S2000 Dilemma

Sin_Chase · 16 Sep 2009 at 15:20

£1000 for seized bushes? A lot more if you go OEM and not after market.

You are probably looking at a good 400-500 in labour alone and you cannot buy bushes individually, need the whole wishbone f.ex. Upper Rear will run you ~400 new for an OEM part - One of them.

Can always go after market bushings which will probably come in closer to a grand. If the geo bolts are seized too they are upwards of £100 new plus any additional labour to get the old ones out.

As for which car, I would take the yellow. Hardtop is worth more than the price difference and some key parts in the ad make me think he knows his S2000 stuff. Proper OEM tyres, mention of roof wear etc.

Any car you get - if not done already get the geo bolts out, clean them up if needed and then get them greased.

PiKe · 16 Sep 2009 at 15:21

L0rdMike said:
Get a blue one.

Wrong.

Bermuda Blue Pearl for the win.

Sin_Chase · 16 Sep 2009 at 15:23

Deep Burgundy is where it's at!

Good luck finding one for sale though

PiKe · 16 Sep 2009 at 15:24

'Tis worth keeping an eye on http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showforum=120

Durzel · 16 Sep 2009 at 15:28

eidolon said:
Why would you need a hard top? I've had soft top cars for years and have never felt that I've needed a hard top during winter.

You'd be surprised at how much of a difference insuring an S2000 GT (hardtop) vs the regular one is. Doubly so for a euro import even if you swear blind that it's the same as the UK model (which it is, but they won't care).

As I recall when I had mine there was a good £300+ difference in premium price, even though there's nothing technically stopping you owning a hardtop and never fitting it ever. Just having it implies (at least as far as insurance companies are concerned) that you will use it for some of the time and whilst it's fitted your car is more secure/less likely to be vandalised. Silly but that's the way it is.

Mine was the same colour as that pic pasted above - which sadly isn't available anymore.

RockLobster · 16 Sep 2009 at 15:52

Sin_Chase said:
£1000 for seized bushes? A lot more if you go OEM and not after market.

Christ that's worrying.

PiKe · 16 Sep 2009 at 15:53

RockLobster said:
Christ that's worrying.

Check tyres for uneven wear and take it for a test drive to feel if it's planted.

It's really not that bigger deal.

MeAnBoY · 16 Sep 2009 at 15:59

Im strange in that most convertable cars i like i would almost certainly have to have a hard top, they just look much nicer to me! Obviously soft-top is ideal seeing as modern rags give just as good protection from wind, rain and road noise, i just dont like the look of them...

Oh yeah, so number 1 for me, yellow is pretty cool on a s2k

Lord-Jaffa · 16 Sep 2009 at 16:01

RockLobster said:
Hi Lord I don't think either have had a geometry check. What costs are we talking about if the bushes are seized? 600 quid?

Well in Japan they dont use salt on their roads, so the bushes don't suffer the same fates they do here, low or high mileage all S2000's are vulnerable to it, some as new as 6 months old show signs of seizing.

Like whats been previously said, if they can get them into spec then being seized isnt a problem, one side of my rear camber is seized (I had 3 seized bushes on my 04) also however its perfectly in spec so I dont need to get it sorted, if its a rear toe thats seized its essential to get it replaced as this can lead to dangerous handling! The problem comes that Honda wont sell you a bush by itself, you have to replace the whole suspension arm at a horrendous price, so you are forced to use aftermarket bushes! If you have a car with a load of seizures that are all out of spec it can get very pricey to replace indeed, upto and over 1000 is not uncommon. Of course then you must get the geometry done at a reputable place (your local tyre shanty is not one of these places!)

Fortunatly on mine, only the rear toes were seized in an out of spec position, front castor is seized but its perfectly in spec along with the rear camber, so I was quite lucky with how they seized themselves!

You might buy one with no problems at all, however there are PLENTY of examples out there for 12k which have had their suspension bolts fully greased and maintained. Check the S2k forums for some nicer examples, for 12k now id be looking at least an 05, ive even seen an 06 go for 12k on the forums so those two seem slightly overpriced for private sales.

Lord-Jaffa · 16 Sep 2009 at 16:03

Durzel said:
You'd be surprised at how much of a difference insuring an S2000 GT (hardtop) vs the regular one is.

This is very true indeed, upto £400 difference in quotes ive found, although this year I didnt need to mess around so much as it was only £600 fully comp for me.

Lord-Jaffa · 16 Sep 2009 at 16:05

RockLobster said:
Christ that's worrying.

Yeah don't worry about it, buy an example which has already had all this checked out, you will probably get a geometry check as soon as you buy it anyway.

It's night and day difference with an S2000 thats been properly setup. I couldn't believe the difference after mine was done, the car was so planted on the road at high speeds on B roads during the test drive!

