2001 S2000 Low Mileage Build Project

This 2001 S2000 looked great when the build began, but a few simple changes have made this one gorgeous drop-top Honda.

You would think that a well-maintained 2001 Honda S2000 with only 15,000 original miles wouldn’t leave much room for improvement. This build thread shared by “mkluge84” displays how simple changes and a good paint correction job can give an older car a new lease on life – even when it is already very sharp.

The introduction

When the OP first introduced us to his 2001 Honda S2000 project back in December, he started by explaining the process behind acquiring the car and his plans for the future.

“I wasn’t looking for an S2000, and to be quite honest I didn’t even have any interest in owning one. However I always do a weekly search online for low mileage Honda’s to see what’s out there. A couple months back during one of my searches I came across a spa yellow ap1, with 15k miles sitting at a Honda dealership in Ohio. It looked really clean in the pictures and the price was great so I decided to look into it. I called and spoke with the sales manager, he assured me the car was clean as it looked in the pictures, and that I would be very happy with the vehicle. I asked for them to send me detailed pictures, and some videos of the vehicle before we went any further. While they were gathering this information I pulled the carfax to find out more information on the car. The carfax showed that this dealer sold the car originally, serviced the vehicle, and had purchased the vehicle back from the original owner. You couldn’t ask for a better carfax report! I did some research on the dealership and decided to take the risk and just buy the vehicle sight on-seen, and have it shipped to me. This was a bit nerve racking and very out of character for me (I have the worst luck, and I’m very paranoid), but luckily it all worked out. The vehicle arrived a couple weeks later and was in even better condition than I could imagine. There wasn’t even a rock chip on the front bumper!”

Before the vehicle arrived I already had parts ordered, and some had even showed up prior to the cars arrival. Once the car arrived I was really torn with what to do. It was such a clean car, and it really made me question modifying it. I decided the path forward would be mods that I can easily remove from the vehicle (for now). All parts being utilized on the vehicle are new (unless otherwise noted).

Parts on hand:

Mugen Exhaust (installed)
Fortune Auto Coilovers w/ Swift Springs (installed)
Volk CE28N Diamond Black 17×9 +63 17×10 +70 (installed)
Toyo R888R 235/40/17 255/4017 (installed)
OEM Trunk Spoiler – Berlina Black – FOR SALE
Bumper Plugs (installed)
OEM CR Shift Knob (installed)
Mugen Ignition Cover (installed)

Parts on Order:
OEM Front Under Spoiler – Spa Yellow (this isn’t a 100% for sure thing, but I’m about 99.9% sure it’s coming. Current ETA is March 3rd)

Wishlist:
OEM Painted Hardtop – Berlina Black

The project begins

As you might expect, a 2001 S2000 with 15,701 miles was pretty clean, even coming from snowy Ohio, but the OP still found some “problems” early on.

The engine bay was very clean, but the radiator mounts were a bit rusty, so he replaced them with new Honda parts.

The bigger problem was the condition of the paint, with heavy amounts of swirl marks found all over the car. The OP addressed this by dropping his S2000 off at a trusted detailer, where the car was fully polished and ceramic coated. After that paint work, the car was likely nicer than it was the day that it rolled off of the assembly line.

Along the way, this S2000 got a Mugen ignition cover and a Mugen shift knob, adding a touch of high performance inside and under the hood.

The big change

The biggest change thus far with this 2001 S2000 project came just last week when the car went to a shop for installation of the new coilover suspension, Volk wheels and Toyo tires. Once those were installed, the car was tucked down tight over the custom wheels, providing a far more aggressive stance than stock. He also added an exhaust system that looks great while adding a little more rumble out back.

While the OP hasn’t made any dramatic changes to his Spa Yellow S2000, the paint correction, wheels and coilovers have gone a long way in improving the appearance of this Honda convertible.

With any luck, this build thread will continue to be updated as the owner makes more changes in upgrades, but in the meantime, check out the thread for a look at all of the pictures shared.

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com