sam_spider

Looking good Painting the roll bar was a nice touch.

The premium mats are really nice, I love mine.

fernando.

Those mats are amazing, the quality is great and mine are still holding up really well.

What knob is that? SOS NSX?

Ricky_Flowers_

Thanks Fernando. Yeah, that's the SoS knob. I've tried something like 10 different knobs in this car over the years and this is by far my favorite. The weight, shape, and throw are all perfect. It makes the shift feel effortless, yet more mechanical and direct because of the shape of the knob and the material used. If you can justify getting one, I honestly don't think there's a better knob for the car.

Thanks Sam! The roll bar idea was //steve\\'s actually, as this is his old bar. I told him back when he bought it and painted it that if he ever went to sell it I'd have first dibs. Two years later, and it's mine haha.

RussianHammer

Ive been using the same knob for about 12 years. Its the only part i kept from previous cars. i want to try the SOS one too now.

//steve\\

Nice. Car. Bro.

Ricky_Flowers_

Hytech Header: Unpacking, Install, and First Impressions

For the majority of the time I've had this car, I've typically bought parts based on the deals I could swing on them, and whether or not they served the purpose at hand. This led to me buying stuff, installing it, and still looking at the "next part" after I got tired of whatever was on my car at the time. Naturally, I spent a lot of time online looking at what I told myself I would eventually buy when the money was right. When I blew my motor and decided to rebuild the car from the ground up, I decided to change that way of thinking. The events leading up to me losing my car for 9 months coincided with me getting a really good job at a big construction management firm, thus upgrading my standard of living substantially. All of a sudden, I could afford to buy the parts I REALLY wanted, and I could stop cutting corners or settling for the stuff I could afford on a student's budget. This led to me sourcing a new motor from Inline Pro, a new rear end from Puddymod, a low mileage AP2 transmission, and all the other things I did along the way that I thought to be the best iteration of each part on the market. Finally, I was buying things and not feeling the urge to upgrade. My car was becoming very, very nice. There was one thing that I thought I'd never in my life own, as it's such a rare part and it's considered a superfluous mod by most. However, I found myself jumping at the opportunity to own what most would consider a "unicorn" part because, well, why the hell not? My friend //steve\\ purchased a car with this header, and offered it to me first as he knew I had been keen on it for ages now, so I sent him the money and he mailed me my shiny new header.

So, here it is:


Hytech S2000 Exhaust Manifold by Rick Flores, on Flickr


Hytech S2000 Exhaust Manifold by Rick Flores, on Flickr


Hytech S2000 Exhaust Manifold by Rick Flores, on Flickr


Hytech S2000 Exhaust Manifold by Rick Flores, on Flickr


Hytech S2000 Exhaust Manifold by Rick Flores, on Flickr

Upon unpacking, I was immediately blown away by how light the entire header felt, and the high level of craftsmanship. This one was a used example with around 500 miles on it, but was none the worse for wear. With the help of a tiny bit of anti-seize on the slip joints, the whole thing went together very easily. The collector is about 5-6 inches longer than the collector on the stock header as well, necessitating a custom test pipe from Hytech to be used in conjunction with the exhaust manifold. The level of quality, from the hardware to the welds to the way it all slid together was truly astounding. It is a piece of jewelry in an otherwise unassuming modified S2000. It's really, really ****ing cool.

The installation went really smooth. The header cleared my Innovative Mounts engine mounts with no issues, and simply slipped up and into the vacant spot where the OEM header once sat. Bolting it up was a breeze as well, as all the hardware supplied was of high quality and fit well. The collector sits at the same height of the OEM unit, and does not present any additional ground clearance issues. Overall, the installation was as easy as one would imagine.

After bolting the header to the car and checking for exhaust leaks, I took the old girl for a spin. The change in bottom end pull is very noticeable, especially around 4000 RPM. The car seemed to make more power everywhere. The noise at the VTEC transition is EXTREMELY noticeable now, and has made the car scream like a rabid animal above 4000 RPM. I have yet to tune the car with the header, but I expect to see some decent gains from it. Overall, I'm very happy with my decision to purchase this piece, and look forward to further evaluation.

Ricky_Flowers_

Buy one. You won't regret it. If you value the tactile response you get from every controls interface in your car, I don't think there is a better knob for the car. It also looks pretty damn awesome.

Thanks brody

S2K632

Inspiring I wish my car was not a face lifted to an AP2 when I got it. What cause the original engine to go ? Love the steering wheel just on the fence if I would like to loose my cruise control which is kinda ridiculous for a car like the S2K

Ricky_Flowers_

Hey man, thanks for the kind words. The original motor overheated while driving home from a track day in December. The lower radiator hose let go on the way home, and the motor overheated while under load. Sucks, but that's life.

Losing the cruise control SUCKS. I used it quite a bit on my drives to and from the track. I have a bad knee, so being able to stretch out during long drives is a big deal for me. I may plug the module back in, extend the wires and route it to the cub holder in the center console so at least I have something that can be hidden. The wheel is really nice, but I'm considering going to a smaller wheel just to increase steering speed a bit.

S2K632

Thinking of doing the same with the cruise control as I get older it gets to be more of a need.....