NSX Value / Appreciation / help in buying?

Great Site: I am going to find one of these incredible cars. I saved the money and was looking about 4 years ago, wife / cancer / fine now, thank you/ NSX fund went to best cause. I have been looking for about a month, is it me or have the prices gone through the roof? What were you guys paying for say a 95 with 25,000 miles? a 91 to 94 with 60,000 or 97 to 2001 with low to 60,000? back in 2004 / 2005?
Is there a big jump during the summer months? would I be better off waiting for the snow to fly? Is this the wrong time, I thought things were tough in the country? Is the price just going to continue up? I am not a young man at 57 so this is my dream since 1991. What should I be looking at paying? I would rather have an NSX Prime Book then Kelley Blue Book. I appreciate your help and support in making this important decision. I can not wait to be a member with a car. Charlie

Now's the time to be buying as NSX's have never been so cheap. I can't give you specifics but let's just say 91-94 NSX's used to command mid 30's just 1-2 years ago and now due to this recession we are seeing them sell under $30k.

For example there is a 98 Yellow/Tan in what appears to be mint shape listed for sale here and its asking price is $38k. That's now a 3.2L NA2 with Targa roof and some mods for what should have been the 91-94 pricing just 1-2 years ago.

Also there's a 2003 Yellow/Yellow with slight mods listed at $45k w/38k miles...

Enjoy the hunt!

JetPilot is right. Prices have been coming down for at least six months. This is a good time to buy. A good looking 94 Brooklands green with 79k miles was listed for $29,900. It just sold, I believe. Of course, you can find some with much higher asking prices, but if you keep checking nsxprime, cars.com, aol.com, and ebay, you can find nice ones for around $30k.

Check out the nice one for sale on NSX Prime.
1994 Red / Black, JH4NA1156RT000307
Looks like a nice one.
Very low miles.
Have fun finding your dream car.
Gary

If you go look at the For Sale section you can change the view settings down at the bottom and look at all the for sale ads all the way back to 2002.

It looks like back in 2002 the 91s were selling for about the same as they are now. That surprised me, so you may be right that the prices went up for a time, but they are certainly on the way down right now.

Prices have jumped up slightly over the past few months. That is no joke. KBB is actually closer to accurate pricing now. Go do a pricing on your NSX to see. I don't see as many "Good Deals" as I did earlier this year. I don't think a 91-94 with high miles should ask for anything for than $26k. There have been plenty for sale that were around that price but I am seeing people with "asking" prices much higher than that. We don't know the sale price many of the times so it is tough to say. People were selling for forecolsure reasons before. Now they are selling to lesson their burdon of bills or have a little more money in the bank.

Edmunds.com has a feature called true market value on their site. I found it useful to compare their TMV with the asking price of the car. For kicks, I just plugged in a 94 nsx in exceptional condition with 50,000 miles. Edmunds price was $25,000, about what VegasSpeed recommended. Be patient and you will likely find a nice one for around that price.

Good luck!

Jack High said:

Edmunds.com has a feature called true market value on their site. I found it useful to compare their TMV with the asking price of the car. For kicks, I just plugged in a 94 nsx in exceptional condition with 50,000 miles. Edmunds price was $25,000, about what VegasSpeed recommended. Be patient and you will likely find a nice one for around that price.

Good luck!

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He will likely be waiting a loooong time for a car as you described.:smile: I have a '91 with 67,xxx miles and wouldn't sell for $25K

Just remember that mileage isn't as big of a factor as is the maintenence history. I wouldn't buy an NSX from a dealer unless they would provide the history, which most never seem to do.

I'd say the prices are reasonable right now but NSXs have always been high. I don't use Edmunds, KBB, or NADA, much but just for a ball park. They can really never reflect the market exactly anyway because there are so many variables in condition. Low miles or high miles there are some that are not good buys that are medium miles and some that are higher miles that are good deals because of maintenance history.

I'll say this that you are going to pay up front or down the road after you buy it doing deffered maintenance and it is rare indeed to find one that doesn't need something. Many will need a pretty good bit.

I bought my 91 silver with 41k miles on it and it had a fair maintenance history but it was 8 years since anything major was done so guess what; it was time to do some - like big stuff. I'll have around 5k in maintenance catch up - some would say maybe didn't need some of it but it depends on whether you have some available cash for repairs.

I wouldn't ever think that I would be buying a car that needs nothing unless it was a fairly late model. Anything down in the 30s or like mine for 28,500 will need around 4 or 5k in maintenance - you might be able to stretch that expense over a few years but it depends on how you intend to drive it. If you only drive it like a toy on the weekends then a car like mine could have just been driven for a year or so without anything. But if you intend to use the car say as a daily or half a daily like me then you might as well bite the bullet and bring it up to "snuff" now.

