would you or wouldn't you?

[meeks]

I'm looking at a 91 NSX with 60k miles that is about a 4 hour drive from me, through some of the best mountain roads in BC. If we agree on a price I would like to drive it back, of course. However as it is time for a timing belt change I'm concerned about going for a 4 hour rip prior to getting the work done locally. My heart says go for it, my brain says no way. What would you do?

 

[4AU4LIFE]

If you are saying that it is due for a timing belt change simply due to the mileage of the vehicle, that is very wrong. It is about ~10 yrs past due for that to be done.
You might be fine driving it back with no issues and then again it might snap just as you get 5 miles into the return trip.
I would consider going to look at car and if it works out seriously consider having it towed back.
I'd also ask, if you haven't already, for a price break due to the fact that you have get the belt done immediately.
You DON'T want to be driving it and have it break. Doesn't matter how good of a price you got on it if that happens.

 

[MCM]

I would take it easy & drive it home, and get it changed in the very near future. (Thats just me)
I am a stickler for maint, but have not read one post here of a member having a Ti belt break.
(Would be interested in seeing links where Prime members belts have broken)

 

[nsxtasy]

I am a stickler for maint, but have not read one post here of a member having a Ti belt break.
(Would be interested in seeing links where Prime members belts have broken)

I would not take a lack of posts to mean that no members' timing belts have broken. Think about it. With all the discussion here about replacing timing belts (and there has been plenty)... if you decided to risk going 10 or 12 or 14 years without changing it, and it actually broke, would YOU post about it and thereby subject yourself to the flames which would undoubtedly ensue? Or would you keep it to yourself?

As of last March, Mark Basch has seen four broken timing belts on NSXs, one of which cost $5600 to fix.

Would I risk driving hundreds of miles on a car with a 14-year-old timing belt? I don't know; that's a personal decision that you have to make for yourself. But if you do, I would suggest driving VERY gently on the drive, and avoiding high speeds and high revs.

 

[4AU4LIFE]

I would take it easy & drive it home, and get it changed in the very near future. (Thats just me)
I am a stickler for maint, but have not read one post here of a member having a Ti belt break.
(Would be interested in seeing links where Prime members belts have broken)

Taking it easy isn't going to dictate whether the belt breaks or not. It is simply due to time or miles, whichever is first.

 

[Meeyatch1]

I think we can all reference the other 20,000 posts about this for an answer.

To summarize: There is no way to know if it will break, you are rolling the dice if you drive it. How lucky do you feel?

 

[MCM]

nsxtasy is right, its a personal issue.
Another consideration would be, is there someone you trust to
work on the car close to the seller?
To me, thats as scary as driving 400 miles on the old belt.
And to me keeping it below say 4500 rpm would be
safer than driving home hitting 6-7k+ rpm.
If It were my deal, I would have made the
belt change part of the deal (maybe split the cost).
But if it was not an option and a done deal, I would simply
putt the car home.
"Are you feeling lucky punk"?


"would you or wouldn't you?"
In answer to your question, I would.