SeCsTaC

Hey guys, its been awhile. So a few months ago you may have remembered i was debating a 335i vs 335is. Well, i ended up buying a 335is and its a pretty nice car, but it doesnt excite me for a weekend car.

Ive always been a big acura fan, and therefore the nsx was one of my dream cars growing up.

I think this is one of my bucket list cars. It seems their prices have skyrocketed lately as 91s with 100k+ miles are going for over 30k.

Ive never driven one but i know a few of you guys have or had 1, so i was curious what you guys could tell me about it.

My budget is 30k so id probably be looking at a 91 with 100k+ miles on it. Does that seem roughly accurate?

Lastly does anyone have an nsxprime account? If you do could you do me a huge favor and pm a member on there? He has a 93 nsx for sale locally that looks well cared for. Hes asking 35k obo, maybe hed be willing to work with me?

I drive a ton for work so monday through friday ill be looking for an old comfy car like an es300, that way when i hop in the nsx on the weekend itll hopefully blow me away every time.

Looking forward to any advice/input. Thanks guys

Costco

My brother had a friend who DD'd a '91 NSX. He says he made redlined it nearly every time he took it out on a drive. It will be solid, though I don't know too much about them otherwise.

Why don't you just make an account and pm the guy? What you're asking doesn't make sense, unless you want that person to physically inspect the car for you.

TLDude876

iTrader: (7)

Good luck finding one for 30k

UNCTYPE-S

Dont be lazy. Sign up and post a "wanted" thread. Or check out the for sale section.

NSX Prime

I agree though. Unless it's a salvaged NSX or one with extremely high miles, it will be tough to find one for 30k.

SeCsTaC

I tried making an account on NSXprime yesterday but their email requirements are very strict. They ban gmail, yahoo, hotmail, etc etc and only allow you to use an isp provided email such as @verizon or comcast. I dont have one of those email accounts as i use gmail.

TacoBello

Be prepared to spend additional money if you are looking for a 30k NSX. It will be anything but a clean car and will likely need much work.

There's a guy on NSXprime selling his '91 right now. He's the original owner of the car and I believe he has just barely crossed the 100k mile mark (it's a Canadian car with 163,000km, I believe). He's asking 45k for it.

There is another '91 on there right now. It's been painted yellow (wtf), but apparently has only 75000km on it (in Canada, again). He's asking 27k, but I bet that car is a money pit. I've been looking at NSXs for the better part of 2 years now, and that price is too good to be true. You get what you pay for.

2012wagon

I am local to you and quite familiar with NSXs. Have had my prime account for 14 years now, so feel free to let me know how I can help. Look up snap ring issue for earlier nsx .

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

So you're going to sale the 335 and buy a ES300 and a NSX.

It's going to be hard like everyone else is saying to buy a NSX for 30k and the prices keep going up, so good luck.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Just forget it @ $30K.

Find a S2K instead.

TacoBello

I agree with JS. You can buy a flawless, low mileage s2000 for under 30k, or a beat to crap, miled out, molested NSX for over 30k.

And being able to drop the top in the s2000 will bring more smiles and happy driving days to you then having to deal with removing the Targa and cramming it into the back everytime you want some extra sunshine.

If your budget was 40-50k, I'd say go for the NSX. Otherwise, I think you'll end up dissapointed.

JS + XES

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, NSX is something that either very rich people buy as their third or fourth car or know how to work on it now. It's at that stage.

You can probably find a pretty nice S2K for around $20K. It's not a high maintenance car.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

If you really want an NSX I'd say wait a bit until the new one comes out. Bound to be a bunch of used ones on the market as folks "trade up".

But for now the prices of the NSX took it off my radar a long time ago. No way I'm paying over $30k for a ~25 year old car with 100k+ miles.

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

I was going to mention S2k.... But thought people would think I'm crazy.

SeCsTaC

Thanks for all the replies guys. Yes I would've sold the 335is to fund the NSX, but it seems like my budget won't get me a decent one so I guess I can put off the purchase for now.

I actually had a pristine 2000 S2000 (White with Red Interior) a few years ago, but I had to sell it to pay for college loans. It was a really cool car, but I'm not sure if I'd want one again, although strictly for a weekend car I'd still consider it.

I guess for now I'll just continue to save money and see what else catches my attention.

