Newbie looking for opinions

[Trick]

Hi. I'm a newbie here. I've been lurking for the past month or so, doing research on the NSX, and I'm ready to buy one now. My daily driver is a '98 Lexus SC400, which, despite the obvious differences, shares quite a few similarities, which is why I suppose that I'm drawn to the NSX, like I was to the SC400. Both cars came out at about the same time, and set standards for styling. Both cars had long production runs with very minor changes. Both cars are rare, although the NSX is much more so. As much as I love my SC400, I yearn for the light, agile sports car with manual transmission once again, and the NSX seems like a perfect fit for me, and I am at the point in my life where I can afford a "summer car." Please don't take this the wrong way; I'm not trying to say that the SC400 compares with the NSX. I just think that at some level, certain similarities exist.

I'm quite impressed with the general helpfulness and civility displayed by the members of this board, and I am hoping that I will be able to tap into some of that myself, even though I'm not sure what I will be able to offer in return. The main problem I have is that I live in Columbus, Ohio, which is not exactly a hot-bed for NSX sales. At this time Autotrader only shows 4 within 100 miles, and the local paper has 1 (just put in yesterday.) Of these, only 1 is >= '97, which is what I would really prefer. Also, I would rather buy from a private owner than a dealer. So, I figure I'll have to buy the car from a distance, and either fly out to pick it up (east coast) or have it shipped (west coast), both of which will involve trusting someone else to check out the car for me.

Without further adieu, here are some of the cars I'm thinking of, opinions appreciated:
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17028
I know the mileage is high, but the owner seems to have a good reputation, and where I live I'll be lucky to put 4k miles a year on it. Also, I generally keep my cars for a long time, so resale value is not my biggest concern.
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17201
The fact this car has nitrous scares me. Should it?
http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16094
At least 1 forum member has seen this car, and seems to think it may be pretty good.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2415383881&category=5337
This last car I know would be quite a gamble; however, I'm not afraid of stepping out on a limb once in a while. If I could verify that this car is as it is represented, with only the front bumper spoiler replaced, how big of a risk would it be? I know I couldn't re-sell it, but as I said earlier, I plan on keeping whatever car I buy for a long time.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Jon Trickey

 

[PHOEN$X]

Hi, and welcome to the forum! Here are my initial thoughts on the cars you've selected:

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17028
I know the mileage is high, but the owner seems to have a good reputation, and where I live I'll be lucky to put 4k miles a year on it. Also, I generally keep my cars for a long time, so resale value is not my biggest concern.

I wouldn't be too concerned about the mileage. It's nothing really for a Honda, and might help you get a great deal.

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17201
The fact this car has nitrous scares me. Should it?

I would get it thoroughly checked out (mechanically) by a respected NSX tech, but otherwise no it wouldn't bother me. The seller could've easily removed the nitrous, but the fact that he's forthcoming about the mods is a good sign.

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16094
At least 1 forum member has seen this car, and seems to think it may be pretty good.

Here are Lud's comments about this car:

The car being posted by Tiger740 is Brian L.'s old NSX. I have seen and ridden in this car.

First, YSRman is absolutely correct - the car has been repainted in several places. The paint work is fairly obvious. The car also shows considerable wear and tear in a number of ways. In short, it is certainly not a mint car by ANY means.

However, it was a decent car that had no serious mechanical problems at the time Brian sold it. He sold it to a guy in Jacksonville last November. If it's now in Ft. Lauderdale it may have changed hands again...? No idea. Anyway it now has about 15,000 more miles than when Brian sold it, so I have no idea what may have happened to it since then.

If it's still in good mechanical shape and hasn't been wrecked (and that is a big IF), it sounds like a good deal in the lower $40k range for someone who doesn't mind a non-mint car. It has been in autotrader for months with a steadily declining price.

Not much for me to add. I'm pretty finicky about paint work, so I'd have to see it in person to make a judgement.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2415383881&category=5337
This last car I know would be quite a gamble; however, I'm not afraid of stepping out on a limb once in a while. If I could verify that this car is as it is represented, with only the front bumper spoiler replaced, how big of a risk would it be?

Cars with salvage titles scare me. It's also from a dealer, and you said you'd rather deal with a private seller. I'd stay far, far away from this one.

Just my $0.02. Good luck!

