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Thread: Terence's 2004 Honda S2000 Project Thread

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    Default Terence's 2004 Honda S2000 Project Thread

    Prelude:
    Welcome to my S2000 build/project thread! As an automotive enthusiast and beyond.ca member for the last few years, I thought it would be worthwhile to share my experience with you all. Included in the post(s) are pictures and commentary to supplement every stage of the build. I will try my best to keep things engaging and colourful and portray my passion for automotive enthusiasm with...enthusiasm! Another reason I am posting this thread, is because I believe that sharing your passion with the automotive enthusiast community is how the scene stays strong and grows. I hope you enjoy!



    How It Started:



    I actually wanted a white s2000. Yellow was my second choice.

    This is where the story began. I purchased this 2004 Rio Yellow Honda S2000 from an owner in Edmonton (I live in Calgary). The transaction went very well in spite of the fact that I had never actually met the owner face-to-face and did not actually see the vehicle until purchased. Long story told short: the car was well priced (originally a US car), had no problems (was fully inspected) and was in minty condition (completely stock) as the above picture might indicate. It was essentially, delivered right to my door a good week or two before our first snowfall in late 2008. Not a bad start, other than the fact that it would be a garage queen right away. I did manage to get a few days of driving in before storing it for the winter, though.


    The reason I chose an AP2 over an AP1 (wikipedia link to differences) is due to a number of factors. The AP2 is a newer car, and that naturally attracted me to getting an AP2. Also, it wasn’t too difficult finding a 2004/2005 AP2 within my budget. Upon doing (a lot of) research, I concluded that the AP2 is the more street-able of the two cars and is more updated aesthetically and functionally. A lot of s2000 enthusiasts claim that the AP1 is more raw of a car than the AP2. At the end of the day, both are essentially the same vehicle with a couple major and few minor differences that will have its supporters for each. I clearly am an AP2 supporter when given the choice (which I was), but certainly wouldn’t have minded a 9000 rpm redline. Oh well, can’t have it all! Before I get carried away and start to write a car review, I will stop here – I’m not trying to convince anyone that they should get an s2000. (It’s no RARRI but it’s an amazing car, by the way).
    Last edited by Skyline_Addict; 06-25-2009 at 09:14 AM.

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    Past to Present:
    There was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to modify certain elements of the car to my liking. Before I even got the car, I concocted a philosophy that would be the layout for my build. I’ve gone through a few Hondas since the time I started driving. Car enthusiasm was always something that was a part of me, but maturity...maybe not present at all times. All my cars went through a cycle which reflected my tuner-intelligence and budget at the time. Suffice to say that there a few things I did to my previous cars that I regret doing, but I do my best to treat it as a learning and growing experience.




    Ok, not that bad...but it was getting there.



    I would expect this s2000 project to provide me with the same type of experience when I look back at what I have accomplished/failed in a few years and move on to a new project. This is my philosophy – to always keep learning, and to express the depth of my experiences through my project. Like the car, my philosophy may be modified over time as a result of the aforementioned on-going experiences and whatever journey that I may take.



    Form and Function:
    A focal point of my philosophy is balance. The balance of the basic elements of a car – form and function – is what I am striving to achieve. So much so that it is essentially status quo, in stock relativity. I desired quality over quantity. I desired OEM characteristics over aftermarket characteristics. All of this was to be achieved (no “ifs”, “ands” or “buts”) within a reasonable, and often stingy budget.
    Embedded below is a video which depicts my feelings and philosophies in the direction I am taking my project. It’s a very long, but good video. I wanted to share it, as I’m sure many of you will enjoy it.


    Thanks to civicsi for the link.


    Now, if you remember to come back to reading my thread (or haven’t been scared away by the wall of text)...welcome back!
    Some of the points emphasized by the tuners in the video were "expression" and "lifestyle". While I am not nearly as hardcore or enthusiastic as most of these guys (I don’t think), I am an advocate of expressing one's personality through their car (and all facets of life). With that being said, I had an image in mind and my project has meticulously followed this image. My inspiration is below.




    Mugen, or as civicsi likes to say "Wugen", s2000
    Last edited by Skyline_Addict; 06-25-2009 at 02:24 AM.

