Need some info or advice...

Joined
25 March 2007
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Location
Knoxville, TN / Montgomery, AL
Hey primers, I'm an engineering student at UT looking to get a commission in the USAF and I'll be in the marketplace looking to purchase a car about a year from now. Now I know some of you might write me off right there as saying "dumb college kid with big dreams" but I've been studying up on this car as well as several others to make a better informed decision and I've got some military strings I'm pulling to make it happen. So rest assured that common sense is not lacking though it may not be apparently bountiful to you. So to complete my info repertoire, I'd like to ask some questions.

First, I know this car is a Honda/Acura, but how would you consider the long term reliability of a car as particular as an NSX? Put your love of the car aside.

Second, how feasible is it to use an NSX as a daily driver?

Third, how much of a pain is it to insure this car and what would be the optimal coverages for a car of this type and age? ( this is where some of my military strings may come into effect )

I think what I would desire the most would be a '93 or '94 in Berlina Black and I've seen very few of these that would fit in my price range right now ( $26000 or less).

usafdarkhorse
 
no offense.... but good luck even getting a decent '91 for 26,000 or less. a good, no problem 91 with low miles will run you about 30. (of course, there are exceptions.... but don't take it for granted that you'll find a good one for that cheap.... unless you're into buying in on scams or cars with problems)

the nsx is very reliable, but an older car like a 93 or 94 is still going to have problems, no matter how reliable it is. this is pronounced in wear items.

just remember.... regardless of how much you pay for this car upfront, in the end it's still a 90,000 dollar car (maintenance and service).... here are some examples:
timing belt service: ~1700 bucks (you should def check the last time it was replaced when you purchase one.... otherwise you'll be going the preventative maintenance route, whether or not you needed it)
clutch: ~2000 bucks
(and those are decent prices)
even regular maintenance is high

with an older car like that, also expect the problems common to most all nsxs... window regulator/window adjust, door handle, stereo amps, etc. and be mindful that they could go at any time

the nsx can be used as a daily driver.... but so can any sports car..... the question is, do you need to move anything other than a couple bags? do you get all nervous when you park a nice car at wally world with shopping carts around? do you need to worry about ground clearance?

there is no pain to insure the car, so long as you have the money. it will vary greatly by state/age/etc. I'm 24, and have a few tickets under my belt.... 1200 every 6mos is the best i could get.

i'm not going to ask.... but some of the things that you ask yourself should include.... how much do i make? is that enough to honestly leave me enough to save some cash for other things? do i want to invest (house, etc.) before buying a toy? can i afford sporatic repairs? (again, not due to unreliability.... but rather to the fact that the car was built when you were ~9 years old)

hope this helps.... good luck with your search
 
no offense.... but good luck even getting a decent '91 for 26,000 or less. a good, no problem 91 with low miles will run you about 30. (of course, there are exceptions.... but don't take it for granted that you'll find a good one for that cheap.... unless you're into buying in on scams or cars with problems)

the nsx is very reliable, but an older car like a 93 or 94 is still going to have problems, no matter how reliable it is. this is pronounced in wear items.

just remember.... regardless of how much you pay for this car upfront, in the end it's still a 90,000 dollar car (maintenance and service).... here are some examples:
timing belt service: ~1700 bucks (you should def check the last time it was replaced when you purchase one.... otherwise you'll be going the preventative maintenance route, whether or not you needed it)
clutch: ~2000 bucks
(and those are decent prices)
even regular maintenance is high

with an older car like that, also expect the problems common to most all nsxs... window regulator/window adjust, door handle, stereo amps, etc. and be mindful that they could go at any time

the nsx can be used as a daily driver.... but so can any sports car..... the question is, do you need to move anything other than a couple bags? do you get all nervous when you park a nice car at wally world with shopping carts around? do you need to worry about ground clearance?

there is no pain to insure the car, so long as you have the money. it will vary greatly by state/age/etc. I'm 24, and have a few tickets under my belt.... 1200 every 6mos is the best i could get.

i'm not going to ask.... but some of the things that you ask yourself should include.... how much do i make? is that enough to honestly leave me enough to save some cash for other things? do i want to invest (house, etc.) before buying a toy? can i afford sporatic repairs? (again, not due to unreliability.... but rather to the fact that the car was built when you were ~9 years old)

hope this helps.... good luck with your search

Well, again, I'll be actively looking about a year from now and I've noticed that the prices for used NSXs tumble about $2-3k per year ( this of course will vary and may not even be a reliable estimate), however, one thing noteworthy is that many of these cars sell far over blue book ( maybe due to their original markup prices or possibly from just excellent value over time?)

