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Mileage Milestones & a warning regarding Social Media

Joined
4 June 2008
Messages
240
Location
Monterey, CA
All -

I've been looking again at the google sheets amazing stats on actually selling prices for NSXs over the years with just about every factor you could imagine. If you haven't seen this be prepared to be impressed:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...giPanuhIfiHDIcsmwfqBxOUZJb_-WUwbcHb7L/pubhtml

My question to the community is more subjective than math, but the google sheets may in fact answer the hard math part. Here goes.
I bought my 2nd NSX with around 34K miles (1991). I was thinking if I drove it to just under 50, that would be how ever many years of enjoyment, but most of all, 16K miles of actually driving it. After having the GPW and selling with 61K having put around 18K on it, I was committed to NOT being afraid to go on a decent drive whenever I wanted to, but also I don't feel it's a comfortable car nor wise to drive a 30 year old car with the mechanical skills I have say...across the country - or even from NorCal to Phoenix without a LOT of preparation and consideration about what could go wrong and how I'd deal with those situations. OK - that was the lead up. I now have just under 45K. I have an investment I'd like to lock in that's worth about what I think I'd get for my 91 after I color correct and ceramic coat, as well as replace the front spoiler and address any minor cosmetic issues, possibly including spending the ridiculous amount of $500 OEM mats. I already just put pretty much perfect fat 5's with brand new sticky Yokohama's so it's bone stock less those fake NSX-R mats. <<insert Drumroll mp3 here >>
Question to community is this: Other than the obvious risk of crashing it or having it hit or having another truck pitch a rock into windshield - last windshield - glass alone was OEM $2600, I got it for under 2K, but still - it was a pricy proposition that my insurance fortunately covered less small deductible. So other than the risks, does anyone think a 45K car is particularly more valuable than a 49.9K car? WIth all of the 8K, 22K, etc on BaT lately, I don't think 45K is a real # for anyone but me, and buyers looking for super low mileage cars, would already pass mine up since they want (for some damned reason) a car that hasn't been more than backed in and out of a garage or barely driven for 30 years. I think if I were looking - 45K and 49K would feel like same exact price and more the "luck of the draw" so I shouldn't deny myself the 5K enjoyment unless I'm worried about risks of messing it up so bad the value would be salvage or something terrible. I should also mention that previous owner spent $12K at Acura doing timing belt, water pump, and just about anything you can think of less than 5 years before I bought it. Having owned two and been a good friend of a certified NSX trained specialist, I am not a big believer in worrying about age of a timing belt, unless we're talking 15 or 20 years since the last one was done, and hoses are more subject to light/heat/cracking, etc than the timing belt.

Love to hear ppl's thoughts. I know some will say "don't sell it - you'll be sorry - you already took 10 years to find a 2nd one" but the investment is something very meaningful and tangible, and as much as every mile in my NSX is still better than an old E ticket Disneyland ride, I find I don't want to track it and there are fewer and fewer places where it's safe to really enjoy the speed you can get out a plain old stock 91 (trust me those that've seen my GPS screen shots know I've had a bit of fun now and then on some very barren roads to remain nameless. Thanks.

Footnote: To anyone who thinks posting pix of your vehicle on social media is harmless be warned: I posted exactly ONE pic ever of my NSX where it lives and was promptly met by a scraggly guy in a F-150 at 11am trying to steal it from it's beloved spot in a locked garage. Lesson learned - and oh yes - Cops could give a $hit - no body and chalk marks found outside my garage, so no reason for them to check it out. No neighbors cameras were helpful so rest assured it's now well protected and less and less public pix are posted. I recommend you use snipping tool or similar to ensure no GPS data gets included with any pix you post.
 
Here is my two cents regarding value: I love my 94 NSX. So do people that get to see it on the road. I've owned it for 25 years and last year hit the 200,000 mile mark. Mechanic says I'm good to go another 100k. Some folks have asked if it's new. Can't tell you how many times I've parked it and when coming back to the car guys are taking pictures of it. I love looking at the car too but the pure pleasure is driving it, hence the 200k+ mileage. I don't care about value because, when I pass, I'm going to be buried in the car.
 
I think people who actually want to drive the car and are also concerned about value are simply just torturing themselves. Why do you want to be a slave to an object like that? If you bought it as an investment then factor in all the economics (storage, upkeep, potential appreciation) and mothball it. Then stop whining about wanting to drive it.

I love driving my NSX. I don't EVER think about mileage except for when it's related to the next oil change etc. I drive it until I get physically tired of driving then I wait until there next opportunity. If I decide to sell she will fetch whatever value she fetches. If I lose $100k in the process...well I've owned her for 15yrs and took every opportunity= worth every penny!

Stop torturing yourselves or buy another kind of car.
 
I decided long ago with the bee .....embrace the patina of use...I've averaged a little north of 4000 miles/year over 27 years..
 
