thinking of importing this s2000

[BigMass]

my search for an S2000 that meets my wants in Canada has been fruitless. Same 2-3 cars on the auto trader week in week out. Therefore i have decided to import. I'm almost ready to pull the trigger on this one, just wanted to see what your guys' opinion was. Thanks



01 berlina black with berlina hardtop. the car has 39k and less than 1k on new motor. car has comptech coilovers, t1r test pipe, toda header, apexi exhaust and vafc, oem rear spoiler. asking 18k with hardtop and listed parts and 15,000 stock with no hardtop. not selling hardtop unless car sell with, so please don't ask. car has an 03 heed that has been cut milled, new rods and new pistons that have also been cut. car has a little over 12.8 to 1.

the car dropped the number 4 intake valve. i bought a used 03 head and had it decked, new valves and springs, seals. replaced all pistons, rods, rings and bearings all were oem honda parts. the motor has 2000 miles on now have had no problems yet.i build race motors and rebuild motors all the time. i can't say that the motor will hold up for 200,000 miles b/c you never know, but i can tell you that the motor has been built right. thanks

[Mitsu3000gt]

Looks like a nice car but I bet it's had the absolute piss driven off of it. You have to in order for it to go fast anyways. All the mods scare me personally, only because people don't do all that and then drive them nicely.

[LilDrunkenSmurf]

Ya, but honda's can take being bagged. That's the great part. You have to, and it can take it. They said on top gear that the car LOVES being taken to redline, so it's all good.

[BigMass]

i know a few people in the US that Auto cross and Solo 1 their S2000, daily drive them as well and are over 120k miles on their car. S2000 is so basic, not much can go wrong with it barring bad luck. As long as this guy took care of the car, i could care less if it was tracked. Thats what this car was ment to do.

[teggypimp95]

I wouldent even think about that one. Hell no. Its been bagged on, to many mods, and who knows if they guy has even built the motor right. Sounds like problems to me i wouldent even think about it. You better to find a stock one.

[SilverBoost]

I've never been a fan of S2Ks, but with that hardtop and the black on black look, that car looks tight.

The engine work rasies a little flag. There are some engine builders that I wouldn't hesitate buying from, but just from "some guy" well.... I don't know, but how can you prove it isn't done right until it blows up on you, or starts to become an oil burner.

And I agree that in general mods to a car certaily indicate a certain level of spirited driving, but that doesn't really bother me. I bag on my own car becaue I know how I've built it and when something breaks I fix it right.... it's better than having parts go because the car sat in your driveway too long and things broke because of neglect.

Personally, I'd prob buy a good unmodded one and sink my own time and money into it and know EXACLTY how it was built so I coudl track down a problem easier when it happened. There's nothign worse than somethign going wrong and not having a clue whgere to look.... wiring comes to mind.

Good luck either way.

[ninjak84]

Looks nice, but it's been beaten like a red-headed step-child.


i build race motors and rebuild motors all the time. i can't say that the motor will hold up for 200,000 miles b/c you never know, but i can tell you that the motor has been built right.

lol

I wouldn't buy it unless you're getting a good price on it.

[Weapon_R]

Sounds like the typical forest lawn resident. "Builds race cars all the time" like every guy here who has a rusted Trans Am in their back yard.

I'd stay away. Price is right but the engine work at only 39k would steer me away.

[euro_racer]

Originally posted by SilverBoost


Personally, I'd prob buy a good unmodded one and sink my own time and money into it and know EXACLTY how it was built so I coudl track down a problem easier when it happened. There's nothign worse than somethign going wrong and not having a clue whgere to look.... wiring comes to mind.


:werd: :werd: :werd: i would almost never buy a modded car, expecially one with motor work. best bet is to go with a stock one and do the work yourself, it can reduce headaches in the long-run and sometimes it can be cheaper when it comes to repairs :thumbsup:

car does look very sharp though

[tapout]

Originally posted by teggypimp95
I wouldent even think about that one. Hell no. Its been bagged on, to many mods, and who knows if they guy has even built the motor right. Sounds like problems to me i wouldent even think about it. You better to find a stock one. :werd:

[waypastfast]

You can find non-modded S2K's for around 18 to 20K US with similiar mileage and in way better condition.....IMO

[BigMass]

thanks for the replys guys. Yeah i dont think im going to go for it. The whole "buying the car sight unseen" thing is getting to me. I'll just wait locally for one to pop up eventually.

