Hi guys,

Picked up a stock-ish AP1 in Jan from the Rocky Mountains region NASA TT5 champion, really cool guy named John. Picked it up for trackday duty and I figured I should start a public journal so others can point out my blind spots and I can learn from yall.




I used to race an NB Miata back in college and this feels like a chubbier but faster version, hence the name (I was also previously a software engineer, iykyk lol). Previously also had a tuned FK8 TypeR that was fun, but I missed a lightweight FR. Happy to be back!

Specs:
2002
Spa Yellow
132k miles
9/10 VIN (rear bumper no bueno)
Mostly straight, few bigger dings

Services:
Engine oil and coolant @ 132k
Trans fluid, diff fluid, brake fluid, clutch fluid, and valve adjustment @ 130k
Done by Science of Speed in AZ before my ownership:
Shifter rebuild @ 127k
ACT street clutch kit, master and slave cylinder replacement - Feb 2024
Vtec gasket (chinese?)
Ballade TCT
IACV replacement
Spark plugs, coil packs, & injectors @ 100k

Alignment (done by Mario Magana from Rogue Motorsport):
Front
2.2 camber
6.3 castor
Rear
2 camber
0.24 toe in

Parts:
Upgraded dual row Ebay radiator @ 132k
Mocal thermostatic sandwich place + 19 row oil cooler @ 132k
ACT sport clutch kit
XP10 & XP8 brake pads
Newer soft top with glass
Tein S Tech ~1 inch lowering springs
Restored seats, Ridies genuine leather covers + suede inserts. They're sweeet.
AP2V1 wheels
225 & 245 Hankook RS4s

Upcoming:
AP2 Valve retainers and cotter keepers
Spoon engine mounts
Bride Vios Low Max
PCI rails
Braided brake lines
Project Mu G4 brake fluid
Missing clutch pedal stop
Brake brace

Replaced the tires that were on it with RS4s and went straight to Thunderhill as soon as I could. Threw it around for a few (damp, later wet) laps to get a feel for it for the first time. Met a nice dude named Jason (from the DIY Guys youtube channel) was kind enough to show me its potential and offered to help me out with some upgrades. Thanks man, you're awesome

Looking forward to the next trackday!

 

Awesome track car and yellow to boot! I had those same brake pads for years, so good.

I'd recommend very frequent transmission oil replacements to keep it happy with track use.

 

beautiful car. how were the RS4s in the wet? thinking about picking up a staggered set for this season.

 

I used to run the XP10/8 combo and liked it but moved to some different ones. I am running the GLOC (basically the same pads\compounds, companies different family members at each company IIRC) R16/R12s right now. I like their initial bite and have done well for me.

Change clutch fluid often. Does not need to be a full flush, just suck out what is in the reservoir and top it back off with clean. The clutch fluid gets dirty fairly fast and that can cause leaks. I typically just change it once per season assuming I am hitting 4-6 events.

I change my transmission and diff oils each season as well to stay on top of that. I do a full flush on the brake fluid each season and bleed between events. My opinion is the project Mu stuff is good but overpriced. I run Motul for brake fluid and have for years.

Alignment wise the car loves a lot of caster. Being an AP1 (more rear toe curve) you have the rear toe set right. I am also lowered about an inch and have settled on -3.5 degrees camber up front and -3.0 rear on mine.

Mine has about 30,000 more miles than yours but still going strong

Going to be running with NASA? I moved into TT last season with NASA. Good club to run with and have really enjoyed it so far. I am in the mid america region. Could not make champs last season which is a bummer given it was 1.75 hours from me... and this year is much further away so likely wont make it!

I have autocrossed every generation of the MX-5 other than the ND2. Lost of fun and more nimble and quick in the tighter stuff like that. The s2k is porkier than all the generations of the MX-5 but still a pretty light and nimble car for sure and the added power make it more fun to me. On the street a better and more fun car to drive than the Miata IMO.

Also the correct color car Welcome to the Spa Yellow team!

 

Nice S2k! I like the pic at Buc-ee's

 

Oh a few other notes on this car that are a bit different or are lesser known.

If you have a service manual, and it is older and says to tq the plugs at 13lbft, cross that right out and torque them to 24 lbft. Most run between 21-24 on here and they revised it in the manual to 18 or 19lb ft IIRC. The older number was insufficient, plugs would back out and destroy the threads in the head. 24 is plenty safe and is widely used.

