Logical upgrade from my S2000?
06-04-2015, 01:33 PM
#91
I'm a Honda guy, so for the pinnacle halo car of Honda in its golden age (And analog vehicles), it is worth it to me. It has more than enough history, cache, and performance (arguable) to justify the tag, as well as rarity and appreciation factor. You will likely not lose money purchasing one - can you say the same for any of the other cars in that price range? I can't.
I'm pretty sure a large portion of the forum grew up owning Integras, Preludes, and hatchbacks prior to the S2000. So the "dream-factor" is very much in place. And for the Honda enthusiast, it would still be a solid buy.
Last 5-7 91 cars I've seen ~70-80k miles have all been listed at 40/high 30's. So yep, they are at that range. It's just about summertime so watch prices climb a bit more seasonally in the months to come.
I'm pretty sure a large portion of the forum grew up owning Integras, Preludes, and hatchbacks prior to the S2000. So the "dream-factor" is very much in place. And for the Honda enthusiast, it would still be a solid buy.
Last 5-7 91 cars I've seen ~70-80k miles have all been listed at 40/high 30's. So yep, they are at that range. It's just about summertime so watch prices climb a bit more seasonally in the months to come.
06-04-2015, 01:42 PM
#92
I'm a Honda guy, so for the pinnacle halo car of Honda in its golden age (And analog vehicles), it is worth it to me. It has more than enough history, cache, and performance (arguable) to justify the tag, as well as rarity and appreciation factor. You will likely not lose money purchasing one - can you say the same for any of the other cars in that price range? I can't.
I'm pretty sure a large portion of the forum grew up owning Integras, Preludes, and hatchbacks prior to the S2000. So the "dream-factor" is very much in place. And for the Honda enthusiast, it would still be a solid buy.
Last 5-7 91 cars I've seen ~70-80k miles have all been listed at 40/high 30's. So yep, they are at that range. It's just about summertime so watch prices climb a bit more seasonally in the months to come.
I'm pretty sure a large portion of the forum grew up owning Integras, Preludes, and hatchbacks prior to the S2000. So the "dream-factor" is very much in place. And for the Honda enthusiast, it would still be a solid buy.
Last 5-7 91 cars I've seen ~70-80k miles have all been listed at 40/high 30's. So yep, they are at that range. It's just about summertime so watch prices climb a bit more seasonally in the months to come.
After owning the S2000, the EM1 just didn't do it for me. The engine felt like 2/3 of the F22c, and the chassis felt like an economy car, which obviously it is. I had the unrealistic expectation that it would feel kind of like a daily-friendly S2000 with a bigger interior and FWD. Not at all. It would have required a lot of modification to feel 2/3 as good.
I think with Hondas, and probably most other brands of sports cars, you can only upgrade to be satisfied. That's how I hope the NSX will feel in comparison to the S2000.
06-04-2015, 02:49 PM
#93
I'm a Honda guy, so for the pinnacle halo car of Honda in its golden age (And analog vehicles), it is worth it to me. It has more than enough history, cache, and performance (arguable) to justify the tag, as well as rarity and appreciation factor. You will likely not lose money purchasing one - can you say the same for any of the other cars in that price range? I can't.
I'm pretty sure a large portion of the forum grew up owning Integras, Preludes, and hatchbacks prior to the S2000. So the "dream-factor" is very much in place. And for the Honda enthusiast, it would still be a solid buy.
Last 5-7 91 cars I've seen ~70-80k miles have all been listed at 40/high 30's. So yep, they are at that range. It's just about summertime so watch prices climb a bit more seasonally in the months to come.
I'm pretty sure a large portion of the forum grew up owning Integras, Preludes, and hatchbacks prior to the S2000. So the "dream-factor" is very much in place. And for the Honda enthusiast, it would still be a solid buy.
Last 5-7 91 cars I've seen ~70-80k miles have all been listed at 40/high 30's. So yep, they are at that range. It's just about summertime so watch prices climb a bit more seasonally in the months to come.