Also check for wear behind the drivers and passengers head on the corner of the roof, it wears there quite badly, i've just patched both mine up for protection on either side with some old roof frabric i got off the s2k forums from some guy.

PiKe · 16 Sep 2009 at 16:07

Lord-Jaffa said:
Yeah don't worry about it, buy an example which has already had all this checked out, you will probably get a geometry check as soon as you buy it anyway.

It's night and day difference with an S2000 thats been properly setup. I couldn't believe the difference after mine was done, the car was so planted on the road at high speeds on B roads during the test drive!

Also check for wear behind the drivers and passengers head on the corner of the roof, it wears there quite badly, i've just patched both mine up for protection on either side with some old roof frabric i got off the s2k forums from some guy.

I use lizard skins (chainstays) on mine which are meant for mountain bikes which are wrapped around the tubing where it rubs.

Lord-Jaffa · 16 Sep 2009 at 16:09

PiKe said:
I use lizard skins (chainstays) on mine which are meant for mountain bikes which are wrapped around the tubing where it rubs.

Yeah i was going to do that, however mine on the drivers side had already slightly gone through the material, so this has given it a new lease of life and should last for another 5 years

Sin_Chase · 16 Sep 2009 at 16:10

PiKe said:
I use lizard skins (chainstays) on mine which are meant for mountain bikes which are wrapped around the tubing where it rubs.

+1

As for a geo - Oh god yes.

I am on a fast road custom geometry and combined with full poly bushing the difference is UNREAL.

Before it felt a little wobbly and un-planted on the B roads but now it is planted. 10x more confidence in the car pushing on in the corners.

PiKe · 16 Sep 2009 at 16:10

Lord-Jaffa said:
Yeah i was going to do that, however mine on the drivers side had already slightly gone through the material, so this has given it a new lease of life and should last for another 5 years

Mines very slight on drivers side too but the lizard skins will take any more wear.

RockLobster · 16 Sep 2009 at 16:53

Lord-Jaffa said:
Well in Japan they dont use salt on their roads, so the bushes don't suffer the same fates they do here, low or high mileage all S2000's are vulnerable to it, some as new as 6 months old show signs of seizing.

Like whats been previously said, if they can get them into spec then being seized isnt a problem, one side of my rear camber is seized (I had 3 seized bushes on my 04) also however its perfectly in spec so I dont need to get it sorted, if its a rear toe thats seized its essential to get it replaced as this can lead to dangerous handling! The problem comes that Honda wont sell you a bush by itself, you have to replace the whole suspension arm at a horrendous price, so you are forced to use aftermarket bushes! If you have a car with a load of seizures that are all out of spec it can get very pricey to replace indeed, upto and over 1000 is not uncommon. Of course then you must get the geometry done at a reputable place (your local tyre shanty is not one of these places!)

Fortunatly on mine, only the rear toes were seized in an out of spec position, front castor is seized but its perfectly in spec along with the rear camber, so I was quite lucky with how they seized themselves!

You might buy one with no problems at all, however there are PLENTY of examples out there for 12k which have had their suspension bolts fully greased and maintained. Check the S2k forums for some nicer examples, for 12k now id be looking at least an 05, ive even seen an 06 go for 12k on the forums so those two seem slightly overpriced for private sales.

Hi Lord. I have been looking Pistonheads, Autotrader and the S2k forums for what seems an eternity and the 05 and certaintly the 06 people are asking 13k upwards. I think last year when we had banking crisis they had come down quite a bit. It seems now they are going back up.

I just to spoke to Jane from Centre Gravity and she reassured me that paying around 1k is the worse case scenario. She checked the books and it is quite rare to have a bill that big she said it usually happens to the very early models. She said Chris can work wonders getting them seized bushes out.

Durzel said:
You'd be surprised at how much of a difference insuring an S2000 GT (hardtop) vs the regular one is. Doubly so for a euro import even if you swear blind that it's the same as the UK model (which it is, but they won't care).

You are right when I mentioned it was a UK spec but Euro import the price shot up by around £200.

Sin_Chase · 16 Sep 2009 at 16:59

Getting the bushes out is not the hard part. Getting ones to put back in is

OEM full wishbones/arms or after market.

Taking bushes out =

Oxyacetylene....badass.

Begbie · 16 Sep 2009 at 17:07

Yelllow!!!111!

RockLobster · 16 Sep 2009 at 17:12

Begbie said:
Yelllow!!!111!

Is that a positive or negative hehe.

RockLobster · 21 Sep 2009 at 09:08

Bit of an update I did buy the Yellow S2000. It looks fantastic in the flesh. Although I haven't been able to drive it much due what happened to me on Saturday - http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18056783. When I get better I'm going to get it detailed and take it to CentreGravity.