I've owned my 1994 NSX for seven years this month and I've saved almost every receipt for every part bought and service done to my car. For $hits and giggles I added up the totals of each receipt and I was astonished at how little I've spent maintaining the NSX. I didn't save all the receipts for the oil that I've bought for my diy oil changes, and I couldn't find the receipts for all of the brake pads that I've bought over the years. So although it's not 100% accurate, it's pretty darn close. My cost to date has been, drum roll please...................$14,970.68. This does not include insurance, taxes, registration fees, or gas used. An average of $2318.67 per year, and $0.25 per mile driven. Not too bad for a hand built exotic. :smile:
My total cost of maintanence and mods.....
- Thread starter DocL
- Start date
Was that just for "maintenance", or did that include some "mods" as your title said??
My ownership reciepts (maintenance-only) for my '93, over 11 years and 44K miles, is a little shy of $14000.... or about $1300 per year.
-Wick
My ownership reciepts (maintenance-only) for my '93, over 11 years and 44K miles, is a little shy of $14000.... or about $1300 per year.
-Wick
You should not forget to mention how many miles you've driven the car. Especially since the NSX can rip through a pair of rear tires in as little 4000 miles.
I've owned my NSX now for four years and have driven it about 37K miles.
I do my own oil changes and all the little stuff myself.
So far the main cost of driving the NSX has been timing belt/water pump (about 2000 US$ but that including the mounting of my Taitec headers).
Electrical problems: Zero, Mechanical problems: Zero, Engine problems: Zero
However, I've spend about 14K US$ in modifications :biggrin:
Doc's completely overlooking the cost of the women he's picked up with that car! :biggrin:
I guess I don't find $200/month in parts and maintenance to be all that inexpensive.
Ski_Banker
Suspended
I was thinking the same thing. What the hell are you buying for $2500/year Doc?? For me, it's 1) gas 2) tires 3) clutches (maybe) for the next 5-10 years. Maybe an oil change too. maybe.
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Wow, that's alot I think. I've owned my nsx for almost a year now. 10 months actually. For maintenance alone minus upgrades, fees, taxes, gas, and what not...... I've ran through one set of rear tires, 2 oil changes, 1 air filter. Total cost...... less than $450 and 8,000 miles driven so far. However this spring, I need to replace, 1 set of toe link grease boots, rear tires, oil change, oil pan gasket change. So by my 12 month anniversary, my total maintenance cost will be....... $1600. But due to my great shopping skills, it's actually more like $1000.
Now the mods....... yeah that's SEVERAL times over.
Now the mods....... yeah that's SEVERAL times over.
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I've owned my 91 with 36K currently on the odo for 6 months and put 2000 miles on it for a total cost of one oil change and filter at home, < $50.00. Of course the clutch could go in the next 500 miles greatly skewing that performance.
It would seem that the cost of ownership relates to:
1. How hard the car is driven.
2. How hard the owner is driven to make modifications.
3. How well the previous owner took care of the car.
In my case the car never saw the East side of 100 mph, snow or rain from the previous owner. The PO put between 2000 and 2500 a year on the car doing all of the major services on a time base instead of a miles base.
That should put me on the low side of the scale if I don't touch anything, that would be a first! However, freak things happen I could end up buying an engine. Or I could find the deal I'm looking for on a 996 GT3 in which case the NSX will be on the block for $33k in a heart beat.
It would seem that the cost of ownership relates to:
1. How hard the car is driven.
2. How hard the owner is driven to make modifications.
3. How well the previous owner took care of the car.
In my case the car never saw the East side of 100 mph, snow or rain from the previous owner. The PO put between 2000 and 2500 a year on the car doing all of the major services on a time base instead of a miles base.
That should put me on the low side of the scale if I don't touch anything, that would be a first! However, freak things happen I could end up buying an engine. Or I could find the deal I'm looking for on a 996 GT3 in which case the NSX will be on the block for $33k in a heart beat.
