My hunt for a PRHT 2l NC Niseko continues, but I fear I may be out of luck so I’m widening the search to include more recent NC variants.
I don’t fit into NDs, simply because my back protests too soon.
I’ve trawled through Autotrader, rang several possibles, and missed a good one up North.
Alas nothing worth making an offer on has showed up yet, either they are too far away to go and have a look, or dubious MOT history, or no Digital Service Record, or the price and description does not match the actual condition.
This week I went to see a 22k miles Niseko in London.
The price was away above top book and the paint and engine matched the 22k and it drove OK, but its general condition of lots of little things was definitely not top book, and much, much worse than my old Niseko. They were asking £8950, but it was really not worth even £7000.
And when I tapped the rear of the sills and heard that characteristic dead crusty rustle instead of the ring-ting-clonk that they had halfway along, I knew why the one owner had sold it. The excess of relatively recent underseal there was also a giveaway.
I walked away.
Occasionally something pops up that may appeal, albeit at upper end of used price range, possibly offset by peace of mind of their 12m warranty. No Nisekos currently that I can see.
Still some good ones around I’m sure, they made enough of them after all. By widening your search in terms of age and model you stand more chance of getting a decent example; too specific and it gets harder. If I was after an NC I wouldn’t restrict myself to a 2.0 litre car as I think a well looked after 1.8 would do the job pretty much as well. Pity about your back issue as the ND is newer and plentiful on the market. I’m not aware of many ND owners complaining about the seating, although some can’t take to them for a variety of reasons. I’m very pleased with my recently purchased R-Sport with its lively1.5 engine and lovely red leather interior. Hope something turns up for you soon. Patience is a virtue…
I’ve test driven three, all were an absolute delight regarding their drive-ability and performance, but in each case no matter what I tried with positioning my back cried enough.
The contrast to my Niseko is stark; I could drive that beauty all day without any hint of a problem and get out feeling fresh and relaxed.
My first ND drive was up the Goodwood hill in a 1.5 launch demonstrator, and I was looking over the top of the windscreen most of the time because everything was lifted a bit by being cluttered with so much extra electronic stuff on the floor under the carpets, but even on that short drive the deckchair seat began causing a bit of grief.
A few months later my dealer had a 2l for me to try and after only about ten minutes with the deck chair seat I had to stop the car, get out and walk around for a while to ease the ache before taking it back to them. SWMBO had no such problem, adding salt to the wound.
My dealer emailed me when the Recaro seats appeared in a 2l and I jumped at the chance of another test drive. It was a lot better, although it still felt very cramped because they did not go low enough, and it was near the end of the drive, more like fifteen or twenty minutes, when the (lumbar support?) ache became unbearable.
This is a great pity because I think the ND really is a super car, but sadly it’s just not for me.
I always fancied one of those, but I expect they might be outside my budget, I would need to do some scratching around if the right one appeared.
Already in my regular search, but almost no local MX5s and even fewer NCs anywhere; none at my local dealer to go and have a look at. I guess they are under pressure to plug electric…
I’ve already asked one of the salesmen I know there to give me a call if a decent NC turns up.
Don’t give up but sometimes a ‘watched pot never boils’
Been searching for a second hand leather Chesterfield antique brown sofa bed for weeks and was coming to conclusion I’d have to buy new [which I really couldn’t afford] or compromise
Then suddenly due to my regular searches EBay flagged one up Half Price and only £80 for Delivery
Arrived on the 18th and it’s perfect…exactly what I wanted…at the right price
Go figure that I would ever applaud I.T. BUT it worked as soon as the Seller advertised it on-line
Honda S2000? Wonderful engine and gearbox. Nice seats. Quite a big car compared to a MX5, so I guess you’d fit. Less rust prone than an NC?? (It’s fun spending other people’s money ) The ‘drag race’ thread made me think of S2Ks as they’re a good choice for sprinting / hill climbing due to their power and sub 2 litre engine.
) The ‘drag race’ thread made me think of S2Ks as they’re a good choice for sprinting / hill climbing due to their power and sub 2 litre engine.