buying an S2000

[hawkeye2jz]

Hey,

So the missus has decided she wants a GP white s2000, got approved for a loan the other day so it is now down to me to find the right one.

There are two candidates atm, one in sydney (where we live) and one down in victoria at a dealership.

I wanted to know if anyone on here knows these cars and even if they are still for sale (have put in an enquiry yesterday buit havent heard back).

Feel free to let me know what you think of these two

http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/honda-s2000-2002-12656812?base=1216&vertical=Car&cr=0&eapi=2&__N=1246 1247 1252 1282 4294766524 4294965322 4294964924 1216&silo=Stock&Range=Price:Min,Max~1&sort=default

http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/honda-s2000-2002-12798966?base=1216&vertical=Car&cr=1&eapi=2&__N=1246 1247 1252 1282 4294766524 4294965322 4294964924 1216&silo=Stock&Range=Price:Min,Max~1&sort=default

Both cars look to be pretty clean inside and out, and I have read quite a bit so pretty happy that I know what I am looking at and how a good s2000 drives. Also for the one in sydney I am thinking that I will take it to Hanny's to do an inspection.

I am a bit worried about the one in Victoria because I know flying down to Vic will basically mean I am buying it. Would still want to get it checked out and I think that they would probably be happy to move a bit on price as it is probably over priced being at a dealership. Anyone with experience buying interstate can you please let me know the sorts of things you asked/ did to make sure everything was okay.

cheers guys!

[black8thgen]

the one in NSW, ask about the front bar since there has been a dodgy respray of the front bar. this is pretty common i've found with second hand s2ks and the car is likely to have been in a front end hit. ask about accident history and check the bumper and bonnet/fender gaps and between headlights too. just see if theres any major irregularities. also check the radiator support mounts as these are sometimes lazily repaired i've found.

of course there is the possibility that he just had the front bar resprayed due to some scratches or something (it is a pretty old car u have to remember that) and the painter just went straight over the bottom vent covers, which looks terrible.

other than that, there is an extensive list of things to look out for on s2ki both mechanically and cosmetically. Here is the link - http://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/775801-what-to-look-for-when-buying-a-used-s2000/

take the time to read it all if you haven't yet. cos i did and its very helpful!

[hawkeye2jz]

Yeah i thought there was something weird going on, but couldnt work out what it was, cheers. Yeah i have a membership on s2ki and have read all the articles about 50 times each!

I am liking the one in victoria more and more...

[black8thgen]

yeah it looks a good buy. im looking for an s2k as well and was tempted to go take a look at the one in vic but honestly cant be bothered to go all the way down lol.

maybe an option for u is ask someone on here who owns an s2k and lives around that dealership in vic, and who is willing, to do an inspection. and u could reimburse them or something.

but of course, first give them a call (when i put my inquiry in they called me back the next day but i was at work and had no chance to speak with them), and see what you can do in terms of price over the phone and just ask the basic questions (crash history, service history, previous owner, etc)

[muzukashi]

+1 the front bar on the NSW S2k looks abit off - Me personally exterior discrepancies really turns me off in regard to potential purchases especially since the car is hitting the $25k+ mark you really gotta fall in love with it or else you are going to be taking a gamble with it

If i were you i'd go look at the VIC one if i was sure i wanted only a GPW S2K as they are a rare find in good condition and this 1 looks quite immaculate from the pics but you'd obviously need to see it in person then make the call - IMO spend the $ to inspect the VIC one its an expensive car and your going to be living with it for some time so best to make sure you get the best your hard earned $ can buy? :)

[hawkeye2jz]

Cheers for the replies people!

Yeah the vic one is the forerunner at the moment, does anyone know any good honda mechanics in vic i could get to take a look at the car?

[black8thgen]

I would probably try and find an independent inspection company. Similar to IVI in NSW. Don't bother with ones like NRMA inspection cos they miss a lot of problems.

[hawkeye2jz]

So looks like the one in Victoria is the go. Spoke with the dealership over the phone this arvo; service history is good, only serviced at Honda and services every 5000kms. Asked a whole lot of questions and the answers were all good.
Did a revs check (or whatever it's called now) and it was clean, no money owing and no accidents and not stolen.

I have a person from state roads going over the car on Thursday for a 260 point check and road test.

If that all pans out I will fly down on Friday night and check it out myself on Saturday and if everything is legit and the price is agreed on I will drive her home on Sunday!

Kinda excited!

[jeffreymui]

good that ur getting someone to check it, i wouldnt trust any of the words that dealer says, probably only 20% of what they tells u is true, best is to inspect it yourself with your mechanic/company at the same time, goodluck with that, gpw is hard to find these days

[black8thgen]

good news! 260 point check sounds decent too. only problem is its hard to verify the quality of their work since you're not there, they tend to be a bit lazy as there is no one standing over them checking what they do.

anyways good luck with it all! just out of curiosity, were you able to bargain down that price over the phone at all?

