Dirt Cheap AP1 Turned Into Low Budget Track Machine

Budget Thrill Ride

It's no secret that our members here in the S2Ki forums love to track their cars. But most of them use their S2000s for dual purpose duty, both as daily/weekend cruisers and also for high speed fun. Member Uglyobsesegamer, however, saw a perfect opportunity to take a cheap, high-mile, salvage car, throw a few bucks at it, and turn it into a budget thrill ride.

Photos: S2Ki Forums

Cheap but Questionable Purchase

Things were certainly looking dire when the OP went to look at the car, which was listed for $4,000. An offer of just $2,500 sealed the deal, however. But after towing it to his shop, the OP started to dig in and figure out what needed to be done to get this Honda back on track.

Photos: S2Ki Forums

>>Join the conversation on this AP1 track machine right here in the S2Ki forums. 

Assessing the Damage

"Car looks like it's been hit in the rear, poorly fixed, then hit in the front, poorly fixed, then totaled again after going over a curb sideways into a guard rail," the OP said. "But it starts with no problem! I ordered the LCA, hub, UCA, axle, rotor, and brake lines already. As parts come in, I will be putting it together so I can drive it to an alignment shop to see how bad the frame is."

Photos: S2Ki Forums

>>Join the conversation on this AP1 track machine right here in the S2Ki forums. 

Adding Up

The initial parts needed to fix the damage came out to just $400. But that tally started adding up quickly as the OP soon scored a new bumper, a cheap set of wheels and tires, and a new rear fender to replace the mangled piece. At this point, the car just required a bunch of bodywork, but the OP was also test fitting wheels and tires to see how much rubber he could stuff underneath.

Photos: S2Ki Forums

>>Join the conversation on this AP1 track machine right here in the S2Ki forums. 

Finish Line

Little by little, it all started to come together. That included installing standard aftermarket goodies including coilovers, followed by some RPF1 wheels wrapped in track tires. A big wing out back and this car was just about ready for its new custom wrap job. 

Photos: S2Ki Forums

>>Join the conversation on this AP1 track machine right here in the S2Ki forums. 

Ready to Roll

With the car road legal again and all the bodywork completed, all that was left to do was make it look nice. Needless to say, this sweet wrap did a fantastic job of covering up the car's once mangled metal. But as this was all coming to an end, the OP had his sights set on hitting the track as soon as possible.

Photos: S2Ki Forums

>>Join the conversation on this AP1 track machine right here in the S2Ki forums. 

Catching Up

And that's exactly what he's done since the car was all buttoned up last year. So be sure and head over here to check out this cool build in its entirety, as well as keep up with the inevitable future updates sure to follow!

Photos: S2Ki Forums

>>Join the conversation on this AP1 track machine right here in the S2Ki forums.