[240sxTurbo]

poop

[Toms-SC]

bling fo you s2000 fo sho

[T78Supra1]

If all the work is done right its a steal.....however if its done wrong you have a shitter. Are you a Risk Taker?

I would get him to send you a compression test and a picture/video of some of the spark plugs.

[Audio_Rookie]

12.8 to 1 compression.....

thats interesting....most vehicles are borderline getting away with 11:1 on premium gas.

[arian_ma]

Yo man on S2Ki there are so many nicer cars with better deals.
If you are willing to spend like 22-25k you can get yourself a really ncie car!
Don't go for the cheapest of the cheap, there's a reason why they're priced the way they are. And engines blow for a reason as well...
I'd say beware, SPECIALLY since you'll be buying blind.

[riceeater]

yeah i'd stay way clear... the engine was obviously abused, and just because he rebuilt the engine, doesnt mean that the tranny and clutch aren't just waiting to go :dunno:

what i loved about getting my car from the states was just how much selection there is... pretty sure the SRT4 is just as rare if not rarer than the S2k and i had tons to choose from so i just lowballed everyone till someone with a nice car bit the bullet and took my offer :nut: that's what you should do... give it time and you'll find amazing deals

[legendboy]

pass

buy a completely stock un molested s2k

[BigMass]

yep while its not going to be this one, i have a few others in the pipeline and i WILL get an S2000 before next spring track season. I have the money so its not a matter of wasting people's time, im just so picky with everything i do that it not only drives me crazy, it drivers people around me crazy lol... Soon enough though, soon enough. Currently im abandoning the USA idea and looking out east

[JAYMEZ]

Ugh that car scares me , its been raped... Stay away!

[4doorj]

there were some really good deals here on beyond... people were selling them for like 24k.... super super cheap in my opinion....
if u find a us car for like 17k usd... its close to 22-23k by the time your done... i would of rather picked one up here that u can see/ test drive and yeah.... haha
but those cheaper ones are gone now.. but a few might pop up soon

[4doorj]

if i were u and had the money i would go with this one!
he just bought it... dropped tons of money... right before winter so hasnt really had time to bag on it... rare white with blue interior....
faster then a stock s2000!
i would totally go for this one:drool:
http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.php?s=&threadid=148458&highlight=s2000

[fordo_11]

Originally posted by BigMass
thanks for the replys guys. Yeah i dont think im going to go for it. The whole "buying the car sight unseen" thing is getting to me. I'll just wait locally for one to pop up eventually.

If you are afraid of buying a car without seeing it then I definately wouldn't buy this. but if you are willing to import and can afford the trip you should head down to Cali and take a look around (maybe build a list of cars you want to see) then who knows you could find something and actually get to see it before you buy. But like everyone else said I am willing to bet this car has had the piss driven out of it and I doubt the guy is as good with engines as he wants you to believe.

[sr20dets13]

"the car has 39k and less than 1k on new motor"


well tells you he probably blew the first motor at 39k lol

[Cody D]

Originally posted by riceeater
pretty sure the SRT4 is just as rare if not rarer than the S2k

Que?

[Darkane]

It says right in the top the car dropped the #4 intake valve. I remember seeing a Honda tuning article where another guy dropped a valve. This occured because of a miss shift. Its possible if he Autocrosses it. That also explains new pistons and rods, may have stretched a rod or two. Ask for pics of the build up, get him to video a compression test.

BTW im not sure where in the states this car is, but at some pumps you can get 100octance fuel. 12.8C/R WILL run on premium here because of our elevation. Make sure you tune this thing. All it said was VAFC. This thing needs an AEM EMS bad. Good luck.

EDIT: I also highly doubt this thing has 12.8:1 or higher. Reason being that would involve one hell of a head mill which would Throw off timing, and possible piston to valve clearance issues. IMHO buy a stock one. If you know about motors this is a steal.

[Whitetiger]

sounds too good to be true anyways

[arian_ma]

Originally posted by Whitetiger
sounds too good to be true anyways

It's not, with winter here and everything, prices of these RWD convertibles have gone way down (Yes, even in warm places like California). You can find some at GREAT deals right now on S2Ki.com

I was checking it out a couple of days ago and there were a large number of cars for sale at or around that price range which could be imported into Canada for 22k or less. It's just the matter of whether you have the patience and the balls to wait for your unseen car for a whole month.
I am pretty sure the OP is very happy he didn't buy that car right now and even happier about some of the amazing deals on S2Ki right now.

UPADTE OP, and GL man, it's an amazing car.

