$5000 to Spend

Plinko · 08-21-2005, 09:29 PM

I have had my S2000 for some time now and want to get into fixing it up.

I was looking at a Vortec Supecharger; however, reading some of the post I am not sure any more.

If i S/C which company is best? Also, will I NEED a new ECU? Is a S/C a good investment for the money?

Or should I, invest in a new exhaust, headers, cold air intake, tires/wheels?

fletch · 08-22-2005, 07:02 AM

Depends what you are wanting to achieve I guess.
Looks and bling factor, or flat out speed, or handling.

A supercharger would give you the flat out speed alright, but wouldn't leave much spare for anything else.
Personally I wouldn't even consider a SC if the car was still in it's warranty period. Then if I did add one I'd also want to upgrade the brakes, possibly the ECU, and maybe the suspension.

As for Handling. It's pretty good as standard if you ask me.
Some improvements can be made with tower and lower front braces, and they are a nice cheap mod to do. I've not had any experience with suspension mods, other than just for lowering the car.

In the looks department, I've NEVER liked the pre-04 16 inch wheels. Get them off QUICK and get some 18"s on there. Preferably something from Rays Engineering. Volk TE37, CE28n, LE37 etc.
Then go for an Amuse Titanium Exhaust, and a Carbon Fibre Mugen Air intake.
That'll probably eat up your $5000. But your talking $2k for wheels and $1.6k for exhaust, and another $1k for the intake. There are MUCH cheaper options around.

First thing to get is a Team Voodo countersunk Shift Knob.

(Preferably Ti

)

Halo · 08-22-2005, 12:14 PM

For the Comptech vs. Vortec debate look here
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=103345

If you are thinking SC, you may want to also check a few threads over at S2ki about positive displacement SC's in the works:
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php...=266584&st=100

Yes, various vendors in the past have promised a roots type blower for the S and then somehow disappeared off the map. The problems are with boost at low rpm isn't a great combo with the CR as high as it is and fitment issues with the intake manifold next to the master cylinder such as it is.

I totally agree to wait until your warranty has expired before bolting up a SC. If you put on an intake or an exhaust, you can easily remove that stuff before going in for service and not worry too much about warranty coverage.

You don't need a separate ECU with either the Comptech or Vortec kits; they're plug and pray.. errr play. They both provide a small piggyback unit to fool the stock ECU into not seeing the boost. If you decide to later add a smaller pulley and more boost, you will need an ECU, possibly larger injectors and most importantly someone who knows wtf they're doing around a FI'd S2000.

Plinko · 08-22-2005, 04:02 PM

I agree that the 16" need to come off and yes it is a 2003, S2000, White.

I have read the thread about wheel size, are 18"s worth it or should i go with 17"s for more street performance? Not sure about body kits, i don't want to look fast before the car is fast.

The warrenty is gone, my dad is a service manager so i have been getting parts and repairs through his shop, he is also gonna get the parts i want at a cheaper price. And no i am not riding off my dad, just using the resources i have.

Thats good to know about not needing a ECU for the S/Cs, wouldn't play with the pullies until i learned how the car handled/peformed with the S/C.

If i go for performance, which i think is more important (sleeper car) and only have $2000 (girlfriend is talking about marriage, a part of me wish we werent talking about it so i can play with the car, oh well) what would be the best bang for the buck?

Thanks

MattG · 08-22-2005, 09:17 PM

Nitrous makes a big bang

RCduck7 · 08-23-2005, 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Plinko

I agree that the 16" need to come off and yes it is a 2003, S2000, White.

I have read the thread about wheel size, are 18"s worth it or should i go with 17"s for more street performance? Not sure about body kits, i don't want to look fast before the car is fast.

Thanks

I was wondering if 17" at the front and 18" at the back was any better for the handling???
The lotus elise it's wheels are smaller at the front what makes the car more nimble.
Would the same be true to the Honda S2000 or would that destroy the balance of the car?

eddyboy1 · 10-31-2005, 04:57 PM

Interesting points about the wheel sizes. What will be the best for PERFORMANCE? Mine is a 2001 and has the stock wheels. The wider the better, or what? That's what I had thought......

Java Junky · 11-04-2005, 11:57 AM

The ol' "wider-the-better" mentality used to have some validity back when the weight n' power of the cars were severely outclassin' the shoes they were wearin'.
With the rims available today it's pretty easy to put more rubber on the pavement than you really can make use of. The Stewie is a good example of a fine balance between the available power and the traction afforded it by the tires.
The whole reason all of us are on this site is because the efficiency of the Stewie is exceptional. The tire/wheel combination on the car is sufficient for the power/weight of the car. Less wouldn't allow you to use the available power efficiently (less traction) and more would just be unnecessary friction n' weight that would be sapping power.
And always remember; while larger hoops may look cool, it's all unsprung weight m'man. Your handling suffers.
Stewie's all about balance. Make the wrong choices n' you not only wind up spendin' money but you take away from the ride.
Be well, n', like the old knight said: "choose wisely".

Halo · 11-06-2005, 06:12 PM

Wider is definitely not better as a rule. The contact patch needs to be matched to the setup of the suspension and the chassis.

Also, there is a huge misconception that the wider the tire, the larger the contact patch. This is not true. The size of the contact patch is only a function of the weight on the tire and the pressure in the tire. For example, assume your S2000 is corner balanced and has 700lb on each tire, a 35 psi tire has a 20 square inch contact patch. This is an oversimplification, because on a roadcourse, the weight on each tire is constantly changing, but in general, a lower profile and higher pressure tire could actually have a SMALLER contact patch than a lower pressure one. (Ever notice people letting air out of their rear tires at the drag strip?).

