Red Honda S2000

[UncleFester]

So after fitting these and running them through the crappy weather, not washing them once and generally not taking care of them at all .... this is the end result after some alloy wheel cleaner and a jetwash without using a brush.

Pretty happy with that, surprised how well bare polished metal has withstood the salty roads and lack of any cleaning, going to be a 10 minute job per wheel with some megs NXT to bring them back to perfect

 

[Willie]

What did you have on these before winter?
Must have given a very good protection level

 

[UncleFester]

Nothing Willie - i polished them to death with Megs NXT after doing lots and lots of wet sanding ..... then just left them to it. Haven't done anything else to them to protect them.

I'm amazed tbh, i was expecting all sorts of corrosion and pitting.

 

[betts]

Just noticed your number plate theres a grey s2000 up my way reg S2 KOF. Very nice bye the way,i used to work for Honda and had some great fun in s2000's

 

[UncleFester]

That's 3 of us then ... my mate has S2KFO. It's a really really fun car to drive, it was the reason i changed the Leon for it and is the reason it hasn't been traded for something else

 

[UncleFester]

Summer wheels back on with refurbed centre caps

 

[UncleFester]

Howdy

Economy goes from < 15mpg on a hoon to 32 > on a NSL motorway run.

Servicing - i don't use Honda, i've got a good local independent.

Rough guide I service mine twice a year, end of summer and end of winter. I do the oil, filter, plugs twice a year. Once a year I do the full fluids and get the valve clearances checked and adjusted.

On a daily basis it works well. I use it as my main and only car, you can get in with the roof up or down and you don't need to be a contortionist or < 25 to get in and out.

Roofs are a known thing and when buying one there are a few things you need to be aware of.

Clutch should be as light as the throttle pedal.
Roof should be unworn with no holes behind the shoulder area. Glass screen preferred ( late 03 i think) as it doesn't crack in the winter. FULL service history is a must. Clutches can last up to 100k but some go before, it's a pig of a job and the clutch alone is 550 - Honda quote it as a 6 hour job IIRC.

Everything you would want to know is in here http://www.s2kuk.com/technical/faq/s2000_tech_faq_030107.pdf

 

[UncleFester]

Handling problems fixed ... turns out the rear control arm balljoint had gone.

New front discs, new rear discs and DS2500 pads all round - braking performance is back to what it needs to be.

New clutch fitted as well as < 25k mile coilovers from a 2005 car - clutch is quiet and light and ride is back to normal. The next thing on the list is engine mounts, transmission mounts and a full polybush kit later this year

 

[R1ch85]

Those balljoints look well used!

 

[UncleFester]

Well they're not removable ... i've had a lot of winter doughnut fun ...... can only assume that it's me that has done it. Going back to 17" summer wheels and tyres presented some 'interesting' handling characteristics. When i rechecked everything, there was at least 1mm play in the rear hub at 3 and 9 oclock. Power on you twitch one way, brake / power off, you twitch the other.

 

[Tayyib]

Looks awesome, especially on the summer rims! The centre caps are a nice touch.

 

[UncleFester]

After a frustrating drive home last night, CEL/MIL appeared - no limp mode etc etc but idle was rough and dipping. No problem, reset ECU will deal with that .... great until tonight at which point it got to the point where it wouldn't idle at all and was sat shaking at around 300rpm.

Having done a bit of searching, it seemed IACV was the likely culprit especially bearing in mind that mine has never been great at tickover also bearing in mind the car has done 74k miles, there was a fair chance it would be gunked up.

So 5 minutes with mini pliers and small spanner saw the IACV removed

As you can see, it's pretty skanky in there. I didn't have carb cleaner to hand so just used WD40 and an old toothbrush and several good squirts at close range.

Come up nice and clean and given what others have said about the motor / bearing, washing it in something like WD40 seemed a far better option than using carb cleaner. Been for a quick thrash, no CEL/MIL and idle is beautifuly stable at 800rpm, doesn't matter if i blip the throttle or let it fall from 3000rpm, it just returns smoothly to idle.

All in all, 10 minutes very well spent.

Went out last night and got almost 60 miles from a tenner, the same trip last week cost me 20 quid - works out at 37mpg which isn't bad at all

 

[UncleFester]

New stuff time! Front bumper has always been scabby and this last winter hasn't helped so having picked up an OEM front splitter off ebay, i'm going to get it permanently fixed to the front bumper. Honda normally fit a rubber seal between them so it can be removed, but the rubber seal will deteriorate over time and I think it looks ugly and I want smooth

Been quoted 200 quid to get the bumper resprayed, spoiler attached and they'll also smooth out the old plate holes properly - I think that's a fair price.

 

[m0rk]

That's a good price, and that looks mean

 

[UncleFester]

Cheers M0rk - i'm not normally into 'kits' but the front spoiler has been on the cards for a while, just a question of waiting for one to pop up on ebay .... Honda charge 350 pounds for it .... and as much as I like it there was no way i was paying that. Picked it up for a shade under 100 quid which is a much better price!

 

[ArosaRacer]

looking good Pat now turbo it!!!

 

[UncleFester]

LOL Gaz i'd need to learn how to drive first ... oh and find about 5k

 

[m0rk]

I've been eyeballing one of these as a replacement for the MX5 when that gets too rusty.... The older ones are getting super cheap now

 

[UncleFester]

Service history and proof of it is more important than age with these, they do NOT like being low on oil, they're very sensitive to geometry and siezed adjusters and there's quite a few sensors that can play up. Clutches last about 100k ... but if you go in with your eyes open and can throw a spanner around, I reckon you'd have some fun.

Mechanical over rev can do nasty things to them and there's no FREDS to stop it on the way down the box.

I reckon you'd pick up a 2000/2001 minter with most of the above work done wth FHSH for between 5k and 6k

 

[Elmo85]

Interesting thread this as I'm an ex S2K owner myself. I like the red and black theme you've got going there. Looks Smart! My SEAT Toledo has a black and Red Theme.

Judging by the start of the thread you have had the car for quite some time now and obviously enjoy it! I know exactly what you mean about the noise with the roof off. Nothing quite like VTEC in the middle of a warm summers night with the roof off is there

I remember the first time I did that then proceeded to wash the windscreen with the roof off at 50mph+ Something only S2K owners know never to do unless they want a shower. haha.

I had an apexi filter on mine with cold intake and a cusco front strut brace which really tightened up the car. Unfortunately I could never quite warm to the car on a deeper level, although VTEC and the general idea behind the car is good. I didn't like the inherent instability at higher speeds, skittishness and the snap oversteer I did not enjoy. Mine was an AP1 in Silverstone Grey so I often wonder if my reservations on it's handling were due to the fact my car was "pre" facelift and before the revisions of the AP2. But several friends and other owners used to know commented the same. I always felt like I didn't want to push too hard as it would bite, where as some other cars encourage you to balance and work with the car more akin to an MX5 or BMW 3 series balance.

They are quite nice cars, but strangely enough I don't miss mine. The lack of torque, no glove box and no door pockets used to really get on my nerves for some reason. They are great fun during the summer ! I'm glad I owned one for a while, but I definitely don't regret moving on to my E46 M3.

I like your wheels in black, I chose to do mine in deep Gun Metal Grey.

Have you thought about getting a larger wind deflector? Looks like you have a low down one. Although it obscures rear view mirror vision. It made a massive improvement to wind buffeting on mine at higher speeds with the roof down.

Keep up the good work !!

Just for some S2K Nostalgia and so you don't feel alone, here's a few pictures of how mine looked and sounded Brings back some memories ! (The Last One Is a video if you click it )