PS do you think theres any chance any of the socal NSX prime guys would let me drive their car around the block? Long shot, but I think it would really solidify if Id want to pony up maybe 35k for one.

oonowindoo

you are only 26... and you are talking about bucket list already?

if you have the $$, then go for it. but at 26 years old, I could think of a lot of better ways to spend $30k than on a 25 years old NSX right now.

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

Highly doubt it. Unless you going to give them some cash to drive their car.

UNCTYPE-S

I have a Yahoo account and works for me.

And Water Pump/Timing Belt is a must to check up on.

Or 2nd car...

I had that feeling too however do you see the potential cost of the new one? Now with the potential changes it may go up even more? I'd say it's 50/50 whether people sell to free up some cash, or if you can afford the new NSX, you can afford to keep the old one too which is probably paid off.

There was a potential buyer here in Chicago that posted up a request to drive one. One of our local NSX guys was nice enough to allow him to drive it. Maybe someone would do the same in SoCal.

I've had this car on my mind since I was 13. Made it reality 20yrs later. If it's a car you absolutely love, I don't think you can put a timeframe on it if funds allow of course. Sure I could've went out and got a brand new M3 but my NSX does so much more for me than anything else I see on the road regardless of age.

00TL-P3.2

I've only ever driven 1, a '91 that was in need of some mechanical work. But even still, it was a blast to take for a short spin around the block.

SeCsTaC

Thanks a lot for your reply! The email thing must be a new rule to filter out trolls/spammers because I just tried, and its a no go.

I'll see if I can find a different email service that'll meet the requirements. If so I'll make a thread and see if I can check out anybody's NSX.

What other cars were you considering before getting the NSX? Do you have any regrets about the car now that you've lived with it for awhile? I feel like the 911 gets compared a lot, but the Porsche doesn't do anything for me at this time.

neuronbob

OP, my advice is don't buy a NSX until the market settles down. Prices have skyrocketed the last two years as the NSX 2.0 vaporware allegedly comes closer to reaching solid, salable form.

I've been looking for the last year and frankly, I'm not paying $30k for a 100k mile, 25-year-old car. I'm mostly looking for a 2002-05 NSX but those are going for $60-80k right now when during the recession they were closer to $45-60k. Hell, no!

My advice is for you to buy a S2000 and thrash the hell out of it. $30k will get you an über-rare CR. A lot less than that will get you a nice, low mileage AP2.

2012wagon

Yup I remember when they couldn't give the 03-05 nsx away . Acura dealers were running 799$ lease specials

UNCTYPE-S

I wasn't considering any other cars. This was my dream car since I was 13 and saw one. I joined Prime in 2003 when I joined Acurazine and was no where near able to afford an NSX, but joined just to look at everyones amazing cars. LOL

Alway have had a daily driver and when the time was right in my life earlier this year, I started looking pretty aggressively. This is my first year with the car so I wouldn't say "a while" but it's everything I thought it would be and more. Sucks I have to put it away soon for the winter.

Shoofin

I found a 1995 and 1998 in the dealer auctions...dealers want stupid money for them...granted low miles (1995 with 14k miles, 1998 with 19k miles, they want between $75-$90k for them. Crazy!

neuronbob

REALLY? (Kicks self harder because paying way more than that for a Sport Hybrid lease monthly)

PS, OP, another option for you is a C5 Z06, quite possibly the used high-output sports car deal of the century right now. Low-mid $20k's gets you an 03-05, which you can then mod up to be faster.

NSX is on my bucket list too, but I'm reasonable with my expectations.....

2012wagon

^^
Yup it was all over prime on the lease deals

I kick myself for not getting an imola/imola then

As far as few years later, the crash you mentioned, I had a brand new 07 ap2 rio yellow that replaced my ap1 spa, so didn't have money for two sports cars...

2012wagon

799 month
999 down
2600 out of pocket
36 month

Before any negotiations

Tons of thread on the 799 lease deals. People did even better

No one wanted these cars 03-05 at the dealer asking price
Even purchase was ridiculous off msrp

Here is one example :
NSX $799 lease deal specifics?


Resident salary just couldn't swing it

TacoBello

That thread went horribly wrong in a jiffy

SeCsTaC

You guys sold me. I'm going to wait a little longer until prices stabilize a bit more. Gives me time to save, and hopefully be in a better financial place to pull the trigger in the future.

