Mission Impossible? 91 NSX for 18-20K?

[tbromley]

Big D's list is pretty good. I'd say that when I bought mine I was a bit surprised by one bit of trouble I had - the steering rack. I did not anticipate replacing that - $1000. I spent 5k on mine and it needed everything done and I had the Barn Man do it at home on the side! So, that was clutch, fluids, valve adjustment, TB/WP/Hoses/2 oil cooler hoses, steering rack, Axel boots or CVC boots, expansion tank replaced, master and slave cylinder replaced. I think that was about it. That was a lot of work for 5k. I don't know if you could get that done as cheaply.

Now, I bought a car that had been fairly well maintained but it's 18 years old. My car came with a stack of reciepts, the AC was done, the speakers were done, the window thingys were done, a clutch had been done - some people just don't know how to drive clutches - TB/WP had been done too. So it's not hard to find a car maintained pretty well that just needs some things again. So I'd definitely be expecting any car down low in the 20s to need at least 5k minimum. No one sells one that cheap that doesn't need stuff! So don't kid yourself. Maintenance for the big items are expensive.

 

[RYU]

Big_D is right on. You will be spending $5k approx. to prevent spending up to 10-15k minimum later. Just think blown Timing Belt.. ouch.

I spent about $4.5 on several items including new TB/WP, various seals, all new coolant hoses everywhere, new clutch & brake master cylinder and a few other things.

I would recommend though as quick "upgrade" parts (for the non-boy-racers like us) which are good bang for the buck IMO are headers/exhaust & NA2 brakes. Ok, i've said my peace

 

[KyleMo]

I bought my 91 with 142k for $19k, only downside was the clutch was starting to go, but I since replaced it myself. Other than that it was basically new, in perfect shape. If you can do the work yourself you won't spend much more than you pay, but the cheaper the price the more you'll have to spend in maintance. Just be patient and do your research on the car and something will pop up. I waited months before finding mine. Good luck with your purchase.

 

[4cruizn]

Keeping a close eye on this thread b/c I have all the same questions as the OP. Good stuff to know - thanks everyone.

 

[heySkippy]

Make a post in the "NSX Wanted" section of this forum and state your wants and price range.

That's what I did almost 5 years ago and my car found me.

 

[BATMANs]

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.

that depends if u have plans to use the difference in $$$ for mods.

 

[R13]

Just to chip in a bit. The initial purchase price of my car would actually have fallen under the range described in the thread title, however, as has been somewhat well documented on this site, it needed somework.

I added up my reciepts the other day, while typing this post:

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=128235

Adding the cost of NECESSARY maintenance(i.e. vital to keep from needing a new engine due to a coolant hose failure, TB/WB issue, or fuel/air mix issue; needing to see my gauges while still using the headlights; not wanting to freeze my nuts off this winter drivng around with a dead CCU..etc.) to the purchase price ended up ~$21-22k after 1 year. I think that is pretty much the sweet spot for high-ish mileage (100+k) '91-'92 NSXs right now. $22-25k seems to be the going rate for a well-driven, but also well-documented car. Any cheaper than that and the maintenance bills will balance out the bargain within a year or two at the most.

Note, the car is a snap-ring car, but I have not addressed that based on lack of failure and what seems to be the prevailing wisdom in the community. If it fails, figure another 1-2k if I take it somewhere to get fixed.

So I have to throw my hat in the "wait, budget a bit more money, and buy the right car" ring on this one. A well documented car for a little more money will save you a lot of headaches if you just want to drive it without worrying.

 

[pgilliam1]

I paid $20K for my 91 w/117K miles and it came with very few maintenace records. That said, it came with some nice mods with $12K spent at RM Racing. Since I didn't have many service records I had to do the usual preventative maintenance which cost me about $2K in parts. I did the work and enjoyed most of it, learned a lot and found a bunch of nice guys here willing to help with the details. I've been a driver since I mashed the pedal on a 1967 Camaro on my 16th birthday and this car is the most capable, beautiful and fun car to drive I've ever had the pleasure of mashing the pedal on. Get behind the wheel and just try not to smile :biggrin:

 

[EuroBoutique]

One thing I learned in life is NOTHING is impossible as long as you are willing to compromise......:tongue:

Sure you can spend less, but you will spend more later - kinda like gambling you may win big here and there, but in the end you will always lose to the house!

