S2000 owners thread. 9,000rpm of goodness in here.

[kinger8938]

If you want to save some money then the Bilstein PSS9s are very well regarded. Still £1500 mind.

Yeah I was looking at those.

I'm wondering if just swapping the springs back to stock (if j can find some) will make me happy

But I do like how it sits visually.

I don't feel I should commit Ohlins money if I may potentially sell later this year, depends if I need to with moving etc

Also keep eyeing up caterhams

Need to get my priorities straight lol

 

[Rilot]

If you're not sure whether you're keeping it or not then I would leave it as it is. Ohlins are a big investment, even more if you need to pay someone to fit them. Then you need to get a geo for the new ride height which might mean more expense if any of your bolts are seized.

 

[mjt]

Also keep eyeing up caterhams

Get a Caterham

 

[kinger8938]

Get a Caterham

A lovely one got offered up recent, but it's just bad timing. I'd need to have this sold first and just put the house up this week so I feel ill have to wait

 

[mjt]

A lovely one got offered up recent, but it's just bad timing. I'd need to have this sold first and just put the house up this week so I feel ill have to wait

Fair enough. I had to sell mine because of the house and other "priorities"
Still miss it. When everything settles, you know you need to

 

[kinger8938]

Fair enough. I had to sell mine because of the house and other "priorities"
Still miss it. When everything settles, you know you need to

It's a confusing car to buy, so many variations.

I'd just be after something around the £12-15k mark Max.really, but I'm sure I can still find something fun in that bracket

 

[Diddums]

Oof

 

[Rilot]

Well, all back to stock. Ohlins, K&N, hifi, rear speakers, sub, amps, DRLs, all off.
I'm getting too old for this ****. My back is killing me. I will say though, getting the Ohlins off and the stock suspension back on was a heck of a lot easier than the other way around due to not having to dynamite 20 years of crap off the bolts like I had to do originally.

It's quite interesting feeling to difference going back to stock suspension. Although it feels just as tight, bumps which didn't really bother the car too much now are back to shaking the car again. I can say that the Ohlins are definitely worth the money.

 

[kinger8938]

Well, all back to stock. Ohlins, K&N, hifi, rear speakers, sub, amps, DRLs, all off.
I'm getting too old for this ****. My back is killing me. I will say though, getting the Ohlins off and the stock suspension back on was a heck of a lot easier than the other way around due to not having to dynamite 20 years of crap off the bolts like I had to do originally.

It's quite interesting feeling to difference going back to stock suspension. Although it feels just as tight, bumps which didn't really bother the car too much now are back to shaking the car again. I can say that the Ohlins are definitely worth the money.

nice one, nice to get to experience the car with and without

Good luck with the sale !

 

[Rilot]

And she's gone
I doubt I will ever buy another one unless I can keep 3+ cars and have the space to garage it. I just need to sell all the stuff I pulled off it now (although it's only really the Ohlins that are worth anything. The K&N I might get a few quid for but the metal parts are looking quity rusty. Stereo ended up going with it apart from the amps and sub. I left the BYS seat rails on it too.

 

[hurfdurf]

And she's gone
I doubt I will ever buy another one unless I can keep 3+ cars and have the space to garage it. I just need to sell all the stuff I pulled off it now (although it's only really the Ohlins that are worth anything. The K&N I might get a few quid for but the metal parts are looking quity rusty. Stereo ended up going with it apart from the amps and sub. I left the BYS seat rails on it too.

Hope you got good money!

What amp and sub?

 

[richyfingers]

And she's gone
I doubt I will ever buy another one unless I can keep 3+ cars and have the space to garage it. I just need to sell all the stuff I pulled off it now (although it's only really the Ohlins that are worth anything. The K&N I might get a few quid for but the metal parts are looking quity rusty. Stereo ended up going with it apart from the amps and sub. I left the BYS seat rails on it too.

How much are you looking for the Ohlins and K&N? Definitely interested.