[BigMass]

:thumbsup: sure... im looking at a couple right now in Ontario. I also got a few board members wanting to sell theirs but they want about a 4000 permium over what i want to import for. Which is fair considering the Calgary market but i'll wait for now and see what pans out. Just have to face it, Canada is the land of the Ford F150 not the small japanese sports car.

Still torn between buying a nice well priced 00 or 01 or hold out for an 02... Not that easy when the stocks are so low to hold out like it is down south

[Weapon_R]

Why on earth would you prefer an Eastern car over a U.S. purchased one? Find a reputable member on a U.S. S2K forum and buy your car. My friends Eastern-bought 2001 nissan pathfinder has a layer of rust on the undercarriage so bad you can't even see the original black steel anymore.

[BigMass]

because to import from the US its pretty much ending up costing me a flat fee... around $6000 on a $22000 car. If i was importing a Ferrari the $6000 in fees is nothing. On a $20k car its a lot. I'd have to ship the car etc. In the end its going to cost the same as buying from Ontario if not more.

I know people that buy from Ontario. Its a lot different then buying from Quebec

[Ek9Max]

Originally posted by 4doorj
if i were u and had the money i would go with this one!
he just bought it... dropped tons of money... right before winter so hasnt really had time to bag on it... rare white with blue interior....
faster then a stock s2000!
i would totally go for this one:drool:
http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.php?s=&threadid=148458&highlight=s2000

I agree! :)

[GTS Jeff]

Originally posted by LilDrunkenSmurf
Ya, but honda's can take being bagged. That's the great part. You have to, and it can take it. They said on top gear that the car LOVES being taken to redline, so it's all good.

:rofl: :rofl: Honda fanboy post of the year..:rofl: :rofl:

[SilverBoost]

I don't know what the big deal is with Ontario cars and people being afraid of them. There's just as much junk on the road here as there is there. Yeah sure, there are a lot more with rust damage there, but there are alos a lot more here with the shit licked off the front by rocks and the windshields smashed out. If you do your research, you can find amazing cars in Ontario. And we are talking abuot an S2K here, not exactly a winter car.

[lilmira]

Originally posted by SilverBoost
I don't know what the big deal is with Ontario cars and people being afraid of them. There's just as much junk on the road here as there is there. Yeah sure, there are a lot more with rust damage there, but there are alos a lot more here with the shit licked off the front by rocks and the windshields smashed out. If you do your research, you can find amazing cars in Ontario. And we are talking abuot an S2K here, not exactly a winter car.

Rock chips can be painted over, windshield can be replaced. Rust is there to stay. The only good thing about rust? It does reduce the weight of the car. :D

[rc2002]

^ Not to mention safety. I wouldn't trust my life in a car with a frame that's been rusted out.

I might consider summer only driven cars from the east, but not older daily drivers. You might save some money but it'll cost more in maintenance because it's that much more work to deal with all the rust underneath the car.

[SilverBoost]

I think to many people actually believe that Ontario and East of Ontario has roads covered with the rust falling off of all the cars. My car is an 02 and it's first 2 years it saw winter driving and I never had the car rust checked. I challenge someone to tell me my car is rusted out. :rolleyes: It's far from it. That car got detailed once a week to make sure it stayed rustfree.

Anyway, BIGMASS, trust me, don't let the talk get to you. If you do your research you can find a mint car on Ontario. I'm from the east coast, and I also lived in Toronto for 5 years. Yeah, there's lot's of rusted out crap on the roads, when it comes to daily drivers who never wash their cars or get them rust proffed etc etc, but when it comes to enthusiasts cars, such as an S2K, more times than not, it's NOT going to be some rustbucket. Just my 2 cents of course, but at least I have experience with it.

[lilmira]

True enough. Not all eastern cars are rusted inside out.
I prefer to look at the car myself before buying it regardless of where it is from or who the owner is.

[BigMass]

thanks guys but i just got my new S2000. Actually found in Calgary. Its an 01, paid 27,000 for it. But get this.. 13,000 km on the clock. The thing is showroom. Thanks again!

[SilverBoost]

Originally posted by BigMass
thanks guys but i just got my new S2000. Actually found in Calgary. Its an 01, paid 27,000 for it. But get this.. 13,000 km on the clock. The thing is showroom. Thanks again!

well congrats on that, but we won't believe a word of it until you post pics. :D

[eur0]

yea really, post some pictures...congrats on the purchase, good price for those km's

[BigMass]

i will, its not in my hands yet. My car broker is getting it 3M for me as well as a small winshield chip fixed. Gonna have it this Saturday. Still trying to figure out if i should buy winters and drive it year round or buy a beater. Even driving a car year round i only put about 15,000km / year on it tops so i dont know... tough choice since my cash is going to be low for a while after this

[max_boost]

Are you keeping your RSX? If so, park the S2K!

