Pre-purchase Introduction

[CarterK]

Hello All,

I've been lurking the forum for about a month, reading threads and going over the wiki (great resource btw, love it). I had originally intended my first post to be after I purchased an NSX, but thinking it over I realized it would be better to get as much input as possible before spending 30-40k.

First off, personal introduction:

I'm 24, graduated from the University of Washington in 2010, working now at a major cancer research institution in the Seattle area.

My current DD is a 2009 RDX, and my brother and I share a 1972 GMC pickup and a 1975 corvette as our 'for fun' vehicles. I bought my wife a 2011 Golf TDI (actually surprised her with the car and an engagement ring in the trunk, it was a dirty trick to make sure she didn't turn me down). So I'm suffering from a total lack of a low slung RWD car that can actually handle, in the vette you pretty much just aim its 40' front end and hope for the best.

I've been a huge fan of the NSX for a long time, there was actually one in the showroom at Acura of Lynnwood when I went in to look at the RDX.

I'm currently debating whether I should buy a higher miles, mechanically sound car with a rougher interior and maybe some cosmetic flaws and refreshing it over a period of time, or spending ~10k more on a better maintained car and driving it for a few years before deciding if I want to invest in modifications.

Just FYI I am mostly interested in a 5spd NA1 coupe.

 

[goa360]

Save and buy. Meanwhile.....there is so much to learn on this forum including buying info that will help you a lot so you will decide when time and price are correct.

Good luck either way.

 

[condumbwerkz]

Save up (plus a little extra) and you should be fine. Take your time searching for the right NSX that suits your needs. Good luck!

 

[CarterK]

Due to the recent troll sitings I figured it would be best to provide a little photographic evidence that the things I mentioned in my introduction are true...

Corvette I mentioned:

Hotrod I didn't mention..but this is actually the first car I drove after I got my permit, and I am not afraid to admit that I was going probably 15mph the entire time..

RDX immediately after I bought it, parked in the parking garage at my old college apartment:

More recent, sorry about quality, it's an iphone photo:

the pickup on the day I bought it (didn't bother to blur plates because they are no longer the same):

and finally the getting married part:

So, now that I have hopefully let everyone know that I am for real, let me tell you about the RHD NSX I'm importing from Kazakhstan!!


J/K,

I hope to be seriously in the market for an NSX by the beginning of November. I will likely be asking a whole series of noobie questions in the meantime.

Thanks.

 

[CarterK]

Looking back over my first post I guess I just mentioned that I have a wife..not that I got married 3 months ago. Oh well, everybody loves to look at a strangers wedding photos right?

 

[gt_nfr]

Welcome, thanks for the abundance of photog evidence. I definitely feel like you're a real person

Loving the vette, is the matte black a wrap or paint?

 

[CarterK]

Welcome, thanks for the abundance of photog evidence. I definitely feel like you're a real person

Loving the vette, is the matte black a wrap or paint?

It is paint. Lovingly sprayed on in our garage..:redface:

Looks good from a distance though.

 

[shawn110975]

now this is a new member. Welcome and give us your pref of colors, manual tran only and max budget and we as a whole will find you a great NSX.

I am sure you have seen the recent treatment of a new member that was full of shit. we normally dont act like that. you caught us with are pants down LOL.

nice rides, no need for evidence LOL we just like to see pictures.

I just got married 2 weeks ago. so im fresh in training.

welcome to NSX Prime

if you havnt read this yet please do so. its the basics of NSX buying and is a life saver heres the link I give to all future buyers.
4 pages of pure knowledge for your bathroom reading

http://www.hondatuningmagazine.com/includes/htup_0810_acura_nsx_buyers_guide/index.html

and welcome.

 

[CarterK]

now this is a new member. Welcome and give us your pref of colors, manual tran only and max budget and we as a whole will find you a great NSX.

