High Cost Nsx ?? .. Maintenance?

wxman2 · 14 March 2004

High Cost NSX ?? .. Maintenance?

New to the forum, so excuse me on a dumb question or two...

I recently bought a 1995 NSX-T with 18,000 miles on it. The car is red and nearly in mint condition...no kidding. A scratch or two on the top (which most people wouldn't see) and a small scuff or two on the wheels. That is just about it! The interior looks like it hasn't even been sat in. It also comes up clear on CarFax.

But, anyway, I paid $42,900 for the car. Is this pretty good? I thought so but would sure like a 2nd opinion. The car hardly had any 'dust' on it so you were able to tell it was well maintained.

Plus....I had a dealer friend of mine (probably jealous as hell) tell me that this car IS HIGH MAINTENANCE. Is it? Even if you don't drive it that much? I know he's upset I didn't go 'through him' to get a car like this in which he could have made a few bucks.

Thanks for any feedback.

wxman2

Lazarus · 14 March 2004

Welcome to Prime.

Compared to a Civic, yes...the NSX is pretty high-maintenance. But paired with comparable sports cars, it's certainly much more economical to run.

Oh, and before I go, I have to add the obligatory "please post a few pictures of your car!" message.

wxman2 · 14 March 2004

Just curious what you call 'comparable sports cars."
How about a few examples of these....

Corvette? BMW-Z3? Boxster?

Lazarus · 14 March 2004

The AMC Gremlin, Ford Pinto, and Fiat X1/9 come to mind.

Just kidding.

Lazarus · 14 March 2004

In all seriousness though, I can't think of another car that has the same level of all-round balance and performance. Sure, there are cars that are better on paper and which regularly post better numbers, but few of those feel as good as an NSX. Of course, that's just my opinion.

From a marketing point-of-view however, I suppose the NSX's rivals would include the current crop of 911s, Skyline GT-Rs, Esprits, 360 Modenas, and Corvettes, etc.

wxman2 · 14 March 2004

Funny you should say Fiat X1/9. I had one one of those damn cars. To make matters worse, it was 'lime green'. Had a Delorean too, but that's a whole different story. That car ran well until you got it out of the driveway....

Cost me a bundle just to keep that car running 15 years ago....what a waste.

Autophile · 14 March 2004

NSX = High maintenance? Not at all. Your dealer friend is either un-informed or pulling your leg.

The price you paid seems in line with a clean 1995 model. Check here for a good pricing reference.

Look around on the FAQ section to find answers to whatever questions you may have.

wxman2 · 14 March 2004

Thanks a lot. I appreciate your input.

How many miles do you have on your '91? Have you had any major problems? Mine is ALL stock...nothing added. Just wondering what I can expecte to go out 'many miles up the road.'

wxman2

Wondering if there is any certain 'part' that tends to go out 'a lot' on these cars.

Lazarus · 14 March 2004

wxman2 said:
Thanks a lot. I appreciate your input.

How many miles do you have on your '91? Have you had any major problems? Mine is ALL stock...nothing added. Just wondering what I can expecte to go out 'many miles up the road.'

wxman2

Wondering if there is any certain 'part' that tends to go out 'a lot' on these cars.

Mine have always been very reliable. The only parts that I changed were done so not because I "had" to, but because I "wanted" to.

Mind you, it would be worth bearing in mind that the rear tires on NSXs do wear out quite quickly.

Happy motoring.

wxman2 · 14 March 2004

Examples of this please....

Oil Change?
Battery Change?
Tires? ( I saw your note...and have read that 'good ones' are expensive too...but thats alright)
Transmission Fluid?

WHAT ????

Larry Bastanza · 14 March 2004

With the exception of the tires the maintenance schedule is just pretty close to all Honda models. The costs are higher though.

Oil Change $50 average
Battery Change 4 years or so, like all batteries

Tires 5-10K miles on OEM's (the FAQ here, is worth reviewing this topic)
Trans service 30K miles, but most get serviced annually, or more often is tracked.

The things that will set you back are:

timing belt/water pump (6 years or 90K miles, yours is due)$1000-$1500
Climate Control $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$(depends on the issue)
Clutch $1700-$2900 depending on clutch model
Tires about $700-$800 a full set OEM, for your model 16/17's

HTH,
LarryB

Autophile · 14 March 2004

wxman2 said:
How many miles do you have on your '91? Have you had any major problems?

