Need help, looking at a 95 NSX...

[nsxboyee]

Hey guys - first a quick introduction.

I'm a current 02'BMW M3 owner. Please don't let this mislead you, prior to this car I've owned a 00' E46 BMW 323, 93' Toyota MR-2 Turbo, 92' Acura Integra GS-R, and a 92' Honda Civic. I was a JDM lover from the start. Anyways, I'm an active member in the European tuning community, but have wanted an NSX since getting rid of the MR-2. I'm currently looking at a 1995 NSX-T w/80K miles on it...dealer is asking 38K. It has not had the clutch replaced yet, which I'd probably work into the deal. I'm very interested in the car but concerned about reliability w/the mileage...what do you guys think? I want a 95+ and the price is right...just concerned about the mileage. I know honda's reputation (hell, I owned 2 that I beat to hell and they still kicked ass) but I just want some re-assurance from actual owners...can I get your opinions?

Thanks in advance, if you guys are into cars as I think you are, you can check out my site at http://www.tuningwerks.com

thanks
Albert

 

[nsxtasy]

It should be very reliable, but it is still a seven-year-old car with 80K miles. There are things that go wrong with cars after a certain period of time, mostly little things, and some of them are to be expected. For example, if it has the original battery, then it's at the end of its useful life. The struts that hold up the trunk lid and engine hatch tend to fail to do so after about six years, so if these are still original, you can expect them to fail soon as well. Each of these three items is ~$100 for parts plus at most a half hour of labor. Also, if it has never had the timing belt and water pump replaced, it's about due for that as well ($1400) since its recommended replacement interval is six years or 90K miles, whichever comes first. These are all things you can work into the deal, particularly if you're buying it from an Acura dealer. The price is a good one for a '95 but that's because it reflects the relatively high mileage which puts it into category D, as noted in the FAQ here.

BTW, the engine is less likely to blow up than on your '02.

 

[nsxtasy]

P.S. It's a good time to buy an NSX in California, since NSXPO 2003 will take place there ten and one half months from now.

 

[nsxboyee]

Thank you so much for your immediate response!! I'm going to take a look at the car tomorrow, it's at a dealer so I should be able to work a lot of that stuff into it. I mod cars pretty quickly so if I do get something I'll be ready for NSXPO!

FYI - my car is a 6spd with a 10/01 build. Most of the blown S54 engines were 11/01's w/SMG

 

[nsxtasy]

Originally posted by nsxboyee:
FYI - my car is a 6spd with a 10/01 build. Most of the blown S54 engines were 11/01's w/SMG

Not exactly. Of the 112 failures listed on this website, 39 percent had 11/01 build dates, 21 percent 12/01, 12 percent 10/01

, and 14 percent in 2002. About 60 percent had SMG, and 40 percent the six-speed manual.

 

[MAKO]

Albert, what the hell man, you said on the M3 board you were selling your car because you had some information that led you to believe that there's a V8 in the M3's immediate future. Is the NSX just to tide you over until MY2004?

In any case welcome aboard our NSX ship of fools. You never know, another M3 might not look so good once you spend awhile gazing through one of the lowest cowls ever brought to market on a production car. The NSX makes even 35MPH seem dramatic...

Enjoy and let us know how your search goes.

 

[93B18]

The 95 that you are looking at doesn't happen to be the one at Tustin Acura. It's black on black, chrome wheels, 79K miles. I too was looking at that car for a potential purchase since it's a great price for a 95. Unfortunately, other priorities popped up that I need to take care of first. I was also sort of hesitant regarding the price since it was being sold a dealer and the carfax for it checked out perfect. You may want to take it to a third party for a pre-buyer inspection to make sure everything is straight. Good luck!

 

[nsxboyee]

nsxtasy - ((applause)) gotta give props to people who have good knowledge about ALL cars, not just the one they own. I'm at 22K miles and drive the car hard but I know not to over-rev

Mako - Yes, the NSX will be the "JDM project" for the interim year. Thanks for the warm welcome. Like I said earlier, I've always been a JDM fan and those who know me know that I'll hookup the car appropriately!


93B18 - That is the car I'm looking at but I have an entire laundry list of maintenance items I'd like done prior to buying it now that I've talked to you guys! I'm going to take a look in person today and I'll let you guys know what happens!

 

[nsxtasy]

BTW, turns out there's a big article about the M3 engine failures in the new (Dec 2) issue of AutoWeek.

 

[nsxboyee]

YUCK. This car in particular was horrible. The rear tailights weather seal was coming out, the front chin spoiler was falling off, all 4 of the wheels had chips on them, the interior was "well used" as was the entire car. The only thing that was positive was the entire maintenance history was available as it was all done at that particular dealer. Not to mention that the internet manager there was a total bizzatch. They've yet to call me back with the other info I requested, my guess is that they thought I was being to "picky" about the car. My search for another NSX goes on...