S2000 for £4k, would you?
Discussion
Went to have a look at an S2000 yesterday advertised at £4,300 ono. Advert looked good so phoned the garage who told me the car has had 2 owners and had lots service history. Went to have a look and it turned out to be a bit of a dog! In need of a new roof, rear tyres barely legal, bubbling paintwork on rear arches, puddle of water in the boot, poorly fitting replacement windscreen, lacquer peeling on rear bumper, i could go on but those were the main items. Thing is I'm wondering if I'm expecting too much? Does £4k get anything decent? Im not bothered about age or mileage just want something thats been looked after.
For those interested in the car i went to view here it is: http://www.msltradecentre.co.uk/used-cars/honda-s2...
Oh and i forgot, someone has sprayed the alloys white and obviously couldn't be bothered to remove them! utter abomination.
For those interested in the car i went to view here it is: http://www.msltradecentre.co.uk/used-cars/honda-s2...
Oh and i forgot, someone has sprayed the alloys white and obviously couldn't be bothered to remove them! utter abomination.
LP670 said:
Does £4k get anything decent? Im not bothered about age or mileage just want something thats been looked after.
Last May I bought a 51 plate with 88k on the clock. one or two things like a cloudy rear plastic windscreen, a little flaking on the bumper and maybe a season overdue on a service - but came with a nearly new set of Dunlops, was well set up on the Geo and had clearly been well loved for most of it's life by an owners club member.I'm definitely no expert - but unless you've fallen completely in love - Id keep looking or tell him to give you a ring when he's knocked a grand off it.
Cheers!
£4,000 is quite cheap, in comparison I purchased my MY01 last October for £5,000.
It's got an inch thick wallet of history, new roof with glass window, full polybush kit, etc..
Cars for the sub-£5,000 mark are out there but few seem to be 'nice', although you could say you get what you pay for
It's got an inch thick wallet of history, new roof with glass window, full polybush kit, etc..
Cars for the sub-£5,000 mark are out there but few seem to be 'nice', although you could say you get what you pay for
Janosh said:
Hmm - a few hundred pounds on tyres, several hundred on body work, the same again for a new roof... and that addresses the obvious issues.
I'd spend around 5k and find a decent one.
I think he'd have come down £500 but for me it still wouldn't have been enough.I'd spend around 5k and find a decent one.
Going to keep looking, hopefully the right car will show up.
I paid £3750 for mine, 99 model with around 100k on it, already had a new roof with glass rear window, already on decent coil overs, already had an induction kit fitted, black with red leather.
It's been great, only things i've had to do apart from run of the mill maintenance is a new gearbox and clutch when I was at it, and a new exhaust as the original had cracked. These two items have only cost £500 including parts and labour.
I'm just in the process of getting the alloys refurbed and giving the front end a respray as it's starting to look a little rough now from stone chips etc..
Bargains are out there.
It's been great, only things i've had to do apart from run of the mill maintenance is a new gearbox and clutch when I was at it, and a new exhaust as the original had cracked. These two items have only cost £500 including parts and labour.
I'm just in the process of getting the alloys refurbed and giving the front end a respray as it's starting to look a little rough now from stone chips etc..
Bargains are out there.
EddyP said:
It's been great, only things i've had to do apart from run of the mill maintenance is a new gearbox and clutch when I was at it, and a new exhaust as the original had cracked.
Amazing post 
You may be able to do the work yourself and source used parts at good prices, but what you've described is surely what most people dread!
I paid £4500 for mine last year, import model, came with Ap2 wheels and nearly new Re050's, body was tidy enough bar the expected few small marks for a 13year old car. Chucked a new roof on it as the one on the car had faded for £250. Not a single problem with it. And as a bonus it already had a Magen exhaust on so all I've done to it is a De-cat for a touch more noise.
Clock was showing something like 108000, but mix of miles and km's so actual was about 85k. Other thing I forgot to mention was that it had recently been fully polybushed and get setup done.
De-cat has made a nice change to be.honest, the Magen isn't that loud anyway so it just upped it to a more audible level without being too boomy. If you've done the exhaust mod already then the De-cat will just give you that bit extra. I'd recommend it, ordered mine off eBay, then when the box arrived realised it came from the place that's main importer for buddy club in the UK
De-cat has made a nice change to be.honest, the Magen isn't that loud anyway so it just upped it to a more audible level without being too boomy. If you've done the exhaust mod already then the De-cat will just give you that bit extra. I'd recommend it, ordered mine off eBay, then when the box arrived realised it came from the place that's main importer for buddy club in the UK
Had mine done at a place called Jack Smith's trimmers in Swansea, came recommended by a lot of people on the S2ki forum. £250 supplied and fitted and.they'll put a glass rear screen in for you when they make the roof up.
Quick answers I was only there just over 2 hours and he did it while I was there.
Quick answers I was only there just over 2 hours and he did it while I was there.
Janosh said:
Amazing post
You may be able to do the work yourself and source used parts at good prices, but what you've described is surely what most people dread!
That price included paying someone else to fit the clutch and box as I simply couldn't be bothered You may be able to do the work yourself and source used parts at good prices, but what you've described is surely what most people dread!
I did fit the exhaust though, it took all of half an hour, it's pretty simple as its one piece, so shouldn't scare anyone really.
IMO I would buy a £4k S2000 all day long. I dont feel that cost necessarily has any bearing on weather a car is going to be reliable etc. A £12k S2000 can blow up just as a £4k one will, and they often do! You only have to look on S2ki to see many an 09 plate £12k car blowing its bottom end to bits.
So long as its been looked after I'd go for it. I've had 7 now ranging from £10k-3k and had one bottom end failure on one I paid £6k for.
So long as its been looked after I'd go for it. I've had 7 now ranging from £10k-3k and had one bottom end failure on one I paid £6k for.
Now, if you wanted to spend £5,500 then I could have the answer...
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/h...
(shameless plug I know!)
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/h...
(shameless plug I know!
)I don't think you should expect them all to be ropey.
Mine is probably worth £4-5k now and apart from starting to show a little wear on roof and a very small rust bubble it still goes like it did 8 years ago and doesn't leak, has Honda history and always had money spent on it when needed although to be fair that's only been brakes and tyres.
Mine is probably worth £4-5k now and apart from starting to show a little wear on roof and a very small rust bubble it still goes like it did 8 years ago and doesn't leak, has Honda history and always had money spent on it when needed although to be fair that's only been brakes and tyres.
Janosh said:
EddyP said:
It's been great, only things i've had to do apart from run of the mill maintenance is a new gearbox and clutch when I was at it, and a new exhaust as the original had cracked.
Amazing post You may be able to do the work yourself and source used parts at good prices, but what you've described is surely what most people dread!
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