Should I buy this one?!

[ACCD]

I've been looking for an NSX now for about 3 months. I've found a fairly nice 98. 60k worth of miles and an automatic. Price is just south of $40k Question, I'd really like the stick, but with city driving etc the auto would probably work. Car seems to have been a daily drive. Just sort of dirty, no major stuff, no accidents. Is $37k as good a deal as I think it is? Motor seems sound, shifts great, drives great, no accidents. Just needs a good detailing and some TLC.

Thanks, looking forward to being a part of the group.

 

[nsxtasy]

If you really want a stick, don't settle for an automatic. Get what you really want.

You should be able to find a similar '95 five-speed NSX-T for roughly the same price, within a couple grand. And not only will it have the stick that you prefer, but it will have more horsepower, too (270 vs 252).

 

[Edwardo]

37k sounds a bit low. I would assume none of the services have been done yet? If this is he case, the price seems a little more in line with what I would expect.

When I say "expect", I am really referring to the manual version which commands a premium for this year over previous years due to the 6 speed shifter and 3.2 liter engine.

The 60k service and timing belt (along with some other maintenance I would do) should run around $2,000-2,500.

edit: I did not read that you really wanted a stick. Like Ken said, this is something a bit too large to compromise on. The driving experience with a stick is going to be quite a bit different than the automatic. I would consider this a no compromise issue.


Now, if you drive in traffic often, that is a different story. You want to do a bit of thinking on how much you drive in traffic compared to how much pleasure driving you will be doing.

 

[Nimbus]

Resell value on automatics are cosiderably less on the NSX.

 

[nsxtasy]

Resell value on automatics are cosiderably less on the NSX.

Yes and no.

The resale value on '97 and later automatics is considerably less than manuals - but that is primarily because, starting that year, the manuals include numerous major upgrades (extra 20 hp, six-speed transmission) that don't apply to the automatics, along with some not-so-major upgrades that do. So that difference reflects the upgrades on the manual beginning in '97 over the manual from '96, more so than any discount on the automatic.

The resale value on '91-96 automatics is generally about even with the manual versions. Like any lower-volume version (about 9 percent of NSXs are automatics), if you're selling and you need to do so quickly, you may have to settle for a little less than with a manual... and if you're buying and you need to find one quickly, you may have to pay a little more than with a manual. But overall, the prices on the automatic are not way out of line with the manual. Maybe a grand or two at most.

 

[ACCD]

Thanks!

It needs the 60k service, however I was planning on spending $3,500 on service anyway. If I got a stick I'd have to do snap ring and clutch most likely. I do have a lot of traffic to dirve in and my wife wants to drive it as well. So, the auto probably does make more sense. Can I recover some HP if I make it breathe better, exhaust and intake?

Now my only other thing to consider is, do I sell one of my other vehicles and use the NSX as a daily or do I keep all three cars?

Thanks!

 

[nsxtasy]

If I got a stick I'd have to do snap ring and clutch most likely.

Not true. For one thing, the snap ring range cars are a small minority of NSXs (about 1200 cars out of 8500). Even in '91, 80 percent of the cars were not in snap ring range. And even if you got a snap ring car which had not been repaired, you wouldn't necessarily have to get it repaired. Finally, I assumed from your interest in this NSX-T that you wanted an NSX-T, which means '95 or later. The snap ring range cars were in '91-92.

Also, NSX clutch life varies (anywhere from 30K to 90K miles), and there is no reason to do a clutch until it needs it.

I do have a lot of traffic to dirve in and my wife wants to drive it as well.

Your call. If you do indeed want an automatic, this car sounds like a great price, despite its well-above-average mileage. But make sure you have it thoroughly checked out by someone with NSX expertise.

Can I recover some HP if I make it breathe better, exhaust and intake?

Intake does virtually nothing on the NSX. Yes, you can add power with exhaust and headers... but keep in mind that the automatic was detuned to 252 hp (instead of the manual's 270) out of concerns for what the automatic transmission could handle, so you may want to keep that in mind when deciding whether or not to add power.

 

[LeftLane]

ACCD:

Check out my post in the NSX For Sale forum - I have a 95 NSX-T with fewer miles, 5 speed, and all services up to date, for about the same price as this automatic, plus a bunch of extras, and there is nothing dirty about it at all. The point is, you can find a lot of great cars in this price range, so don't settle for something less than what you really want. BTW, your wife will adapt!

IMO, the 5 speed (or 6 speed for later years) is so much more enjoyable than the auto. Rowing the gears is a big part of the fun!

Good luck!

Todd