buying a s2k, where to look for weak spots?

mr. X · 01-04-2006, 06:14 AM

hi there, I'll briefly introduce myselfe..
my name is maarten pijnenburg and i come from the netherlands. I'm crazy about all things that go fast. i have a yamaha raptor (660cc) quad, a scooter with 21.3 hp and a 0-60 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds. I've driven a lot of fast car's (like; jag xj-r (500 horses) latest bmw 750i and so on) I currently drive a honda integra type-r with an invidia catback system cat. converter, a cai with k&n filter wrapped in heat resisting paper (with wich the inlet temp. decreases from 40 deg. celsius to 18 deg. , really helps) and a fuel pressure thing.. it's got a bit stiffer suspension and a carbontrenz front and rear strutbar.
the thing is, it has fwd. i h?te front wheel drive. (I thought i would get over it but i just can't) it's a beautifull car, nothing has beaten it (yet) in cornering however I like to play with a car. drifting sideways etc. and a itr is just not the car to do this. it has such great handling that you can take a corner so fast and stil it doesn't slide, however when crossing that line it w?ll slide but the thing is with a rwd car you have the abilitie to stay in the slide, with the fwd you hit the pedal en it straightens out..

bla bla bla.. to come to the point:
when I got my driving licence 4 months ago, I bought this car because I didn't have the cash to buy a s2000, however in those 4 months I've gatherd some money and it's almost s2000 range.
I've found a few car's but what are the tipical things to look at when buying an s2000? I know to look at leaks etc. but if you guys could help me out i'd appreciate it!

passmans2kNY · 01-04-2006, 06:20 AM

i dunno what you could look for, u sound like ur gonna get it anyway, and yes this car kicks ass at drifting, power sliding. try to get one with not many miles bc who knows how the previous owner treated it, most important thing is the transmission, make sure all shifts are smooth when u test drive, have fun

mr. X · 01-04-2006, 07:31 AM

yes i'm really fond of this car

it's been my first and worst love

what milage am i'm looking for? 50k? or is this too many?

Halo · 01-04-2006, 09:22 AM

Limited slip rear isn't ideal for drifting. Can be done, just not ideal.

The rest of the post, I'll just keep my mouth shut before I say something offensive.

passmans2kNY · 01-04-2006, 10:00 AM

u cant say what mileage is good bc the car could have been driven great and had all its oil changes on time and by someone who didnt abuse the clutch, or you could get just the opposite, and halo was it something i said?

mr. X · 01-04-2006, 10:11 AM

@ Halo
this isn't going to be a car that will be abused all of the time for drifting.
however, when feeling like it I want to be able to

@ passmans2kNY
I untherstand that you can't tell if a car has been driven like hell looking at it's milage, but aren't there any signs unther the hood if you're looking for abuse signs? like oil leaks somewhere..

you could for example do a compression test (that's easy to take with you and do while the other is watching) to look for any signs of piston seal leaks...

MattG · 01-07-2006, 04:26 AM

I would suggest:
- Any bodywork /respray etc.
- Any modifications (search for some pics of a standard engine bay if you are not sure)
- Check oil levels (should be checked every time you put petrol in car)
- If possible try to listen to how a properly maintained car sounds like
so you can assess if there are any strange noises from engine.
- Check the service logbooks
- Check gearbox operation
- Oil leaks
- Check for roof leaks (annoying at the very least) and roof operation.
maybe sure latches are not rattling when driving.
- Condition of leather seats (usually indicative of how the car has been treated and looked after)
- Make sure tyres are not very worn. The stock S02 tyres on earlier models lose grip well before the tyre is worn out. You do NOT want to drive in the rain with worn S02s.

If they regularly service the car at Honda, you may be able to get the vehicle history (about what services have been done etc) from Honda.

The main thing I would look for first is the service history/logbook to make sure all services have been done.

Genearlly these are very reliable cars (as are most Hondas). I have heard of a number of occasions where people have mechanically over-revved the engine, and also a couple of instances of cylinder #4 failure.