I decided long ago with the bee .....embrace the patina of use...I've averaged a little north of 4000 miles/year over 27 years..
I understand it's harder for new buyers who are paying current prices for an old car with 30yr old problems. My advice is always... If you're in it for the driving experience and concerned about losing a penny on value, buy another car.
 
agree that the prices have trended up for the creampuffs and that has lifted asking for all conditions...In the past the market for a driver was reasonable in the mid 50-60k range , but now folks are asking 20k more for those same condition cars. Getting whole car PPF can go along way in reducing mileage anxiety
 
Here is my two cents regarding value: I love my 94 NSX. So do people that get to see it on the road. I've owned it for 25 years and last year hit the 200,000 mile mark. Mechanic says I'm good to go another 100k. Some folks have asked if it's new. Can't tell you how many times I've parked it and when coming back to the car guys are taking pictures of it. I love looking at the car too but the pure pleasure is driving it, hence the 200k+ mileage. I don't care about value because, when I pass, I'm going to be buried in the car.
Now that's commitment - being buried in the car is not something that ever occurred to me. Bravo man!
 
I think people who actually want to drive the car and are also concerned about value are simply just torturing themselves. Why do you want to be a slave to an object like that? If you bought it as an investment then factor in all the economics (storage, upkeep, potential appreciation) and mothball it. Then stop whining about wanting to drive it.

I love driving my NSX. I don't EVER think about mileage except for when it's related to the next oil change etc. I drive it until I get physically tired of driving then I wait until there next opportunity. If I decide to sell she will fetch whatever value she fetches. If I lose $100k in the process...well I've owned her for 15yrs and took every opportunity= worth every penny!

Stop torturing yourselves or buy another kind of car.
Well said - and I agree. Thank you for the cosmic slap in the face - it's a car in the end so drive it or sell it if you're not going to do so!
 
There is a conflict for those of us recent buyers who have paid top $ for “a good one”. I want to drive my car but since my cost basis is very much higher from the original owner or even someone who bought one 7-10 years ago, I have much more to lose.

I have a lot farther to fall in the “what’s it worth” category than the same owner with 40,000 miles (like mine) who got his for $80,000 in the past 5+ years.

Only thing thing positive is these cars will only get more rare so over the long term, prices will rise no matter the mileage…. hopefully.

In the short term, I think I paid a generous price and prices are kinda flat for the facelifts from what I see on BaT. The last couple of NA1s have done great.
 
If you are spending a significant amount of time obsessing about the value of the car, then its probably time to sell it. That locks in whatever financial gains may exist and you can stop thinking about damaging your asset by using it.
 
My .02 worth. If you bought it as an investment, you have to understand the risks, and be willing to lose money. If you bought it to enjoy, then enjoy it. Just yesterday, (weather was magnificent), my wife wanted to go for a drive, so I asked her which car she wanted to take. Her initial response was, you don't want to put the miles on the NSX, so let's take the Benz. My response was, "you do know that I'm planning on driving it to Atlanta for NSXPO, and it does have 90,000 miles on it, that's what we own it for. We took a delightful drive in the NSX with the targa stowed in the clamshell, and enjoyed the hell out of it!!!
 
I think my phrase "drive it like you stole it" applies unless I am trying to sell immediately for that investment opp. Thanks all for weighing in - I pretty much knew the answer before I posted.
 
It doesn't have to be a binary choice, but I do understand the OP's concerns. There's significant value in our cars and there's replacement parts that are difficult, if not impossible to source.

I don't daily the car, but sometimes i think that if I knew I only had x months to live, I would probably daily the car--door dings and chipped paint be damned.

For me, I'm more frightened of not being able to source replacement parts than the hit I'll take to resale.
 
Mileage check: 103,8xx. I’ve put almost 44,000 miles on in my short 7.5 years of ownership. It’s been driven, put away wet when traveling, occasionally tracked at NSXPO, generally driven as intended. At this point, I own the car as much for the community that comes with it, as for the driving experience with this car. I can’t take my hands off it. It’s painful having to look at it for five months of the year during snow season. It’s wonderful to drive my NSX to meets and see other NSX owners.

Of course, I purchased a car with miles on it precisely so I could enjoy it like this. Had I purchased a low-miles example (and 45k miles is not low, BTW), and especially if I bought at today’s prices, I’d be viewing it more as an investment and limiting my driving accordingly. And it’d be such a doggone shame, too, because these cars practically beg to be driven.

So OP, you might consider selling your car to get the most out of it financially, then find a high miles car to just drive the stuffing out of. Or just enjoy the ride.

And the scruffy dude outside your house likely followed you home, which is creepy in its own right. The biggest problem with my posting on social media is that when someone Googles my VIN on the sad day I sell it, I won’t be able to say “never driven in rain or tracked”, LOL.
 
Here's another point of view I might share with some of you...

As we get older, time is ever so so very valuable. As an extreme example, what would you pay on your dying breath for another few minutes, hours, days of life. Most of us would absolutely sell everything we own of value for any bit of time extension to add to our lives.