I am sure you have seen the recent treatment of a new member that was full of shit. we normally dont act like that. you caught us with are pants down LOL.

nice rides, no need for evidence LOL we just like to see pictures.

I just got married 2 weeks ago. so im fresh in training.

welcome to NSX Prime

if you havnt read this yet please do so. its the basics of NSX buying and is a life saver heres the link I give to all future buyers.
4 pages of pure knowledge for your bathroom reading

http://www.hondatuningmagazine.com/includes/htup_0810_acura_nsx_buyers_guide/index.html

and welcome.

Thanks for the link, I hadn’t seen that yet and it seems like it will be really useful.

My preference for color is black. The only colors I’m really not fond of are red (I think the NSX looks good in red, I just have a thing for ‘quieter’ looking cars) and in the same vein, I wouldn’t want a yellow NSX. An automatic would be a definite deal breaker, which luckily won’t be hard to avoid.

My price range sort of varies. Like I mentioned before, I’m not really sure how I want to go about this car. It will be my first non DD, purely for my pleasure, vehicle. So I could either get a quasi project car, something that needs interior and cosmetic work, but is sound mechanically, with around 100k miles. In which case I’d want to spend no more than 30k.

However, I would also be open to buying a nicer, lower miles NA1, and just driving and enjoying it for a few years before I decide to do any modifications. In which case I’d be willing to spend up to 40k. But it would have to be a pretty special car.

Also I’d really prefer a coupe.

 

[shawn110975]

Well I am sorry to say that once you get an NSX that your wallet is going go into Anaphylactic shock LOL your wallet is allegric to this kind of spending LOL

once the Upgrade Bug hits you. your gonna want to upgrade this and that and then upgrade it again and again. its a curse

but a good curse cuz your always having fun.

what I did was get my 1st NSX ( 21K )that was in great shape/not mint ( 114K miles )and slowly bring her back to Mint status. upgraded the rims, upgraded the full interior to 2002+ style, upgraded the full doors to 2002+, upgraded the trunk lid to 2002+ style, upgraded the rear lower valance to 2002+ style, I just got the 2002+ side skirts that are in LBBP color yesterday from (prime member smoores) installed the Navi from a 2005 TL into the SOS navi pod, intergrated the Navi buttons into the OEM console, I have but not installed the NA2 brakes rotors and calipers, I have but not installed the NA2 ABS motor to the 2002+ style. everything I have put on my car is Straight OEM no after market stuff or replica's so my wallet died last year. but it died in pure happiness

the upgrade hit me slow but when I started one upgrade it started a chain reaction of I want the whole car upgraded but I dont want the 2002 front conversion, I like my pop-ups. the bubble lights are growing on me though.
I might just say f-it and do the front now.

 

[Ric]

Buy the nicest car you can afford.

Well I am sorry to say that once you get an NSX that your wallet is going go into Anaphylactic shock LOL your wallet is allegric to this kind of spending LOL

QFT. I bought my car back in march thinking I would not spend any money modding it. 6 months later, I have already spent close to 10k modding it, and it's not going to stop there.

 

[Honcho]

Welcome to Prime! You have come to the right place if you are interested in a NSX. Plenty of helpful folks and a TON of good information. Like you, my DD is a 2009 RDX and I have a Berlina Black NSX- great combo. I will soon be buying the wife a MDX.

Your plan is a good one. Like Shawn says, there will be an urge to upgrade, but these cars are so amazing out of the box that a light freshening should keep you happy for many years. 30-40k can get you a very nice NSX. At this price, you can get a 91-94 coupe with pretty much everything done- a true buy it and drive it deal. For 20-30k you can find a coupe that may need some maintenence and light freshening.

If you are interested in coupes, then your model years are pretty much limited to 91-94. 97+ NA2 coupes are the rarest of all NSX models in the US- there were only about 30 made between 1997 and 2001.