 

[kinger8938]

And she's gone
I doubt I will ever buy another one unless I can keep 3+ cars and have the space to garage it. I just need to sell all the stuff I pulled off it now (although it's only really the Ohlins that are worth anything. The K&N I might get a few quid for but the metal parts are looking quity rusty. Stereo ended up going with it apart from the amps and sub. I left the BYS seat rails on it too.

That was a quick sale! Well done!

 

[Ben Cole]

I am currently thinking of buying an S2000.

I have almost purchased one on a number of occasions over the past 20 years, but ended up with Boxster S, VX Turbo, Z4 etc.

I did think of spending up to 30k on a newer Audi S5 Cabriolet or something like that but this would be a 3rd car or 4th if you include my daughter's Mini which I pay for so I probably should.

Therefore as I am getting tighter in my old age, 15k for a car that I've got an itch for and that will hold value well and is even now almost regarded a classic sounds decent.

I'm not that bothered about out and out pace, which was the reason I didn't go for one in the past. I really think it's difficult to use performance these days, so it's the overall experience I am thinking about.

Being a Honda I'm thinking it's going to be reliable if looked after, not withstanding the usual age related stuff.

Any thoughts or options ?

Am I dreaming if I'm thinking that running a 15+year old car is going to be anything other than a pain in the backside?

 

[Michael Myers]

They are great cars and very reliable if the maintenance is kept up, key is finding the right one that's had the work put in.

Ensuring all the fluids are done to schedule, engine, gearbox, diff etc. you want to find one that's had a recent full alignment to ensure none of the adjusters are seized.

For example I'm about to DIY all my suspension bushes as I have 4 seized bolts, parts alone are 800+, I would image labour would over double the cost at a garage.

A well sorted s2000 wouldn't be a pain

 

[Rilot]

I can only echo what Michael says. They are very reliable cars if looked after. Even not looked after they are still reasonably OK.
The only weak spots are the cam chain tensioner (easily fixed for less than £100), the suspension adjusters, valve spring retainers on pre 2004 cars, and rust.

 

[deviation]

I can only echo what Michael says. They are very reliable cars if looked after. Even not looked after they are still reasonably OK.
The only weak spots are the cam chain tensioner (easily fixed for less than £100), the suspension adjusters, valve spring retainers on pre 2004 cars, and rust.

They are also known to have the piston rings fail and damage the cylinder walls.
Also, if the engine mount fails, they can crack the block.

 

[Ben Cole]

Wow, that's surprising. Never read anything like that referring to S2000s.

What kind of occurrence rate are you talking about?

 

[Simon]

Me neither. Where’s that from. Unless he’s on about the 2009 issue that has long gone away now the cars have aged. Never need engine mounts failing causing block to fail. For all we know that guy hit a speed bump at 40mph

I’m not sure I could go back to one now. Great at the time but noisy and need working hard. Quite tight inside too

 

[deviation]

Wow, that's surprising. Never read anything like that referring to S2000s.

What kind of occurrence rate are you talking about?

My friend worked for Honda as a master tech/Type R specialist, a fair few had the issue with the piston rings, AP1's mainly IIRC, not sure about the AP2.

Me neither. Where’s that from. Unless he’s on about the 2009 issue that has long gone away now the cars have aged. Never need engine mounts failing causing block to fail. For all we know that guy hit a speed bump at 40mph

I’m not sure I could go back to one now. Great at the time but noisy and need working hard. Quite tight inside too

Hitting a speed bump at 40mph sounds a bit far fetched. Police cars go way faster hitting speed bumps when in pursuit, and they don't rip the engine or gearbox mounts off?

If you know Honda's, you'll know it's very common for example to rip the threads out of the block when taking the gearbox off to do a clutch, so much so, that the done thing is to helicoil them.
So a failed engine mount giving out under load on a track day at a fair pace, could take the threads with it, whilst sending enough of a shock through the block it's being torn from, to crack it. Granted it's a rarer situation, but it clearly has happened in those pictures.