Some years I spend more than others. For example, in the last six months I've done the 60k service and cv boots. I've purchased six tires, four new shocks, four new springs, and leather seat covers. Then I've also paid for the install of each of my purchases. I'd say that 1/2 of my ownership cost has been mods, and 1/2 maintenance. I've saved a bunch of money by doing my own brakes and oil changes for the past six years and buying my parts at a 20-30% discount.
I bought my car with 4,000 miles on it and it now has 62,000. I've done every scheduled maintenance. I'm even on the original clutch which has plenty of more life left in it according to my mechanic. I just figured that $14,xxx to own this car is much cheaper than owning a competitors mid-engined car, and that was the reason for my post.
As docjohn said, ownership of an NSX is a lot less expensive than being married and getting divorced. :biggrin:
There are a lot of variables that affect maintenance costs. You can look at them as follows:
1. Mileage-related maintenance. For example, if you spend $1200 on four rear tires and two front tires every 10,000 miles, you're paying twelve cents per mile just for tires. If you spend $2500 on a clutch every 50,000 miles, you're paying five cents per mile for clutches.
2. Time-related maintenance. For example, maybe you change your brake fluid every two years, regardless of mileage.
Note that a lot of maintenance can be done based on time OR mileage intervals. Let's take the 30K/60K/etc service (valve adjustment, fluids, and filters), and let's say this costs $1000. If someone is driving a lot of miles, then he's probably doing this service every 30K miles, so that's 3.3 cents per mile for major services, and it's very much mileage-related. However, the interval on this service is 30K miles or 2 years, whichever comes first. If someone is only driving, let's say, 5K miles per year, he might do this every two years, regardless of not hitting the mileage interval, and it's very much time-related. So in this case, $1000 every 10K miles becomes 10 cents per mile for these services.
You can do the same kind of calculations with the replacement of the timing belt, water pump, and cooling system hoses (figure $2000 every 90K miles or 6 years, whichever comes first), oil and filter changes (price depends on the kind of oil you use, the interval depends on your opinion in the endless debate), minor services (coolant and valve adjustments at 45K/75K/etc), etc.
3. Unscheduled repairs. These are things that break or wear out at non-predictable intervals, rather than work that is done on a pre-planned schedule. As long as you're keeping up with scheduled maintenance, these items are largely out of your control.
4. Usage-related repairs. If you take your car to the track, you know that you're going to spend $X to replace front brake pads every 500 track miles, $Y to replace rear brake pads every 700 track miles, $Z to replace front rotors every 1200 track miles, etc. (YMMV.) These costs are the direct result of how you use your car. Your choice.
5. Mods. Entirely within your control and subject to your discretion. You can pay zero dollars on these if you want.
Note that items 1, 2, and 4 are very predictable, based on how many miles you drive over what period of time and how you drive your car. 3 is not predictable but over time, you can budget so many dollars per year based on your usage and if you don't blow an engine, it can be pretty accurate. And 5 is entirely controllable.
Again, Rob's been averaging 8,000 miles per year. Assuming no track usage, typical predictable costs might be as follows, using the calculations above:
12 cents per mile for tires ($1200 every 10K miles)
5 cents per mile for clutches ($2500 every 50K miles)
1.3 cents per mile for oil changes ($50 every 4K miles/6 months)
6.7 cents per mile for major services (30K/60K/etc) ($1000 every 16K miles/2 years)
3.3 cents per mile for minor services (45K/75K/etc) ($500 every 16K miles/2 years)
4.2 cents per mile for timing belt/water pump/cooling hose replacements ($2000 every 48K miles/6 years)
So that gives you a figure of 32.5 cents per mile, based on 8,000 miles driven per year, not including unscheduled repairs.. I think Rob's actual experience of 25 cents per mile is pretty darn low.
1. Mileage-related maintenance. For example, if you spend $1200 on four rear tires and two front tires every 10,000 miles, you're paying twelve cents per mile just for tires. If you spend $2500 on a clutch every 50,000 miles, you're paying five cents per mile for clutches.
