buying an NSX?

[Mike]

Hi, this is my first post. I am going to look at a 93 NSX for sale from a private seller and have a few questions. Just wondering what are the key things to look for when buying an older NSX? The car is a manual and has 51,000 miles. Should I expect the clutch to fail soon? What are other parts that should have been replaced and is there a way to see if they have? Any known problems in the 93's? What is the maintenence like, I assume the timing belt will need replacing around 60,000 miles and was told it was around $1500. Is most of the maintenence extremely expensive and what is the overall reliability like? Also, I am sorta new to the NSX scene(know a lot about supras and hondas

) so any advice, input, ect when looking at a used NSX is apprieciated.....Thanks.

 

[nsxtasy]

There are two things that you should look at that will answer most of your questions. The first is the NSX FAQ (answers to Frequently Asked Questions) which is located on this website. There's a handy table of contents located at http://www.nsxprime.com/toc.htm

The other is an article that appeared in Road & Track last June. It's also posted in the FAQ here: http://www.nsxprime.com/FAQ/Media/magazines/rt-june_2001.htm

As far as answers to your specific questions...

Should I expect the clutch to fail soon?

Clutch life varies. Some fail before 30K miles and others last over 90K.

What are other parts that should have been replaced and is there a way to see if they have?

Check the "Schedule" section under the "Maintenance" heading in the FAQ.

Any known problems in the 93's?

Nothing serious, unlike the '91-92 which was susceptible to the snap ring transmission problem and the window regulator problem.

What is the maintenence like

Under the "Maintenance" heading in the FAQ, check the sections called "Schedule" and "Cost".

I assume the timing belt will need replacing around 60,000 miles and was told it was around $1500.

Wrong and wrong. The recommendation is to replace the timing belt and water pump every 90K miles or 6 years, whichever comes first, and the repair should cost around $1200. Most owners of '91 and '92 cars who have not hit the mileage interval are replacing them about now. I think you could go another year on a '93 before doing so.

Is most of the maintenence extremely expensive

See "Costs".

what is the overall reliability like?

Reliability is excellent, as good as any eight-year-old car on earth. However, there are no guarantees, and in the unlikely event you need repairs, they can be expensive (such as clutch for $2K and A/C for $2-5K).

Also, check out the website of the Florida Chapter of the NSX Club of America, at http://www.nsxflorida.com In particular, note that some of the dealers in Florida give discounts to club members on service and parts.

[This message has been edited by nsxtasy (edited 07 August 2001).]