GeekSpeak411

Hey All, this is an ongoing build thread to centralize more targeted break downs from other sites. A lot of OEM quality electrical updates, please rate and comment if you like what you see!

I learned to drive on my dad's '00 NFR S2K that he drives to this day, for reasons I don't have to explain here I formed a deep connection with the car. I've always been a hobbiest with computers and pretty handy when it comes to making things work and I definitely wasn't opposed to getting in to cars, but I had no background with cars. When I started looking for my first car I decided I wanted to get one for myself so I saved a bit longer and started really getting in to the S2K community reading all kinds of content getting more intimately acclimated with the cars and further understanding what I need to look for. Then, lo and behold!

This was one of the first pictures I got when I bought it.


And here are the twins!



This is Kira, she came in to my hands in 2012 with 100k and a salvage title, placing her exactly within my reach. I got the car in order to have a top-notch platform with which I can pick up mechanical know how from the huge enthusiast community (y'all). Since then I've been doing exactly that! I've done all the work on the car since I've owned it short of some minor body work that was out of my hands. In this thread I'll centralize any information I manage to get online with the build and make it moderately chronological and sensible!

My styling preference is OEM quality, I want as few distractions as necessary while packing the most effective punch possible. I don't care for mods that scream aftermarket, not to say that I dislike aftermarket, but I want to spend the time to make sure that everything visible is necessary and everything necessary feels like it belongs.

Before anything else with this car; Hardwired Valentine 1. Purchased it before I purchased the car.


Making her my own right off the bat I matched some string to add yellow stitching to the door panels and shift boot which is still one of my favorite updates.



Next I took a high speed buffer to the headlights to get them shining like new, and then protected them with 303 to maintain the shine through the elements. Here you can see an unpolished and a polished lamp for before and after.



Since my expertise are electrical, I started with what I knew well. I chose a Sony head unit with a OLED display that looks OEM and had LEDs that match the dashboard perfectly! I got a hardwired dashboard interface to enable the OEM controls, and found a microphone that fit in perfectly with the soft-top latches.



I matched up the head unit with S Pods from these forums and after being happy with the way the sound came out on my dad's S2K I once again popped in Polk speakers all the way around. Although this time I actually liked the exposed look with the top down so I painted the front of the pods and used the included grills. From the back I'm sure some sharp eyes will catch the soft top not folding properly which is now mitigated!



Since I was on a roll with the mods I kept up steam converting the AntiTheft system to Proximity Cards. This system replaces the Key Cylinder with a knob that activates based on proximity to the key card in your wallet. The keys authenticate with rolling encryption to prevent hacking to the point where it's easier to steal the car through traditional means than to find a vulnerability in the system. Essentially, the car unlocks and activates the Push Start when I'm within 6 feet, and disables the Push Start, locks the doors, and optionally puts up the soft top and windows automatically when I leave a 15 foot perimeter. This way I never leave without my wallet and I never have to carry keys. Mission Success.


Finally, my phone needs a home to charge and navigate. I chose this position due to it only cutting off my view of the hood and not the road while being totally accessible from the wheel and visible without taking my eyes off the road ahead. (Spoiler Alert there are updates coming regarding this soon...ish)


Next up came an AP2 Center Console. because cupholders.


I got some running LEDs after doing my research on some quality units that match our OEM headlight temperatures for color zen. I like the look in general of the updated appearance as well as the enhanced visibility in batsh!t Atlanta traffic.


My favorite functional mod to Kira thus far has been the addition of a backup camera. Sure, when the top is down you've got 100% visibility, when the top is up however you've got total tunnel vision. On top of living in the city, the ease of use just can't be beat. I wired in in to the reverse light power so it automatically activates when I put the car in reverse. I chose this specific model due to it's small installation footprint so I could integrate the install as much as possible.


I always felt the visors were unbalanced with a mirror only on one side, so putting the screen in to the visor came naturally. It's also wired to reverse power so whenever I want it I just flip the visor down when I'm in reverse and when I take it out of gear the screen just shuts back off again. Installation was pretty straight forward with our foam-core visors.


So now with that functionality baked-in, the interior now looks like this, aside from the phone dock pretty stock right?!


More recently with the added bumper paint chip mod and 30k later


I've been doing a TON of work on the car, lot's of things to update y'all on when I get some pics and descriptions together of everything!


Here's a boring list of the current status of the car. This will be a great place to link in DIYs and details in other more specific forums.

Mileage as of Most Recent Update: 150k

Part - OEM/Additions/Replacements - Modifications/Features

Drivetrain
Air Intake - K&N Air Filter - Installed @ 150k
Valve Cover - OEM - Wrinkle Coat Red
Valve Retainers - AP2 Retainers - Installed @ 150k
Timing Chain Tensioner - Billman TCT - Installed @ 150k
Transmission - OEM - Replaced with 50k @ 125k
Clutch Kit - OEM - Replaced @ 125k
Oil - Royal Purple w/ OEM Filter - Replaced @ 150k
Catalytic Converter - Berk High Flow Cat - Replaced @ 100k
Muffler/Exhaust - OEM - UK Mod?
Brake Calipers - OEM - Finished Red
Brake Pads - Akebono ProACT Brake Pads - Replaced Front @ ? & Rear @ ?
Brake Rotors - OEM
Wheels - OEM - Refinished and Tinted

Interior
Roll Cage - OEM - Roll Cage Speakers with OEM Leather Back
Speakers - 4x 2-way Polk Audio
Head Unit - Sony Headunit
Subwoofer - 10" Footwell Sub
Drivers Side Visor - 3.5" Screen
Interior Lighting - LED - RGB Footwell Lights
Dashboard Lighting - LED -
AntiTheft - Encrypted Proximity Key Auto Unlock/Lock/Ignition Disable/Window Raise
Radar Detector - V1 - Hardwired w/ Bluetooth
Parking Sensors - ALP - Hardwired w/ Bluetooth
Docking - Magnetic Microsuction Phone and Tablet Docks - Wireless Charging + Bluetooth
Center Console - AP2 - Yellow Shift Boot Stitching
Door Panels - OEM - Yellow Leather Stitching

Exterior
Front Bumper - Veilside Replica - Custom Baller Paint Chips and Body Cracks
Running Lights - LED
Soft Top - EZ-On
Rear Bumper - OEM - Backup Camera
Rear Spoiler - AP2

GeekSpeak411

Here are some teasers of mods either currently underway or not yet documented!

Michael65

Im loving the build!!!! Adding that modern update to the s is what ive always been wanting to do , good job!

drboost

awesome build man!

toplessPolak

Anymore info on proximity sensor install? It looks like you installed a Nissan ignition switch.

GeekSpeak411

Thanks for the words of encouragement guys, I've poured a ton of hours in to this car and have a lots more on my list!

Absolutely! I'll wrap the details in to my next update! I've had the car down for the past three months undergoing a whole slew of new mods to bring her up to 2015!

LMRM3

This is awesome! Will have to borrow some ideas from this thread!

cfd444

really want more details on the proximity card stuff

jaor.s2k

Wow, a lot of work on the interior accessories! I like how most of it seems seamless. I, for one, am not a fan of phone mounts in the s2k (well I use a suction mount on my windshield only for long trips, but always remove it), I like to keep it nice and clean.