Wow you picked up a real gem. Congrats! Was it listed in the trader? HOw did you find it?

[waypastfast]

great deal with that kinda mileage!!

[SilverBoost]

Originally posted by BigMass
i will, its not in my hands yet. My car broker is getting it 3M for me as well as a small winshield chip fixed. Gonna have it this Saturday. Still trying to figure out if i should buy winters and drive it year round or buy a beater. Even driving a car year round i only put about 15,000km / year on it tops so i dont know... tough choice since my cash is going to be low for a while after this

well I kind of winter drive mine. Back on the east coast once it's winter, it's pretty much winter until freakin June. But here I mean besides the odd snow covered day which only lasts a short time, the main roads are pretty much clear all winter. My turbo loves the cold so why deprive it of that. :) I don't drive it like I do in the summer though, just mostly on weekends if it's nice out. You have to live with the added risk of chips and broken windshields though.

[arian_ma]

Originally posted by BigMass
i will, its not in my hands yet. My car broker is getting it 3M for me as well as a small winshield chip fixed. Gonna have it this Saturday. Still trying to figure out if i should buy winters and drive it year round or buy a beater. Even driving a car year round i only put about 15,000km / year on it tops so i dont know... tough choice since my cash is going to be low for a while after this

Sell your RSX and drive the S year round on winters!
If you have experience with RWD you will be completely fine, as this car lacks torque so badly that you couldn't spin out if you wanted to (figure of speech of course :angel: )
If you havn't driven RWD in winter, just go in a parking lot and test it out late at night. All you gotta do is be super progressive with the throttle. Take it easy and slowly accelerate.
I am driving mine currently, and we are super lucky with the weather, but man, this car is such an amazing and exhilirating ride. The only bad part about it is the sound system. I could build better speakers than the ones in the car.
Oh well I guess that's really not the point of the car anyways! :D

[BigMass]

i am going to sell my RSX for sure. Its an awesome car, but i cant afford 2 cars in that price range. If anything i'll buy a beater. If not i'll just winter drive it. I already got a hard top coming for it.

As for how i got it, i have a good friend that sourses cars for people. Ultimate Motorcars. He usually deals with Porsches and higher but for his friends he'll go a little more ghetto lol. He has connections with all the dealers that sometimes get rare gems as trade-ins. This one happened to be a trade-in on a 911. Never hit the open market, i guess good cars like this rarely do.

[4doorj]

Originally posted by arian_ma

as this car lacks torque so badly that you couldn't spin out if you wanted to (figure of speech of course :angel: )


are u kidding me??i hope u r....
the rear is very twichy in winter especially when its icy!!!
u have to learn to become a better winter driver with the s... with awsome winters it can be done..... but my no means just because it lacks torque u wont spin out.... u obviously havent driven on snowy/icy roads with the s2000
the good thing is that if u loose control... its pretty easy to gain control again....
s2000 in winter is fun though i will say that for sure:burnout:

[jdm_eg6]

Buy it if you want a Weekend track car, or a car you want to tear down and build it from ground up to be a sort of track/race car. Other wise a daily driver i wouldnt touch it. Save your time and effort on a car a little less... ass ramed until the poo shot out its face haha.

[Impreza]

I drive my S2000 daily (parked for winter though). I have no complaints watsoever. It really isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be for a daily driver. It puts a smile to my face everytime I get in it!

Congrats on the purchase! It is a car you will love!

[arian_ma]

Originally posted by 4doorj


are u kidding me??i hope u r....
the rear is very twichy in winter especially when its icy!!!
u have to learn to become a better winter driver with the s... with awsome winters it can be done..... but my no means just because it lacks torque u wont spin out.... u obviously havent driven on snowy/icy roads with the s2000
the good thing is that if u loose control... its pretty easy to gain control again....
s2000 in winter is fun though i will say that for sure:burnout:

Yeah dude I was just kidding, I havn't driven on ice yet but the rear is deffinately slide happy and super twitchy. I just watch my throttle control and accelerate super slowly when there's any ice/snow around.
Pics of new car? :D

[4doorj]

^hahah ok word up then:D

[BigMass]