01-04-2006, 06:14 AM	#1 (permalink)
mr. X Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 3	buying a s2k, where to look for weak spots? hi there, I'll briefly introduce myselfe.. my name is maarten pijnenburg and i come from the netherlands. I'm crazy about all things that go fast. i have a yamaha raptor (660cc) quad, a scooter with 21.3 hp and a 0-60 miles per hour in 5.5 seconds. I've driven a lot of fast car's (like; jag xj-r (500 horses) latest bmw 750i and so on) I currently drive a honda integra type-r with an invidia catback system cat. converter, a cai with k&n filter wrapped in heat resisting paper (with wich the inlet temp. decreases from 40 deg. celsius to 18 deg. , really helps) and a fuel pressure thing.. it's got a bit stiffer suspension and a carbontrenz front and rear strutbar. the thing is, it has fwd. i h?te front wheel drive. (I thought i would get over it but i just can't) it's a beautifull car, nothing has beaten it (yet) in cornering however I like to play with a car. drifting sideways etc. and a itr is just not the car to do this. it has such great handling that you can take a corner so fast and stil it doesn't slide, however when crossing that line it w?ll slide but the thing is with a rwd car you have the abilitie to stay in the slide, with the fwd you hit the pedal en it straightens out.. bla bla bla.. to come to the point: when I got my driving licence 4 months ago, I bought this car because I didn't have the cash to buy a s2000, however in those 4 months I've gatherd some money and it's almost s2000 range. I've found a few car's but what are the tipical things to look at when buying an s2000? I know to look at leaks etc. but if you guys could help me out i'd appreciate it!

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01-04-2006, 06:20 AM	#2 (permalink)
passmans2kNY Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 182	i dunno what you could look for, u sound like ur gonna get it anyway, and yes this car kicks ass at drifting, power sliding. try to get one with not many miles bc who knows how the previous owner treated it, most important thing is the transmission, make sure all shifts are smooth when u test drive, have fun

01-04-2006, 07:31 AM	#3 (permalink)
mr. X Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 3	yes i'm really fond of this car it's been my first and worst love what milage am i'm looking for? 50k? or is this too many?

01-04-2006, 09:22 AM	#4 (permalink)
Halo Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 610	Limited slip rear isn't ideal for drifting. Can be done, just not ideal. The rest of the post, I'll just keep my mouth shut before I say something offensive.

01-04-2006, 10:00 AM	#5 (permalink)
passmans2kNY Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 182	u cant say what mileage is good bc the car could have been driven great and had all its oil changes on time and by someone who didnt abuse the clutch, or you could get just the opposite, and halo was it something i said?

01-04-2006, 10:11 AM	#6 (permalink)
mr. X Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 3	@ Halo this isn't going to be a car that will be abused all of the time for drifting. however, when feeling like it I want to be able to @ passmans2kNY I untherstand that you can't tell if a car has been driven like hell looking at it's milage, but aren't there any signs unther the hood if you're looking for abuse signs? like oil leaks somewhere.. you could for example do a compression test (that's easy to take with you and do while the other is watching) to look for any signs of piston seal leaks...

01-07-2006, 04:26 AM	#7 (permalink)
MattG Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 363	I would suggest: - Any bodywork /respray etc. - Any modifications (search for some pics of a standard engine bay if you are not sure) - Check oil levels (should be checked every time you put petrol in car) - If possible try to listen to how a properly maintained car sounds like so you can assess if there are any strange noises from engine. - Check the service logbooks - Check gearbox operation - Oil leaks - Check for roof leaks (annoying at the very least) and roof operation. maybe sure latches are not rattling when driving. - Condition of leather seats (usually indicative of how the car has been treated and looked after) - Make sure tyres are not very worn. The stock S02 tyres on earlier models lose grip well before the tyre is worn out. You do NOT want to drive in the rain with worn S02s. If they regularly service the car at Honda, you may be able to get the vehicle history (about what services have been done etc) from Honda. The main thing I would look for first is the service history/logbook to make sure all services have been done. Genearlly these are very reliable cars (as are most Hondas). I have heard of a number of occasions where people have mechanically over-revved the engine, and also a couple of instances of cylinder #4 failure.