[dlai5552]

Car dealers are known to tell the truth only ~20% of the time when selling a car. I learnt this in uni in a comparison to my career. LOL
Just saying... So don't be fooled by a dealers words. They will do anything to try and sell. If it was me, I'd do the same if I was a dealer haha

[black8thgen]

yeah just as long as u do ur checks you should be good to go

[hawkeye2jz]

Yeah I'm still going to go over it with a fine tooth comb. Take it for a good drive and see what it's like.

[hawkeye2jz]

BAD NEWS!!!!

Just spoke to the independent inspector about the car: The car has structural damage! Has taken a massive hit on the drivers side and has had all the panels, rad support and engine skirts replaced, whole car had been resprayed as well.

Really really really pissed off! The dealership said it was clean with no problems and the inspector said that maybe they wouldn't have picked it up but he said any mechanic would have.

I rang the dealer up and asked them about it, they said they didn't know and have asked for the report from the inspector. I offered them 5k for the car :P

REALLLLYYYYY PISSED OFF!!!!!!

the search continues....

[Hasbeen]

That is not the end of the world. I bought my 2001 car in mint condition, 15 months ago, with only 27,000Km on the clock for $30,000. I think that asking price on that Vic car, with over 80,000Km was a little high.

Don't despair I was looking for a while, when this one popped up. It took most of a day to go look, & most of the next day on a train to get it, but I have a great S in beautiful condition. It will happen, so don't jump into one, unless it is really what you want.

[EKVTIR-T]

BAD NEWS!!!!

Just spoke to the independent inspector about the car: The car has structural damage! Has taken a massive hit on the drivers side and has had all the panels, rad support and engine skirts replaced, whole car had been resprayed as well.

Really really really pissed off! The dealership said it was clean with no problems and the inspector said that maybe they wouldn't have picked it up but he said any mechanic would have.

I rang the dealer up and asked them about it, they said they didn't know and have asked for the report from the inspector. I offered them 5k for the car :P

REALLLLYYYYY PISSED OFF!!!!!!

the search continues....
Shit man,good info there,glad to see they found the truth and you didnt get swindled. :thumbsup:

Who is the inspector/company you used and also which dealer is selling it?

[unl3a5h]

can i ask where i will be able to find a mrs who wants to buy an s2000? thanks.

[LuLu]

Be patient and don't get desperate! I just picked up my s2000 the other day =] Waited 6 months to find the right one which is nothing compared to how long I waited for my first car (3 years??)

[butterfingers]

can i ask where i will be able to find a mrs who wants to buy an s2000? thanks.

no, but i have one that wants an evo.

wants one, cant/refuses to learn manual, cant afford evoX, yet also understands that theres no point driving a car like that in auto.

<3

[hawkeye2jz]

ahahahhaah, tbh it was my missus that taught me to drive manual 2 years back!

Oh and what about Evo 7 GTA's?

On the car front: looks like we are picking one up on Friday night details to come...

[black8thgen]

nice LuLu which one did u pick up if u dont mind me asking? I've been following all the s2ks on carsales quite closely and noticed a few got sold recently and also one from this forum.

@ hawkeye: congrats buddy which one? ;)

[LuLu]

nice LuLu which one did u pick up if u dont mind me asking? I've been following all the s2ks on carsales quite closely and noticed a few got sold recently and also one from this forum.

@ hawkeye: congrats buddy which one? ;)

I got a black one with red interior from the Gold Coast in QLD =]

[hawkeye2jz]

hey LuLu was that 70PGN by any chance?

[LuLu]

Nah it wasn't that one. Which one are you picking up?

[butterfingers]

ahahahhaah, tbh it was my missus that taught me to drive manual 2 years back!

Oh and what about Evo 7 GTA's?

On the car front: looks like we are picking one up on Friday night details to come...

She seems to get the point that driving an evo in auto is a waste and pointless. Women and there indecisions.

[jahniel24]

im in the market for a s2000 aswell! cand find anything that is not thrashed yet!

in the evo X MR being an auto.. let just say i own one and you have to drive it to say its an auto. . . If you can say that. =)

[Wet_s2k]

Hey guys I'm new to this sight

There is a 01 s2k white on Gumtree and car sales think he is asking 20k

It's white with red seats if u look on car sales it has 20z looks good I reckon
Anyway have a look at that it sais 20 but I no hell take 16500 cause on 20 is punctured anyway hope this helps

[black8thgen]

hawkeye which s2k u picking up today? ;)

[hawkeye2jz]

JAP S2K's !!!!!!

[Dylaan]

I test drove a grey S2000 in Mt Waverly, paint wasn't great and I noticed it grinded from 1st to 2nd a couple of times when it was cold.. Still planning on buying one though.

[black8thgen]

oh so u bought japs2ks! good pick up i'd assume!

but is ur wife keen on driving a car with 4.77 FD?

[LuLu]

Congrats! I see you gave up on getting a GP white one and ended up with a black one instead too haha

So black8thgen, when are you getting your s2k? Hehe

[black8thgen]

when the right one pops up haha =]

[LuLu]

@ hawkeye2jz: out of curiosity, does your wife intend to drive with the roof down much? As a girl, I feel it's a bit unsafe sometimes cause what if someone jumps in the passenger seat and hijacks you and your car?! But I guess that could happen whether you're a girl or a guy. One thing tho, you do have to keep your handbag in the boot if you're traveling with the roof down lol tough life..