Don't you think YOU are worth it? Drive your NSX. You deserve it.
 
I have a 17k mile Imola NSX-T that I'm currently driving when I get a chance on weekends. Did a drive last year from Toronto Canada to Raleigh NC and back.

NSXPO this year which is two full 8 hr day drives.

Lifes short...you could be gone tomorrow.
 
I've never NOT driven any of my cars based on the current or potential future values. I rarely sell anything and prefer to enjoy them. Any loss of value is offset by my enjoyment, driving or just looking at. I mod my cars with period correct parts that I like, retain the stock parts and whatever the end result is, it is. I'm an OEM plus kind of guy so anything I do is JDM or sight unseen.

Thankfully mileage seems to always stay low on my cars by default. I live in the Northeast where we have a limited driving season. I work a lot and don't like bringing it there, plus I rotate around my cars so nothing really accumulates big mileage. Also between my wife and daughter, 3 people and all 2 seaters slows down the usage as well.

I have 35k on the Zanardi now and haven't driven it more than once or twice since the Type S arrived. I drive it in my development every now and again to keep everything moving around. I will say, the availability of parts is somewhat worrisome all of a sudden. For example. imagine if someone stole the wheels or seats on the Zanardi? Where would I find replacements? They are long NLA and used parts are non impossible to find. I drove my Zanardi to a few NSXPO's and really do love it but I will admit, the current value does make me ponder selling it at times. I'm just so emotionally attached and honestly, I just love seeing it in my garage.

I managed to put 4k miles on the Type S, I PPF'd the entire car and plan to hopefully one day hit 100k in it. I've taken it to the Hamptons, a 5-6 hr trip straight through NYC and it's just so usable and enjoyable. I've been stacking up some parts to install during the winter already. Pride bumper guard, illuminated door sills, the fancy floor mats, the SOS exhaust and downpipes. I beyond in love with it and drive it every chance I get. Things a monster!

The cars are great and the community is awesome as well, a large part of the reason I've kept them and stayed involved. I'm hoping to take the Type S to NSXPO 23 in Atlanta, just need to figure out my schedule.
 
I just turned 1k miles on the S..I'm looking forward to driving the bee more because I am getting a fancy new suspension..something new revives the old
 
"So other than the risks, does anyone think a 45K car is particularly more valuable than a 49.9K car? WIth all of the 8K, 22K, etc on BaT lately, I don't think 45K is a real # for anyone but me, and buyers looking for super low mileage cars, would already pass mine up since they want (for some damned reason) a car that hasn't been more than backed in and out of a garage or barely driven for 30 years"...

The low mileage BaT cars, while I can't speak for the motivation of those sellers, but just anecdotally from what I've seen, seem to be friends or family of the original owners who cherished the cars from new and want to shepherd the car to someone else who will love the car as much as the original owner. And those who can afford these low mileage examples snatch them right up for whatever reason.

For me personally, I bought the lowest mileage example I could possibly afford (91 w/ 47K miles), not as an investment or to spend the next 20 years as a pampered garage queen, but so the miles I put on it could be my time with the car. All those milestones as you put it, would be my milestones with the car. That was worth something to me. I bought the car at asking price with zero haggling.

So if you're comparing cars within 5k miles of each other, it probably will all come down to is your car the perfect color combo for it's potential buyer with the added benefit of up to date maintenance? The car you're thinking of selling is most likely someone else's dream car.
 
"So other than the risks, does anyone think a 45K car is particularly more valuable than a 49.9K car? WIth all of the 8K, 22K, etc on BaT lately, I don't think 45K is a real # for anyone but me, and buyers looking for super low mileage cars, would already pass mine up since they want (for some damned reason) a car that hasn't been more than backed in and out of a garage or barely driven for 30 years"...

The low mileage BaT cars, while I can't speak for the motivation of those sellers, but just anecdotally from what I've seen, seem to be friends or family of the original owners who cherished the cars from new and want to shepherd the car to someone else who will love the car as much as the original owner. And those who can afford these low mileage examples snatch them right up for whatever reason.

For me personally, I bought the lowest mileage example I could possibly afford (91 w/ 47K miles), not as an investment or to spend the next 20 years as a pampered garage queen, but so the miles I put on it could be my time with the car. All those milestones as you put it, would be my milestones with the car. That was worth something to me. I bought the car at asking price with zero haggling.

So if you're comparing cars within 5k miles of each other, it probably will all come down to is your car the perfect color combo for it's potential buyer with the added benefit of up to date maintenance? The car you're thinking of selling is most likely someone else's dream car.
Interesting. The perception on numbers are real. I feel like a good mileage for most bang for your buck is around 60-70k miles. Drive it for 10 years and most likely it will still be under 100k.
 
As a reference I have never purposely not driven the bee and over the 27 years of ownership the chassis has gone about 4200 miles per year
 
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