This all leads back to my advice to buy the car you really want. Even if it IS an NSX, make sure it's the RIGHT NSX. Don't get me wrong, i'd still get an NSX. But no way i'm settling for just any and that's all i urge others to do too. I just see so much Honda fanboy-ism on every Honda forum telling anyone to get an NSX no matter what--and i feel sorry for those that just follow blindly. The OP definitely seems logical, seems to have thought it through, and knows what he wants, so this probably doesn't apply here. But this topic comes up ALL THE TIME which is what i'm referring to.
Funny you mention a lot of S2000 owners being previous FWD Honda owners. I actually bought a 1999 Civic Si EM1 about a year ago, after having owned the S2000 for a year. I wanted a high strung VTEC for my daily driver and found a clean stock EM1 at a local dealership so I went for it. I sold it within a year.
After owning the S2000, the EM1 just didn't do it for me. The engine felt like 2/3 of the F22c, and the chassis felt like an economy car, which obviously it is. I had the unrealistic expectation that it would feel kind of like a daily-friendly S2000 with a bigger interior and FWD. Not at all. It would have required a lot of modification to feel 2/3 as good.
I think with Hondas, and probably most other brands of sports cars, you can only upgrade to be satisfied. That's how I hope the NSX will feel in comparison to the S2000.
After owning the S2000, the EM1 just didn't do it for me. The engine felt like 2/3 of the F22c, and the chassis felt like an economy car, which obviously it is. I had the unrealistic expectation that it would feel kind of like a daily-friendly S2000 with a bigger interior and FWD. Not at all. It would have required a lot of modification to feel 2/3 as good.
I think with Hondas, and probably most other brands of sports cars, you can only upgrade to be satisfied. That's how I hope the NSX will feel in comparison to the S2000.
Sounds like you really want an NSX. I think you should just go for it (and now, rather than 2 years later), because it sounds like you'll regret not getting it.
06-04-2015, 03:12 PM
#94
EM1 was cool when it came out because it was the Civic hero car, but neither the chassis nor B16A became very desirable for a reason. B18's ruled the B series platforms because they were so much better (until the K came out). You'd probably need something like an ITR to feel close to an S2000. Throw suspension and tires on an ITR and you've got a highly capable and fun FWD car. Of course i'm not saying it feels THAT close to an S2k or NSX, but the ITR is just as far away from Civics as it is from the S2K/NSX so it's no surprise the EM1 was a let down compared to the S.
Sounds like you really want an NSX. I think you should just go for it (and now, rather than 2 years later), because it sounds like you'll regret not getting it.
Sounds like you really want an NSX. I think you should just go for it (and now, rather than 2 years later), because it sounds like you'll regret not getting it.
My internal struggle is balancing all of these things and my passion for cars and driving. It's a damn expensive hobby, but without it I would be bored to death. Every day (when I'm not working) I'm thinking about what I want to do to my S, browsing Craigslist for cool cars to convince my friends to buy, or reading/watching car enthusiast content on the internet. On the weekends, I drive. It's a huge part of my life.
To be honest, if the NSX wasn't appreciating the way it has been for the past few years, I would be okay waiting until I'm all settled down before biting the bullet. But every day I find fewer/costlier low mileage examples. Missing out on that $26k 1991 with under 70k miles still haunts me to this day. If in 10 years I can finally safely afford one, they could very well be 50k and much harder to find in good condition. Will I really be okay spending 50k to buy a 35 year old car at that point?
06-04-2015, 03:34 PM
#95
I would love to go for it earlier rather than later, but I'll give you some background on my current situation. I'm mid 20's, been working for 3 years with a solid paying job at a big tech company, and have a lot of pressure from family/friends to move on to the next stages of life. Grad school, putting a down payment on a house (Bay Area housing market is ludicrous), getting married, having kids. All these things are "supposed to" happen in the next 6-8 years. And even though the pressure is placed upon me from others, I don't disagree with them. I want to advance my career. I want to start a family as soon as I have the means. I don't want to keep paying rent forever.
My internal struggle is balancing all of these things and my passion for cars and driving. It's a damn expensive hobby, but without it I would be bored to death. Every day (when I'm not working) I'm thinking about what I want to do to my S, browsing Craigslist for cool cars to convince my friends to buy, or reading/watching car enthusiast content on the internet. On the weekends, I drive. It's a huge part of my life.
