Value of '94 with 87K miles?

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15 June 2010
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131
I'm a "prospective" owner, so I think this is the right forum for this question. There's a 1994 NSX on a used car lot near my home. Cosmetically, the car is beautiful. It has been repainted (Red), but to a very high standard. The Black interior looks great and definitely doesn't give away the car's age. It has about 87,000 miles on the odo. The engine compartment looks very clean. 5-speed stick. I have no idea if the car has ever been hit, and I haven't driven it yet. It has some fancy aftermarket wheels I don't like much and does not come with the original wheels, but I can't detect any other modifications. Dealer claims two prior owners, the second one owning it only for a short time.

The used car dealer has a price of $29,900 on the windshield, and when I told them I didn't think it was worth more than $25,000 (not that I really have any idea what it's worth), they told me they wanted to get about $27,500 for it.

Can someone give me a fair value for the car with that information? Thanks.
 
Without a CarFax and maintenance history its anyones guess. Your $25K probably isn't too far off.
 
$26500-28500, depending on condition; the repaint will scare most people, depending on the quality and the reason for it. Also, the service history will affect where in this range it belongs.

If the repaint was done for non-cosmetic reasons, or is sub-par, then the price range will decrease. The dealership's statements don't seem out of line.

$25k is low for a 1994 (in good shape), it's more of a price for a 1991-1992.
 
do your homework...

Some quick thoughts...

- Was it originally Formula Red & then repainted Formula Red, or it was another exterior color & then repainted Formula Red?

- Any maint'/service history? (ie. 4yr/60k + 6yr/90k services)

- Condition/status of wear-&-tear/consumable/problematic parts? (ie. tires, brake pads/discs, rubber/plastic bits, coolant hoses, fuses, OEM/stock Bose stereo speakers/amps, window regulators, clutch, etc')

- Run a Carfax & Autocheck using the VIN to see the vehicle history, as well as determine if any accidents or mileage inconsistencies appear. Don't ask for either report on this forum, but run the VIN via search to see if there's any history here.

- Using the V.I.N., call up a local/regional Acura dealership service center to see if they can offer any insight w/ regards to past maint'/service history.

- What are the make/model (rim sizes & tires) of the after-market wheels?

- Schedule a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) w/ a local/regional Acura dealership. This can vary from 1-2 hr labor charge, or a fixed price service.

- Avg. miles for a '94 NSX is 80k miles (5k miles per-year is considered avg. for an NSX).

- Broadly/generally speaking, '94 NSX'es are priced ~10% more than '91-'93 NSX'es (keeping all things constant, such as accident/collision/repaint, avg. miles per-years, wear-&-tear of consumables, maint'/service history, overall condition, mods', etc').


My 2-pence...

A bone-stock/original '94 NSX 5spd. w/ 87k miles, which has no accident/collision/repaint history & all maint'/service is up to date as well as minimal wear-&-tear/consumable parts needing addressed, in relatively good interior/exterior condition seems to be valued at ~$27.5k (+/- $1.5k depending on location/time-of-year/etc').

Accident/collision/repaint history, deferred maint'/service, numerous wear-&-tear/consumable parts needing addressed, excessive interior/exterior wear, etc' all affect the value.
 
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No maintenance records available. CarFax says no accidents, passed emissions a bunch of times, sold at auction. Car comes from Texas, and is now in Southern California. CarFax seems to back up that there were only two owners. Dealer claims to have paid more than $25K for it. Correct mileage is 89,700 and change (I remembered wrong). That's all I know.

The paint looks excellent. I thought it was original paint that was always garaged and babied until the dealer told me it was repainted. I don't know for absolute certain, but I don't think the color was changed when the car was repainted.

I don't think they will sell it for $25K unless they get desperate after it sits there for a while.
 
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Without records, I would venture its going to need all the major maintenance done. Its basically a crap shoot with no records...
 
