Prospective Owner asking advice

[a540mn]

I have, for some time, been interested in purchasing an NSX and have seen one, a 1991 with 54k miles, locally here in Florida. Although I am car savvy, I am not very knowledgeable on the NSX and am looking for someone who could advise me on the gravity of the issues I noticed, and how difficult/expensive they may be to correct. Overall, the car is clean and straight, rides well and has a clean carfax. It does not appear to have undergone bodywork. I did notice the following issues:
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ABS light on.
TCS Light on.
Clutch engages high, near the end of release.
Non standard radio.
What appears to be a rough idle/low speed miss that clears with increasing RPM
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It is this latter item that is most worrisome because I feel it could be an indication of low compression on one cylinder.
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I would certainly like to hear your comments and advice. In addition, if anyone can recommend someone in south Florida with NSX knowledge who could inspect the car for me, I would be much obliged.

 

[tbromley]

Unless this dealer is forthcoming with deductions from the price for all this stuff - move on to the next one.

 

[clr1024]

It's really hard to say, the ABS could be a $200 problem or a $2K problem.
The engine would be the biggest issue as you could need a rebuild...but if you are planning on going the FI route then maybe its not a bad thing.

I think price is a serious consideration, if they were asking high dollar, I'd probably walk away, if all those issues were taken into consideration in the price and the PPI checks out well then maybe it's worth pursuing. Of late though there seems to be some nice NSX's on the market, may not be local, but it's a rare car.

If you are still interested I would have a PPI done, inlcuding compression leak down test, someone recommended HondaTech in South Florida.

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133811

 

[Danny]

If you're serious about the car have Dwight @Hondatech 954 583 2424 do a pre-purchase inspection, he'll give you all the info you need.

 

[shawn110975]

The clutch engaging near the end is normal,
the aftermarket radio, is probably cuz the OEM went bad a common Problem,
the idle issue I dont know could be a cheap fix or an expensive one
read this article it will help you in your life changing Purchase
http://www.hondatuningmagazine.com/includes/htup_0810_acura_nsx_buyers_guide/index.html

 

[thedon67]

I agree with the high clutch release. I've been told this is a characteristic of early model NSXs. My $.02. Good luck with your search.

 

[DubaiRich]

if you're serious about the car have dwight @hondatech 954 583 2424 do a pre-purchase inspection, he'll give you all the info you need.

+1000

 

[a540mn]

Thanks for all the useful advice. I will contact Dwight and see what he thinks. If I do pull the trigger, I'm looking forward to being a regular forum participant.

 

[Big_D]

:smile: I concur with the others, if the price is right and you have some maintenence history to go on then it would be worth pursuing.

Without any records of maintence then you have to assume the TB/WP needs replacing (around $1700). Clutch normally releases high so that isn't a concern just watch for slippage in a high gear during accelleration (another $2K). ABS could need just a flush and the solenoids exercised or its $2K to upgrade to the newer design. TCS could be a few things including one as simple as excess wheel stagger front to rear.

A PPI and compression test with leakdown would eliminate any weak cyl concerns. Just keep in mind the cost of the maintenence when you agree on a price.

Good Luck! :smile:

 

[mknmoves]

For PPI contact Stephan at Car Tek Tuning 954-474-5366> He was a certified NSX Tech in South Florida and then started his own shop. He is located by 595/95. Curious...whats the price of the NSX?

 

[mystican]

Walk away period...

 

[tbromley]

Walk away period...

What makes you so strong minded on this one - funny thing is when I read the first post that was my first gut feeling about this one. Doesn't sound right and usually dealers that have cars like this won't do you right.

Mystician - do you know something about this one in particular?

 

[blodi]

ABS and TCS lights on as others have stated could easily just be the ABS solenoids needing flushed and run a couple times. This cost $10 in some wire to make the connections and some brake fluid. I had the same thing happen last fall.
I also concur, clutch catching high, pretty typical.
The rough idle could be an issue, however if you've never been in an NSX before, they do have a fairly rough idle compared to most cars. This is something a lot of people notice the first time they drive/ride in one.
That said, the car could have bigger issues, but I'm just trying to give you the best case senario. A PPI from someone who knows NSX's would be your best bet. The dealer isn't always the best bet either, cause they may try to sell you a whole new ABS system, when it just needs a flush. I've heard of such things, but dealers all differ.