Cheapo S2000's

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I currently have a pretty sorted Mk2 MX5 that is just begging to be FI'd, problem is I'm not sure I want to go down the modified route, one of the alternative options is selling the car and putting the saved up money together and buying an S2000.

This wont be happening for awhile but it hasn't stopped me preparing by taking notice of the S2000 scene. Something has struck me though.

Why are some S2000's so cheaply advertised?

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2226361.htm - This ones obvious, dodgy import.

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/1145935.htm - Apart from being one of the earliest ever made, this is from a dealer and under £5k! Most other 1999's are £6.5k+

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/2056755.htm - Another from a dealer, much newer and with hardtop and stand, for the price most other cars are going for with much higher mileage or 3 or 4 years older.

Guess I'm just dipping my toes into the whole thing but there seems to be a lot of variance in prices compared to other cars I have looked at in the past.
 
Curious combination of being about for a while, with 2 or 3 well known revisions to throw into the mix. Is the s2000 seen as a bit of a scene car in the uk? (it is out here)
 
Get an insurance quote. The insurance on these is absolutely bonkers. For a laugh, I ran a quote on an S2000 and compared it to a subsequent quote on a Lambourghini Murcialago LP670.

Yes, the S2000 was more to insure. Only by £30, but more to insure nontheless.
 
[TW]Fox;17725546 said:
Get an insurance quote. The insurance on these is absolutely bonkers. For a laugh, I ran a quote on an S2000 and compared it to a subsequent quote on a Lambourghini Murcialago LP670.

Yes, the S2000 was more to insure. Only by £30, but more to insure nontheless.
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That's not just because of the car though is it. They know a lambo driver is more likely to not drive like a lot of the s2k drivers :p
 
As a previous S2000 owner, and hearing the hundreds of horror stories of 'cheap' s2000 purchases there is no such thing as a cheap S2000.

S2000 insurance is indeed absolutely hillarious. I was 'lucky' enough to have an insurer who did me a decent deal, but as fox rightly states, mental stuff is cheaper to insure (355's, 911 turbos etc) ... I guess the high rpm rag me hard engine with skittish handling if you dont know what your doing = crash frenzy.
 
I also played with the idea of one of these for £5k but it just isnt viable. The insurance, as everyone has said, is absolutely bonkers!

For example. I got quoted 1K ish for a 350Z. The S2000 was £2200+ :o
 
Conanius said:
As a previous S2000 owner, and hearing the hundreds of horror stories of 'cheap' s2000 purchases there is no such thing as a cheap S2000.

S2000 insurance is indeed absolutely hillarious. I was 'lucky' enough to have an insurer who did me a decent deal, but as fox rightly states, mental stuff is cheaper to insure (355's, 911 turbos etc) ... I guess the high rpm rag me hard engine with skittish handling if you dont know what your doing = crash frenzy.
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previous?
 
Begbie said:
Scurries off to check insurance.
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Just done that too - comes in at £550 with Admiral for me, though granted I'm an old sod :(. And not really in the market for a S2K though I can appreciate they are really nice cars (love the dashboard on them) however I've been there and done that with 2 seater RWD rice rockets :p

I'm now looking at gen7 Celica's :D

OP - from my experience I'd consider very carefully before purchasing a car such as this as there's always the potential money pit. Remember you'll need to cover that crazy insurance quote (you may get) and you'll need funds put aside, just in case!
 
An S seized into a bad geo is going to cost you 4 figures.
Roof replacement for a poorly looked after example is going to be 600+ Aftermarket or 1000+ for OEM parts/fitment.
If it needs fresh tyres or is on ditch finders that's another 500. (You just don't run one without good boots)

You can find a well looked after ex-owners club example in the 8-10k region though. Would not touch a 5k one with a barge pole unless you were turning it into a track weapon.
 
[TW]Fox;17726013 said:
Really rather lairy handling apparently, on the early ones at least.
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Apparently so, lots of people were apparently wrapping them around lamp posts and other road side obstacles.

However, I really have no idea on how people were doing this. My own is an early example but I've never had so much of a twitch. I've found it progressive in the corners and around a good round-a-bout you have the ability to ease the back end out.

Really, what these people were doing to slam their s2000's into obstacles I'll never know!
 
Yup some of them are very cheap now, it's insane.

When I come to sell mine it will be going for around £6500. Which is very cheap for a 2004. Granted 110k miles but miles better condition that all the others I looked at... shame really.

The early ones were more interesting handling wise.. a lot better once facelifted.

Insurance was £1400 first year, £900 second. 23-24.
 
hilly said:
Really, what these people were doing to slam their s2000's into obstacles I'll never know!
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Because people like my boss bought them...whilst talking about his S2000, he said the following, with genuine seriousness:

'Its got a second turbo that comes in when overtaking'

:rolleyes:

As good a car as the S2000 is, the fact that it was significantly cheaper on release than its competition and was 'only' a 2.0 (which must mean its cheap on insurance for a sports car to the minds of people who think engine size is the only criteria, which is quite a lot of people) led to a number of well off but none too car savvy folk going out to buy one as a mid-life crisis car or weekend trinket, who knew nothing about how to handle a high performance RWD sports car?
 
Will said:
Because people like my boss bought them...whilst talking about his S2000, he said the following, with genuine seriousness:

'Its got a second turbo that comes in when overtaking'

:rolleyes:

As good a car as the S2000 is, the fact that it was significantly cheaper on release than its competition and was 'only' a 2.0 (which must mean its cheap on insurance for a sports car to the minds of people who think engine size is the only criteria, which is quite a lot of people) led to a number of well off but none too car savvy folk going out to buy one as a mid-life crisis car or weekend trinket, who knew nothing about how to handle a high performance RWD sports car?
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You might well be right there.

This is my first RWD car, I'm not the best driver ever, I'm not a race driver etc, but as long as you treat it with a bit of respect and tip toe your way in you shouldn't have any issues.

I've never had a 'snap' or any of the steering correction which is talked about, but then again I don't take the car to it's absolute limits on public roads.
 
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