In several ads there is a 94 Brooklands green pearl, 81k I think, for $29k, and one kid over in another forum just bought a black 91 cartech twin turbo ( may not the best thing) for $26,500 so I know it's not entirely out of the question though my quest may take me far and wide.

No I don't intend on lugging any large bags other than my backpack to and from school and possible a guitar here and there ( it says 5 cu. ft., so a guitar should fit snugly but I need to find out the actual dimensions).

I actually would like to buy a mid-mileage NSX for the aforementioned repairs to the belt and clutch, but, again, having money to do so if need be will not be too much of a problem.

As far as other things I want to invest in ( house, time share haha) it's for naught just because of my potential line of work which will have me moving every 3 years for the next 30 years. I have a friend who has an '88 Z ( which is obviously not an NSX) and he insured it through the same place that I have my current car insured and he pays $400 a year, comprehensive...it's pushing 600hp and he has several tickets. While I don't intend to do anything drastic in the way of outrageous power gains, it does spell hope that I can get one insured for alot less than a non-military source.

Is your $1200 for 6 months comprehensive?

Again thanks for taking the time to deal with my curiousity and humor me.

usafdarkhorse
 
Well, again, I'll be actively looking about a year from now and I've noticed that the prices for used NSXs tumble about $2-3k per year ( this of course will vary and may not even be a reliable estimate), however, one thing noteworthy is that many of these cars sell far over blue book ( maybe due to their original markup prices or possibly from just excellent value over time?)

In several ads there is a 94 Brooklands green pearl, 81k I think, for $29k, and one kid over in another forum just bought a black 91 cartech twin turbo ( may not the best thing) for $26,500 so I know it's not entirely out of the question though my quest may take me far and wide.

No I don't intend on lugging any large bags other than my backpack to and from school and possible a guitar here and there ( it says 5 cu. ft., so a guitar should fit snugly but I need to find out the actual dimensions).

I actually would like to buy a mid-mileage NSX for the aforementioned repairs to the belt and clutch, but, again, having money to do so if need be will not be too much of a problem.

As far as other things I want to invest in ( house, time share haha) it's for naught just because of my potential line of work which will have me moving every 3 years for the next 30 years. I have a friend who has an '88 Z ( which is obviously not an NSX) and he insured it through the same place that I have my current car insured and he pays $400 a year, comprehensive...it's pushing 600hp and he has several tickets. While I don't intend to do anything drastic in the way of outrageous power gains, it does spell hope that I can get one insured for alot less than a non-military source.

Is your $1200 for 6 months comprehensive?

Again thanks for taking the time to deal with my curiousity and humor me.

usafdarkhorse

a few things to keep in mind.... there will always be a good deal somewhere, and, when the time comes, don't be too hasty - wait until you find one with little/ no problems, with a good past owner and maintenance history - and make sure it's legit. as far as the 94 brooklands.... that still looks a little cheap (eventhough that tends to be the least appealing color among nsx owners). and the modified one... believe it or not, modded cars typically decrease the value of the vehicle (and increase the average maintenance costs) - and don't put it past him to hide the bunch of little things that might be wrong with it (that add up). also keep in mind that scammers on autotrader and ebay have begun offering vehicles for borderline normal prices... so all i'm saying is.... don't EXPECT to get THAT good of a deal.
you're right, your quest for an nsx could/ may likely take you across the country, but you'll find one (but, again, don't come up with a lowball number and expect to get it for that much)

you gotta have balls of steel to park that thing on a campus. i wouldn't recommend owning one until after you graduate. think of potential vandalism and dings and things like that. yeah, insurance would cover it if you claimed it, but you still pay for it in the end (ins increases, etc.).

