RE: You Know You Want To: Honda S2000
Discussion
Gave a friend of the wife a lift home in her one when she twisted her ankle, and couldn't drive it. Naturaly, made full use of the rev counter. Annoyed wifes friend complained the next day I'd driven like a hooligan, and tried to blow her engine up! She apparently never went over 3000rpm to 'make it last longer' !!!
jason61c said:
excel monkey said:
The insurance example was 3x the cost of a Boxster S or Nissan 350Z. Neither of those are MX5s...
Sorry you've lost me a little???I was trying to point out that other 2 seater sports cars (with more power) are much much cheaper to insure, and there's seems to be no explanation for this other than the accident rate. All those accidents can't just be "crap drivers who don't know what they're doing".
Looks like thats new style roof with glass window as oppose to the plastic. So may have been replaced.
For 4k I cannot think of a better roadster for the Money. They are fantastic cars to drive and if you can look past the MX-5 looking dashboard and centre console your on to winner.
Had a 3.0 Z4 2 years ago and ever since I parted with it wanted another one. (I'd even buy the same car back!) Test drove an S2000 before going for the Z4 and thought it was great! The revs it went to and noise it made doing it was just fantastic! Only thing I didn't like at the time was the cramped cabin. Other than that, happy days.
For 4k I cannot think of a better roadster for the Money. They are fantastic cars to drive and if you can look past the MX-5 looking dashboard and centre console your on to winner.
Had a 3.0 Z4 2 years ago and ever since I parted with it wanted another one. (I'd even buy the same car back!) Test drove an S2000 before going for the Z4 and thought it was great! The revs it went to and noise it made doing it was just fantastic! Only thing I didn't like at the time was the cramped cabin. Other than that, happy days.
Edited by Nicholls22 on Thursday 13th September 13:15
jason61c said:
I don't get all this crap about the handling.
The fact is they're a high power(light weight) RWD car, most are crashed because people don't know how to drive them properly. The one person I know who crashed one lifted off mid corner and didn't understand why he went backwards into a ditch.
Most people who buy them would be better off in a mx5 with 100+less bhp, at least they can be assured that they won't crash from going too fast
Ditto.The fact is they're a high power(light weight) RWD car, most are crashed because people don't know how to drive them properly. The one person I know who crashed one lifted off mid corner and didn't understand why he went backwards into a ditch.
Most people who buy them would be better off in a mx5 with 100+less bhp, at least they can be assured that they won't crash from going too fast
I bought mine just over a year ago, and have done a fair few miles in it now, it gets driven hard but driven in the right way for the conditions and only once have I had a twitchy moment where there was a torrential down pour and a huge amount of standing water, but when I backed off it was fine.
I think the people that are putting them into ditches must either love using the Vtec even when it's wet or put crap tyres on, it is supposed to be very sensitive to the types of tyres used.
On the whole though they're cracking VFM.
Few things to watch out for, Cam chain tensioner rattling, expensive fix (£250ish), the OEM exhaust seems to fatigure on the entrance to one of the back boxes, i've just replaced mine, and it's one piece from the CAT back, so not the cheapest fix although my good second hand OEM exhaust was only £100, Gearboxes - early cars have a problem with the output shaft bearings, listen carefully to see if it's noisy, second hand boxes are normally around £450, roofs can be replaced with mohair ones for £450, and you can upgrade them to a glass window.
I know I don't want to... because I already did 
I picked up a red one in February for £4500. I'd wanted one since I was a teenager when they came out. I remember a 6th former at my (posh!) school had one as his first car (lucky sod) and I knew I had to have one.
I did the spontaneous thing and bought the first one I saw that fitted my brief, pre 2001 for the tax, under £5k, red and with the spoiler and front lip. Turned out to be a bit of a gem, one of the previous owners had it for eight years and looked after it meticulously.
Still believe as per the article it's the best value for money sports car available. Fantastic to drive, incredible high revving engine, beautiful interior, everything you could want.
I find the steering perfect, despite the negative comments and I may just have got lucky but I find it's easy on oil and even fuel if you don't VTEC it everywhere!
It looks from the picture (and no mention in the advert) that this one's got a retro fitted glass screen (they're slightly smaller) too.
I picked up a red one in February for £4500. I'd wanted one since I was a teenager when they came out. I remember a 6th former at my (posh!) school had one as his first car (lucky sod) and I knew I had to have one.
I did the spontaneous thing and bought the first one I saw that fitted my brief, pre 2001 for the tax, under £5k, red and with the spoiler and front lip. Turned out to be a bit of a gem, one of the previous owners had it for eight years and looked after it meticulously.
Still believe as per the article it's the best value for money sports car available. Fantastic to drive, incredible high revving engine, beautiful interior, everything you could want.
I find the steering perfect, despite the negative comments and I may just have got lucky but I find it's easy on oil and even fuel if you don't VTEC it everywhere!