To be honest, if the NSX wasn't appreciating the way it has been for the past few years, I would be okay waiting until I'm all settled down before biting the bullet. But every day I find fewer/costlier low mileage examples. Missing out on that $26k 1991 with under 70k miles still haunts me to this day. If in 10 years I can finally safely afford one, they could very well be 50k and much harder to find in good condition. Will I really be okay spending 50k to buy a 35 year old car at that point?
My internal struggle is balancing all of these things and my passion for cars and driving. It's a damn expensive hobby, but without it I would be bored to death. Every day (when I'm not working) I'm thinking about what I want to do to my S, browsing Craigslist for cool cars to convince my friends to buy, or reading/watching car enthusiast content on the internet. On the weekends, I drive. It's a huge part of my life.
To be honest, if the NSX wasn't appreciating the way it has been for the past few years, I would be okay waiting until I'm all settled down before biting the bullet. But every day I find fewer/costlier low mileage examples. Missing out on that $26k 1991 with under 70k miles still haunts me to this day. If in 10 years I can finally safely afford one, they could very well be 50k and much harder to find in good condition. Will I really be okay spending 50k to buy a 35 year old car at that point?
My advice would be this: Pay Grand School off and/or get a house first, then think about the car. Houses will appreciate way faster and way more than a car. Loans are not a good thing to have, but it's ok when it's in a house that will appreciate (and your location will for sure). Weddings, honeymoon and kids cost a lot too, but weddings can pay themselves off if you have generous family/friends and kids can come much later. You need cash for a down payment on a house with 20% down as the usual amount. You know the housing market in your area better than i do--do the math to see how much you need. It's not going to be cheap! When you are house hunting, you will wish you had that extra $10k, $20k or $30K for your offer. That being said, i don't know how much you have in the bank. If you aren't far off from a 20% down, then it might not hurt to try to nail down an NSX right now. But if it's a case where you can only be able to afford one or the other, buy the house and/or pay off the loan.
And yes i would have the same hesitancy about spending $50K on a 35 yr old car unless i knew it was going to double or triple in value within my lifetime.
06-04-2015, 03:49 PM
#96
Originally Posted by Zygrene' timestamp='1433459539' post='23636735
I would love to go for it earlier rather than later, but I'll give you some background on my current situation. I'm mid 20's, been working for 3 years with a solid paying job at a big tech company, and have a lot of pressure from family/friends to move on to the next stages of life. Grad school, putting a down payment on a house (Bay Area housing market is ludicrous), getting married, having kids. All these things are "supposed to" happen in the next 6-8 years. And even though the pressure is placed upon me from others, I don't disagree with them. I want to advance my career. I want to start a family as soon as I have the means. I don't want to keep paying rent forever.
My internal struggle is balancing all of these things and my passion for cars and driving. It's a damn expensive hobby, but without it I would be bored to death. Every day (when I'm not working) I'm thinking about what I want to do to my S, browsing Craigslist for cool cars to convince my friends to buy, or reading/watching car enthusiast content on the internet. On the weekends, I drive. It's a huge part of my life.
To be honest, if the NSX wasn't appreciating the way it has been for the past few years, I would be okay waiting until I'm all settled down before biting the bullet. But every day I find fewer/costlier low mileage examples. Missing out on that $26k 1991 with under 70k miles still haunts me to this day. If in 10 years I can finally safely afford one, they could very well be 50k and much harder to find in good condition. Will I really be okay spending 50k to buy a 35 year old car at that point?
My internal struggle is balancing all of these things and my passion for cars and driving. It's a damn expensive hobby, but without it I would be bored to death. Every day (when I'm not working) I'm thinking about what I want to do to my S, browsing Craigslist for cool cars to convince my friends to buy, or reading/watching car enthusiast content on the internet. On the weekends, I drive. It's a huge part of my life.
To be honest, if the NSX wasn't appreciating the way it has been for the past few years, I would be okay waiting until I'm all settled down before biting the bullet. But every day I find fewer/costlier low mileage examples. Missing out on that $26k 1991 with under 70k miles still haunts me to this day. If in 10 years I can finally safely afford one, they could very well be 50k and much harder to find in good condition. Will I really be okay spending 50k to buy a 35 year old car at that point?