not saying the Z isn't a nice car, but don't expect to pay the same amount as a Z (esp with only comprehensive). most banks that will give you a loan will require that you have full coverege (ie, liability, comp and collision).... collision is a whole nother expense. so, my ins is 1200/6mos with lia/coll/comp. (also, when i went to japan for 3 mos last year.... eventhough i wasn't driving the car, the bank required that it still have collision on it... pretty lame. i only mention this, because you said you were in the military...)

that fact that the car's book value is substantially less than its market value may be an issue as well..... even if your credit is awesome, you'll probably get, at most, 120% the BOOK value of the car. you'll likely have to pay the rest out of pocket, or take out another loan. if that loan happens to be unsecured (no collateral), expect high interest rates..... you're gonna want to pay that one off quick if that's the case.

just take all these things into consideration, and ask as many questions as possible so you get the best perspective as to what ownership entails. it's not as cheap as it seems... .and the initial cost kind of shrouds the rest of the costs. i don't know your financial situation, but i'd strongly suggest just waiting until you graduate (save as much as possible) and buy it afterwards regardless. the time will come soon enough when you'll have one.... i wanted all the nice cars in school and stuff, but when i look back on it, i'm kinda glad i had my 4 door civic (gas mileage, moving people, moving random stuff, low cost, low stress, big stereo :wink: )

bottom line.... i wouldn't depend on this or any other old car that costs ~30k as a daily driver -unless i had another car, because stuff happens.... and last thing you need in school is another distraction....

in any case, good luck with your search. just remember to be patient.
 
Really to tell you the truth the greatest reason I wanted black was because I'm not a huge fan of the two tone "fighter cockpit" two tone look and it looks fairly decent black all around. As for the green pearl...eh...I think it looks rather handsome but i guess it would dull the edgy appeal a tad.

I absolutely DO NOT want a modded car by any means if I can help it ( although the 94+ style wheels on a 91 would be rather acceptable and welcome really). Me bringing up the $26,500 was for the car just in its own right and not in sheer amazement for the amount of mods versus the cost...I wouldn't touch the car personally...heard some bad tales about the cartech system.

UT has allotted very few parking spaces to the people who actually park there haha but there are various ways to get around parking near haphazard people ( maybe not vandalism). I know a guy with a highly modified 350Z ( eh...its alright...not my cup o tea tho) and both of us park in a garage that has secluded parking spots and I get there early enough everyday to snag one. Not to say any of the aforementioned stuff won't happen because I do this, but I'm throwing out some ideas that might help some of the problems.

As for the '88 Z, no, I absolutely do not expect to have the same premiums or anything as him, but I mention it to make a sort of comparison ratio as to what I may expect from them looking at his quotes from them and some other companies so, no, I don't think I'll be getting 400 a year.

As for loan and credit, it's not an issue...all funds will be cash ( mil loan) with payment and interest deferred until June 2010 which then picks up at 2% interest for the amount borrowed. Even after knowing this, will I still be paying 120% market value?

Last, I have another car that I use as a daily driver that I won't be selling due to the fact that it has more value in what it does than what it is and since I can't even think about purchasing the car for a year, patience is all I can amount to haha.

My situation is a little different than an average college student's, but I appreciate the input and alternate perspectives you have for what I'm trying to deem feasible. Truth be known if you want to know about owning a car, talk to the owner of the car. Thanks for the feedback and keep it coming.

usafdarkhorse
 
I think it cost less to run my NSXes than I have spent keeping Legends running. Use somone like Barney Demonbreun for maintainance and it will be far more economical. as far as daily driver.. it depends on the car... how low it is... what mods are on it... I just bought a 98 NSX-T with carbon fibre body kit... it's low... and not so practical... a more stock car would make a great daily driver... My last NSX... 91 with sos taitec gt lightweight exhaust, cat bypass pipes and headers.. was too loud to be a daily driver.

