S2000....

[chris123321]

I did do a search for this but couldnt find any uptodate posts that were relevant,

Ive got a budget of £7000 roughly and have seen many S2000's with 70-90k miles on them with full service history and what looks like good condition knocking around on autotrader and the likes, my question is, are these cars good buys or ticking time bombs waiting for something to go wrong?

Is £7k a realistic budget for an S2000?

[Bibbs]

£7k is the very bottom end of the market I'd have thought. Imports with no history, or Cat C cars.

I'd be looking more at the £10k for a "good" cheap car.

[chris123321]

so im going to be looking at things like this:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/505476.htm

or this:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/514965.htm


both seem very risky yet utterly tempting.


(must resist shiny car syndrome!)

[havoc]

For your budget SOMETHING won't be right.

So you either up your budget to reduce your risk, you decide what the least-risky car is, or you leave it and get something else...

S2000 is a cheap car to run FOR THE PERFORMANCE. However, that's only until something goes wrong, when it can get pricey. Not wanting to put you off, but if you've budgeted £7k to buy, what have you got per-year to maintain it?

[POORCARDEALER]

There are loads of loads of these cars for sale, they are definatly not the easy sell they once were.

Shop around hard.

[havoc]

POORCARDEALER said:

There are loads of loads of these cars for sale, they are definatly not the easy sell they once were.

Shop around hard.

You been reading my other thread?!?

[POORCARDEALER]

noooooooo but I will now

[nig-gtv]

chris123321 said:

so im going to be looking at things like this:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/505476.htm

or this:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/514965.htm


both seem very risky yet utterly tempting.


(must resist shiny car syndrome!)

The CATD doesnt look that risky, if the seller is being honest..

[billberks2]

chris123321 said:

so im going to be looking at things like this:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/505476.htm

or this:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/514965.htm


both seem very risky yet utterly tempting.


(must resist shiny car syndrome!)

i nearly bought that one at the bottom there.

[chris123321]

im really tempted by it!

[woodytype S]

Why should something go wrong with it.
It's a HONDA.

Edited by woodytype S on Sunday 22 June 09:01

Edited by woodytype S on Sunday 22 June 09:02

[TaylotS2K]

The S2000 is highly tuned as it is and has to be looked after properly. On your budget, the main thing is that it runs ok and is mechanically sound, so a good test drive is a must. For 7K I'd expect a bit of a tatty car though. Look carefully at everything as on the surface the car can look in good order if the person has buffed the car up etc...

The 2nd car has a silver reg plate surround, original ones are black, it might be a case of the owner having it colour coded, but It could also be accident damage.......

Also, check the wear on the roof, especially older roofs with rear plastic screens, as these are VERY expensive to replce.

Edited by TaylotS2K on Sunday 22 June 19:03

[billberks2]

woodytype S said:

Why should something go wrong with it.
It's a HONDA.

Edited by woodytype S on Sunday 22 June 09:01

Edited by woodytype S on Sunday 22 June 09:02

because mechanical things wear

[Concerned cat]

I was told the other week that S2K engines have a 1 in 20,000 faliure rate.

So that's the engine taken care of.

What next?

[havoc]

The whole 'bulletproof Honda' thing is overstated. Their engines are paragons of reliability, but only when looked after...so the car is only as good as it's owners, if you see what I mean.

s2ki.co.uk will have a decent buying guide and offer good advice, but with these cars it's:-
- Has it had an accident? If so, is there any sign of chassis damage?
- What's the clutch/synchro feel like?
- Does it LOOK like it's been taken care of.
- Is it going to need much maintenance soon (tyres/pads/discs/etc.)?

[Dracoro]

havoc said:

The whole 'bulletproof Honda' thing is overstated. Their engines are paragons of reliability, but only when looked after...so the car is only as good as it's owners, if you see what I mean.

Same goes for any and every car though.

However, look after a Honda and it'll more than likely look after you. This is more than can be said for many other manufacturers.

[Hoonfest]

Speak as you find. I've owned my 03 for 2.5 years. It's been serviced once a year with an oil change in between and I've had no problems what so ever.

So that's £250 ish a year to service and a set of tires. I would say that is good testament to Honda's build quality and reliability.

What other cars of it's type are that cheap to run?