NSU Spider
Here is the link i found...... http://cleveland.craigslist.org/cto/2689017402.html
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Dang. Mine was $300 and in nicer shape bodywise. Although the engine, etc. was in a billion pieces. Guess I should have kept it. 
Like Ben said though, parts were unobtanium.. unless I moved to Germany.
-Mike
Like Ben said though, parts were unobtanium.. unless I moved to Germany.
-Mike
It really rough!!!!!! People think because they have something rare or hard to find that they can ask whatever they want for it. This is just another example of that. They need to remember that condition is a huge factor in price.
(44,800 US$)
sure it's rare but it's going to take alot of work and custom fabrication to even resemble original. if that's what he got for it on ebay then that is what the market sais it's worth. i don't get some people who think they're going to get a smokin deal on ebay and flip something for 5-10 times what they paid for it... just won't happen. this isn't like digging a treasure out of the bottom of a box at a fleamarket or yard sale where you were the first to recognize it's value and ****** it up for pennies.
even a fully restored one like the one Greek linked to is pushing it for a collector.
sure it would be cool but i doubt anyone is going to start at $5k with a project like that. this one is worth about $1k and the restored one, maybe $30k. now that is a collectable, bugs me when i see some random clean '83 FB, low mileage run of the mill, asking price $15-18k.
Last edited by RotaryEvolution; Dec 14, 2011 at 12:15 PM.
i could restore it but no way i'm paying anywhere near that price for a serious project car.
that car would need at least 20k worth of work to be even remotely original. well technically it's original now but who would want to own it in it's current state? heh.
that car would need at least 20k worth of work to be even remotely original. well technically it's original now but who would want to own it in it's current state? heh.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 255
Likes: 1
From: England
lol. That's Mr the Greek, if you don't mind hahaha.
I think these cars are always going to struggle to command big money, unlike a Cosmo 110S or something vaguely equivalent. The NSU design was an evolutionary blind alley, it wasn't actually a very good car, and it doesn't have the marque history and badge cachet to trade off. It's not capable of surviving modern traffic conditions, unlike classic Mazda rotaries. Other than show enthusiats, who's going to "waste" big money restoring a Flinstones-floor car? They're museum pieces really, an interesting but ultimately blocked sidestreet of automotive history, and for that they only have to look convincing from twenty paces away.
Harsh but true
I think these cars are always going to struggle to command big money, unlike a Cosmo 110S or something vaguely equivalent. The NSU design was an evolutionary blind alley, it wasn't actually a very good car, and it doesn't have the marque history and badge cachet to trade off. It's not capable of surviving modern traffic conditions, unlike classic Mazda rotaries. Other than show enthusiats, who's going to "waste" big money restoring a Flinstones-floor car? They're museum pieces really, an interesting but ultimately blocked sidestreet of automotive history, and for that they only have to look convincing from twenty paces away.
Harsh but true
i just find it an interesting car, as i'm sure many other rotorheads would. of course being the piece of crap engineering in a box that it is, it isn't going to really go much beyond the show stage of a rolling automobile.
even well tuned at 50 horsepower i doubt it has enough ***** to get out of it's own way, let alone stop in a reasonable distance by today's standard.
even well tuned at 50 horsepower i doubt it has enough ***** to get out of it's own way, let alone stop in a reasonable distance by today's standard.
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 255
Likes: 1
From: England
Yep, agree wholeheartedly. I find it interesting too. Even the inexplicable transaxle malarkey. But then I'm a rotorhead so I suppose I would. In blunt real-world terms I fear it's neither relevant or iconic enough to attract big money resto jobs though.
This
is my new favourite quote of the day though 
This
Dragons' Breath
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,129
Likes: 2
From: Pump Handle, SK. Canada
Oh **** it feels good to have a real laugh .man my belly hurts .. Seeing as it is close to the end of the year I vote that the Quote of the year 
i just find it an interesting car, as i'm sure many other rotorheads would. of course being the piece of crap engineering in a box that it is, it isn't going to really go much beyond the show stage of a rolling automobile.
even well tuned at 50 horsepower i doubt it has enough ***** to get out of it's own way, let alone stop in a reasonable distance by today's standard.
even well tuned at 50 horsepower i doubt it has enough ***** to get out of it's own way, let alone stop in a reasonable distance by today's standard.
http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/...spider/658142/
I'd hate to see this one after being sandblasted or acid dipped.. half the metal is probably gone.
Yeah, they had overheating issues, or so I've heard. Engine @ the rear, radiator @ the front and it has these tiny pipes to move the coolant up the length of the entire car. Sure it's only a 1 rotor but you'd better put some modern electric fans on there if you plan to drive it in traffic. I've read they were fairly peppy for their size, small & lightweight, and you could rev the hell out of the single rotor.
That one in Germany is pretty nice, but 28900 pounds? That's nearly 45k USD, uh no. Would rather get a nice Cosmo at that rate.
They only came in red & white though, kinda boring.
I should try to dig up all the old pics of mine.
-Mike
Yeah, they had overheating issues, or so I've heard. Engine @ the rear, radiator @ the front and it has these tiny pipes to move the coolant up the length of the entire car. Sure it's only a 1 rotor but you'd better put some modern electric fans on there if you plan to drive it in traffic. I've read they were fairly peppy for their size, small & lightweight, and you could rev the hell out of the single rotor.
That one in Germany is pretty nice, but 28900 pounds? That's nearly 45k USD, uh no. Would rather get a nice Cosmo at that rate.
They only came in red & white though, kinda boring.
I should try to dig up all the old pics of mine.
-Mike
true that, for some reason i thought they made more 110S cosmos than the NSU spider, truth is NSU produced nearly twice as many spiders as there was the early cosmo built and the cosmo seemed to be a much better car all around.
i just suppose it depends if you want to shell out ~$100k for a fully restored cosmo or ~$30k for a restored spider. most of the parts for both would have to be custom moulded and formed. like taillights, no way you will find anyone sitting on a pair of new old stock for either car.
i doubt Leno's spider is 100% original anymore either. i'm sure some panels had to be redone or custom made. it's just nearly impossible to find a car that is 100% restorable without inevitably fabricating some of the parts.
but just seeing him driving around in that little thing, i chuckled because it just looks goofy or maybe it was his chin leading the way!
if i looked like that driving one i think i would have to reconsider wanting to own a piece of history, or at least ever driving it..
but of the few that were ever imported into the US there is probably only a small handful that survived, maybe 3 or 4 of the 25?
i just suppose it depends if you want to shell out ~$100k for a fully restored cosmo or ~$30k for a restored spider. most of the parts for both would have to be custom moulded and formed. like taillights, no way you will find anyone sitting on a pair of new old stock for either car.
i doubt Leno's spider is 100% original anymore either. i'm sure some panels had to be redone or custom made. it's just nearly impossible to find a car that is 100% restorable without inevitably fabricating some of the parts.
but just seeing him driving around in that little thing, i chuckled because it just looks goofy or maybe it was his chin leading the way!
if i looked like that driving one i think i would have to reconsider wanting to own a piece of history, or at least ever driving it..
but of the few that were ever imported into the US there is probably only a small handful that survived, maybe 3 or 4 of the 25?
Last edited by RotaryEvolution; Dec 15, 2011 at 10:46 AM.