On the older models... insurance can be problematic. Expect to pay abput 34k for a 91 in good shape. Expect most insurance carriers to say actual cash value on it is 14... Use Chubb to insure it for what you pay so incase anything happens you are not out 20k. Expect loan to be 12. You'll have to have cash for the rest of the car b/c te banks think it is worth 12. It's more expensive to buy a 20k 94 or below car b/c the parts are expensive and you'll end up spending more than 34k on it if it has engine/tranny/clutch/ac problems/has been abused etc. You'll end up spending more and you'll end up with a running NSx that is not in as good of shape as a premium NSX would be but you'lll ahve more in it than the premium car you could have bought. Expect to keep it in perfect condition... if you buy it... drive it hard/don;t stay on top of everything... you'll end up paying 34k and selling for 19k. If you buy it.. love it/baby it... you can buy it and drive it for 6 years and sell it for what you paid for it. NSX buyers are very pick on condition and mileage... Just things to keep in mind. Not saying you are going to rag it... but keep in mind there is a huge price difference in what 91 NSXes go for... I've seen em sell recently for as much as 40 and for as little as 16.

Good luck! It'll be the best car you've ever owned as there is so much do to with the NSX community... so get involved with your car! Make the meets... do any event you can etc. You'll love it.
 
Welcome to Prime,
1, NSX, is world most reliable mid engine sports car.
2, There are lot's of NSX owners that have them as daliy drivers.
 
There is no such thing as a reliable 15+ year old car if your sense of reliable means like a new car. Things will break, maint. will be costly, and it will eat very expensive rear tires very quickly.

Is it reliable? Of course, that's the reason many here own it. What does reliable mean when you are referring to a 15+ year old car? To me, one who has has many 10+ year old cars, it means that if you make sure all maint. has been done, including preventative, and you keep a close eye on all major components by analyzing their fluids [by naked eye or more revealing methods through use of magnets or complete breakdown analysis] etc., more often than not you won't have any issues that leave you stranded. Your radiator might crack but you'll probably make it home, your A/C might go out but odds are at least one window will be able to roll down, your brakes may need a lot of work, and anything that spins will eventually make a noise you don't like.

If you buy an NSX for 25 grand, you had better have 30 grand+ in your 'NSX' fund prior to purchase.
 
Thanks for all the input guys.

I don't intend on modifying this vehicle much at all past basic bolt-ons and I've heard that this vehicle really doesn't need much else added to it because it's already a perfect machine.

I'm paying solely in cash from a military loan, so anything you talk about in terms of credit and interest rates is not going to apply here. The loan is straight up $25000 cash, no strings attached, with payment and interest deferred for 2 years with interest at fixed 2% once payments begin. By the time I will acquire the loan I should have around $28000.

I've never driven a new car. I don't exactly know what that's like. What I do know is that, yeah, things are going to break, I own a 14 year old car now, but it's not entirely out of my element to have it fixed.

A member mentioned earlier about repair costs being $1700 for the timing belt and $2000 for the clutch. Is this consistent with some of you other members? I have heard the clutch ballpark estimate being around that.

Any other input or suggestions is highly recommended. Keep em comin and I'll keep reading and posting.
I can always furnish more information so that you can give me tailored advice to my situation and don't hesitate to introduce yourself and your experience in owning the vehicle that I wish to acquire because a car is a difficult purchase.

usafdarkhorse
 
that fact that the car's book value is substantially less than its market value may be an issue as well..... even if your credit is awesome, you'll probably get, at most, 120% the BOOK value of the car.
Absolutely NOT TRUE, and certainly not on cars that are basically stock. Insurance companies pay claims based on market value, not on artificially low values published in some of the reference guides, and you can prove to the insurance companies how much your car is worth by pulling listings of comparable cars (that's why this is easier with stock cars than modded cars). I've known quite a few NSX owners who have totalled their cars, and in every single case, the owner received at least its approximate fair market value (and in about half the cases, MORE than fair market value).

Use Chubb to insure it for what you pay so incase anything happens you are not out 20k.
argon_nsx recently started selling Chubb insurance and receiving commissions on it - at least it appears so, since he is now inserting that recommendation into topics all over this forum, ones that have nothing to do with insurance. :D

