f20rob

Hi all,

As you may have guessed, my name is Rob. I live in a quiet town on the edge of Dartmoor. I posted an introduction thread a couple of years ago but have continued to lurk ever since.

Here it is if you're interested: https://www.s2ki.com/forums/introduc...s2000-1107753/

Long story short, I bought my first S2000 in 2011 and lost it a few months later after aquaplaning on a huge flood and landing upside down in a field. In September 2014 I bought my second S2000, a MY03 GT in Silverstone.

My luck with the car hasn't been great. A week after bringing the car home I snapped a valve, which resulted in a very costly rebuild. My car was hit by debris on the motorway which damaged my O/S wing. My handbrake failed and I found my car embedded in the garage wall. My old man dropped the hard top on the car, gouging and scratching the rear quarter. My friend rear-ended me in his MR2. I snapped a drive shaft. My radiator went pop.

To say it's been an emotional (and financial) struggle would be an understatement and I'd be lying if I said I hadn't considered giving up entirely, but every time I drive it I'm reminded of how special it is and why I need to persevere.

This brings us to today. The car, as you can imagine, needs some love. It's sitting just shy of 130,000 miles and it's really starting to show. My plan is to strip the car bare, remove all rust, paint/seal it and then put it back together again. There will be lots of track-orientated and cosmetic upgrades along the way and I'm hoping to eventually supercharge it. It's going to be a long and thorough job so buckle up and enjoy the ride!



Current spec list

Engine:
Brian Crower stainless steel valves (normal diameter)
Brian Crower dual valve springs
Brian Crower titanium retainers
Brian Crower valve keepers & guides
ARP head studs
Billman Motion Generation-X timing chain tensioner

Exhaust:
OEM exhaust with UK mod
eBay special test pipe with CEL fix

f20rob

Here's a couple of photos I took of the car not long after purchasing it:





Here's a couple of photos from the head rebuild shortly thereafter (sorry for the bad quality). I also had the rocker cover refurbished by Paul at Spooner
Restorations who I would highly recommend!

Doyal

That rocker cover!!!!

f20rob

Not bad, huh?

f20rob

The first job was to remove the front bumper and wings, which took quite a while as most of the bolts had rusted. The splash shield / arch liners were knackered so they've gone in the bin. The O/S wing mounting point on the sill is pretty knackered and there are several patches of rust, but the inner arches are looking much better than I'd expected. Air conditioning will be removed at a later date.









I also had a little helper who made herself at home...



Next was the rear bumper. I was expecting a bit of a mess underneath and wasn't disappointed. The slam bar has an MR2 shaped dent in it, but rather that than the car and I found a replacement on eBay for a good price. The slam bar mounts are shot to pieces, with the O/S mount literally falling apart. The bumper brackets are very rusty, but can hopefully be saved. I also gutted the boot, revealing some rust at the bottom of the well.









Here's the car looking rather sorry for itself, waiting to be picked up and taken to the garage:

AndyPandyNI

Love to know how you got the rocker cover back to that state. I recently purchased my first S and the rocker cover needs some TLC.

f20rob

I sent it to Paul at Spooner Restorations.
Spooner Restorations - Car Part Refurbishments

bluepurple

​​​​​Looking forward to seeing this one progress.

No rust on the arches?

f20rob

Thanks mate. The arches aren't great, pics to follow!

sZooo5

How did you manage to snap a valve if you don't mind me asking.