Lots of variables other than price. If you are going to buy one set a budget and live with it, but have some bucks in reserve for repairs cause there will surely be some. I would not buy one thinking I wouldn't have some issues. I didn't find that to be the case even with super low miles - that really means nothing but you can be sure every low miler I saw needed a bunch of stuff. Matter of fact unless it was a 2002 or 2003 or later it will need maintenance.

Consider this; if you get a later gen NA2 you may be looking at a clutch - that's around 4k. You most usually will need a timing belt/water pump deal and hoses and that's around 1500+/-, tires ain't cheap either. The lists are generally not short. Maintenance issues can pile up fast so don't be fooled. Check it thoroughly.

The way I figured it when I bought mine is that with 41k miles on it and even if I put 5k in it that would be around 33k or 34k total - then it's just about perfect and also about what one would be worth. So I'm not throwing my money away. Just make sure you have a budget that includes 3 to 5k in reserve. You'll be ok then and be careful when you buy; I would recommend buying only from an individual - cause dealers usually don't have paper work - records. Find the right owner and you'll find a good car.

Lots to think about.....

The supply is up and prices are down. Based on my obeservation, you can find a 91-92 in excellent condition and low mileage for $25-27K easily. 93-96 for 30-35K. My friend sold his 03 in excellent condition w/ only 18K original miles for $46K. Most people need the money more than a car that sits in the garage depreciating. Especially if it has a lien on it. I predict by 2010, prices will drop another $5k+. Wait it out and pick a good one up for $20K.

Just look at the NSX for sale Market. I would be happy to get $25K+ for mine.:biggrin:

If you have the cash on hand you could wheel and deal on a really good one.

Charlie,

I've had my '99NSX-T for just over 3 years. I helped my brother find a nice '99 as well (last June). I have watched the market since then on a regular basis, and IMO the market prices have dropped over the last 6 months. Additionally, supply of available cars for sale is higher than I have ever seen it. Current economy has definitely affected this, as a previous comment indicated that most NSX's are weekend cruisers and with the economy in it's current condition many owners find it hard to justify keeping them.

As previously mentioned by others, purchase from an individual owner is best. One exception might be a late model ('03, '04, '05 with low miles and Acura Certified). Also mentioned, service history is much more important than miles driven. Properly maintained these cars could run forever. And there are a few owners here on Prime that are out to prove that -("Hugh" know who you are!!!)

My advice, establish some parameters (year, color, mileage range, mods) and search thoroughly. ALWAYS have a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) by a qualified NSX technician. These people know the cars and know what to look for. And lastly, you've come to the right place for everything you might need to know to find, buy and own an NSX. Good luck in your search, and enjoy it!

ENJOY the HUNT!

Lots of good information here....

I purchased my 91 NA1 March 2008 with 38,500 miles, some modifications, West Wings body kit, Italian Antera wheels, and some other items... for about $27k. I figured it was worth at least 30k.

Now I would suspect you could find a nice 91 to 94 in the mid 20's.

There was a 96 NSX-T, AT, with 73,300 under the Photo Gallery> Red thread that went on a confiscated vehicle auction for $24,300. I didn't call, it said it ran, the pictures looked like it was a nice car... for that price a person could have caught up all the maintenance and still had a good deal IMO.

You may have to be patient to find the right car... ask TIM :smile:

I was in a simlar position... looking, life change/surprise came up and the purchase was put off for a few years.

I believe you should be able to find a nice one for mid 20k's to 30k's and possibly closer to the 20k range. It depends... some owners are very proud and will ask a premium. Sometimes the premium is worth it.... like it mentions above, there are lots of variables to consider.

Remember, if the price sounds too good to be true.. it probably is, especially if they want an electronic cash transfer in advance.

In my searches not to be contradictory, but finding a 91 - 93 with low miles (define low miles - I'd say under 50k) for 25 to 27K will still need 4 to 5k in maintenance. You are lucky if it doesn't - waaaay lucky. In my opinion of the 140 or so out there - nothing fits the description of "perfect" low miler for mid 20s. Every car out there has a story and it's your job to find out what that story is and it ain't always easy.

Do you think the seller told me that the clutch was down to about 1/3 life and the pedal was hard??? Ummmm no and if you fly somewhere to check one out it costs a bunch unless you have loads of sky miles. Guys there is no such thing as an automatic great deal out there on an NSX - at least in the 4 months I looked there wasn't. Great deal as in as one described early gen cars, perfect condition, low miles - mid to low 20s - not out there. If they are - show me - early gen cars ok - that's the test. If there is one it ain't on any site I could find. If you wait a long while and are dilegent in your search over as long as a year most likely then maybe.

