£23K fair? 97P 3.0Fmatic 43k fhsh emerald black/beige lthr

[mk1]

This would be a 2nd car w/my 97R Prelude vti/4ws auto 42k miles as 1st car.

Parkers say the NSX is worth £22.6k private w/70k miles. My instinct is £23k tops as enthusiasts prefer manuals, if I were ever to resell.

Car's near Southampton, autotrader online, asking £25.5k ono, must sell cos divorce expensive.

I can't seem to get private emails from this forum so I'm Manny on co5mn@aol.com

Many thanks for thoughts or alternatives.

[Greybloke]

I recently had a similar dialema. Having researched and chatted with private and trade buyers / sellers, it's clear that :
1 Green is not a popular colour ( I quite like it) and may be take time to shift in the future,
2 Autos are not popular, just monitor autotrader and exchange & Mart for a few weeks to see how long they stick.

My advice, if the car is in great condition and you like the colour combo, is to negotiate very hard, so you can factor in at resale time. BTW there is a nice looking Green Targa at a N Ireland officail Honda dealer, which may be worth a look? I understand it can be brought over by your friendly local Honda dealer?

God luck

[mk1]

Thanks, greybloke. It's a UK car, w/5 prior owners which I think is high despite the fhsh. Chiswick Honda agreed w/my valuation IF it's had a cambelt change in 2002 else £22k. Interestingly, Ivan Ferris there takes NSX's on sale or return. Awaiting viewing/trying car. So, mileage is a plus but auto, colour and owners are negatives.

[AR]

Unless you have a problem with your left foot, get the manual, you will be happier. I am so glad I got the manual rather than an auto. I see autos as comfort cars, not sports cars IMO.

[mk1]

I'm perfectly happy w/my auto Prelude vti but my better half has insisted I sell it if I buy the NSX.

Her point: we have a Golf GT Tdi2.0 140, incredible torque and crusing at 41mpg average; and a lwb Diesel VW transporter for windsurfing, kayaking and chores.

Sooooo, I offered £22k tops for the So'ton NSX and was rebuffed.

There'll be others.

[UltraViolet]

MK1 - lucky escape IMO. The auto NSX is a good car (although I prefer manual) but the Fmatic is altogether different! Your Prelude will keep up with an F-matic :idea:

[mk1]

Thanks.

I need to do more research

There are many good reasons why the Prelude's so satisfying to drive.

Honda UK dealers are apparently asking Tokyo's Head of Sports Cars (visiting London last week) for a new Coupe w/folding metal roof.

And I'm told the NSX stops production this year.

What'll that do to second-hand values?

[mk1]

Hi. You say that that the auto is a fine car. What is the difference between an F-Matic and an auto?

Thanks.

[trackdemon]

And I'm told the NSX stops production this year.

What'll that do to second-hand values?

If anything, may increase. I very much doubt it'll have any effect whatsoever.

FWIW I would not have an auto NSX - the manual box is so good to use and is for me such an integral part of the car. Auto + sports car does not mix. Resale difficult too.

[UltraViolet]

What is the difference between an F-Matic and an auto?

Auto is normal auto style box. F-matic is flappy paddles style.

[markc]

Not trying to be clever with the following reply Ultraviolet but the "flappy paddle" 'box is one of my pet hates....

The NSX F-Matic has the same auto 'box as the previous/older normal auto's so performance will be the same.

The only differance is the added facility to "manually" select the next gear either up or down from steering wheel mounted buttons as well as from the normal selector lever. I think this was added to the NSX Auto in the 1995 model year?

F-Matic is not a clutchless manual/psuedo sequential gearbox as fitted to BMW M3 SMG's, Ferrari 360/575 F1's, Aston Vanquish's etc and commonly referred to as "flappy paddle" but a proper epicyclic automatic commonly known as "slushmatic"..... and MUCH better for it :D More like Porsche's Tiptronic system.

The main drawback of the NSX F-Matic auto is the fact that it is only a 4spd meaning the gear ratios are widely spaced and the torque convertor has to do more "slipping" thereby limiting the performance, of the engine even though it's specially tuned to match the characteristics of the gearbox, a fair bit.

Cheers

Mark

[mk1]

Thanks for your explanation, it's very helpful.

It also backs my experience of my Sequential Shift vti Prelude. Although only a 4speed automatic, the engine and 'box seem very well attuned to each other.

I rarely use the sequential shift (equivalent to the Fmatic paddles) because the combination of 4 wheel-steering and throttle control provides a smooth but very fast ride.

I'm just going to have to buy an NSX, and I still think it'll be an automatic, and then decide which of the 2 to keep after using them both for a while.

Unless someone's willing to rent me an auto NSX for a week:-) ??

[UltraViolet]

Thanks Mark - I will have to check this out as it appears I have made an error. However the Honda stats do quote the 0-60 time of the fmatic to be over a second slower than the automatic (and indeed slower then the 2.2 vtec Prelude)

[mk1]

I tried, on Thursday for a few all-conditions miles, a 97 Fmatic Targa offered by Trident Honda Weybridge (DarkPurple/beige lthr, 27k miles, 1 owner, at a very negotiable £29k).

I can see why the manual gearbox would be preferred by most drivers AND why Honda quote a slower time for the Fmatic than for a Prelude.

Although there's no doubt that the NSX is an incredible machine, in any guise.

AND with its production stopping this year, a sure-fire classic, particularly with their policy of 10-years post-production spares availability.

So, my Prelude's still a very good car, but possibly in terms of my particular day-to-day working needs.

Which means I need to convince my wife that I need to own BOTH the Prelude AND an NSX.

[Kevin]

[quote="mk1"]

....particularly with their policy of 10-years post-production spares availability.
quote]

Mmm, maybe, maybe not. There are already some parts which Honda have changed the sales policy on. For example to buy one ABS soleniod, the whole ABS modulator now has to be bought. I wonder whether this policy will extend to more parts, which will push up the costs of them. The parts may be available, you just have to but them a different way.

[mk1]

Kevin

You've raised an interesting thought: yes Hondas are very reliable but what in practice are the true running costs of an NSX.

It may be that if I have to ask this, I can't afford one!

Clearly cost will depend on useage but I assume that most owners are enthusiasts who baby the car with about 5k miles per year rather than use it day-to-day to commute.

For example, is there a classic insurance scheme? Or broker who offers a Cherished car scheme since none of the cars are yet 15 years old?

And do you think that specialist manufacturers will step in to provide spares from next year?

Apologies if these questions have all been covered before.

[mk1]

Trying more NSX's and reading the site helped me to clarify and decide.

My wife now understands that I need to keep the 97R Prelude 4ws/vti AND that we should also buy a convertible that we share.

I'm negotiating this week-end w/2 private sellers to buy one or other 1999 BMW323i convertible auto, w/40k-ish miles at c.£10k w/fsh.

Which means I'm in the market for a "last" 2000 auto Prelude 4ws/vti w/less than 40k miles, as and when one comes along.

And I'll start looking for a manual older black on white NSX once the dust has settled, condition and history more important than mileage :-)