 

[john576]

Hi Jon

I would recommend looking into the first three and passing on the e-bay salvage. In the past, distant prime members have displayed interest giving at least an initial inspection to deem a car worthy of further pursuit. From what I've seen, all you have to do is ask. Well a bottle of Bombay couldn't hurt either.

-John

 

[Lud]

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17028
I know the mileage is high, but the owner seems to have a good reputation, and where I live I'll be lucky to put 4k miles a year on it. Also, I generally keep my cars for a long time, so resale value is not my biggest concern.

Sounds like it's worth looking into... I don't know anything about the car or the seller, but there are plenty of owners in the area who could probably give you an initial inspection on the car for you if you are seriously interested in it.

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=17201
The fact this car has nitrous scares me. Should it?

If properly installed and used, the RM Nitrous kit is quite safe and well-proven on the NSX. You can have a compression and leakdown test done on the car to verify that it's still happy.

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16094
At least 1 forum member has seen this car, and seems to think it may be pretty good.

PHOEN$X already posted my comments from when I saw and rode in that car 18 months, 15000 miles and 3 owners ago. At the time it had some cosmetic issues but no obvious structural or mechanical problems. It sounds like the current owner has worked on some of the cosmetic problems since then. Like the yellow car above, if it's something you're interested in, I'd look further into it. Disclaimer: I was not inspecting the car, so just because I didn't happen to notice anything wrong doesn't mean there wasn't something wrong.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2415383881&category=5337
This last car I know would be quite a gamble; however, I'm not afraid of stepping out on a limb once in a while. If I could verify that this car is as it is represented, with only the front bumper spoiler replaced, how big of a risk would it be? I know I couldn't re-sell it, but as I said earlier, I plan on keeping whatever car I buy for a long time.

BIG RED FLAG: The ad for this car states "...and ONLY item damaged was the front bottom bumper spoiler." That is clearly false! The photos show that the car has, without a doubt, been fully repainted in the front, including everything under the hood. The nose and passenger side headlight are also seriously misaligned. You would need to have this car THOROUGHLY inspected by someone who REALLY knows what they are doing before considering it, and not believe anything the seller tells you since the claims in their ad are obviously false.

 

[Trick]

Thanks...

Thanks for the prompt replies. I'm going to be out of town this week, so I won't be able to spend much time looking/talking. Within the next 2 weeks I should have it narrowed down enough to seriously pursue, so I'll probably be asking for more help then. I'll try to stock up on Bombay (I'm a gin-n-tonic man myself) for bribes.

 

[nsxtasy]

Hi Jon,

First of all, I think you've gotten some good feedback from others in this topic on the cars that you're considering, so I won't add anything about those specific cars.

As a general rule, I think high-mileage cars are not a particularly good deal. Yes, the NSX is very reliable, so they don't necessarily mean that anything is likely to go wrong. On the other hand, you generally save only a few thousand dollars, and I think you get far more value for your money by spending the extra few grand to get a lower-mileage car.

You will need to do a lot of research to get familiar with the market, and it sounds like you're in the process of doing so. Once you know what you want and how much it ought to cost you, I strongly advise you to be able to move fast! When a really nice NSX (meaning well-maintained, great condition, low miles) comes on the market, particularly when posted by a private party such as on NSXprime, it often sells right away. I'm sure plenty of members here have stories of the "one that got away". When you're comfortable understanding what you get without agonizing for days or asking others for opinions, then you're ready to make your move when you find "the one". Remember, you can always make an offer, put down a deposit to close the deal, and make that contingent upon passing an inspection. That way, it won't get snapped up by someone else. Owners here will be happy to recommend a knowledgeable NSX owner and/or a dealer which does a lot of NSX service, so that they can inspect the car on your behalf. This is inexpensive, and could easily save you an airfare, or worse.

There are more NSXs in Ohio than you think. There are quite a few members of the NSX Club of America there, and there is an annual club event that draws a good attendance. And, of course, you will recognize that this photo was taken in downtown Columbus:

I'll be at Mid-Ohio this coming Friday through Sunday at a BMW CCA event. Feel free to stop by if you like. My car will be in garage 22. I may be busy with my students for some of the sessions, but if it works out I'd be happy to give you a ride around the track. It will be easier for me to do so either on Friday (lapping day) or on Sunday morning, since I usually try to give rides to my own students on Saturday. All weather permitting, of course (I don't care for track driving in the rain).

 

[designdoctor]

Art Center Alumni?

By any chance you went to Art Center back in the 80s?