Don't buy the car.

 

Half of selling a car is selling the piece of mind that it's not a piece of shit. That ad does little to inspire any confidence, and your asking proves it. There are plenty of good Type Rs out there. I think the last time h-t did an (unofficial) VIN check, there were about 2400 clean title DC2Rs in the states.

Find a better one.

 

Okay, I honestly felt the need to say a few things. I owned a 2000 ITR for about 3 years, went to R meets, went to the ITR Expo at VIR (which by the way, was one of the best experiences of my entire life), modded the car in every single way imaginable..etc etc etc.

There is so much wrong information on here it's a sin to the Honda Family

1) First off, whoever said an ITR can't beat an s2000 stock vs stock around a track is crazy. All you need is a beginner as a driver and the ITR will win. The ITR is a breeze to drive at it's limits, has a better braking system than the s2k, and has so much more of a "racing" feel that it makes you smile everytime you cross 5700 rpm. Now once you get some miles and can drive the s2000 at it's limits (which isn't an easy task), it's a different story. But honestly, maybe 50% of the people here can really drive the s2k at it's limits SAFELY.

2) All USDM ITR's, 97,98,00,01 all had 5 lug.

3) The Valve cover in those pictures is not the JDM valve cover, it is the USDM valve cover. The USDM valve cover reads honda on the bottom, while the JDM has a honda emblem on the bottom. So it's not a JDM looking engine at all really. Except for a oil cap which can be bought on ebay for 35 bucks.

4) This Type R Looks magnificant. It has every sign that its a real 97. No sunroof, rear sway bar, 5 lug, no carbon fiber on dash or vents (that was only on the 00 and 01's), front strut, no rear wiper. That's pretty much anyone can tell from looking at those pictures. It look's like it has the badge number. PS - It has the carbon gauge cluster, which all USDM R's have so you're fine there too.

5) Who ever said the shift knob looks weird also is wrong. That shift knob is what should be on a 97 or 98. The 00 and 01's finally got the titanium one. Although he did add the JDM shift boot because USDM ones didn't have the red stitching, but again, this is like a 30 dollar mod.

6) I think you claim he has the momo wheel...If he does awesome, but it's not the one pictures on that link you gave us. The momo one is only a 3 spoke, versus the USDM 4 spoke. The 97 air bag reads acura across it as well, while the 00 and 01's have the acura emblem. That one reads acura so it looks to be right.

7) Who ever said wheres the clock block off was also wrong. All USDM R's came with a clock.

8) Who ever said this thing isn't worth 11 grand stock is crazy. A 97 R stock at 75k is worth atleast 16k. This is a pure steal at 11. 97's are as rare a honda as you can imagine. They are worth a pretty penny, which brings me to my next point...

9) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be careful if you buy this car. I've seen some good friend's lose their R due to theft. These cars have a target on them for car theives. It's rare to find an R with a clean title, much rarer to find a 97 with a clean title.

Also, the guy isn't crazy when he says the s2k seats feel better. While the USDM R seats are pretty with the alacantra and the red stitching, the side bolsters stink. Get the JDM recaro's and you're driving experience will improve crap loads (as the momo wheel as it has a small diameter). If he has the stock's, I'd sell the s2000's and buy some recaro's. They are everywhere lately.

I love the R's (as you can tell). They are awesome cars. Vtec cross over is just ridiculously loud (put on an AEM versus stock intake and i promise you'll smile everytime). It's an easy car to daily too. You can haul crap loads with the hatch too! There was a guy on honda-tech.com that even carried a couch in the hatch! They are a lil rough though, and with no sound deadning (at all) there can be a lot of road noise. Those are probably the biggest two things about driving. Also, check the oil A LOT. The b18c5 is known to be an oil pig. And lastly, just make sure you live in a good area where theft isn't an issue and you take the proper steps to make sure she isn't taken people who don't deserve her. Other than that, I think it's a great find!

I hope this helps clear some of the confusion up. If you have any other questions just ask me.

Eric

 

Eric, great write up. I stand corrected on the knob as well.

I think the guy stated that the car was "converted" to five lug. Wouldn't that be a red flag given what you just said?

 

Right here

 

Eric is the suspension hes running (Skunk 2 camber kits and skunk 2 full suspention ) good? When we drove it and took a hard turn, it seem to rub in the inner fender linning he said he can fix it with a pin. Also he claims why the title is branded is due to a broken ignition while someone was trying to steal it. I guess he has an alarm that shuts the car off when trying to start. I like the car alot! Very clean but just worrisome about dropping that much money.

Just wondering with the engine mods how much hp does it bump it up too?, thanks!

 

So you decided against the 997 GT3, huh?

 

I guess you can say im a scrooge with my money. But when i buy, i buy!

 

While it is a little hard to comprehend(The English is a little off), I think he simply means he bought the 16 inch JDM Type R wheels. The USDM are 15's while the JDM R's are 16's. That and I think he combined lugs with studs and came up with that sentence lol. I think what was meant was he bought the 16 inch JDM wheels and put on extended studs. Although I'm no mind reader, that's just my .02.

 

I personally have no experience behind the wheel with the skunk setup, there were a bunch of guys at VIR running this set up and loved it. It probably rubs a little due to the fact that it's so low. Although fixing with a pin?? Does he mean the lil wrench looking pin that comes with all coilover's that you twist to either raise or lower?

I read the add he gave and didn't see anywhere where he said the title was branded. In fact, if I remember correctly, I thought he said he had the carfax like 5 times which to me atleast, implied the car fax would be good (I mean why else say it 5 times lol?) What does the title of the carfax actually say? Does it say clean title, just someone tried to steal it?

But I know a TON of people who have 10 layers of security on their type R's. An alarm that shuts off the car has been done plenty of times, so that's more than believable to me.

As far as the engine goes, what mods are actually done?