 

[CarterK]

Well I am sorry to say that once you get an NSX that your wallet is going go into Anaphylactic shock LOL your wallet is allegric to this kind of spending LOL

once the Upgrade Bug hits you. your gonna want to upgrade this and that and then upgrade it again and again. its a curse

but a good curse cuz your always having fun.

what I did was get my 1st NSX ( 21K )that was in great shape/not mint ( 114K miles )and slowly bring her back to Mint status. upgraded the rims, upgraded the full interior to 2002+ style, upgraded the full doors to 2002+, upgraded the trunk lid to 2002+ style, upgraded the rear lower valance to 2002+ style, I just got the 2002+ side skirts that are in LBBP color yesterday from (prime member smoores) installed the Navi from a 2005 TL into the SOS navi pod, intergrated the Navi buttons into the OEM console, I have but not installed the NA2 brakes rotors and calipers, I have but not installed the NA2 ABS motor to the 2002+ style. everything I have put on my car is Straight OEM no after market stuff or replica's so my wallet died last year. but it died in pure happiness

the upgrade hit me slow but when I started one upgrade it started a chain reaction of I want the whole car upgraded but I dont want the 2002 front conversion, I like my pop-ups. the bubble lights are growing on me though.
I might just say f-it and do the front now.

If you don’t mind saying, how much did the full interior upgrade run you? I figure that will be the first part of any refresh program I put my car through (aside from maintenance of course). Since my desire for a coupe restricts me to an early 90’s car I’m already banking on getting my seats re-wrapped (that might be the wrong term, but I’m sure you know what I mean), but I’m not sure if there are other interior parts that will need TLC and I’d love to hear the common problem areas to look for.

 

[Ponyboy]

I was in a similar situation as you and if I had to do it over I likely would have waited and saved more for the ideal car. However, once I started shopping I fell in love almost instantly. So be prepared for that and maintain discipline as much as possible.

I'd discount the "mod bug" shock to your wallet talk almost entirely. Most mod at their own pace and within their budget. Just be responsible. I say this knowing full well that my NSX has about every mod known to man, that I've bought and sold almost every part available, and that I'm on SOS's frequent buyer program. Still, my point stands. Ha!

BTW, welcome to the community.

 

[Jetpilot3]

Carter - welcome to NSX Prime!

Well you have graduated, own your vehicles, and are married...certainly you`ve got the trolls beat! LOL

NSX`s and NSX ownership is funny. I started with a 91 coupe, upgraded to a 2002 Imola Orange Pearl and somewhat regretfully sold it, now back to a 91 coupe. All years are great so read everything with a grain of salt. Some people prefer coupe to targa, manual to automatic, and black to white. We all have different requirements...track star or road bling.

Read up on the WIKI section as its quite informative.

Thanks for starting on the right foot!

 

[docjohn]

the fact that you know about, and can joke about the fabricators is refreshing....good luck in your search.....patience is the best advice:smile:

 

[Big_D]

Welcome!

Look for an early car with somehting between 70-100K miles that has documented maintenance history and you can't go wrong. Get a Pre Purchase Inspection by a known NSX tech and a good body man so you know what you are getting. Don't bank on what CarFax says. Thats just good for title history and odometer readings.

You should be able to find something well cared for between $27-$30K. If you start off with a set of good headers, exhaust and some nice looking lightweight wheels you will be happy for a long time.

I think eventually you will get bit by the mod bug like just about everyone here. I think the younger you are the more likely you will spend more on the mods. I had my car for only 4 years and spent about $10K on mods...so figure about $2500 a year for mod budget.

Good Luck!

 

[CarterK]

Hello everyone! Just wanted to check in and let people know that I haven't lost my desire for an NSX. I just had a slight change in time frame when my wife found a house she loved and we ended up buying it. The biggest issue with my new house is that I am going from a 3 car garage to...no garage .