[black8thgen]

hard top it =]

[LuLu]

There's so much more cars for sale in NSW n VIC!!!

Haha yeah might hard top it later on, when the novelty of a convertible wears off =]

[black8thgen]

but 99% are all trashed/been in a big accident etc etc. and if they're not, they're over priced lol

[butterfingers]

@ hawkeye2jz: out of curiosity, does your wife intend to drive with the roof down much? As a girl, I feel it's a bit unsafe sometimes cause what if someone jumps in the passenger seat and hijacks you and your car?! But I guess that could happen whether you're a girl or a guy. One thing tho, you do have to keep your handbag in the boot if you're traveling with the roof down lol tough life..

Socket wrench in the side compartment:)

[Wet_s2k]

There's so much more cars for sale in NSW n VIC!!!

Haha yeah might hard top it later on, when the novelty of a convertible wears off =]

Heaps of people have them here in Sydney hard to find a decent one ,,

[Dylaan]

I'm having trouble finding one I like :(

test drove another one today which drove well and the paint was... okay, but the seats were worn out and the shocks were squeeking

[black8thgen]

dont forget it is a 12 year old car in most cases so finding one that ticks all boxes will be very difficult to come by. more likely than not there will be some minor issues that require a bit of attention, the challenge is finding a car with the smallest amount and least serious issues. what colour are u after dylaan?

[Dylaan]

I'm after one in black, silver or maybe white. I've only looked at two so far but they looked far better in the pictures than they did in person.

I've got a 1996 R33 GTS-T at the moment which is older than the S2000s but in much better condition than I've seen so far, I'm just hoping that one will pop up that lives up to my expectations.

I looked at a black one today with red interior and it was definitely better than the silver one I looked at yesterday, the engine ran well and the gearbox was nice and smooth, but as I said before, the seats were fairly worn out and the shocks seemed to also be on the way out. I'm pretty fussy so it may take a while. The one I looked at today could be good if it had the seats replaced and new shocks/coilovers but factoring that into the price it comes to more than I would like to spend at the moment.

[Dylaan]

I'm also not sure of how many kms is too high for an s2000, both of the ones I've looked at have been around 130,000. There are a couple with kms around 170,000 I wouldn't mind looking at because they look quite nice still and are well priced. I suppose it all depends on how well the car has been looked after. I've had two Honda Preludes before and they ran perfectly well with 180,000+ on the clock.

[black8thgen]

you could always use that as a bargaining tool against the seller? find the best leverage points and exploit the shit out of them lol. if the seller is really keen to sell, it is likely they will cave in one way or another.

yeah of course there will be some in great condition, but probably not up for sale =P


edit: and yeah in response the k's, honestly it doesn't matter as long as its been well taken care of and driven properly (including a bit of hard pushing). i guess if ur really keen on one do the compression checks and other mechanical checks and if those check out fine, there's some peace of mind

[Dylaan]

yeah I was trying to leverage the fact that this black one needed new seats and new shocks (I hope it wasn't going to be a dodgey road worthy where they would skip the shocks). They had it advertised at 22k and said they wouldn't go any lower than 21k. Personally I don't really think I would pay more than 20k for it because it needed some work, but it has been for sale for a long time and they said there was no other real interest... I guess they weren't too keen to sell it. Might try them again in a few weeks if I haven't found anything better.

[LuLu]

yeah I was trying to leverage the fact that this black one needed new seats and new shocks (I hope it wasn't going to be a dodgey road worthy where they would skip the shocks). They had it advertised at 22k and said they wouldn't go any lower than 21k. Personally I don't really think I would pay more than 20k for it because it needed some work, but it has been for sale for a long time and they said there was no other real interest... I guess they weren't too keen to sell it. Might try them again in a few weeks if I haven't found anything better.


There is only about 4% difference between 20k and 21k so just leave your offer and contact details with them. If he hasn't had much interest, he'll probably come crawling back in a couple of weeks lol

[Dylaan]

Yeah I know, I'm going to look at another 2 or 3 this week so if I don't find anything I like I might try renegotiate with him.

[hphillip]

State roads did a very ordinary job on the car that I bought a few years back. Not one to rip on groups - just sharing my experience. They missed some damage to the rear of the car that had not been fixed properly - the dealer found it after I had purchased the car following their advice....

Best to get a mechanic to get it up on a hoist and give it a good go over.

[Dylaan]

Luckily one of my mates has a work shop so he's happy to help me out with that. The only issue is with ones that a far away I feel bad asking the owners to drive to the other side of town for my mechanic to check it out. I might organise an RACV inspection if I'm interested in something far away, but they are a bit steep for what they are.

[black8thgen]

have you considered an IVI inspection? or MTA

[hawkeye2jz]

Use state roads for the inspection.

[Dylaan]

I just had a look at it seems IVI and MTA are both Sydney based? I'm all the way in Melbourne :P

I had a look at State Roads, I might check them out if I can't get a car to my mechanic to check out.

[black8thgen]

oh yeah sorry forgot that you're in melbourne hahaha my bad =[....