It looks from the picture (and no mention in the advert) that this one's got a retro fitted glass screen (they're slightly smaller) too.
excel monkey said:
You were arguing the case for the S2000's handling, along the lines of "it's a powerful sports car, what do you expect?"
I was trying to point out that other 2 seater sports cars (with more power) are much much cheaper to insure, and there's seems to be no explanation for this other than the accident rate. All those accidents can't just be "crap drivers who don't know what they're doing".
They don't have a complex traction control system, the engines aren't quite as linear and they're designed to be a little more fun to drive.I was trying to point out that other 2 seater sports cars (with more power) are much much cheaper to insure, and there's seems to be no explanation for this other than the accident rate. All those accidents can't just be "crap drivers who don't know what they're doing".
To help with the insurance questions, the reason is partly due to the rear suspension links - they can be problematic later in life and it's a massive job (c.£2k) to fix and so many people have claimed this through their insurance. I found this out through speaking with Honda directly as I was a little relucatant to beleive it myself!
Either way, buy a car with history and spend a little cash on the consumables and without a doubt it'll be great fun and shouldn't depreciate.
Either way, buy a car with history and spend a little cash on the consumables and without a doubt it'll be great fun and shouldn't depreciate.
jason61c said:
I don't get all this crap about the handling.
The fact is they're a high power(light weight) RWD car, most are crashed because people don't know how to drive them properly. The one person I know who crashed one lifted off mid corner and didn't understand why he went backwards into a ditch.
Most people who buy them would be better off in a mx5 with 100+less bhp, at least they can be assured that they won't crash from going too fast
It's not as simple as that with the S2000 though. I found the lack of steering feedback meant cornering was a bit of a "leap of faith" thing - sure it's okay once you can know/guess what's going to happen, but driving a friend's car (I owned a TVR Chimaera at the time) I just didn't feel confident to push it at all. In my view, it's not just a question of "you crashed it because you don't know what you're doing in a powerful rwd car". The fact is they're a high power(light weight) RWD car, most are crashed because people don't know how to drive them properly. The one person I know who crashed one lifted off mid corner and didn't understand why he went backwards into a ditch.
Most people who buy them would be better off in a mx5 with 100+less bhp, at least they can be assured that they won't crash from going too fast
Great cars though, stunning engine, great looks, brilliant roof, and a bargain
The S2000 is an epic car. Friend has one and can't speak highly enough of it and of course the F20c is an amazing engine. As are all the Vtec engines for that matter.
Oh, and what is with the slating of the Logo?! I drive a Logo currently untill my money comes through for my DC2 Integra Type R! It'll out spec a similar age fiesta, corsa etc etc all day!
Oh, and what is with the slating of the Logo?! I drive a Logo currently untill my money comes through for my DC2 Integra Type R! It'll out spec a similar age fiesta, corsa etc etc all day!
robinessex said:
Gave a friend of the wife a lift home in her one when she twisted her ankle, and couldn't drive it. Naturaly, made full use of the rev counter. Annoyed wifes friend complained the next day I'd driven like a hooligan, and tried to blow her engine up! She apparently never went over 3000rpm to 'make it last longer' !!!
Benjaminbopper said:
To help with the insurance questions, the reason is partly due to the rear suspension links - they can be problematic later in life and it's a massive job (c.£2k) to fix and so many people have claimed this through their insurance. I found this out through speaking with Honda directly as I was a little relucatant to beleive it myself!
Either way, buy a car with history and spend a little cash on the consumables and without a doubt it'll be great fun and shouldn't depreciate.
This. Well done for someone posting something a little better than 'doh, coz they all get wrapped round trees!'Either way, buy a car with history and spend a little cash on the consumables and without a doubt it'll be great fun and shouldn't depreciate.
I had a pre face lift ('00 car) as my second car (1.5 years after my test) and never had a problem with 'losing it' outside of high speed cornering on track to test the break away. In the wet don't hoon them about!
They were designed to be as damn near 50/50 weighted car to improve the handling (believe it or not).
If i had a £ for every time someone on a forum posts that they are twitchy etc etc then i'd be rich pistonhead!
I've got to be frank, know your abilities before you drive the car and don't drive like a wally!
Great deal for this motor, things i'd check that havn't already been mentioned
1) check under the rubber arch protectors for rust....notorious on Hondas and a potential car killer.
2) check your shocks and polybushes and maybe get the poly's changed on older cars
3) if your weally weally scaredy of the twitchy ickle rice mobile.....RUN 18 INCH TYRES! But you will lose acceleration and the sharpness of the handling.
4) get rid of the original box and get an aftermarket on as the weight reudction is noticeable
5) changing the air filter only produces more noise and NOT hp
There are more and more younger drivers and the modding scene getting into these cars, i hope that doesn't mean there is a big spike in smashed up S's...we will see.
I hope whoever buys this little bargain enjoys it as much as i enjoyed my ownership. Best gear box i've ever driven, reminds me of a Lee Enfield rifle bolt!
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