Awhit's Lessons Learned BB AP2 Build
 

Here we are again. A few years ago I purchased an AP1 and went way off the rails trying to build it up. Things progressed like most plans subject to poor discipline - I woke up one morning realizing I was trying to achieve something impossible and I sold the car and its parts.


Fast forward to now and I’ve been around the block in too many cars over too short of a period trying to figure out what I truly want. The good news is that trying different things coupled with getting older and starting a family gave me perspective and context that I previously lacked. That context and perspective returned me to where I started, but now with a much better (or so I tell myself) idea of what I actually want to achieve. Enter this 2004 BB AP2, purchased from a long-time friend and forum member (and already donning a few parts I snagged ahead of the acquisition).



https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...d4677c6ca6.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...d63c6275d3.jpg


This time I’m setting out to keep my S more subtle, more enjoyable to drive in the shrinking number of chances that present themselves and less about the parts than it is about the S2000 experience as a whole….. I’ll still find SOME JDM bling to put on it though.

Will I actually keep and drive this one? And how will time judge my habit of journaling to myself on a dying medium? I guess we'll find out.

I knew you'd be back. I want those TEs But I don't want to get a rid of my CEs.....pain

Welcome back.

enjoy shouting into the void that is build threads in 2023

Haha you were absolutely right. I saw in your thread that I think you moved on from the Nitrons - hopefully not because they did anything bad to you!

I'm really happy with how they turned out. When they redid the TE molds for the Saga/Sonic some of the sizes and faces just didn't look right. These present very well in my eyes, almost having that OG TE vibe now that you can get a proper silver color.

It's too bad. Reading build threads was one of the best ways for me to learn more about a car and to get into modifying it. Plus it's just cool to see how people attack things differently. Maybe one day things will turn back around.

Wheels, tires, bbk, coilovers, and oem hardtop.

Looks ready and done to just keep driving with a sprinkling of track days here and there. Anything after what I can visually see is venturing back to the slippery slope. LOL.

Good luck and welcome back.

stoked to see you back.

Thanks! It's definitely ready to be enjoyed as is....but I've got to do a few things as long as I stay on script, right?? By your definition I'll be half-on, half-off the slope during this build LOL

To really kick things off, we’ve got to talk about the car itself. The last time I was in an S2000, I purchased a clean but high (165k) mile AP1. The miles on that car were a partial contributor to me just wanting to change everything, so this time I set out knowing I wanted an S that was a little fresher and had some solid mods on it right off the bat. No-brainer type mods that I wouldn’t have to repurchase but also would still allow me to add my own touch to the car.

It was looking daunting trying to find a truly clean and fresh feeling S2000 since almost all of these cars have a story at this point. But in a stroke of luck, a good friend mentioned he was ready to move on from his after a long ownership. I took it as a sign and picked up this Berlina Black AP2.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...bd6dd1702.jpeg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...e9bd0ee86.jpeg

Vitals on the car are:

• 2004 AP2
• 2 owners before me
• All VINs/OG paint
• Just under 24k miles

Parts on the car when I picked it up:

• OEM BB hardtop
• Ohlins DFVs + 12k/11k springs
• Koyo radiator
• Toda torquie-kun header
• Catted test pipe
• Stoptech trophy bbk
• ARP extended studs w/ new OEM bearings
• Origin Fab UCA bushings + Kingpin spherical compliance bearings
• Some other small things

My friend had a set of black wheels that had to go in favor of these TEs before I picked up the car. I’m SO happy Rays has a decent silver in the catalog again and as a result I picked up some 17x9.5 +49 Saga S-Pluses in Diamond Silver from Evasive with matching center caps. SO happy with how these turned out, and I paired them with some Bridgestone RE-71 RS in 255/40/17.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...d252ebf78.jpeg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.s2k...0d996e1df.jpeg

Since this car is such a peach, I’ll probably have it detailed and PPF’d. It’s definitely not concours perfect but I want to be able to drive it, have it look just as good as it did when I picked it up and also reduce the effort needed to keep it clean. I’ve got some parts I want to pick up and add as well (for example the OEM exhaust is CRAZY quiet even with the header) that will make the driving experience/overall feel of the car more what I want. All that can come in time though…but….like not too much time. Ha.

Welcome back!