Originally posted by SilverBoost


well congrats on that, but we won't believe a word of it until you post pics. :D

:) here it is!

http://www3.telus.net/devilito/s2000.JPG

[pyar_deewane]

minty fresh goodness:burnout:

[4doorj]

nice car!:thumbsup:

[SilverBoost]

Nice man. Now let the modding begin. :D :thumbsup:

[BigMass]

Originally posted by SilverBoost
Nice man. Now let the modding begin. :D :thumbsup:

not going to do much to it since its such a nicely balanced car stock. But i'm going to get a black hard top, some lightweight gunmetal wheels (dont know exactly what yet) and possible a single outlet exhaust for weight savings/sound, etc.

She's gonna see the road course a lot next year thats for sure. I'm going to drive it like it was ment to be driven

[SilverBoost]

Originally posted by BigMass

But i'm going to get a black hard top, some lightweight gunmetal wheels (dont know exactly what yet) and possible a single outlet exhaust for weight savings/sound, etc.

Nice man. Yeah, the stock wheels are kinda bla. Those gunmetals will look sharp man. And with the lightweight wheels you won't sacrifice performance. Hardtop will definitely improve the looks. I gotta admit that it's the fact that it's a convertible that never really appealed to me, but with the hardtop it starts to take on a great look. Just my opinion.


Originally posted by BigMass

She's gonna see the road course a lot next year thats for sure. I'm going to drive it like it was ment to be driven

Good to hear.... nothing worse than owning a car built for "X" and driving it like "Y" :D

[Cody D]

Personally I think the Mugen hardtop is the best, much nicer looking than the OEM one. I don't think the first one is the Mugen, but it is the same shape, I believe the Mugen has an indentation running down the center.

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/1364/dsc019891xe2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/7306/01s2000kv4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[2.2vtec]

^^^:drool: :drool: :drool: thats a hot s2000!

[SilverBoost]

See, that car with a hardtop, sex.

With a softtop, meh. Still a performer, but minus the hard looks. :)

[Impreza]

The hardtop is a great touch, but there is nothing like driving top down! If I didn't park my S in the winter, I'd definetly splurge on a Mugen hardtop.

Congrats again on the awesome purchase.

[BigMass]

drove it all day today. No problem with weather like this. However, it sounded like the undercarrige was getting machine gunned to death with all this stupid gravel on the road. Felt like i was offroading on city streets. I'm definaltely buying a beater. After today there is no way i can keep doing this my new car. The S2000 is one of those cars i want to have 15 years down the road. I am totally in love with how this car drives and sounds. So raw and minimalistic.

[Cody D]

Originally posted by BigMass
The S2000 is one of those cars i want to have 15 years down the road. I am totally in love with how this car drives and sounds. So raw and minimalistic.

You're making me want to buy one and I just got done convincing myself it wasn't a good idea.

[BigMass]

Originally posted by Cody D


You're making me want to buy one and I just got done convincing myself it wasn't a good idea.

its one of those cars that when i drive it, nothing about it lets me down. It does everything it was ment to do. The car handles amazingly. Just the right amount of oversteer when pushed hard into a corner (people actually complained about this???)

The engine is a thing of marvel that should sit alongside TVR I6, Ferrari V8s and Lambo V12s. The power is perfect for this car. It's not a drag racer and the people that complain about it's speed off the line are perhaps looking at the wrong tool for the job. This thing was meant to fly on a road course.

There is wind noise, there is zero storage up front, (although the trunk has more than ample space), the ride is harsh, the plastic rear window is garbage and the engine is noisy due to the lack of a lot of sound deadening. But if you care about those things why would you buy an S2000 in the first place. I wouldn’t buy a Ferrari F40 and complain about the lack of carpeting and lack of heated leather seats. It's asinine.

Cant wait for Spring!

[4doorj]

^is your wind noise pretty unbearable?
do u have to yell to your passenger... if so you probably need to change your strikers
i thought it was normall because it was a vert....
but its fixable

[BigMass]

Originally posted by 4doorj
^is your wind noise pretty unbearable?
do u have to yell to your passenger... if so you probably need to change your strikers
i thought it was normall because it was a vert....
but its fixable

It was horrible but i put some rubber vacuum hose over the hook part of the striker and now it seals a lot tighter and its fine. Theyre going to be changed out anyways when the hard top comes in i guess.

[4doorj]

^okay.. then your ok... cause yeah the hardtop stikers fix the problem
so since your getting a ht u dont have to worry