Turbo Tuesday: 2004 Honda S2000 Puts Down Crazy Power

Number 3

The 2004 AP2 you see here wasn't Scott Healy’s first, or even second S2000, and his two-seater Honda count is up there too, having owned both a CRX Si and a VTEC Del Sol. His previous S2000 was a yellow AP1 that he dailied—but that doesn't mean it went unmodified. A few years on, after upping the daily fun quotient with a supercharger, the car started feeling tired so Healy added this also-yellow AP2 S2000 to his garage. Healy decided to take the AP1 back to stock and bring the AP2 into the boosted world.

Build 1

This time, the boost would be provided by a turbo instead of a blower. Healy carefully selected Full-Race Motorsports' Prostreet turbo manifold as the base for his F22C build. Full-Race welds the manifold robotically, with long primaries for a more responsive powerband and a shallow-angle collector for decreased exhaust turbulence. The turbocharger itself is a Garrett GTX3576R unit with a 1.06 A/R housing, linked to a TiAL Sport wastegate controlled by a MAC 3-port solenoid. a Full-Race Motorsports front-mount intercooler, in black anodized aluminum, cools the intake charge. Of course, boost is nothing without fuel and spark systems that can keep up. Healy added a Walbro 450-lph in-tank fuel pump that feeds a surge tank from Science of Speed. Two AEM 320-lph pumps send E85 to a FullBlown XXL fuel rail, then on to a set of Fuel Injector Development 1,200cc/min injectors, all via aircraft fittings. A Hondata K-Pro4 programmable ECU monitors everything, and Okada coil packs send the spark.

Blow Up

Healy was happy with the performance provided by a conservative tune, but even careful planning and mild pressures can't make an engine immune to equipment failures. As parts go, a wastegate is one thing you don't want to fail, but fail Healy's did, and the resultant 20psi jolt destroyed his pistons. Healy had his S2000 towed home and there it sat for six months, waiting for a cash infusion. With the cash came sleeved cylinders, along with new pistons and rods. But tragedy struck again, as a spun road bearing spelled the end of the line for the original F22C.

Build 3

Undaunted, Healy climbed back onto his horse and six months later had at it once again. Starting with a new F22C short block, he used the new build as an opportunity to invest a little more work into the top end as well. Healy sent the AP2's cylinder head out to S2000 gurus URGE Designs who turned their attention on improving an area Honda so nearly optimized that most tuners don't touch it: port shape and valve seat dynamics. URGE claims a 12 to 18-percent increase in intake flow, and just as important to a turbocharged engine, a whopping 25- to 30-percent improvement in exhaust flow. Rounding out the head work, URGE installed their Inconel exhaust valves, dual valve springs, and ultra low-mass titanium valve retainers. Healy bolted the top and bottom ends together with ARP head studs and added a Clutchmasters FX400 clutch during the install. At the dyno, with renewed enthusiasm and 15 psi of boost, Healy's S2000 now delivered 603 hp and 431 ft-lbs of torque to the wheels.

Yellow Goodness

To support all that power and get it safely to the ground, Healy installed Bilstein PSS9 adjustable dampers. The coilovers drop the S2000 snugly over classic BBS LM wheels, 18x8-inch front and 18x9.5-inch out back. Currently, he's running Dunlop Star Spec tires, 225/40R18 front and 265/35R18 rear. He is considering going wider and also adding traction control to help harness all 603 horses. The sea of yellow paint is broken by Downforce carbon kevlar ground effects all around, including a front splitter, side skirts, and a rear diffuser. Weather permitting, Healy's S2000 can be seen in the great state of Colorado. DSport magazine spotted it there, awarding their Editor’s Choice Award to it at the InstaFame Car Show. It's good to see hard work and persistence rewarded, especially one of the Honda loyal is on the receiving end.

 >>Join the conversation about this 600HP S2000 right here in the S2ki Forum!