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Old 05-02-2016   #5
scheides
flips McGee
 
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Re: #StupidHonda - 1 year of ownership with a 15-year-old S2000

Ok so let's dive into the nitty gritty details here...I go the car for a song but with 167,000 miles on it it was obvious that it needed SOME love. Even though the previous owner had kept a STACK of paperwork on the car's maintenance history, I had Hughes drop it off for a few days at the local Honda dealership near him in Dallas (David McDavid of Frisco) and they gave me a laundry list:
-drive belt is good, replace it later if you want to (spare included in trunk)
-Coolant is ok, good for 100k miles and it was changed around 100k.
-Manual valve lash adjustment necessary
-Spark Plugs just cause
-Valve cover gasket is leaking
-Alignment should be done
-Oil change
-needs front tie rods really really bad
-all sway bar endlinks trashed


Engine bay as it came after the dealership in Dallas. 167,000 miles.


Previous owner was SO apologetic about the ruined paint...turned out to be ALL oxidization and buffed right off


6th gear, 80mph...yup it really is geared that low!

So, I had them do most everything on the list except the sway bar endlinks since I knew I was about to drive it across country...the tie rods would have been easy in retrospect, the valve lash not bad, and valve cover gasket the same but again...travelling across country, go for gold guys. My ONLY regret here is that I had them do a factory US alignment on it, which is SO SO tame and all I ended up running all season long but meh, KISS (Keep it simple stupid). Grand total was $1325 including fresh transmission, rear differential, and brake fluid (again wasn't clear when it was last changed, do it right). They even threw in some free windshield wipers, a headlight restore job, and a buff/wax, all of which made picking this thing up and driving it 1600+ miles in 3 days a breeze


See the little bluetooth add-on piece behind the wiper stalk? Fits nice and works great!


Had a pair of twins modeling for me tkrPerformance's daughters


Little more polishing once back in MN, not perfect but not bad!


Trunk WAY bigger than I expected!

A few days before I left, Hughes and I were scheming like nobody's business! He FedEx'd me the title, the day I got it I ran to the downtown service center (a few blocks from my office) and then FedEx'd plates back to him. I was ordering things next- and same-day shipping on amazon like a fiend: Modifry glovebox organizer, OEM CD Changer/aux input adapter, bluetooth adapter, Modifry convertable top elastic strap kit, and let us of course not forget the googly-eye glasses and chicken hats!


First brake job: front rotors...so cheap for quality parts its comical!


Dude this cannot be real!?!? screw it its only $180, that's a $1000 exhaust...


$100. 'used'

Tires/brakes: fresh oem dot4 fluid was put in at the dealer, stock brake pads had 50% life on them (very aggressive for street pads!), and I was a little disappointed...no very disappointed to learn that a TX car had all-season Ziex 612 tires on it in the 100% oem sizes (front 205/55-16 rear 225/50-16) but hey they had TONS of tread and I kinda knew I'd be shopping for some nice 200TW tires and maybe wheels if/when I would ever track the thing...but why would I bother? I had an evo9 track car! Anyways, the all-seasons did 'ok' on the street while I learned the car in spring temperatures but after the cruise the front rotors were DEFINITELY warped, so I threw down a *hefty* $50-per rotor for a set of Centric 120 standard blanks (I love owning a honda!) and about 30 minutes-per-corner fixed that pretty quicklike!


so much stuff deleted!


Factory inspection paint still on strut towers...cool but also means they will need to go some day...


Staggered AP2 version 2 wheels (from a 2006/2007?) 17"x7" front 17"x8.5" rear and 225/50-17//255/40-17 tires, nice


*slight* upgrade, lmfao!



Through the month of May, I found a few parts...because honda/fun-car/cheap stuff! And i was able to shed a BUNCH of weight from the car with all the crap I removed. Still a street car but hey, start with the basics right?
-AEM v1 intake: scored used, about 300 miles on it for $100 shipped from Wisconson somewhere. Amazing!
-Megan resonated testpipe: $110 shipped
-Modifry air pump delete harness: $60...kinda a lot to remove a CEL but hey it works


OEM-style lip spoiler fitment...gotta have dat aero for the track!


Turbocharger install...you knew that was coming! (my beagle, Turbo)


*proper* brake bleeding technique....

A few weeks later I blew up my evo9 at DCTC and pulled the trigger I had brewing in the back of my mind for this car, and some basic fun and track prep: intake, exhaust, better fluid, better pads, etc. Let me see...
-Magnaflow catback exhaust: $180 shipped, what the hell!?!? It came damaged but welded up quicklike thanks to tkr Mark!
-Apex'i V-AFC2: $100 shipped....but I never installed it...couldn't cut up factory wiring.
-OEM-style painted rear wing: $90 shipped on ebay
-AP2v2 17" staggered wheels WITH RS3v2 tires (200TW) in great shape...$700 delivered to my garage
-Hawk HP+ front brake pads: ~$100
-Motul 600 fluid: $20? whatever.


It *actually* showed up and it fit fine! (after a little welding)


Wheel and exhaust fitment. Stock 170,000-mile suspension.



So let's stop and do some napkin math here: at this point I have just under $10k into the car, I've owned it a few months, it is winning me all kinds of fun/girl/friends/style points on the street and its got basic track prep done. Remember I've kinda done this before with Evos and DSMs and dumped....well a lot more money into the cars and I'm starting to napkin math further in my head: "this...stupid(?) honda is slower but is it actually any less FUN? How much less fun? Does the 'reduced fun' get outweighed by the MASSIVE reduced costs? .....oh shit do I like this f*cking Honda more than I do AN evo!?! more than MY EVO?!?!?!"


Half tank fuel, spare tire, and humans removed....not bad!


MAP Proving Grounds Triple-Track Challenge: drag racing, autoX, and road course.


Dad and I having some fun...he is a porsche guy and....wants this car...


Full brakes on the roadcourse



Honestly at this point panic sets in. I start to question everything, start to re-evaluate my life and all the countless evo/dsm things I've done and then I remember: cars are fun. It is a hobby. This is a toy. Stop. Being. Stupid: go have fun! And I did! I started looking for the next track event I could bring this car to, what I should change, to make it better, tighter, and ultimately more reliable/capable of doing what I was about to demand of it: MORE FUN!



Aaand a little video summing us up to this point:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmcgSJpWSkY&hd=1
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