My '91 has 38,600 miles on it. I've put 9,000 miles on it in under a year (purchased April 2003), and during that time I:

A) Changed oil three times, done myself, Mobil 1, $39 each time
B) Changed water thermostat, done myself, previous owner didn't drive car much so it froze in place, $40
C) Bought new tires, part of upgrade to '94 wheels from factory '91 wheels, Toyo Proxes, $780

The car has been as reliable as if it was brand new. Soon, I will have the timing belt, water pump, hoses, fluids, and maybe the clutch changed. This will be several thousand dollars, but afterward it will be good for many years to come.

robr · 14 March 2004

larry pretty much sums it up. The NSX is probably the lowest maintenance car ive owned and I have about 91K on it (my 300zxtt was much worse at about that mileage). Tires and oil change are the most common items that need to be done, I'm on my second clutch and that seems fine. As pointed out, the timing belt/water pump will run you a pretty penny, but the car is basically bulletproof and is as reliable as any other honda product. This alone is what made the NSX affordable for me. As I'm sure you've noticed, for what you paid you could have bought a used Ferrari, but you would have paid dearly for yearly maintenance (from my reading of the Ferrari maillist several years back when I was in the market, I chose the NSX as a direct result of reading the maintenance horror stories).

Bottom line, your friend is just trying to scare you or he really has no idea what he's talking about. Gotta love the "FUD Factor".

wxman2 · 14 March 2004

One more quick question if someone has an answer. Does anyone change there OWN oil in the car? I have a Mercedes 500SL and have had Corvettes in the past, AND HAVE ALWAYS CHANGED THE OIL IN THESE VEHICLES.

Is this one a little more difficult? I've heard that the back right tire has to be taken off. Is this difficult? I'm NOT cheap, but hate to waste $30-$50 on an oil change when I can do it myself.

Thanks for any advice.

wxman2

Autophile · 14 March 2004

It's very easy to change the oil yourself. The drain plug and filter are both within easy reach. There is a drain plug gasket to change each time, but those are cheap.

I just use a Griot's garage oil extractor and leave the drain plug alone.

donwon · 14 March 2004

Back tire taken off?

I guess you could if you wanted to, but why do that instead of removing the filter, letting it drain, and refilling the oil

sjs · 14 March 2004

Oil change is about as simple as it gets with the exception of something already so high in the air that you don't even need a jack. Pulling a wheel is the preferred method for many people because it gives even easier access but it is not required.

I'm sure there is a decent set of instructions on this site or one of those by members such as DanO. BTW, many people do their own not to save $$ but to ensure that it’s done correctly. One more thing, stick with the OEM filter, and by no means use a Fram.

robr · 14 March 2004

if you go to the main page of this website and click on the FAQ button at the top, you will find enough information that you'll be lost from us for a month. this info includes tons of DIY instructions such as how to change the oil. The 91 service manual is also available as a link off the main page if you want the Acura version (most of the stuff you're likely to do will be the same on your model year as the 91).

wxman2 · 14 March 2004

I had just heard that you 'need' to take the right rear tire off to get to the oil filter...in order to TAKE IT OFF.

Glad to hear that that can be done without removing the tire.

Thanks everyone for your input.

Ron

Bart Geerts · 14 March 2004

The maintenance book of the 91 NSX, says the NSX needs an oil change every 6 months. Is this because of the NXS or because of the way oil was in the early 90's. Oil has become a lot better now, is it safe to change every year with this 'good' oil?

ChrisK · 14 March 2004

wxman2 said:
I had just heard that you 'need' to take the right rear tire off to get to the oil filter...in order to TAKE IT OFF.

Glad to hear that that can be done without removing the tire.

Thanks everyone for your input.

Ron

You don't need to remove the rear right tire to remove the oil filter. If you have a lift or use a creeper you can access the oil filter from under the car like any other Honda/Acura and most other cars. You would need to access the oil drain bolt this way anyway. However, if you don't have a lift or don't like to spend too much time on your back under your car, you can remove the right rear tire and the oil filter is right there and easily removed that way. I personally do it this way because I don't like to spend too mch time on my back. What I do is crawl under the car while the car is on jack stands to drain the oil, then I remove the oil filter by removing the rear tire so I don't have to be on my back. The only time I spend under the car is to remove the oil drain plug and to reinstall it. Now, if you had access to a full lift than it would be much easer since you can stand under the car

High Cost Nsx ?? .. Maintenance?

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