Great car on Prime - everyone saw it or a lot did - 93 white with 17k miles and really in perfect shape - radio perfect rebuilt by Willhams, timing belt, water pump, hoses just completed - completely stock - no paint work - nada, none anywhere - sold in 12 hours for 36k - now that ain't mid 20s and that's what I'm talking about - that's perfect - not one with 75k miles and some maintenance history - not perfect - no way!

Somebody prove me wrong if it's so darned easy - there will be a story - on any of em - you can bet on it!!! AND there will be deffered maintenance somwhere - like how bout AC?????? Yeah expensive to fool with no doubt - buyer beware and by all means if you find one you think may be the one - get a PPI by someone trustworthy (even that's not easy) But get one before you start flying all over the place checking em out personally unless you have unlimited resources and time and if you do - buy a 2005 with real low miles and start driving it and never look back, oh for around 60 +k or 70+k!

This is an interesting thread discussion. After many months (years) !'m ready to pull the trigger on a 1995 NSX-T with 21,000 miles, after market nice rims, no deferred maintenance. Never in the rain!! hmmm. Well maintained to include TB/WP and fluids. The owner appears anal. So lets say this car is perfect in every way, just like of the showroom floor. What do you think its worth?

The next question is should I go for a higher mile 1997+ hmmm??

My needs are a well maintained relatively original quality car. Not fast as $hit as I already have that car. Looking for the best of the beat and this car could be it.

Okay lads let me have it. I know Tim will. Regards...Andrew

p.s. Tim, all aside, I have sincerely appreciated your comments on this site.......

Well let's start with - what is the owner of the 95 asking for it? Then let's ask when the TB/WP/hoses were done? That is surely low mileage which means that it's been sitting quite a bit so how does the AC work? I am assuming nothing here - have you actually seen the car - what does the owner have to say about it? It's very important at this point to know, that is if you're really serious about it, how it's been driven and how many owners the car has had and what do you know about them and does the owner have all the previous owner records and all his records?

You really haven't told me enough to properly evaluate the car - and then what color is it. Red - which is fine- is more abundant shall we say than white or silver. The 95 and 96 are the slowest of the bunch with the 3.0 and 5 speed and the reinforcement for the targa which is an additional 200 pounds - something like that- so is that something that may bother you - have you driven it?

Lots more to this story than you've told us here. I need more detail to figure what it's worth. It's 14 years old and say if the tb/wp service was done 6 or 7 years ago - even with low miles - it would theoretically need it again. The interior I would imagine is real nice.

If everything checks out it may be a great car! Should you go for a high mile 97 - I wouldn't take a 97 with high miles, given good maintenance, over a 95 with low miles. As one said to me - you can replace tbs/wps, but you can't roll back that odometer. Wear will inevitably be more noticeable in a high miler than this car you've found.

I kind of like the sound of the 95 but color could be a factor- for me it would but then I only looked at 2 colors - white and silver. That's just my taste, this one might just be the one for you.

Tim, the color of the car is red...my personal preference. He is asking $39,999. I'm going to drive the car (hopefully) tomorrow. I'm assuming everything works. Owner claims has most records since new. Know the 95/96 are slowest but that is okay, not looking for speed. TB/WP is a good question, one not indicated in his write-up but plan to ask. Regards...Andrew

NSX GT said:

The supply is up and prices are down. Based on my obeservation, you can find a 91-92 in excellent condition and low mileage for $25-27K easily. 93-96 for 30-35K. My friend sold his 03 in excellent condition w/ only 18K original miles for $46K. Most people need the money more than a car that sits in the garage depreciating. Especially if it has a lien on it. I predict by 2010, prices will drop another $5k+. Wait it out and pick a good one up for $20K.

Just look at the NSX for sale Market. I would be happy to get $25K+ for mine.:biggrin:

If you have the cash on hand you could wheel and deal on a really good one.

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I respectfully disagree. In a year I seriously doubt prices are going to drop $5K+...maybe on the '02-'05 cars. The values of '91-'92 cars haven't dropped that much in the last 5 years. IMO the only thing your going to find for $20K is a car that has 150K+ miles, or has been wrecked or abused.

Sure, there are going to be some distress sales here and there with this economy, but I think for the most part owners of these cars can afford them and will hold on to them instead of taking a substancial loss.

Well red is great if you like it. 40k for the car is a bit on the high side and if there is deffered maintenance then it's for sure too high. How long has the current owner had it and how many owners has it had?