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    Form:
    I am not looking to clone the Mugen S2000 right down to the reservoir sock. However, the Mugen S2000 is of great inspiration when it comes to how I want my car to look (and to some sense, function). If you were to take a look at famous tuner cars, such as J’s Racing S2000, Amuse S2000 and even Spoon S2000, these cars look like full-out race cars (which they in all respects, are). What I personally like about the Mugen S2000 is that it looks like and definitely passes as a street car (“My Dad would drive this”, says EK 2.0). My own take on it is that it looks like a car that you could buy straight from the Honda dealership with some added “dealer options” and features. That’s exactly the route I wanted to go.




    I've always liked the J's car. Imagine driving something like that on the street *cough* Jackie *cough*.



    There are barely any Mugen parts on my car as per this post, but I reiterate that my philosophy is not to clone the Mugen S2000 but to follow it’s Form/Function principles. While I do plan to add more Mugen parts (particularly the exterior) no one should be expecting extravagant GT Wings, wide-body kits with super low offset wheels, tow hooks or gutted exteriors. Don’t get me wrong, those cars look incredible and I appreciate all of the aforementioned items for what they are. However they don’t fall into the criteria in keeping my car street-able and OEM-ish inside and out. Below is tidbit of what has been added (work-in-progress) to Mugenize the s2000.




    Clearly, a downforce machine.
    Last edited by Skyline_Addict; 06-25-2009 at 02:07 AM.

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    Function:
    Abiding by my current tuning philosophy, functional or “go” modifications followed the same route as Form – quantitatively few and OEM spec (as much as possible). Wider, lighter and stronger wheels replaced the stock 17” wheels and followed the OEM geometry settings. Slightly wider tires accompanied the new wheels, also following OEM geometry settings.



    Hints...

    An exceptional street-able coilover system was installed to compliment the new wheels/tires to formulate a daily-driveable-weekend-racer s2000. The suspension settings were also such that ride quality was similar (but slightly harsher) to OEM with ride height lowered by about 2” all around to lower the center of gravity and provide a more aggressive appearance (1 finger gap between fender, front and back). As you can tell I am quite sceptical on compromising OEM characteristics, but I do feel that the front suspension settings will have to be adjusted firmer as I am having my front wheels rub against the fender during hard cornering. Fenders may also need to be rolled, which by doing so early, might make things easier in the future (hint?).



    Another hint...




    The only mechanical modification added so far is a full dual exhaust system from one on my favourite tuning companies. I like this exhaust system so much, that I have it on both my cars (the other one is my daily driver/winter car...aka Honda Fit). The reason for getting the dual system was to maintain OEM Form (the rear bumper is designed to house dual exhaust outlets) and because it is an extremely rare modification that I have not seen anyone else do (I’ve checked all the s2000 forums!). While I strongly emphasize streetability in my philosophy, the exhaust is rather obnoxious sounding (in a good way). What I really love about the exhaust system is that it looks very stock – I was very surprised how well the AP2 rear bumper housed the outlets. The system also has documented power gains.



    I have plans to compliment the exhaust system with other parts from same tuning company.
    Last edited by Skyline_Addict; 06-25-2009 at 02:27 AM.

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    The Result:
    Below is the product of all my thoughts, philosophies and work (most of the hard work was done by others, lol) over the last few months. Most of you have probably scrolled down within a few seconds of clicking on this thread and have already seen what is to follow. Some of you may have read every single word and have things you may agree/disagree with. At the end of the day, the whole purpose of this thread is to share with my fellow enthusiasts – each of whom will enjoy/dislike it in their own way. That’s what makes every enthusiast different and that’s what makes every enthusiast’s car different.


    riced and EK 2.0 are to thank for these beautiful photographs. We went out on a hot summer evening to get the shots done. These two gentlemen (along with Dj_Stylz and JKL@STRD who tagged along) completely exceeded my expectations as to what I had in mind when I had asked for a photoshoot (which I intended to use pictures from for this thread). Their enthusiasm was off-the-charts, and we visited some unique (and very secret!) locations. Most importantly, as friends and automotive enthusiasts, we had a shit-tonne of fun. Spending the evening with these guys reminded me why I love cars so much. So...............before this gets a bit on the gay side, here are the pictures!
















