Should I be afraid of high mileage?

[TPhong]

Should I be afraid of a high mileage, 1997 NSX with 125K+? It's a daily commuter, but has been meticulously kept up (with records at an Acura Dealership).

On the other hand, I've found another 1997 NSX with 50K less miles, 1-owner vehicle, but around $8K-10K more in price.

Any info or suggestions will be appreciated!

 

[jaja]

If mileage scares you, check this thread out.

In my opinion, (assuming proper, regular maintenance) age is the enemy not mileage. I would consider both 97's to be of the same strictly based on age.
From there, it comes down to your plans with the NSX. Do you plan on driving the NSX much? If yes, get the higher mileage one, as you won't see your invested $$$ slowly tick away with the odometer. If no, and you plan to re-sell in a few years when you're bored (if that is possible), then get the lower mileage.

If it were me, get the higher mileage. You'll need the extra $$$ for maintenance/repairs/replacements no mater which you choose. They are both 17 years old after all! I can personally attest, that a NSX with less than 12K miles looks like nothing else. But, a well kept NSX with 10x it's mileage can be kept looking just as fresh.

Good luck, and post here with your decision!

Lucas

Edit: To answer your thread's question. No, you should not be (assuming regular maintenance was performed).

 

[TomCat]

Agree with above...if you want a museum piece start with as close to "museum" as possible; if you are going to drive it make the best deal you can on a "driver" and use the $s saved to maintain/upgrade to taste.

I've got 85,000+ on my NSX and 385,000+ on my Nissan Twin Turbo...so I guess I'm in the "drive it" category.

 

[Rope]

136k and in better health now then when at 70k.

 

[Big_D]

What you want to consider on any NSX is the maintenance history. Maintenance intervals are based not only on mileage but also on the time.
Pay attention to the time interval...You want to see that the timing belt has been done in the past 6-7 years not just within 60k miles.

You should also pay attention to the clutch and make sure it isn't slipping since that service is quite expensive.
Accelerate from a slow speed in a higher than normal gear during a test drive to be sure.

Whichever car you choose I recommend that you get a pre-purchase inspection done by a reputable NSX tech.
Usually that only costs a couple hundred bucks and could potentially save you a major headache.

There are 91's with original timing belts running around...which is pretty scary on an interference engine.

Good Luck on your search!

 

[NSX2398]

You appear to be new around here and may not have checked out the NSX Wiki which is accessible from the red action bar at the top of most pages. It has a section on Purchasing an NSX that you might find useful. Here is one of the pages on high mileage:
http://nsxprime.com/wiki/High_Mileage

 

[TPhong]

^ I guess I'm fairly new to the community. I've been lurking since 2010, but have just recently gotten serious about finding an NSX. Thanks for replies and tips everyone.

 

[jond]

I can tell you this.
I used to daily drive my 1966 Mustang. When I drove it every day, it NEVER broke down. Not even once.
Just look at the key at it started.
When I moved it over to being a weekend/fun car and started only driving it a few times a month, that is when it seemed like everything started falling apart.
IMO, it's much better for a car to be driven every day than to sit.

I would actually prefer a daily driven NSX over one that's not.
Just my 2 cents.

 

[4cruizn]

IMO, it's much better for a car to be driven every day than to sit. I would actually prefer a daily driven NSX over one that's not.

Actually 100% agree with you here. Daily drove my Acura Legend for 10 years. Racked up 514,000 miles with surprisingly little in maintenance. Got a new car and put the Legend on weekend duty. Mechanic says the leaks have gotten worse because the car's been sitting for days (even weeks) at a time without being driven now. Two years later, currently 529,600. Cars love to be driven. I would not flinch at the thought of a 125k-mile, dealer-maintained NSX. Buy it.