Old S2000 refresh advice
Discussion
Hi. I've had my X-plate S2000 for almost 4 years now. I've searched everywhere for ideas of what might replace it, stopped, then realised I've actually grown rather fond of it!
I thought I'd use 2017 to spend a few quid on it and make it feel a bit more loved! I do a few track days a year but it's a second car and used mostly for fun. It's 17 years old and a bit tired; I thought I'd begin by refreshing the suspension, then get the slightly whining diff looked at...
Any recommendations for new coilovers? I don't want to drop the ride height much at all, and I don't really want the ride too much stiffer... I'll have to have lots of bits chopped out unfortunately, as the geo bolts have totally seized (common problem) although luckily they are locked in an OK setup!
I thought I'd use 2017 to spend a few quid on it and make it feel a bit more loved! I do a few track days a year but it's a second car and used mostly for fun. It's 17 years old and a bit tired; I thought I'd begin by refreshing the suspension, then get the slightly whining diff looked at...
Any recommendations for new coilovers? I don't want to drop the ride height much at all, and I don't really want the ride too much stiffer... I'll have to have lots of bits chopped out unfortunately, as the geo bolts have totally seized (common problem) although luckily they are locked in an OK setup!
Ta!
Cheaper here though...
http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/performance/coilover...
5.5% cash back from Quidco at the moment too....
Cheaper here though...
http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/performance/coilover...
5.5% cash back from Quidco at the moment too....
Bit of a thread bump, but it’s my thread, so there!
I finally got around to having this work done at TGM. I can only blame procrastination, and a small amount of reluctance in spending, essentially 50% of the car’s value on this. I’d wondered about replacing the S2000 with something completely different, selling and buying a much newer one, or improving what I already had. This car has got under my skin so much; it had to be the third option.
I had the old suspension bits chopped out and replaced as necessary, new Bilstein B14 coilovers, some work done on the back brakes, and a full service with every fluid replacing. The car was set up with a fast-road geo - nothing too aggressive, but still ‘focussed’. It took several weeks, but that was due to a delay in the Bilsteins arriving from Germany.
Tom at TGM was fantastic - great at keeping me informed and nice to chat to.
The car now feels far more sure-footed around fast corners, and the ride quality has improved dramatically over poor quality roads. The OEM shocks were nearly 20years/90k miles old and were feeling fairly tired - the car now rides and handles like it should do. I had the ride height set as close to stock as possible - I’ve previously had problems with lowered cars and speed bumps and didn’t want a repeat of that nonsense. Was it worth the money? Provisionally, I’m pretty sure it has been, but a track day at Brands next month will confirm this!
I’ve also recently replaced and packed with grease the nylon(?) components in the shifter mechanism (a 30min job, and cost around £20, most of which was the high-temp grease) which has fully restored the rifle-bolt action of one of the greatest feeing gearchanges of any car. Why didn’t I do this sooner?!
I finally got around to having this work done at TGM. I can only blame procrastination, and a small amount of reluctance in spending, essentially 50% of the car’s value on this. I’d wondered about replacing the S2000 with something completely different, selling and buying a much newer one, or improving what I already had. This car has got under my skin so much; it had to be the third option.
I had the old suspension bits chopped out and replaced as necessary, new Bilstein B14 coilovers, some work done on the back brakes, and a full service with every fluid replacing. The car was set up with a fast-road geo - nothing too aggressive, but still ‘focussed’. It took several weeks, but that was due to a delay in the Bilsteins arriving from Germany.
Tom at TGM was fantastic - great at keeping me informed and nice to chat to.
The car now feels far more sure-footed around fast corners, and the ride quality has improved dramatically over poor quality roads. The OEM shocks were nearly 20years/90k miles old and were feeling fairly tired - the car now rides and handles like it should do. I had the ride height set as close to stock as possible - I’ve previously had problems with lowered cars and speed bumps and didn’t want a repeat of that nonsense. Was it worth the money? Provisionally, I’m pretty sure it has been, but a track day at Brands next month will confirm this!