Oil filter. This is always a painful topic but the short of it is that this motor produces a decent amount of oil pressure and plenty of vibration and can cause an undertightened filter to loosen, spray oil on the header and cause a fire. Plenty have experienced this in the day. Use the torque value Honda states or go by the numbers on the filter. The Honda filters are very good and have instructions right on the side for how to tighten them. Practically every other car on earth is hand tight. Ours are designed to make metal to metal contact and be torqued to prevent them from coming loose. Some people actually put a safety wire on it for track use (large hose clamp around the filter with safety wire to a bolt somewhere) but I have never done that and just rely on torquing it correctly. Do what makes you feel the most comfortable and add a safety if you wish.

Jack points. This one I think people miss a lot. On the front side jack points, there are two lips in the body seam. And it is 100% reasonable to expect the front most one is the right one (like many other cars). It is actually the one right behind that. The frontmost one can cause damage to your fender. The owners manual shows it correctly but it is something people overlook sometimes.

 

@Ian300D Thanks! Yeah they've performed well so far, the previous owner just gave them to me with the car so I'm not complaining haha. and thanks for the heads up on tranny fluids, will get one done at the end of this year as well.

@omcars927 They felt good enough on a damp track, though I'm definitely not the fastest driver. In the wet, I would go with something else. RS4s feel like a decent all around tire that I can beat on for a season while going from beginner to intermediate.

@Elscooby Thanks man, it was my first time ever seeing a Bucees! They don't have any on the west coast.

@engifineer Thank you so much for the detailed tips, I really appreciate it! And Miatas are just awesome haha.

I used to run GLOCs on my TypeR (linked thread above), and they were fantastic. I'll give them a shot on the s2k after the Carbotechs wear out. The car got a full fluid flush right before I bought it so I should be ok, but sounds like I'll get it done again at the end of the year. Which Motul fluids are you running?

Definitely agree there's lots of room for a better alignment, I just thought I should try a milder setup while still running OEM staggered wheels to get a feel for the car before going all the way. What are your thoughts on that?

Would love to run NASA, TT5 sounds incredibly fun. But I don't know if NASA substantially exists out here, SF region feels entirely SCCA. No idea if theres an equivalent for TT5.

Hmm I wonder what the situation is for my filter given I have an oil cooler... I should check that out. Also the previous owner jacked the car up from the wrong point so there's a slight bend underneath the driver's side skirt. Hard to see but comical nonetheless lol.

And thanks all for the compliments on the color, it seemed a bit crazy earlier but it's growing on me. Love me some primary colored cars haha

 

SCCA has a time trials program but I cannot recall the classing structure. I have done lots of SCCA autocross and track nights but have not tried out time trials with them.

Oh and for parts, look up partsdaddywill He is a guy within our groups and typically can get us good pricing on parts so I always go to him first. I have bought brake pads, harnesses, flex shr from him. Nice guy with a small biz so many of us like supporting him. You can find him on FB.

On the alignment, I am running 255 square for street tires and 225 or 245 square on Hoosiers depending on wheels (245 hoosiers on anything but a 17X9 are too wide for TT5 so the other choice is a 225 on a 17X9 or 17X10) so if running a staggered setup your optimal settings may be different. You will know after running them and seeing how the shoulders are wearing and if you have a pyrometer can always check them after sessions to see if you need more. So stick with what you have and adjust as needed.

I also thought "not bad but wish it was black" when I first looked at my Spa Yellow. But it grew on me very fast. The s2k is a car that really pulls off yellow well. And so many random people have complimented it and said it was a great color over time.

 

Oil filter problem is same even with oil cooler in the mix. I can't believe I forgot to mention the oil filter. In my time wrenching on S2000's I've repaired two S2000's that nearly burned to ground. I still rock the hood on my car with charred underside as a fun reminder.

My method is tighten oil filter and paint marker a line on top so you can see if it moves. I check engine bay before/after each track session so it's quick to validate. Never once been caught with pants down using this method.

 

Paint markers are a great thing to use, especially on a tracked car. Critical fasteners can easily be marked and inspected quickly between events or even between sessions.