My advice would be this: Pay Grand School off and/or get a house at least first, then think about the car. Houses will appreciate way faster and way more than a car. Loans are not a good thing to have, but it's ok when it's in a house that will appreciate (and your location will for sure). Weddings, honeymoon and kids cost a lot too, but weddings can pay themselves off if you have generous family/friends and kids can come much later. You need cash for a down payment on a house with 20% down as the usual amount. You know the housing market in your area better than i do--do the math to see how much you need. It's not going to be cheap! When you are house hunting, you will wish you had that extra $10k, $20k or $30K for your offer. That being said, i don't know how much you have in the bank. If you aren't far off from a 20% down, then it might not hurt to try to nail down an NSX right now. But if it's a case where you can only be able to afford one or the other, buy the house and/or pay off the loan.
And yes i would have the same hesitancy about spending $50K on a 35 yr old car unless i knew it was going to double or triple in value within my lifetime.
06-04-2015, 05:03 PM
#97
Originally Posted by Chris_Lum' timestamp='1433458170' post='23636721
EM1 was cool when it came out because it was the Civic hero car, but neither the chassis nor B16A became very desirable for a reason. B18's ruled the B series platforms because they were so much better (until the K came out). You'd probably need something like an ITR to feel close to an S2000. Throw suspension and tires on an ITR and you've got a highly capable and fun FWD car. Of course i'm not saying it feels THAT close to an S2k or NSX, but the ITR is just as far away from Civics as it is from the S2K/NSX so it's no surprise the EM1 was a let down compared to the S.
Sounds like you really want an NSX. I think you should just go for it (and now, rather than 2 years later), because it sounds like you'll regret not getting it.
Sounds like you really want an NSX. I think you should just go for it (and now, rather than 2 years later), because it sounds like you'll regret not getting it.
My internal struggle is balancing all of these things and my passion for cars and driving. It's a damn expensive hobby, but without it I would be bored to death. Every day (when I'm not working) I'm thinking about what I want to do to my S, browsing Craigslist for cool cars to convince my friends to buy, or reading/watching car enthusiast content on the internet. On the weekends, I drive. It's a huge part of my life.
To be honest, if the NSX wasn't appreciating the way it has been for the past few years, I would be okay waiting until I'm all settled down before biting the bullet. But every day I find fewer/costlier low mileage examples. Missing out on that $26k 1991 with under 70k miles still haunts me to this day. If in 10 years I can finally safely afford one, they could very well be 50k and much harder to find in good condition. Will I really be okay spending 50k to buy a 35 year old car at that point?
I don't think 91 NSXs will be $50K. If they are, there are better cars out there for less money. If you drive one in 10 years, I think you will be disappointed - compared to the modern cars that will arrive at that time.
06-04-2015, 05:10 PM
#98
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I had a 987.1 Cayman S, and it was very comfortable, and very easy to drive fast on track. But it was the least reliable car I've ever owned. I only kept it for a little over a year, and I had over $5k in repairs. Thankfully, all were done under the CPO Warranty. That wasn't even counting the possibility of IMS failure. As others have stated, look at a 987.2 S model if you're interested in tracking it, or go for an R model. Don't let the temptation of a cheap 987.1 sway your opinion.
06-04-2015, 05:18 PM
#99
I'm not sure yet if I want to settle down in the Bay Area, though. I've considered moving back to Texas either for grad school or post grad school. I easily have 20% down payment in the bank for a good sized house somewhere in Austin. But then the car scene isn't as strong there, and the weather is miserable. So... more things to consider.
i love it here...expensive housing and all 
06-04-2015, 06:10 PM
#100
I had a 987.1 Cayman S, and it was very comfortable, and very easy to drive fast on track. But it was the least reliable car I've ever owned. I only kept it for a little over a year, and I had over $5k in repairs. Thankfully, all were done under the CPO Warranty. That wasn't even counting the possibility of IMS failure. As others have stated, look at a 987.2 S model if you're interested in tracking it, or go for an R model. Don't let the temptation of a cheap 987.1 sway your opinion.