2. Time-related maintenance. For example, maybe you change your brake fluid every two years, regardless of mileage.
Note that a lot of maintenance can be done based on time OR mileage intervals. Let's take the 30K/60K/etc service (valve adjustment, fluids, and filters), and let's say this costs $1000. If someone is driving a lot of miles, then he's probably doing this service every 30K miles, so that's 3.3 cents per mile for major services, and it's very much mileage-related. However, the interval on this service is 30K miles or 2 years, whichever comes first. If someone is only driving, let's say, 5K miles per year, he might do this every two years, regardless of not hitting the mileage interval, and it's very much time-related. So in this case, $1000 every 10K miles becomes 10 cents per mile for these services.
You can do the same kind of calculations with the replacement of the timing belt, water pump, and cooling system hoses (figure $2000 every 90K miles or 6 years, whichever comes first), oil and filter changes (price depends on the kind of oil you use, the interval depends on your opinion in the endless debate), minor services (coolant and valve adjustments at 45K/75K/etc), etc.
3. Unscheduled repairs. These are things that break or wear out at non-predictable intervals, rather than work that is done on a pre-planned schedule. As long as you're keeping up with scheduled maintenance, these items are largely out of your control.
4. Usage-related repairs. If you take your car to the track, you know that you're going to spend $X to replace front brake pads every 500 track miles, $Y to replace rear brake pads every 700 track miles, $Z to replace front rotors every 1200 track miles, etc. (YMMV.) These costs are the direct result of how you use your car. Your choice.
5. Mods. Entirely within your control and subject to your discretion. You can pay zero dollars on these if you want.
Note that items 1, 2, and 4 are very predictable, based on how many miles you drive over what period of time and how you drive your car. 3 is not predictable but over time, you can budget so many dollars per year based on your usage and if you don't blow an engine, it can be pretty accurate. And 5 is entirely controllable.
Again, Rob's been averaging 8,000 miles per year. Assuming no track usage, typical predictable costs might be as follows, using the calculations above:
12 cents per mile for tires ($1200 every 10K miles)
5 cents per mile for clutches ($2500 every 50K miles)
1.3 cents per mile for oil changes ($50 every 4K miles/6 months)
6.7 cents per mile for major services (30K/60K/etc) ($1000 every 16K miles/2 years)
3.3 cents per mile for minor services (45K/75K/etc) ($500 every 16K miles/2 years)
4.2 cents per mile for timing belt/water pump/cooling hose replacements ($2000 every 48K miles/6 years)
So that gives you a figure of 32.5 cents per mile, based on 8,000 miles driven per year, not including unscheduled repairs.. I think Rob's actual experience of 25 cents per mile is pretty darn low.
Let me piggy back on this thread since nsxtasy brings up some great points. I bought a 2003 NSX w/6200 miles on the odo. It now has 8500 miles. I am fairly sure that no maintenance has been done other than oil changes. Which preventive service should I do now considering the car is now almost 4 years old? Btw, the car will be 4 years old on 8/2007. Thanks.
Time for the major service, 3 year interval in the booklet. I had mine done last year at my local mechanic, now I'd take a ride up to visit Larry B as he's the best in my area, find out who's the best in yours and take it to them!!!
The maintenance schedule in the owner's manual gives intervals for each part of the service in miles and in time (months or years). To be safe, do the ones that should have been done by now, based on those intervals. In particular, the fluid changes - especially the brake fluid - are important.
Depending on where you are in Northern California, Don at Hilltop in Daly City, Foreign Affair in Santa Clara, and Niello Acura in Sacramento are good places to start.
Thanks guys. Any idea what a 3yr service should run? I'm guessing around $500? I think I should just go with a brake fluid, coolant, oil, and air fliter change.
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It's usually about twice that. You can look up typical prices for services in the FAQ.
We can't tell you until you have 1,000 posts. :biggrin: But since I'm a good mood, www.delrayacura.com online parts store has good prices.
Join NSXCA and enjoy 10-30% discounts on parts from several Acura Dealers.
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