I never understood people's thinking to be cheap and spend less, why would you want to buy a high mileage car when you can spend more and get something nicer? That is of course unless you WANT a project car or just a beater.....:redface:

What's $5k-10k more, aren't you worth it to treat yourself better?

 

[ediddynsx]

Nothings impossible, but most of the cars under the 20k range are beat to hell.

If you want one that looks worn out and needs a lot of oem replacement parts then thats what I usually see in that price range.

There is that one for sale at Autowave for 15k with 400k miles.....all the service has been done on that car....so maybe you can check that one out.

 

[heySkippy]

why would you want to buy a high mileage car when you can spend more and get something nicer?

I think it'd be a mistake to assume a low mileage car is nicer.

 

[tbromley]

There are happy mediums for sure - but in general you are going to get a lot nicer car with low miles - interior and everything pretty much but like I've always said - most folks don't sell a car that is totally up to snuff and if they do and it has lower miles - you'll pay accordingly. You get what you pay for most of the time. With that said there are always stories of someone getting a fantastic deal - they are not the norm. I believe everyone can agree on that!

 

[R13]

I think it'd be a mistake to assume a low mileage car is nicer.

True.

A religiously maintained high mileage car is a far better bet than a low mileage car that has limited documentation and has only been maintained on the basis of mileage and not time.

 

[tbromley]

True.

A religiously maintained high mileage car is a far better bet than a low mileage car that has limited documentation and has only been maintained on the basis of mileage and not time.

There is a point to this but one things for sure that you can never take away and that's the mileage placed upon the internals and externals of any automobile - the more the miles the more things wear out - plain and simple. The more the paint is exposed to weather the sooner it fades.

So I have my own scenario and you see what you think of this one:
If the car is a 92 with 20k miles on it used sparingly but evenly and taken care of properly and the interior is pristine and the undercarriage looks like it came off the floor not too long ago and on and on - how do you think that car is gonna stack up to your "high miler example"???

Granted it is better that a car be used than unused but as I've said many times - there is a happy medium. You can always replace a TB/WP and hoses but you can't replace the time and wear that miles put on a car!

So all things being equal which is what I'm pointing out here - there is no way you don't take the "proper" low miler if you have the bucks and want the very best! No way! Not for my money. I'd love to hear a vote on this one characterized like this. Not on an uneven playing field that you described where one is not taken care of and the other is and see what all the primers would say if money was no object.....I'll take bets on that one! Anybody game to take that vote?:wink:

 

[lightguy]

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?

Here is my advice.
Buy the best car you can.
Set a standard for what you want; miles, body condition/mods, interior condition.
Do not be concerned with color. You are buying a MACHINE not an ornament.
Spend more upfront for a medium mile car. Go 25.
Scraping the bottom of the market barrel will get you; bottom market cars.

Lower miles = less wear and tear throughout.
Expecting $5k in maintenance is high. Expect TBelt + H2O pump = $2k
Nothing else should need work other than nick nacks. If it does you are looking at the wrong car.
Watch the market every day. Be ready to leap when the proper car comes up.
Have your cash or financing in line.
There are deals out there but sometimes a deal is really a trap. Watch your step and get a PPI. PPI's can be used to ask for reasonable reductions of price if not factored in to begin with.

 

[lightguy]

- there is a happy medium. You can always replace a TB/WP and hoses but you can't replace the time and wear that miles put on a car!

Bingo

 

[ediddynsx]

There is a point to this but one things for sure that you can never take away and that's the mileage placed upon the internals and externals of any automobile - the more the miles the more things wear out - plain and simple. The more the paint is exposed to weather the sooner it fades.