I would be very hesitant to buy auto insurance from Chubb, and I'll tell you why. They don't sell a lot of auto insurance. (That's why you won't find them listed in the surveys of auto insurance customers published by JD Power, Consumer Reports, etc; not enough data.) The impact of that on you, as a customer, is this: If you have an accident in which your car is not totalled - which is far more common than total losses - you will be taking your car to a body shop (hopefully, one with a lot of NSX experience). Most body shops have longstanding relationships with adjusters from the major insurance companies, so it's easier for them to get approval for the repairs to be done the right way (including additional reimbursements if they get partway through the repair and find that it's going to be more expensive than first estimated). This happens all the time. But when a body shop has no previous contact with an insurance company, especially with a car whose repairs are very expensive, what's going to happen? You don't really know. It's another risk. So is the quality of their customer service. It's reassuring to know (from those surveys) that companies like Amica, USAA, and State Farm have a much greater chance of satisfying their customers than AIG, Farmers, Mercury, and Progressive. How good is Chubb at this? Again, you really don't know, so this is yet another risk. If it's worth it to you to accept those risks in order to get an agreed value policy from Chubb, by all means go for it. But these are considerations to think about when choosing an auto insurer.

I think your best bet for insurance is to compare prices (you can do this using websites like Insweb.com and Insure.com), do your homework on which auto insurance companies do the best job of keeping their customers happy (you can look in Consumer Reports, whose last report on auto insurance companies was in the March 2006 issue, as well as on the JD Power website), and then make your decision. You may want to consider an insurance company with a local agent in your area, since the agent may be willing to "go to bat for you" in case you have any problems with settling a claim.

BTW, you can find insurance rates from the above websites without actually buying the car. This is a good idea, especially since insurance rates vary by location, driving record, driver demographics, etc, so other people's rates may not be relevant to your situation. Find out how much it would cost YOU as part of your research, before deciding on which car to buy.

By the time I will acquire the loan I should have around $28000.
That's not enough.

If you get an NSX for $28K, you will probably have to spend about $2-4K in deferred preventive maintenance to make it reliable, and it's also a good idea to have another $3-5K set aside in case you find it needing an unexpected repair.

A member mentioned earlier about repair costs being $1700 for the timing belt and $2000 for the clutch. Is this consistent with some of you other members? I have heard the clutch ballpark estimate being around that.
The timing belt and water pump replacement typically costs $1200-1600, but if you're going to do this work on an early NSX, you really should replace all the cooling system hoses at the same time, which adds another $400-700 to the cost. A clutch replacement costs $2000-2800 on a '91-96 NSX (it's at least another $1K more, maybe more than that, on a '97-05).

To be honest with you, getting an NSX as your only car, to drive to campus, when you can't afford to buy a nice one and maintain it properly, when you haven't yet addressed more important needs in life, has bad idea written all over it. Get yourself settled, get a full-time income and a place to live, and consider an NSX when you have enough saved up for it to be your second car, in addition to your daily driver.
 
It's basically settled that I will be with USAA seeing as how they will be the ones issuing the loan and I've been a member with them since the car I want was made.

Remember that this is a year off and that nothing is final by any means. I do not even have the funds yet and I will not until I come within a certain window of graduating.

I also mentioned before that the car I currently drive will not be sold, so I have it to use freely.

The next 8 to 12 years of my life has been decided for me already, housing, food, income, health insurance, life insurance, dental, you name it...I'm covered...so major decisions would be something like: family
no right way...no wrong way...just military's way.:cool:
 
It's basically settled that I will be with USAA seeing as how they will be the ones issuing the loan and I've been a member with them since the car I want was made.
That's a great choice. Along with Amica, USAA usually comes out at the top of the ratings and survey results in Consumer Reports and JD Power. (USAA is not available to the general public, only those with a military connection.)

Remember that this is a year off and that nothing is final by any means. I do not even have the funds yet and I will not until I come within a certain window of graduating.

I also mentioned before that the car I currently drive will not be sold, so I have it to use freely.

The next 8 to 12 years of my life has been decided for me already, housing, food, income, health insurance, life insurance, dental, you name it...I'm covered...so major decisions would be something like: family
no right way...no wrong way...just military's way.:cool:
Okay, great. You have a lot of time, and you now have a lot of opinions about it (others, feel free to add yours), and a lot of things to think about. If you take all of the advice given here into account, you'll be in a position to make the right decision between now and then. And if you decide to get an NSX, we will be here to congratulate you and to help you with any additional questions you may have.

