What can be damaged on an NSX waiting 17 years in the showroom?

[goldNSX]

There is an NSX waiting for 17 years now in the showroom and has been driven maybe 2-3 times a year. It already has the usual defeats like CCU, BOSE, tires and some other 'small' means repairable things. The oil and the break fluid seem never be changed.

What about expensive things, engine or gearbox? Dry headgasket? Crankshaft bearings? brakes? A/C? Steering? Bushings? Gaskets?

 

[RON98]

never changed the oil?

acid does build up in the oil. so it should have been changed 6 month - year regardless as long as the car is driven.

 

[goa360]

Inside I would watch for oxidation. Though NSX is good quality but I feel there is a limit. Some say fuel tank is a thing to watch but I have kept NSX long unused for 5years (Austin,TX). Just oil change once a year. No change in fuel (2-3years). Apart from Battery and small things like you said I did not find any problem. Oils recently (8-10years) are pretty inert so oxidation may not be an issue. I don't know the reality. Good luck!

 

[goldNSX]

Inside I would watch for oxidation. Though NSX is good quality but I feel there is a limit. Some say fuel tank is a thing to watch but I have kept NSX long unused for 5years (Austin,TX). Just oil change once a year. No change in fuel (2-3years). Apart from Battery and small things like you said I did not find any problem. Oils recently (8-10years) are pretty inert so oxidation may not be an issue. I don't know the reality. Good luck!

Thanks! :wink:

My friend and mechanic told me today that it should not be a problem for an NSX is it has been driven regularly (every three months or so). I don't know how old the gas is. There is a drain in the tank, no? The car must have a little bit of maintainance before driving it like all oils, coolant, freon, brake fluid changed, TB and WP, maybe the coolant hoses as well and new tires. Don't now about the brakes. Nothing of concern moneywise. But the critical point is the engine as it's big money.

 

[David]

Change out the timing belt.

 

[Honcho]

I would imagine most of the rubber parts and small soft seals (o-rings etc) probably dried out over 17 years of non-use.

 

[goldNSX]

I would imagine most of the rubber parts and small soft seals (o-rings etc) probably dried out over 17 years of non-use.

Did the rubber parts dry out even more on cars that have been driven over 17 years?

 

[mickeylex]

Did the rubber parts dry out even more on cars that have been driven over 17 years?

Yes, that is likely. For example the A/C system refrigerant lubricates the small o-rings in the system. If the A/C is not run regularly, those seals dry out and the refrigerant escapes.

 

[usafdarkhorse]

Coolant hoses

 

[nastinupe1]

Any pics?

 

[goldNSX]

Any pics?

Here you go:

 

[mickeylex]

Where is the spare tire? I don't see it in the pictures.

 

[goldNSX]

Where is the spare tire? I don't see it in the pictures.

The spare tire is in the trunk for simplicity as the battery needs frequent access to it.

 

[enkrypt3d]

wow! its in great shape..... its been sitting like that for 17 years!?!

I like the stand its sitting on tho - very interesting. The car looks very clean!

 

[goldNSX]

wow! its in great shape..... its been sitting like that for 17 years!?!

I like the stand its sitting on tho - very interesting. The car looks very clean!

Not one slightest scratch, stonechip or whatever and the leather is still soft.

No, it hasn't been sitting for 17 years like this. From time to time, maybe 3-5 times a year, the car was moved within the showroom which offers space for about 5 showcars. The dealer is quite small like many of our Honda dealers here and a RL would fit much better into a todays Honda showroom. Instead of this an RL is waiting outside of the showroom for new customers.

 

[nsx24]

Whats the mileage? You might contact fellow prime member Wraythe, as he purchased a 91' with 900 miles a few years ago (BEAUTIFUL CAR!!!!!:biggrin. He has gone through this before.

 

[goldNSX]

Whats the mileage? You might contact fellow prime member Wraythe, as he purchased a 91' with 900 miles a few years ago (BEAUTIFUL CAR!!!!!:biggrin. He has gone through this before.

The car has 275x km on it, that's about 1.7k miles. Thanks for the hint. Wraythe, you have pm. :wink:

 

[4AU4LIFE]

Looking at the rear tag area, it appears it is a European car. I thought they are all RHD?

 

[goldNSX]

Looking at the rear tag area, it appears it is a European car. I thought they are all RHD?

Yes, it's an Europan car. All European cars except the GB ones are LHD.

 

[davidf]

Buy it. Invest in all the things that need to be done. Enjoy it ya lucky bastard.:biggrin:

 

[NSXGMS]

Be sure not to overpay for a car like this. Ultra-low mileage NSXs tend to command premiums that often aren't really justified.

Everything that would normally be replaced in the 30/60/90K services will have to be done. In addition, tires, coolant hoses, all belts and many seals & gaskets that normally don't get replaced would have to go. Non-use is detrimental to many of these seals & gaskets. Plus, is it in snap ring range?

If no maintenance has been done I would expect to put in at least $5K to get the car in running order. Of course, it's hard to convince a seller that they should have done a 90K mile service on a museum piece with 1K miles--that's why these museum pieces sell for more than they're worth IMO.

If you are buying an NSX to drive I would avoid cars like these. They're typically bad values. A car like this will easily sell for $40K + when you could get a very clean 97 with 50K miles and all the maintenance done for the same price.

 

[goldNSX]

Thanks for your opinion.

I expect to invest $5-10k into it depending on if I'll drive it or just let her sit for another 17 years. As I already have a higher mileage NSX the garage queen most likely doesn't get driven at all. It's not in snap-ring range.

97+ cars are very, very seldom here and cost much more if they ever get for sale from time to time. A 02+ Targa would be a better match in the garage as my current one is already a 91 coupe. The garagequeen won't get modified at all, that's what my current one had to go through...

 

[Ben]

Any chance you can PM me the VIN on this car? I'm tracking many of the "significant" cars. This one definitely qualifies. :smile:

 

[goldNSX]

"significant"

What do you mean by significant?

 

[Ben]

What do you mean by significant?

Many factors could qualify a certain car as something I would want to mark as significant. They include, but are not limited to:

- Rare color/transmission combinations
- Low mileage cars
- Celebrity owned
- Factory one-offs whose existence is denied or debated
- Cars that have been exported out of their original market
- Early or Late Production numbers for a given year
- Very high mileage cars
- Test cars

I usually put a notation about these cars in my production number spreadsheet.