So I have my own scenario and you see what you think of this one:
If the car is a 92 with 20k miles on it used sparingly but evenly and taken care of properly and the interior is pristine and the undercarriage looks like it came off the floor not too long ago and on and on - how do you think that car is gonna stack up to your "high miler example"???

Granted it is better that a car be used than unused but as I've said many times - there is a happy medium. You can always replace a TB/WP and hoses but you can't replace the time and wear that miles put on a car!

So all things being equal which is what I'm pointing out here - there is no way you don't take the "proper" low miler if you have the bucks and want the very best! No way! Not for my money. I'd love to hear a vote on this one characterized like this. Not on an uneven playing field that you described where one is not taken care of and the other is and see what all the primers would say if money was no object.....I'll take bets on that one! Anybody game to take that vote?:wink:

What he said.....thats why I bought mine with 24k on the clock.

 

[R13]

... and taken care of properly

I think this is the key.

It is all about which variable you fix in your buying equation.

-Fixed budget (i.e. you can't spend more money for the super-clean low-miler):

Your sliding scale is going to go between cheap car and $$$ maintenance, or using the whole budget for a well documented car. You may see a low mile car, but if it hasn't been maintained, I still say, a higher mile car with proper maintenance is better.

-Fixed Quality (You, the discerning buyer/collector, want X level of car)

How much you are willing to spend becomes the dependent variable.

 

[sidwac]

I took the side of getting a low miler at a fair price. I did recognize in advance of the purchase that I'd need to do some "recommended" maintenance. Wear and tear on the car was a key driver for me on the purchase. I decided after purchase to get a good baseline on the car (sooner than later) and so did the maintenance. What I ended up with is a car in tip top shape end to end with a total cost of a couple of thousand above today's market. I'm happy (except having to fix the CCU) and enjoying the car.

So if I decided to sell tomorrow, listing my car as a 24,000 miler, 3rd owner, no deferred maintenance, records since next, garaged, near new condition at $30 something I think I'd draw greater interest.

 

[bfrank1972]

So if I decided to sell tomorrow, listing my car as a 24,000 miler, 3rd owner, no deferred maintenance, records since next, garaged, near new condition at $30 something I think I'd draw greater interest.

This is an excellent point - a lower mileage car will appeal to a broader audience (assuming it's well taken care of) than a higher mileage car if you are selling.

 

[tbromley]

I think this is the key.

It is all about which variable you fix in your buying equation.

-Fixed budget (i.e. you can't spend more money for the super-clean low-miler):

Your sliding scale is going to go between cheap car and $$$ maintenance, or using the whole budget for a well documented car. You may see a low mile car, but if it hasn't been maintained, I still say, a higher mile car with proper maintenance is better.

-Fixed Quality (You, the discerning buyer/collector, want X level of car)

How much you are willing to spend becomes the dependent variable.

Correctomundo! :wink: and as lightguy said - Bingo!

 

[tbromley]

This is an excellent point - a lower mileage car will appeal to a broader audience (assuming it's well taken care of) than a higher mileage car if you are selling.

Again - Correctomundo - absolutely! There is no doubt as a matter of fact in todays market it is the difference in selling and not selling most likely. With 338 NSXs on the market - what do you think? I'll put my money on the low milers with excellent care every time. I feel the same way about mine. I have a 91 in almost new condition too and it's a 91 - I believe that I may have about 2k over what it's worth in it but it's in perfect shape and runs great - all I have to do is change the oil and enjoy the hell out of it! I intend to do just that...:biggrin:

 

[Vega$ NSX]

I got mine '91 with 130K miles for $20,000 flat. It even had some nice tasteful mods. The only thing that was wrong with it was a toasted A/C compressor. Everything else was great and it ran fine up until I decided to completely modify the crap out of it.

 

[Vex]

Before I found a car that lived up to my standards....I saw many NSXs for under 20. MOST of the cars i did see at that price range were *cough* automatics. Some had low mileage, but I will never understand why cars like ours are made with an automatic tranny. Nothing against those of you who do have automatic NSXs...I'm just speaking on personal preference. :biggrin:

Vex

 

[lightguy]

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130815