Best of luck to you, with your education, with your prospective military service (for which we are all grateful), and with your cars, both present and future.
 
well thanks for all the help guys I really appreciate it and I'll remember who it was who gave it to me as well.

I try to stay on top of things as far as information and doing my homework is concerned ( both in class and in the cars I'm interested in :cool: ) but I could always take a tip or two especially in an area that I'm not familiar with ( I'm more of a Nissan guy...don't flame me...please...:wink:) ...so Honda/Acura is a new foray.

Again let me say thanks for all the advice thus far and let me encourage everyone to lend in their $0.02 and maybe give an alternate view if there exists one.

So now let me ask a question...most of you if not all own your own NSXs and I can see that you love them dearly. What kind of job do you do ( if you're retired...what did you do?) that allows you to own a prestigious car such as the NSX?:smile:
 
As a graduate of UT's school of engineering, if you park an NSX on that campus I will not be happy. I was on campus for 5-6 years (?) and I am still in Knoxville very often. I WILL be checking the parking lots. :biggrin:

As for the rest of it:
* IMO the green is beautiful
* you can fit a guitar in the trunk.
* the two tone look is nice. You are in the air force, think F16 inspiration.
* I would budget $30k + 5k for incidentials to get a nice mid-milage 91-94. Knock $5k off of that if you ware willing to go over 100k miles.
* Barney (BARN MAN on prime) is very reasonable, a perfectionist, a hell of a nice guy and semi-local in Nashville. I would plan on going there for service. Taking it to the Acura dealer in Knoxville would be a mistake in my experience.
* I've met Argon in person. To my knowledge, he does not sell insurance. Do your own research here, but if you are single and insuring an NSX as a daily driver you better be prepared to pay quite a bit more than your buddy with the Z.
* the FAQ is good here, use it. Ditto the search. "maintenance costs" will get you started.

Welcome to Prime. Enjoy it here, and when you get the NSX take it to the Dragon.
 
Absolutely NOT TRUE, and certainly not on cars that are basically stock. Insurance companies pay claims based on market value, not on artificially low values published in some of the reference guides, and you can prove to the insurance companies how much your car is worth by pulling listings of comparable cars (that's why this is easier with stock cars than modded cars). I've known quite a few NSX owners who have totalled their cars, and in every single case, the owner received at least its approximate fair market value (and in about half the cases, MORE than fair market value).

wasn't talking about insurance here..... i was talking about the bank giving you a loan. they will go by book. may not be the case with every bank, but i'm not the only person that has experienced it.

but, usafdarkhorse, don't disregard what people are telling you in the way of expenses for this car.... you may very likely be able to buy the car, but after you get it is a whole nother story.... if you find this as being an issue, it's not big deal... it just means you should wait a little while longer.
 
another thing to consider is that the NSX will not depreciate.....if you can deal with a few maintanence issues, it will be a much better investment than a new vehicle.
 
Absolutely NOT TRUE, and certainly not on cars that are basically stock. Insurance companies pay claims based on market value, not on artificially low values published in some of the reference guides, and you can prove to the insurance companies how much your car is worth by pulling listings of comparable cars (that's why this is easier with stock cars than modded cars). I've known quite a few NSX owners who have totalled their cars, and in every single case, the owner received at least its approximate fair market value (and in about half the cases, MORE than fair market value).

wasn't talking about insurance here..... i was talking about the bank giving you a loan. they will go by book. may not be the case with every bank, but i'm not the only person that has experienced it.

but, usafdarkhorse, please don't disregard what people are telling you in the way of expenses for this car.... you may very likely be able to buy the car, but after you get it is a whole nother story.... if you find this as being an issue, it's not big deal... it just means you should wait at least a little while longer. glad to see you're doing your research though

(i'm not a fan of the 2 tone either.... that's why mine's black :cool: )
 
Having been on/stayed at UT campus many times (think UF/UT football :biggrin: ), I'd also say that if you care about door dings/scratches/vandalism, it'll be risky.