What a great service for this guy Osiris! That's why Prime is soooo good. I tell you - this probably saved this dude a bunch. My gut feeling told me there was a some significant reason for a repaint. Dealer probably knows there was damage and that maybe the reason it sat for so long. Also this goes to show that Carfax isn't very good at finding damage - obviously not reported to an insurance company which is about the only way they have of finding out about accident history.

No records, evidence of "partial" repaint - damage to body panels and entire rear end = NO SALE! This ones for suckers....

Now as to the value of a 94 with 87 k miles that has records and is fully up to date on maintenance like TB/WP/Hoses/valve clearance adj/ many other seals etc, filters, fluid changes, etc - 90k service records and a check to make sure the clutch is good - and if all that was in place with no damage or repaint and all things like the AC/window thingys done and the stereo in good working order - in my opinion it would be worth more than $27.5k cause you would then have to do nothing but drive the car - THINGS ARE ALMOST NEVER LIKE THIS! NEVER! But if they were - which is like my car with 46k miles and I assure you I would not sell it for less than 32k - then a 94 with all that done is worth in the 30s too. Mine may not sell for that but I wouldn't sell it for less and anyone with a car like this magical hypothetical car we've dreamed up here for a 94 even with 87k miles is at 30k or more in my opinion. If a Primer had it and all that was up to date with a pile of records - no way they'd sell under NORMAL circumstances for 27.5 - that's my 2 cents worth.
 
I agree that a CarFax is not a gaurantee that a car hasn't been damaged and repaired. I had a 2004 Audi S4 that I bought new. I got hit very hard broadside by some moron who ran a red light and left turned right into me. The car had unibody frame damage. I took it to a high end body shop that did a very nice job reparing and painting it. It looked great.

I never felt right about the car after that, and later traded it in on a 2006 Evo IX MR that I still drive today. I checked the CarFax on the Audi when I traded it in, and it was clean.

However, the market value of a car is not what an owner who loves the car and has no intention of selling would take for the car -- a dreamer's price. The market value is what a motivated buyer and a motivated seller will agree on.
 
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whats the vin number? or the link to this Home town car lot. we have lots of sources for info if you give us the vin.

we can tell you who was the last owner. what it selling price was from an auction. can give you some great ammo for the sale.
 
Somebody here already checked the VIN, which is JH4NA1156RT000310
 
I agree that a CarFax is not a gaurantee that a car hasn't been damaged and repaired. I had a 2004 Audi S4 that I bought new. I got hit very hard broadside by some moron who ran a red light and left turned right into me. The car had unibody frame damage. I took it to a high end body shop that did a very nice job reparing and painting it. It looked great.

I never felt right about the car after that, and later traded it in on a 2006 Evo IX MR that I still drive today. I checked the CarFax on the Audi when I traded it in, and it was clean.

However, the market value of a car is not what an owner who loves the car and has no intention of selling would take for the car -- a dreamer's price. The market value is what a motivated buyer and a motivated seller will agree on.

Guarantee you that's what you have here at this little dealer - a motivated seller - not someone with the dream car - dream cars don't go for what this kind of car does. Every car for sale is it's own story - you have to find out what that story is. Like I said there is usually no dream car for sale - other than Big Ds (lately). That was a rare one and in my experience here - about 1 1/3 years - that kind of car comes along about once a year! The dream cars are not for sale by "motivated sellers" if your description is "one that is bound to sell at any price he can get in 2 weeks" - that is a motivated seller - a motivated or low baller will always find him. Like the guy that was complaining why his car, at no reserve, sold so low on ebay.....

The real good ones don't go for that price - but there is one we're talking about on another thread that seems to be a damn good deal on an NA2. So you never know what you might find these days.....it's a buyers market pretty much!
 
Definitely decided not to buy this car, after learning about it's history from the members here. Thank you very much.
 
Definitely decided not to buy this car, after learning about it's history from the members here. Thank you very much.

I'm glad the site provided you with valuable info.You should consider hitting the support tab upper right and make a donation,heck you get a nifty title along with giving back:cool:
 
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