You gotta watch out for these low milers - if it's local to you and you really like it I'd have it checked by a good mechanic. Systems like AC can just atrophy from lack of use and it's hard to test this stuff when the owner is talking a mile a minute while your trying to listen to stuff and operate things and if you can't do that - get a ppi.

If the Timing belt/water pump/ hoses haven't been replaced in the last 5 years then it's on the horizon or due now. That's the kind of expense that he should take the hit for not you at 40k. It's attractive to get those low milers as cosmetically they are just really nice - mechanically you gotta do your diligence.

But if you get to the records and find them UP TO DATE! - then you gotta test the AC and the radio/stereo/speakers to make sure they work well but the AC is the big thing. Everything else should be working fine. Clutch for example should be just fine unless there were a lot of owners and this guy has only had it a short time and maybe doesn't want to repair it. You never know there are just so many variables you gotta check. I still don't have a good handle on the car.

40k is premium top or maybe beyond top dollar for this car, so it should be up to date on all maintenance and really almost nothing for you to do. If there is I'd start knocking down his price and if he won't budge - walk on.

Best I can do with as little knowledge as I have of the car.

Seems to me if you're willing to pay $40k for a '95, even in showroom condition, why not go a bit further and get a really nice 02+ for another 10k? Here's an '03 dropped to $45k:

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107152

The '03 is going to have much less age-related wear and tear.

dougpr said:

Seems to me if you're willing to pay $40k for a '95, even in showroom condition, why not go a bit further and get a really nice 02+ for another 10k? Here's an '03 dropped to $45k:

http://www.nsxprime.com/forums/showthread.php?t=107152

The '03 is going to have much less age-related wear and tear.

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I agree! But I think there is a deal happening on this car...? well until the fat lady sings.

The yellow one is a great deal if you have just a bit more cash and you just love the hell out of yellow - ummmm, sorry guys but yellow on yellow is for the strong at heart first thing in the morning. You'll be looking for a switch for that interior if you know what I mean. That is not for everyone and that's why it's still for sale - make no mistake about it.

This situation wth the yellow one is A typical because of the color - this price for this year car is by no means indicative of the market - NO WAY.

So sure can you find something else around 48 for a normal color car with medium miles - yeah, but if your looking at this 95 with no intention of meeting the asking price and going in at say 37 or walking - then your saving 10k - now that may sound like pocket change for some of you Ferrari owners but that's a chunk where I come from. I sure had the same options - so if you don't want to pay 40k, as if anyone would- for a 95 fork over an additional 6 to 8k minimum for a nice 01 or 02 - man I've looked and there are not a lot of options unless you want to spend 48. If you can go to say a 99 or 2000 maybe with around 40k miles you'll still spend 45k. So where is the relief.

First of all you, the guy buying, has to establish the budget - not us out here in armchair coach land, that you can live with. Cause you're not buying this car for us, you're buying it for yourself. You gotta be happy with it. You gotta be happy with what you're paying for it too cause like I've said - it is not just the purchase price - read my print- EVER!!!! It also what you'll have in maintenance once you get it and you gotta budget 3 to 5k - plain and simple and if you don't need it and find one that is really perfect all round - add that to the purchase price over one that needs it and that's the fair price for the perfect car! Gotta love my math here guys and you know it's right.

There is always deffered maintenance unless you get extreeeeeemly lucky. Everyone is so quick to say - oh you can find one for just a bit more and they show you one that only one in 100,000 people could stand. Geez, anyone talking apples to apples around here?

If I had advice based on a budget that would make more sense - so again- what's the budget for the car plus maintenance? Figure that out and then the rest is much easier. Or next thing we'll be showing you is an 05 with 15k miles on it for 80k. Just a littttttle bit more and you could get......

tbromley said:

The yellow one is a great deal if you have just a bit more cash and you just love the hell out of yellow - ummmm, sorry guys but yellow on yellow is for the strong at heart first thing in the morning. You'll be looking for a switch for that interior if you know what I mean. That is not for everyone and that's why it's still for sale - make no mistake about it.

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I dig the yellow! :biggrin:

Hey B,

He's got a helluva deal for ya. Don't pass this one up if it's your color cause it's a great deal. I like yellow too, but I'd rather have a black interior. Probably looks better on a convertible vette. You know you can see those yellow cars for miles......

I dig the yellow too...thats why I over-nighted a deposit to the seller...If all goes well with the PPI on Monday, I plan to drive up and bring her home next Friday.

As for the yellow interior, you really need to see it in person to appreciate it! I think it gives the car an even more "exotic" look. Black interior....(yawn)... you NEVER see that combo..

I believe Ferrari's come with color matched seats as an option as well......hmmmm