08-21-2005, 09:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
Plinko Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 6	$5000 to Spend I have had my S2000 for some time now and want to get into fixing it up. I was looking at a Vortec Supecharger; however, reading some of the post I am not sure any more. If i S/C which company is best? Also, will I NEED a new ECU? Is a S/C a good investment for the money? Or should I, invest in a new exhaust, headers, cold air intake, tires/wheels?

08-22-2005, 04:02 PM	#4 (permalink)
Plinko Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 6	Looks or Speed I agree that the 16" need to come off and yes it is a 2003, S2000, White. I have read the thread about wheel size, are 18"s worth it or should i go with 17"s for more street performance? Not sure about body kits, i don't want to look fast before the car is fast. The warrenty is gone, my dad is a service manager so i have been getting parts and repairs through his shop, he is also gonna get the parts i want at a cheaper price. And no i am not riding off my dad, just using the resources i have. Thats good to know about not needing a ECU for the S/Cs, wouldn't play with the pullies until i learned how the car handled/peformed with the S/C. If i go for performance, which i think is more important (sleeper car) and only have $2000 (girlfriend is talking about marriage, a part of me wish we werent talking about it so i can play with the car, oh well) what would be the best bang for the buck? Thanks

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08-22-2005, 07:02 AM	#2 (permalink)
fletch Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Posts: 66	Depends what you are wanting to achieve I guess. Looks and bling factor, or flat out speed, or handling. A supercharger would give you the flat out speed alright, but wouldn't leave much spare for anything else. Personally I wouldn't even consider a SC if the car was still in it's warranty period. Then if I did add one I'd also want to upgrade the brakes, possibly the ECU, and maybe the suspension. As for Handling. It's pretty good as standard if you ask me. Some improvements can be made with tower and lower front braces, and they are a nice cheap mod to do. I've not had any experience with suspension mods, other than just for lowering the car. In the looks department, I've NEVER liked the pre-04 16 inch wheels. Get them off QUICK and get some 18"s on there. Preferably something from Rays Engineering. Volk TE37, CE28n, LE37 etc. Then go for an Amuse Titanium Exhaust, and a Carbon Fibre Mugen Air intake. That'll probably eat up your $5000. But your talking $2k for wheels and $1.6k for exhaust, and another $1k for the intake. There are MUCH cheaper options around. First thing to get is a Team Voodo countersunk Shift Knob. (Preferably Ti )

08-22-2005, 12:14 PM	#3 (permalink)
Halo Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 610	For the Comptech vs. Vortec debate look here http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=103345 If you are thinking SC, you may want to also check a few threads over at S2ki about positive displacement SC's in the works: http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php...=266584&st=100 Yes, various vendors in the past have promised a roots type blower for the S and then somehow disappeared off the map. The problems are with boost at low rpm isn't a great combo with the CR as high as it is and fitment issues with the intake manifold next to the master cylinder such as it is. I totally agree to wait until your warranty has expired before bolting up a SC. If you put on an intake or an exhaust, you can easily remove that stuff before going in for service and not worry too much about warranty coverage. You don't need a separate ECU with either the Comptech or Vortec kits; they're plug and pray.. errr play. They both provide a small piggyback unit to fool the stock ECU into not seeing the boost. If you decide to later add a smaller pulley and more boost, you will need an ECU, possibly larger injectors and most importantly someone who knows wtf they're doing around a FI'd S2000.

08-22-2005, 09:17 PM	#5 (permalink)
MattG Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 363	Nitrous makes a big bang

10-31-2005, 04:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
eddyboy1 Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 16	Interesting points about the wheel sizes. What will be the best for PERFORMANCE? Mine is a 2001 and has the stock wheels. The wider the better, or what? That's what I had thought......

11-04-2005, 11:57 AM	#8 (permalink)
Java Junky Resident Curmudgeon Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Joisey Posts: 5,285	The ol' "wider-the-better" mentality used to have some validity back when the weight n' power of the cars were severely outclassin' the shoes they were wearin'. With the rims available today it's pretty easy to put more rubber on the pavement than you really can make use of. The Stewie is a good example of a fine balance between the available power and the traction afforded it by the tires. The whole reason all of us are on this site is because the efficiency of the Stewie is exceptional. The tire/wheel combination on the car is sufficient for the power/weight of the car. Less wouldn't allow you to use the available power efficiently (less traction) and more would just be unnecessary friction n' weight that would be sapping power. And always remember; while larger hoops may look cool, it's all unsprung weight m'man. Your handling suffers. Stewie's all about balance. Make the wrong choices n' you not only wind up spendin' money but you take away from the ride. Be well, n', like the old knight said: "choose wisely".

11-06-2005, 06:12 PM	#9 (permalink)
Halo Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 610	Wider is definitely not better as a rule. The contact patch needs to be matched to the setup of the suspension and the chassis. Also, there is a huge misconception that the wider the tire, the larger the contact patch. This is not true. The size of the contact patch is only a function of the weight on the tire and the pressure in the tire. For example, assume your S2000 is corner balanced and has 700lb on each tire, a 35 psi tire has a 20 square inch contact patch. This is an oversimplification, because on a roadcourse, the weight on each tire is constantly changing, but in general, a lower profile and higher pressure tire could actually have a SMALLER contact patch than a lower pressure one. (Ever notice people letting air out of their rear tires at the drag strip?).