Thanks for everyones input. I appreciate it.

neuronbob

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN. I wasn't paying attention to NSXs then. Wish I had been.

Maybe there will be stellar lease deals on NSX 2.0 2-3 years after it's released, because it can't possible sell for long at $150k+. but doubt

nist7

I was also thinking about the NSX as a "attainable dream car" but looks like the prices are creeping up and the cheap ones are going to be very expensive to put back into good condition worthy of the NSX's status.

I'm now leaning more towards great bargain performance such as the C5 Z06 (or a 03/04 Terminator) as well as S2000. I 'can' afford a NSX later in my career (finishing up residency in 2017) but my frugality and white coat investor-mind is saying to get something a bit more practical.

2012wagon

^
Woohoo another WCI member !!!!!

nist7

I just tried to go to his blog and looks like its down? It's showing a wordpress login page for some reason.

But yeah still very fun to look at some of the awesome cars people get though. Just browsed through neuronbob's CTS-Vagon thread and I am very jelly. I think my mind has been influenced too much by MMM and WCI and that for now I would feel too bad about plotting down too much for a new/newish car or a very expensive car.

But still I would definitely get some awesome cars that's still a bargain though. And still live a great/satisfying car-life.

Of course unless I win like a 200mil powerball or something....then I may splurge on a real nice car

TacoBello

I think you guys are mistaken about the 1G NSX prices stabilizing. I think the people wanting a 2G are a completely different group than those wanting a 1G, and these days, there's no shortage of people wanting the 1G, hence the ridiculous price.

I don't foresee it slowing down either. I think once the 2G comes out, even more people will jump on the bandwagon, trying to get their hands on one. It might be 5 years before prices start coming down, but will you pay 45k for a 30 year old car? I dunno...

Although the prices are crazy right now, the 1G is likely a safe investment- and you can't say that about many cars. Even if prices do come down, I can't imagine someone losing more than 15% on the car. These days, you'd likely make money still. So you buy an overpriced NSX, drive it for a few years and sell it, and by the end of it, the only thing it costs you to drive that car is the loan interest (assuming one doesn't pay cash, that is).

If a mint 97-01 NSX dropped to 45k I'd be all over it.

If a mint 02-05 NSX dropped to 55k I'd be all over it.

If a mint 91-96 NSX dropped to 35k, I'd be all over it.

And there are many people just like me out there. So the prices aren't going to budge.

neuronbob

^^^^
Maybe the prices won't budge much, and you raise fair points. Even so, if I find the right car at the right price, the S2000 goes on the block and I'm getting a NSX 1.0 (OK, 1.1 if I settle for '97-'02 if I don't wait for a 02-05). I am in no hurry at all....same plan as with my (now still low-mileage) S2000. I waited for the right car at the right price and I've kept it now for 7 1/2 years now.

p.diddy

iTrader: (3)

As an owner I can tell you the prices won't be dropping anytime soon because of the new one coming out but I wouldn't let that deter you from looking. Something in the 30-35 range pops up every now and then. Also someone said earlier a $30k nsx will need all kinds of maintenance. That's definitely not the case for every car. There's all sorts of reasons why the price has been dropped (repainted, high miles, etc) it doesn't necessarily mean it's been ragged out.

p.diddy

iTrader: (3)

that's definitely not the case.

they made it a little harder to join because prime was getting spam accounts and people who were previously banned trying to rejoin.

just be patient and you'll find the right one eventually.

neuronbob

I finally did the deed and joined Prime. The winter is often a good time to buy a used sports car as pricing traditionally cools down some. Given the way the NSX is going, though, that old advice may not hold. We'll see.....

TacoBello

Best of luck, Bob! Hopefully you can scoop something up that'll make you happy soon enough!

synth19

I have not read any of the responses here, but wanted to address one thing. If you REALLY want an NSX and/or want to join NSXPRIME... find a way.

synth19

Prices for early model NSX's have been relatively stable for awhile, even during the recession. Now it seems like ALL years have been slowly going up over the last few years. It might "stabilize" at some point, but I certainly don't see the prices going down, not to mention inventory is going down. The same thing happened with air cooled Porsche's, e30 m3's, etc. Get one sooner or later, or you will really regret it down the road.