it? hit the first bump in the road and all the rubber falls off,, dumb my 2cents
 
Liquid said:
Good advice here, and elsewhere in this thread. You can "save" money on the purchase price but end up spending well more than that down the line.
Click to expand...

+1 On paper it always seems like you can save money, but in reality it isn't the case.
 
Wow, some good stories here! Ok I have questions of two of you guys; well a question of 21acres and a comment to Shawn.

1. Question to 21: So you bought for less than 20 with 118k miles on the car - a 92 and you have now put over 11k in the car? You were talking - expect to put 5k in and you've put 11k+. So I'm very curious - was this in the snap ring range? Did you have any idea you'd be putting that kind of money into the car and if so why didn't you just buy one with less miles or less deffered maintenance? I'd love to know your story on how you spent the 11k!

You see I bought my 91 for 28.5k and immediately sunk 5+k in it as well. I have more in mine than you and I'm a year older and I feel a little like I've got more in my car than it's worth - what do you guys have to say about that?

2. Statement in reply to Shawn - YOU ARE RIGHT - drive these cars - who are you saving them for. I'll tell you guys a little secret - mine had 41k miles on it when I bought it - obviously someone was saving the car for who.....me? The only thing I can guess is that they were preserving their investment and it's obvious that a low mile car - despite the "reluctance" to buy a low miler by some- sell for more money - plain and simple. Now what I've found out - my secret is that the more I drive my car the better it feels....yeah....it feels better now - faster now- zips along a little more lively - just like the human body - cars don't like sitting- so while folks are "preserving" thier investment - they're missing the point of owning the car - it's not a collectors item - it's a drivers car! DRIVE EM.

3. Statement as to price savings - so point also is that at minimum most likely unless you get lucky and someone has to cut loose their "baby" that has maintenance totally up to snuff or you get one from someone like Skyguy - there will be deferred maintenance to at least 5k. So take my example and 21's - he bought one with 118k and put 11k+ dollars in - has 31k and climbing......I bought mine for 28.5 and put 5.4 in it and now I've got 34k in it but I only have 43k on it now after driving it. So you don't save anything really either way- you end up with about the same bucks in the car with low miles or high miles. These cars go forever.

With that said here's my logic for going in a little higher up - there is one thing that you can't replace with dollars - the cosmetic condition. The seats will look a lot better in relation to the miles and so will the paint! There is a happy medium and logic to buying. Main thing I've learned is that there are deals out there to be had and I've seen some since I bought mine - patience is golden - you will be rewarded if you wait it out. You're likely to get lower miles and good condition and mods that you'll want at a great price. Not super chargers necessarily, but interior tasteful mods and things like nice exhaust headers and systems, beautiful paint and interiors. I'd say that should be a good lesson to anyone looking.

This is a great thread! I hope the lurker Gatchaman is listening and reading and learning something. Keep your eyes open and be patient - I wasn't as patient as I believe I should have been but then like someone else said - blow my ashes out the tail pipe - I'm driving this car till I die! We are a lucky few! :biggrin::wink:
 
tbromley said:
This is a great thread! I hope the lurker Gatchaman is listening and reading and learning something. Keep your eyes open and be patient - I wasn't as patient as I believe I should have been but then like someone else said - blow my ashes out the tail pipe - I'm driving this car till I die! We are a lucky few! :biggrin::wink:
Click to expand...

I've been reading every word. Thanks for all the helpful advice guys. It's much appreciated and I'm learning a lot.

Gatcha~
 
I got mine for ~$23.5K about 4 months ago and have put about about $4.5K in so far. Mine was a snap ring range car(snap ring was cracked but hadn't "popped" yet) so I figured that into the equation. Had the clutch/flywheel replaced with an RPS when the tranny was swapped out for a 5spd from a 95'. Still want to do the coolant hoses and some other little things so I will likely have roughly $5K or so into it.
 
I got my 91 (79k miles) for $22.8k last year, knowing that I would have to put in some $ to get it right. I have about $6k into it thus far, but I actually prefer this as opposed to buying one for $28k already having the stuff done. This way, I know the work was done right (either by me or LarryB) and the fix will last a long time. My car has full service records and, looking at some of the fixes that were done by Acura dealers, I'm glad I'm handling the repairs from now on. :rolleyes:

My last fix is a new coolant bottle (just came in the mail- yay!) and then the car will be mechanically perfect. After that, it is just about cosmetic fixes and maintenence. So, if you do find a 91 or 92 for about $20k, expect to put some $ into it. Figure about $5000. Not that that is a bad thing. I think the folks here are right- $25k to $30k for a 91 that is up to date. Anything less, and you're going to be fixing something...
 
You will be most likely fixing something no matter what you spend on a 91. Good story though Honcho, I've been following a lot of your posts too. Can't beat Larry B. I was sure glad to have "the barn man" working on mine so I would give you a big +1 on your post!
 
