S2000 - 2003 or 2004?!!?

[torqueofthedevil]

Right, Im very close to buying an S2000 - nealry bought the first i saw last week but luckily it went before I had chance to. I actually think there are better ones out there and luckily new ones keep coming up for sale.

I was all set on getting a 2004 due to the revised suspension, cosmetic changes and and the fact that I imagine that the facelift versions which already atttract a premium will hold their value better.

However, I have seen a great low milage 2003 one, in one of my favourite colours. Is the suspension really much different? And will it be worth much less than a 2004 in a year or two?

Lastly - I know everyone says check the geometry has been done recently so you know its not all seized up - but really - everyone I have spoken to are just normal people who have never tracked, never had any concerns and never had their geometry looked at.

I know in a perfect world people would say this needs to have been checked but in reality its proving difficult.

[Riknos]

The geometry isn't the end of the world - But it could cost you an extra £800 on top of having the alignment done, if the bolts are seized. So it's just something to bare in mind. You're right though; when I was looking, VERY few owners had done it. Infact, only one that I looked at, but that car was too old and the wrong colour for me... Still almost bought it

I wish they made more yellow ones...

[Triple7]

The 2004 is definitely the prettier car. But in answer tryout question, I don't think anyone other than a professional driver could tell the difference. If it was me I'd 2004 onwards......

[Rich A]

It would be worth holding out until you find an 04/05 facelift in a colour you like.

Regarding geometry, having it reset correctly (to factory settings or tweaked for your own use/ability) does make a very noticable difference to the feel of the car. Finding a car for sale having had this already is easier said than done, and i wouldn't be surprised if you pay a small premium for it. You could try and barter for the seller to provide an independent report on the car as part of the sale. CoG (http://www.centergravity.co.uk/) provide an S2000 Health Check report for ~£60.

I took my car to CoG. I think I paid around £400 to have all my bolts removed, inspected and greased, and then for a full geo set how I wanted it. That's more than you'd pay at other places for a basic geo but Chris is very thorough. I didn't have any seized bolts fortunately, but if your car does, it is possible to set the geo by working around the bolts that cannot be adjusted.

[hondafreek]

Triple7 said:

The 2004 is definitely the prettier car.

I disagree with that, I much prefer the look of the pre facelift car. The lights are much better looking. But, its down to opinion. I agree that only a pro could tell the difference in handling though.

[havoc]

I drove a 52 and an 04 before buying an 03. The one I bought didn't drive the best on the test-drive (the 04 did), but I knew I could sort a lot of that out through geo etc, and it was a cared-for example from a private trader which looked and felt solid.

I didn't regret it, although I did fit cross-braces and get the geo properly sorted by CentreGravity (inc. freeing up a couple of stiff adjuster bolts, this on a 2.5y.o. car).

If you're confident with rwd, then IMHO a cared-for '03 is a better bet than a generic '04 - the suspension mods 'dialled-out' a little bit of the pointyness as well as some of the snappyness. In either case you'll want to get the suspension checked out, really.

If you haven't already, find a buyers guide - there's little that goes wrong, but the few things that do can be £££...