I’ve also recently replaced and packed with grease the nylon(?) components in the shifter mechanism (a 30min job, and cost around £20, most of which was the high-temp grease) which has fully restored the rifle-bolt action of one of the greatest feeing gearchanges of any car. Why didn’t I do this sooner?!
I was at Brands Indy on the 3rd - a short, but enjoyable evening on the circuit from 17:30-20:00 - the roads were deserted afterwards due to a footballing event, so the run back through the South Downs was pretty good too!
The S2000 was more sure-footed than before and I found could be pushed a little bit harder than I’ve previously done - there was a confidence in the front and a stability at the back that wasn’t there previously.
Final verdict then - it’s been worth it!
I’ve gotta say too, it was the first time I’ve booked a day with Open Track - reasonably cheap, friendly (and free!) tuition in 20-min segments, free photography and the evening ran well.
The S2000 was more sure-footed than before and I found could be pushed a little bit harder than I’ve previously done - there was a confidence in the front and a stability at the back that wasn’t there previously.
Final verdict then - it’s been worth it!
I’ve gotta say too, it was the first time I’ve booked a day with Open Track - reasonably cheap, friendly (and free!) tuition in 20-min segments, free photography and the evening ran well.
The car was totally rebushed using standard Honda bits. (Had experience with a fully Polybushed car and imo it ruined it).
The car is slightly less prone to rolling, diving under braking etc. I had the ride height set to more or less OEM, as I didnt want any problems with speed bumps etc. Ride quality on the road is good - you could easily do a road trip with the Bilsteins and not be jolted about too much. It’s firm but not crashy and doesn’t seem to tramline. Minor imperfections are dealt with well, larger potholes/lumps are felt, but aren’t overly harsh.
In all honesty, it’s probably only slightly better than when it was brand new, which isn’t a bad thing. New Honda springs/struts seemed extremely expensive, or impossible to source in an acceptable condition second hand. The improvement on components almost 20 years old was noticeable in the first 50m of driving. I’d previously ruined a perfectly good 911 Turbo with aftermarket suspension and was very careful not to repeat that experience.
The car is slightly less prone to rolling, diving under braking etc. I had the ride height set to more or less OEM, as I didnt want any problems with speed bumps etc. Ride quality on the road is good - you could easily do a road trip with the Bilsteins and not be jolted about too much. It’s firm but not crashy and doesn’t seem to tramline. Minor imperfections are dealt with well, larger potholes/lumps are felt, but aren’t overly harsh.
In all honesty, it’s probably only slightly better than when it was brand new, which isn’t a bad thing. New Honda springs/struts seemed extremely expensive, or impossible to source in an acceptable condition second hand. The improvement on components almost 20 years old was noticeable in the first 50m of driving. I’d previously ruined a perfectly good 911 Turbo with aftermarket suspension and was very careful not to repeat that experience.
s2tommi said:
Excellent news, something I am thinking of doing to mine over this winter. Do you mind sharing how much it cost to have the geo sorted at TGM?
If it’s just the geo, as in all your bolts are free to move as required, I’d have a guess at around £100. After that, it really depends how much is seized. Most of my suspension needed to be removed using a blowtorch and sledgehammer. It was properly set solid. Given that this work can take in the region of 10-12hrs, it’s not cheap. Bits will be replaced as required, but I’d budget in the region of £1-1.2k certainly.
Add on to that a set of new Bilsteins, a service, some work on the rear brakes which were beginning to bind, and the bill was large, but certainly not unexpected. Tom at GM phoned me several times along the way keeping me updated with what was happening etc.
To me, the cost was worth it. I love the car, will be keeping it for a good while yet, and can’t think of what could currently replace it.
If you’re unsure, ring them (or pop in if you’re close...). They’re really nice guys, up front, and will do as little or as much on the car as you ask them to - they certainly know what they’re doing as well. They’re about an hour’s drive from me, but for anything more than an MOT and an oil change, I’d go back.
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