I am looking in to getting a garage built (has anyone on here had to build their own garage before? I'm hoping to get a 4 car garage put up for about 35k, but I might be dreaming) and once the structure is up I'll be looking for an NSX. I have already set aside 35,000 for the car, and in the past week or so I've been trying to find all the good sites for purchasing an NSX. So far I've looked at NSXtrader, this site (of course), and ebay. Are there any other good sites you guys can suggest?

Also, I'd really appreciate any tips for how to go about buying a car from out of state. Is it best to have the car shipped straight to my dealer (Acura of Lynnwood) for a good once over from a mechanic, or just go to my home?

Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ultraman]

If you don't plan on modifying the car immediately after purchase, I would recommend buying a lower mileage, better condition NSX. Although mileage has no direct impact on reliability for the NSX, but a low mileage car will keep its value much better and easier to sell down the road.

However, many low mileage cars don't have the proper maintenance done, especially for cars that have been with the same owner for a while. Expect to spend between $2-$5K (depending how extensive you want to go) to bring all the maintenance items up-to-date. Good luck!

 

[Ultraman]

Hello everyone! Just wanted to check in and let people know that I haven't lost my desire for an NSX. I just had a slight change in time frame when my wife found a house she loved and we ended up buying it. The biggest issue with my new house is that I am going from a 3 car garage to...no garage .

I am looking in to getting a garage built (has anyone on here had to build their own garage before? I'm hoping to get a 4 car garage put up for about 35k, but I might be dreaming) and once the structure is up I'll be looking for an NSX. I have already set aside 35,000 for the car, and in the past week or so I've been trying to find all the good sites for purchasing an NSX. So far I've looked at NSXtrader, this site (of course), and ebay. Are there any other good sites you guys can suggest?

Also, I'd really appreciate any tips for how to go about buying a car from out of state. Is it best to have the car shipped straight to my dealer (Acura of Lynnwood) for a good once over from a mechanic, or just go to my home?

Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I would say ship it to your home first. The transporter usually give you an estimated arrival date, and the actual arrival date usually changes base on weather, traffic, picking up additional vehicle, etc. so it's not easy to predict the actual arrival date and time. I don't think you want to continuously changing the appointment with the service department. I think it's better to have the car shipped to your residence, after you do some general inspection and then bring it to the dealer.

 

[LoveNSXs]

Hello everyone! Just wanted to check in and let people know that I haven't lost my desire for an NSX. I just had a slight change in time frame when my wife found a house she loved and we ended up buying it. The biggest issue with my new house is that I am going from a 3 car garage to...no garage .

I am looking in to getting a garage built (has anyone on here had to build their own garage before? I'm hoping to get a 4 car garage put up for about 35k, but I might be dreaming) and once the structure is up I'll be looking for an NSX. I have already set aside 35,000 for the car, and in the past week or so I've been trying to find all the good sites for purchasing an NSX. So far I've looked at NSXtrader, this site (of course), and ebay. Are there any other good sites you guys can suggest?

Also, I'd really appreciate any tips for how to go about buying a car from out of state. Is it best to have the car shipped straight to my dealer (Acura of Lynnwood) for a good once over from a mechanic, or just go to my home?

Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I recommend having a member here check out a car for you and then taking it in for a PPI. For the short time I've been here, minus my poor experience with buying my car, I think the members here are very reliable and honest in their opinions and advice.

Oh and shipping.. you should def shell out for the best. You really do get what you pay for. You are better off getting a closed trailer company that is commonly used for shipping Fcars and Lambos. It'll save you a ton of headaches/worries and they usually have a better and more accurate ETA


Happy hunting!:smile:

 

[SFNSXguy]

Welcome to the group.
When you're ready I may have the car for you (if you want a 15k miles, red '91 w/beige interior)... my best friend lives in Seattle and keeps saying he's going to sell his car. It's stock except for 18/19 wheels and an SOS expansion tank. Like new really. Private me if you want to be notified when/if he finally gets off the fence.
Until then, educate yourself here on Prime.