Tim - haven't been following in a while but it seems you took the plunge and bought one finally? NICE!

to OP - I almost bought one at 18k but boy... even for California car it was in neglected shape. It looks like the bottom is about 20k (although who knows about next year!) but I agree with the rest on here. It will most likely have about $5k in deferred maintenance. I spent about $4.5k to get mine up to snuff. For an early NA1 there's just too much to restore/change/upgrade due to either mileage or age.
 
tbromley said:
You will be most likely fixing something no matter what you spend on a 91. Good story though Honcho, I've been following a lot of your posts too. Can't beat Larry B. I was sure glad to have "the barn man" working on mine so I would give you a big +1 on your post!
Click to expand...

Thanks, Tim. I've also been following R13's exploits with his Black/Ivory, though his was in rougher shape than mine.
 
I'm actually working on finishing up a speadsheet with all the work I have had done to my 1992. The $11K surprised me a little but not much, as I said I always plan on $5K MINIMUM.

Without time for too much detail, my car was not in snap ring range and some of the stuff was just fun to do or prices were too cheap (CF air box cover $200, mesh engine cover $150, Dali polished coolant tank $100, etc). Other things were like buying a new OEM clutch and TO bearing for $1060 just to store until needed as I plan to keep the car and drive it a lot.

My car came with no written records so I am going through all know failure points and trying to eliminate them like window fix-it thingys, main coolant hoses, CCU & speaker amps (thank you BrianK), TB, TB tensioner, water pump/cover, most seals/gaskets (valve covers, oil pan, coil covers, etc), CV boots.

Brakes and clutch were good.

It's a long list of needs and wants addressed. Hope to post it all soon with prices, part numbers, labor costs, and pics.

I also should add that I have shopped very hard to find good used deals and have a mechanic (Brezina Auto Care in Omaha 402-331-5829) that treats me better than you can imagine on labor. Keep in mind that it never hurts if you tip your mechanics like a hot bartender pouring doubles.
 
A couple more questions if I may.

I noticed that several people referenced a budget I should "expect" to spend fixing up the nsx, yet most of the things people listed did not at all sound as if they were things that "had" to be fixed, they were things that they "wanted" to upgrade or replace. So is it really accurate to say that I should expect to spend $5-10k? Are you trying to tell me that for an nsx with 100k miles on it I should expect $5-10K in failures in the first couple of years?

Or could it be that the vast majority frequenting the board are very into "tuning" their cars and it's money they want to spend? Just to clarify, I'm not really that guy. I would really like a nice stock nsx that I just perform regular maintenance and break/fix work on. I'm in my late thirties, with a full time job and a consulting side job and I have three kids all active in sports. I would love an nsx, but it would be strictly a weekender that I do not expect to have the time to do work on.

Thanks again for all the information.

Gatcha~
 
Gatchaman said:
A couple more questions if I may.

I noticed that several people referenced a budget I should "expect" to spend fixing up the nsx, yet most of the things people listed did not at all sound as if they were things that "had" to be fixed, they were things that they "wanted" to upgrade or replace. So is it really accurate to say that I should expect to spend $5-10k? Are you trying to tell me that for an nsx with 100k miles on it I should expect $5-10K in failures in the first couple of years?

Or could it be that the vast majority frequenting the board are very into "tuning" their cars and it's money they want to spend? Just to clarify, I'm not really that guy. I would really like a nice stock nsx that I just perform regular maintenance and break/fix work on. I'm in my late thirties, with a full time job and a consulting side job and I have three kids all active in sports. I would love an nsx, but it would be strictly a weekender that I do not expect to have the time to do work on.

Thanks again for all the information.

Gatcha~
Click to expand...

It depends on how well the car was maintained. Thats why you want service records...very important with an NSX!!!

The big ticket items are...

Clutch ~ $2000 Depends on how it was driven
TB/WP ~$1800 Every 6 years or 90K
Snap Ring Trans - Preventative repair ~$1500
A/C - Varies from CCU rebuild for $180 or Evap replacement up to $2000
ABS system - ???

Smaller annoyances...

Window regulators ~ $800
Rear Tires - every 10K miles depends on brand
CV Boots
Stereo Speaker rebuild ~ $300 all
Main Relay ~ $100

Maintenence costs... (probably a little dated)

http://www.nsxprime.com/wiki/Costs_%28Maintenance%29

Repairs...
http://www.nsxprime.com/wiki/Cost_of_Ownership
 
shawn110975 said:
Got my 92 NSX 5/speed 108,000 miles found it in SC im in tampa,, I was checking listing in all states,, for about a week,, found one, drove up paid cash 20,000 drove it home,, not one issue,, google, "NSX buyers guide",, will give you the low down on high milage NSX's just as reliable as a low mile NSX,, at least you know its working,, and just as fast as the low miles cars,, possible even better,, been broke in proper!! not rotting away in a garage,, hoses rotting, gaskets rotting doe to no oil, etc. and when you go to sell it you will get every dollar back for the car!!!
Click to expand...

What's with all the excess commas and lack of proper sentences?

Not trying to be an english teacher but geez...
 

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