Buyer Beware: 2001 NFR S2000 in Kelowna, B.C.

[jaylo]

Just a heads up for all looking for an s2000 like me.


Buyer beware on this one

http://kelowna.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-2001-Honda-S2000-Convertible-W0QQAdIdZ284436140

He drove in to Calgary Thursday night to show me the car. I took my time inspecting this car and found these:

PROS
-newer soft top
-all maintenance records
-CarProof came out clean
-new windshield
-recent alignment

CONS
1. recent rear bumper accident
2. engine work done, seller would not explain what
3. transmission whining (you can feel it also on the shift knob, abnormal) on 1st, 2nd gear, and when off throttle
4. Florida lease car, then purchased from CA dealership
5. musty smell inside the car, windshield fogs at night, possibly flood damaged
6. looks like car bottomed out, hopped a curb denting the underside of the passenger door. Seller had "no idea" what happened
7. brakes spongy
8. front bumper missing some paint and pelted with rock chips

Quite a fixer-upper but not worth $12,500 firm.

Jay

[Kloubek]

You had him drive all the way from BC for you to just *look* at it? That's rare...

[CMW403]

Yeah wow, how the fuck did you get the seller to drive to you?

I wish I would have known you had this ability before I bought my GTR.

[ekguy]

Link not working...Quite possibly has been taken down.

[jampack]

Maybe he's coming here anyway? But how the OP said it, it does sound like he drove here from BC just to have OP *look* at the car. That IS rare.

[J-hop]

Kelowna Kijiji search returned this one?

http://kelowna.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-2001-Honda-S2000-Convertible-W0QQAdIdZ284436140

but that is for 12,900

just going over your list, I notice you say it has a newer top, and then in the cons you say it has a musty smell, with a convertible the last thing i'd attribute that to is flood damage, i think its probably a safer bet that the old top possible leaked which is why a new one was purchased. 1st and 2nd gear and when off throttle suggests to me possibly worn engine or tranny mounts which is typical for a 10 year old car IMO, whining sound i don't like though.

what other damage was there other than the dent on the door (ie: was there massive undercarriage damage from the curb jump), I can't count the number of times i've had passengers open doors into things without thinking, like curbs, poles etc, the seller might possible not actually know how that happened.

to fix the spongy brakes it would probably be a matter of a brake bleed.

10 y/o car with rock chips on the front bumper??? :confused: :D

to me it just sounds like this car was owned by a typical non-enthusiast who just drove the car and didn't really care all that much to keep it in pristine condition. This could either be a great reason to stay away or a non-issue.

[jaylo]

Originally posted by CMW403
Yeah wow, how the fuck did you get the seller to drive to you?

I wish I would have known you had this ability before I bought my GTR.

Ask the seller nicely? :dunno:

[J-hop]

Originally posted by jaylo


Ask the buyer nicely? :dunno:

(i assume you meant seller)

crazy, I think my buddy from Kelowna says it takes him 6 hours. So 12 hrs of driving plus the cost of food, gas and accommodation if the guy didn't do it all in one night and the guy probably spent $300 just to have someone pass on the car.

Poor seller, guy sounds like he isn't very experienced or really thought the OP wanted to buy the car.

hope you at least bought him a coffee for his troubles, even though you didn't like the car

[jaylo]

Originally posted by J-hop
Kelowna Kijiji search returned this one?

http://kelowna.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-trucks-2001-Honda-S2000-Convertible-W0QQAdIdZ284436140

but that is for 12,900

just going over your list, I notice you say it has a newer top, and then in the cons you say it has a musty smell, with a convertible the last thing i'd attribute that to is flood damage, i think its probably a safer bet that the old top possible leaked which is why a new one was purchased. 1st and 2nd gear and when off throttle suggests to me possibly worn engine or tranny mounts which is typical for a 10 year old car IMO, whining sound i don't like though.

what other damage was there other than the dent on the door (ie: was there massive undercarriage damage from the curb jump), I can't count the number of times i've had passengers open doors into things without thinking, like curbs, poles etc, the seller might possible not actually know how that happened.

to fix the spongy brakes it would probably be a matter of a brake bleed to fix.

10 y/o car with rock chips on the front bumper??? :confused: :D

to me it just sounds like this car was owned by a typical non-enthusiast who just drove the car and didn't really care all that much to keep it in pristine condition. This could either be a great reason to stay away or a non-issue.

Regarding your post, he wanted 12,500 FIRM for the car and would not budge.

Transmission differential and mounts could be an issue though I just drove one with 130,000KM and the shifting/feel is still top-notch.

He also noted that it was a Florida company lease car before he purchased it so that explains the negligence and the worn engine and transmission.

Spongy brakes could be fixed with a bleed, but could be other issues.

The bumper was missing some paint in areas due to scraping as high as near the fenders and the bumper looks like it was sandblasted ( you can't tell from the pictures)

[jaylo]

Originally posted by J-hop


(i assume you meant seller)

crazy, I think my buddy from Kelowna says it takes him 6 hours. So 12 hrs of driving plus the cost of food, gas and accommodation if the guy didn't do it all in one night and the guy probably spent $300 just to have someone pass on the car.

Poor seller, guy sounds like he isn't very experienced or really thought the OP wanted to buy the car.

hope you at least bought him a coffee for his troubles, even though you didn't like the car

He sounded like a motivated seller and he OFFERED to come to Calgary so I can see the car (No deposit or verbal agreement that I will buy the car for sure was made)

Yes, he came to meet me but he had other buyers in Calgary and Edmonton lined up to see the car.

I did buy him a tea at Higher Ground :D

[jaylo]

Oh yeah I should feel bad because he made the car sound like it was in absolute mint condition and when I looked at the car, it needed work and had drivetrain and body issues. :banghead: