Newbie Questions

[Betanick]

Hi Everyone,

Like many of you, I have been reviewing the forums at this site and I am very impressed with how helpful and well-informed NSX Prime members are with prospective buyers of their favorite car.

I am looking to purchase a 1991-1993 NSX sometime in the next several months. I'd like a relatively low mileage car (<70K) and have set a budget of about $35K. I would prefer a stock vehicle, but some minor mods would be okay. I have noticed that many of these have aftermarket wheels and exhaust systems.

I live in the Portland/Vancouver area and there are not many of these cars available in our local market. There seem to be a number down in the San Francisco area and of course, Los Angeles.

Question: Were NSX's sold originally into the California market subject to stricter emissions standards, and if so, are there specifications any different?

It is likely that I may not be able to personally inspect the car if it is located many hundreds or thousands of miles away. Is there any national Pre-Purchase Inspection vendor that it is preferred by NSX Prime members? I noted that the one affiliated with Auto Trader does not perform inspections on cars older than 1996.

Finally, other than the "snap ring" issue that is frequently mentioned in the forums, are there other mechanical or design issues I should be concerned with on the 91-93 model years?

How reliable is CarFax? Are there other car history resources that should be consulted?

I am sure that there are a million other things that I could ask, but I just wanted to start with the basics.

Thanks for your help. I sure hope to be more than a 'prospective' buyer by spring!

 

[comtec]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

Any acura dealer can perform the prepurchase inspection but try to find one that has a factory trained nsx technician at their dealership if possible. In certain areas like LA there are shops that specialize in nsx's. If you are looking at a car in a certain area you may be able to get a fellow prime member to give it a quick look but still have the inspection done.

Any issues can be found in the FAQ

Good luck

 

[theman1990]

You should have no trouble with that budget.... I think the emmissions is the same for cali cars. Also, carfax is nearly worthless. Take it to an acura dealer ang get a PPI there!

 

[TURBO2GO]

well, you have a nice budget for a clean car, good start. A lot of people try to get more car than they can afford and wind up with a beat up car. 35K should get you a very clean car.

 

[Betanick]

Thanks for the encouragement and advice.

I just located this car located in about 3 hours away.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...rs=&transmission=&max_price=35000&cardist=133

I hope I did that correctly. It is a 1991 model - $62K miles - the vin number is JH4NA1154MT000959. Asking $31,900. With the limited inventory, I have been really impressed that so many "prime" members seem to be familiar with the cars out on the market.

If this one is a "contender", is there someone in Seattle you would suggest for the inspection?

Thanks!!

 

[nsxtasy]

other than the "snap ring" issue that is frequently mentioned in the forums, are there other mechanical or design issues I should be concerned with on the 91-93 model years?

Two things:

1. Make sure the windows have been upgraded with the newer style window regulators or the "window fix-it thingies" available from Science of Speed. For more information, look in the FAQ under Troubleshooting ==> Power Windows.

2. The timing belt is recommended for replacement every 90K miles or 6 years, whichever comes first. Many early cars have never had it replaced, or have had it done so long ago that it is now due. The water pump should be replaced at the same time. Cost for a TB/WP replacement is typically $1200-1600. It's a good idea to replace the cooling system hoses at the same time, which will run another $300-500.

How reliable is CarFax?

It's useful. It can turn up negative information in the history. A clean Carfax is not a guarantee that nothing has ever happened, but it means a lower probability of problems than a Carfax that turns up previous incidents.

Are there other car history resources that should be consulted?

The only other thing is that any Acura dealer can check to see what recalls were issued for the car, and whether it has had the corrective service for those recalls. (This is the only type of service history that any dealer can pull; all other services done can only be accessed by the specific dealer that performed them.)

I just located this car located in about 3 hours away.

Funny, that car is the same color combo as mine, was probably built on the same day as mine (the VIN numbers are very close), and has roughly the same mileage as mine.

If this one is a "contender", is there someone in Seattle you would suggest for the inspection?

Look on the NSXprime regional forum for the Northwest region, and you will see recommendations for NSX service in the Seattle area.

 

[Betanick]

Wow - thanks for all of the great info. I'll keep you posted on my search.