I'll just echo the same thing everyone else has said - and this comes from my own experience which has been the same:

> Buying the car is one cost - *owning* it is another. Small parts here and there add up very quickly.
> Tires? Expect 7-10K miles out of a set of rears.
> When something *does* need to be done (the car is 10+ years old), will you do it yourself (car is in pieces for a few days, tools/garage needed) or will you have someone else do it (car is in shop for 1-2 days, costly)? Either way, you are out money or your time - and missing a car either way.
> Insurance. Big range here, but I know when I was in school, I wouldn't have been able to pay it. Somehow at 28, with my RSX as daily and NSX as weekend, Progressive is only charging me an extra $45/month for full coverage. (I'm still not sure how that happened...)

The car is usually called a "semi-exotic" and that's fairly accurate. It's only *semi* because it doesn't break like others (usually only wear items), and doesn't cost as much to fix. But it's still *roughly* 4X more than any other Honda.

:wink:
 
haha MJK I feel the love from a fellow UTK grad already. Thanks for the advice and yeah, I can see where Acura was going with the F16 inspiration, but I'm more of an F15 F22 A10 guy if you catch my drift :cool: Regardless, I'll give the two-tone a nod and won't rule it out.

You suggest I take the car to Barn Man in Nashville? Absolutely if you think it's world's above Harper here in K town. Personally, I wouldn't have any idea. Any reason or story you'd rather not have it serviced here in Knoxville at the dealer?

(This also follows true with anyone who's had a bad experience with a dealer as opposed to a reliable mechanic they know...which is better in your experience and opinion? Let us know.)

The Dragon is very tempting, but the hurdle I'm trying to jump is just getting the car :smile: so don't start checking the parking lots just yet.

Synthesis, I'm only disregarding what people are saying about the loan and insurance of the automobile. The rate has been decided regardless and so has the insurance company, which happens to be the same issuer: USAA.
As far as maintenance and up-front costs, I'm all ears. Control what you can control, but don't sweat what you can't is my philosophy here.

I realize that vandalism and door dings are probably more likely to happen to this car ( Murphy's Law):confused: than most other cars, though this will happen regardless of the car just to a lesser extent, but I know of some good, out of the way spaces to protect against accidental happenings ( though this may increase vandalism in and of itself).
Truly a predicament.

If something does need to be fixed, I will judge it based on what I can do myself and with what kind of job I trust myself. If I know I can do it and I've done it before then I'll do it, but if I know it's over my head or if it's just too risky to do myself then I'll have it professionally serviced. I did mention before that I will not be selling the car that I drive now so any preventative maintenance that needs to happen early will not be a problem.

At any rate, keep the suggestions and comments coming and thanks for the remarks and advice made thus far.

usafdarkhorse
 
Just curious, what field of engineering are you studying and are you applying (or received) for a pilot slot? (thru OTS or ROTC?)

I'd def wait til you graduate undergrad (or maybe even get your wings) before getting a NSX.
 
Actually all of them will.

unwarranted and unnecessary. Everyone who has spoken to me after my initial request has been understanding and very helpful. This is an unfortunate first. Please do not respond unless you have something positive to contribute.

As for aero, I'm currently studying mechanical engineering because I enjoy the field of work and it's a little more broad than say, aerospace or chemical. Alot of people will get into it and figure out it's not for them but I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm an ROTC kid who's trying to get a rated pilot slot sometime in the next term. I'm already physically qualified ( biggest hurdle right there) and my scores are good so I'm very optimistic about getting one. :rolleyes: The Air Force is increasing the amount of pilot slots they give out each year and I have better pilot and reaction scores than those who received their pilot slots this term. Although anything good or bad can happen, I'm hoping for the best.

I can see waiting until graduation to get the car but I do believe that if I go to flight school, my daily driver will inherently turn into a weekend cruiser because I can't leave base whenever I want :cool:

Anyways, thanks for the insights guys. Keep em comin.

usafdarkhorse
 
Congrats on medically qualifying. I know with an engineering degree you should have a leg up on everyone else trying to get a slot. If you decide to go to test pilot school or astronaut route that'll help you as well.
 
What kind of job do you do ( if you're retired...what did you do?) that allows you to own a prestigious car such as the NSX?:smile:
Again???
pat.gif


Come on, folks - This has been discussed here many times before. Do a search first. You'll turn up topics like these:

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8964
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9208
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9280
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9797
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10186
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43468
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56599
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58212
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60979
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63101
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73046
 
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