    Link to More Pictures (riced's Flickr)
    Last edited by Skyline_Addict; 06-25-2009 at 01:59 AM.

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    Special Thanks:

    Will and Jackie, and the crew @STRD – thank you for putting up with my bazillion questions/requests and almost daily visits to Speedtech.

    EK 2.0, riced and Dj_Stylz – great time during the photoshoot and of course, thanks for the amazing photos!

    civicsi - for linking me that great video and for the hours spent teaching me about cars

    My friends and family who put up with this hobby/obsession – a shoutout to Matt for never pissing his pants in my car no matter how fast I take a corner.



    And of course,

    beyond.ca – thank you (or curse you?) for being a platform for expressing and growing my enthusiasm for automotive culture over the last 7 years. Hope you enjoyed this thread!


    Modification List Cliffnotes as of Mar 2010:

    Suspension/Handling

    Bridgestone Potenza RE11 - F: 255/40/17 R:255/40/17 (Track)
    Falken Azenis RT615 - F:255/40/17 R: 255/40/17 (Street)
    HKS Hipermax Sport III Coilovers
    RAYS Black Short Lug Nuts (Anodized)
    Volk RE30 (Mag Blue): 17x9 +54 x4
    Volk Mag Blue Centercaps

    Chassis

    Spoon Front X-Brace
    Spoon Rear Cross Beam Bar

    Braking

    Hawk HP+ Brake Pads - Front and Rear
    PowerSlot Slotted Rotor - Front and Rear
    Spoon 4-Pot Monoblock Front Calipers
    Spoon SS Brake Lines

    Exhaust and Intake

    J's/Tracy Sports Header
    Spoon Air Filter
    Spoon Intake Snorkel
    Spoon N1 Dual Full Exhaust System

    Aero/Exterior

    J’s Racing Type-V CFRP Front Hood
    APR Front Air Dam Lip
    Mugen Rear CF Spoiler
    Seibon CF Trunk - for mounting GT Wing
    J's Racing (Voltex) Type-1 GT Wing
    Varis FRP Front Fenders (Probably Due Next Season)

    Interior + Non-Performance Electronics

    Bride Vios III Racing Seat - driver
    Compustar Alarm System
    Pioneer Deck - USB + iPOD Integration
    T1R Suede Shift Boot
    Spoon Reclinable Seat - passenger
    T1R Ti Shiftknob

    Engine Bay

    Spoon Valve Cover and Spark Plug Cover
    Spoon Reservoir Socks
    Last edited by Skyline_Addict; 05-14-2010 at 10:15 PM.

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    post reserved for next phase!

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    hm....
    Sir your car is disgustingly SICK!!!!! wow... I have never dropped my jaw to an S2k before...
    VERY nice work

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    looks great man, great selection of parts.

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    Great build Terence. Car looks so nice in person. Can't wait to see whats next.

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    Head turner!! AP2 Yellow would of been my second choice as well...after red.

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    Wow, what a huge change from your beginnings of your riced out "Mugen" EL to this....
    Originally posted by GTS Jeff
    You know those bored stay at home moms who's entire lives revolve around driving their kids to soccer, various cleaning accessories, and worrying about neighbourhood rapists? The kind of people that watch the View and go "uh huh..." Those unfulfilled people who try to fill the void in their empty lives by writing whiny letters to the editor complaining about shit that no one really cares about?

    Well imagine if instead of writing that letter to the editor, she just posts on a car forum for car enthusiasts. That's Kritafo.

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    Great Build Terence, definitely a sick ride. I like the yellow too

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    Very nice, keep up the good work


    Originally posted by rage2
    Can someone who speaks brown please translate this for me please?


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    wooo so sick!!!

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    Wow gorgeous AP2.

    Get that CF hardtop on there and it will definitely be one of the coolest looking AP2's in town.
    Texas Nick

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    Originally posted by 88CRX



    Honda-Tuning here is right....it is PIMP....

    Unfortunately though, the pictures don't give it the full justice...especially the sound of that spoon exhaust...
    ...@therealarifjina...

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    Nice Ride !

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    .... just kidding

    Car looks great, keep up the good work.

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