Honda Nsx

[R377]

Any way these can be brought in ? Looking locally, there isn't much around. Most seem to go for $50-60k and up and is virtually impossible to find a manual...

Some are 20 years old now. Can get them for around $30k from the US - LHD obviously

[10 4]

No

[Birds]

It's your future: I see a cab ride.

[Iron Chef]

Import an NS-X?

[Nue1]

I would like to know about NSX as well, it seems impossible to import them though.

Most of them you can find online are all modified and not good condition.

[GTR-N1]

If I was after an NS-X (and it used to cross my mind), I would definitely think in reverse, and go to a Honda Workshop like "Hannys Performance" and see if ...

* they know about one F/S

* there is a displayed advert of one

* you put up your own advert to procure one

That way, you can...

* get to know the history of its servicing and faults

* obtain it with the security that its issues are all resolved

* cull by process of elimination

* gain info on whether or not it's from Japan or Honkers (with their personal import plate - and should be cheaper) etc

* gain info on whether its ECU (et al) has been switched over after a manual conversion

* look at its current condition automatically from under a hoist (eg rust)

[Beer Baron]

no you can't import one. like any car on earth the can be (and have been) imported as a personal import but that's not a viable way to procure a car particularly now with the PI rules having been toughed again in recent years.

so yeah, your only option is to buy one in aus.

[mxfly]

Import an NS-X?

Oh you are cruel mate.

[djr81]

no you can't import one. like any car on earth the can be (and have been) imported as a personal import but that's not a viable way to procure a car particularly now with the PI rules having been toughed again in recent years.

so yeah, your only option is to buy one in aus.

You may, if you scratch around, find some that were imported under the 15 year rule. Not sure if you would want one, but they do exist. The resale on the local delivered examples is actually pretty high. For some reason alot of the are automatics. NFI why.

[Iron Chef]

Oh you are cruel mate.

Haha that's what happens when I get on here on a Saturday night after a few beers

To answer the question a bit more sensibly, even if you could bring one in as a personal import, they're actually worth more in Japan than they are here anyway, so financially, it makes no sense to bring one over.

[Beer Baron]

You may, if you scratch around, find some that were imported under the 15 year rule. Not sure if you would want one, but they do exist. The resale on the local delivered examples is actually pretty high. For some reason alot of the are automatics. NFI why.

yep, a few 90 models scraped in before the 15yo rule was scrapped. sadly as you found it's a sea of automatics with the odd manual in there at a heavily marked up price.

[zebra]

I don't mean to sound like a twat here, but have you thought about getting a real supercar?

I know the NSX is a nice car...but really doesnt have much appeal anymore (well they never really did even when new), they are out gunned by the average flat cappin' 17yo in a S13, and as you have found most are in rubbish condition or Auto.

For similar money you could grab a nice Ferrari 348 with the tasty sounding V8. Have a car that everyone will ogle etc, sure the Servicing might be a little more expensive than the Honda, but its not that hard to change the oil and plugs in them.

The Italians almost figured out how electronics work by the 90's but once again its nothing a Soldering iron and some crimps couldnt fix.

In fact I shall generalise here (and include the NSX) is that all the horror stories you hear about mid engined supercars (inc. the NSX) are all started by pompous twats who dont know which end the engine is in and only take their supercars to "specialist" mechanics because they dont believe their Ferrari,Porsche,NSX has anything in common with his Grandmothers Fiat/Civic/XM falcon.

Which then causes the problems with 2nd hand cars because of all the "specialist mechanics" I have spoken to really dont have a clue and their background in mechanics is that they build a model ferrari with their grandfather one Boxing day and a tafe certificate that says they can swing spanners.....they also have to be greedy dream boats and be convincing enough to talk rich twats into thinking $10k for a headlight globe and and oil change is normal for a "special" car.

[10 4]

I don't mean to sound like a twat here, but have you thought about getting a real supercar?

I know the NSX is a nice car...but really doesnt have much appeal anymore (well they never really did even when new), they are out gunned by the average flat cappin' 17yo in a S13, and as you have found most are in rubbish condition or Auto.

For similar money you could grab a nice Ferrari 348 with the tasty sounding V8. Have a car that everyone will ogle etc, sure the Servicing might be a little more expensive than the Honda, but its not that hard to change the oil and plugs in them.

The Italians almost figured out how electronics work by the 90's but once again its nothing a Soldering iron and some crimps couldnt fix.

In fact I shall generalise here (and include the NSX) is that all the horror stories you hear about mid engined supercars (inc. the NSX) are all started by pompous twats who dont know which end the engine is in and only take their supercars to "specialist" mechanics because they dont believe their Ferrari,Porsche,NSX has anything in common with his Grandmothers Fiat/Civic/XM falcon.

Which then causes the problems with 2nd hand cars because of all the "specialist mechanics" I have spoken to really dont have a clue and their background in mechanics is that they build a model ferrari with their grandfather one Boxing day and a tafe certificate that says they can swing spanners.....they also have to be greedy dream boats and be convincing enough to talk rich twats into thinking $10k for a headlight globe and and oil change is normal for a "special" car.

BFF?

[Beer Baron]

someone kick sand in your vag zebra? ever driven an NSX? they may not win any little games of 'top trumps' with a bunch of 6 year olds but they are a beautiful car to drive.

not sure a 348 is a 'real supercar'.... they are a nice car, but good ones also fetch well over $100K in aus which is way more than NSX money.

[zebra]

I've always got sand in my vag Rich you should know this lol

Nah I havent driven one, and I don't doubt they are a great car. But if it were me sitting at the lights in an NSX and a 348 pulled up next to me, I wouldnt be able to help feeling like I was missing something.

But you are right there are a few (348's) on carsales up near 200k which is more than double NSX money.

But yeah horses for courses I guess, no doubt the Honda's are WAAAAAAAYYYYYY better built than even the current Italian cars.

Much the same for me, I like my Soarer way more than my old Skyline simply because its better built.

Anyway not trying to start a fight, just offering an option/opinion

[Beer Baron]

lol, fair enough then, sandy vag will make anyone crunky!

Don't get me wrong, I'm not some wanker who thinks fastest car = best car. I appreciate lots of different cars and not all of them are fast at all. and I completely buy into the cred/drama/noise/looks/history/appeal of a ferrari of pretty much any type. I still argue a NSX is a supercar. they may be a bit plain these days but with just a neat set of rims and the right colour and ride height they look pretty dramatic too and pulling up next to anything short of a murcielago they are going to hold their own.

find one and force the owner to let you drive it. they are a pretty horny thing to drive.

lol, just read my previous post. looks like someone kicked sand in my vag too....

or this one for some good lol.

[zebra]

Hahah Yeah, I should have said exotic instead of supercar, yeah they do look the goods with the right gear on them.

but

Edit - Lol at highway partol

[25GTT]

I was looking at trying to do this a few years ago, spoke to some importers and pretty much got the same response, personal import would be the best way to go but it is difficult to track someone wanting to do this, plus it would need to be in good nick.

To be honest the NSX price has slightly come down about 5 - 10k over the last 12 months, i think if Honda ever release a new NSX the older ones pricing will fall.

I have wanted to purchase one for SUCH a long time but i $50k for a 20 year old auto car makes me think that there will at least be another 5 - 10k in expenses on top of that, if i recall correctly as well an engine rebuild is quite expensive due to the pistons. Plus there is a lot of talk on NSX prime about the autos being quite a bit slower than the manual.

One day..... one day... i will own one of these :-)

Is there a 30 year old import rule? I take it the import listing also rules out us going to the UK/US to get one of these?

[zebra]

I cant see the auto being very fun to drive in a car with a peaky high strung NA v6.

Once again havent driven one, but my Soarer is fkn crap to try and have fun with with the auto, always feels like the diff ratio needs to be 1 full point shorter. But it is a whale compared to an NSX.

Actually my mate had a late model Prelude with Vtak yo and an auto, it was rubbish because the gear spread was too wide to keep the motor on the boil, im sure the NSX with a 4 speed auto would feel the same.

I would hate to think what a manual conversion would cost on one lol.

[Beer Baron]

yeah i've been in an auto NSX (have only driven manual one though) and have to say it seemed pretty crap. I wouldn't buy one. there's a reason the manuals are $10K-$20K more expensive, they are at least $20K better than an auto that's for sure.

plus the manual box in them is a sweet thing. with the auto they are just 100% pose car. you would only ever buy an auto if it was dirt cheap so you could convert it to manual.

and yes point of origin (UK/US/Japan/Turkmenistan) doesn't matter. import rules are import rules. you could buy one on mars but it won't change the fact that it's an IMPORT restriction based on them having been sold here that matters.

I've wanted one for years too. a mate did buy one in japan and personal import it to aus (and I know of one or two others who did too). one day I'll find a nice 2002 NSX-R and get it here somehow. it has to be the R which has the hand built 3.2L race motor, carbon bits and weighs on 1270kg. fun fact for you. in 2003 honda took a 2002 NSX-R model to the nurburgring which lapped in 7:56 which is faster than the Ferrari 360 Challenege Stradalle (another of my fav cars) which was ferraris gun track day car at the time. that is seriously fast for a car with a 20 year old base design...

the original NSX was actually targeted at the 348 and exceeded it's perfomane with better reliability and at a cheaper price. according to wiki the NSX was part of gordon murray's inspiration for the maclaren F1 and became his benchmark (except for power and outright speed), he apparently kept his for 7 years.