zzkamikazezz

So, my second S2000 has gone. The one I was going to keep for the next ten years. The one I had six months

As I simply don't need a car as I get the bus and train into London, the S just wasn't crazy enough or fun enough to give me that sense of occasion I wanted. The PRM induction helped a lot, the Ohlins and J manifold would have helped more, but by the time I would have got the car to where I wanted it, with the cost of the car, it would have been close to 20k.

Then I started talking to a friend who wanted to do a K20 Elise conversion. And then I saw this for sale on Pistonheads. Then a few calls to Honda dealers and one bought my car back for 1k less than I paid. The rest is history!

The car, as you'd expect certainly is the theatre I wanted. However its not been a great start, far from it. I'll put the car up first though Then go on to the issues I'm having

Pics are from the ad, so not my cars in the background regrettably, specs and problems after the pics:









Here are the specs:

• Stark Conversion Honda K20a2 with 239bhp at 7800 rpm, rev limit raised to 8600rpm
• Kpro engine management
• Bell & Covill Stainless Sports Exhaust and de-cat
• AP 290mm larger Discs and bells
• RS14 Pads
• Braided brake lines
• Elise Series 2 Bilstein suspension
• Upgraded toe links
• full steering rack and suspension refresh, all bushes, bearings, ball joints etc
• Front splitter
• Harness bar and Luke harnesses
• Fire extinguisher
• Quickshift selector

The car is a total nonsense. So loud, so fast and so responsive. On tick over there are quite a few rattles, however I found tonight, the loudest is simply the rear view mirror, so hopefully that should be sorted. It was converted in 2009/2010 and my thoughts were it has proved its self over time. Perhaps the reality is it now needs a bit of TLC after all the use over the years

I got the car last week and since getting it home haven't driven it since I'll put another post up shortly on the problems...

Plans for the car are:
- A little NA tuning perhaps next year, intake manifold and cams I am thinking. The intake manifold is meant to make a big difference on these I have been reading.
- Tidy up the interior, new seats, retrim a few bits.
- Possible respray, as the front has quite a few stone chips from all the track work, but I kind of like the war scars.
- Black side pods for extra cooling, black rear badges, black filler cap, head light covers with black surround instead of silver, subtle black rear diffuser


I've just put some AD08Rs on it and plan on getting some new track rubber just for when I track it. I've Castle Combe booked up for September

zzkamikazezz

Reserved for problems

So the problems, meaning I haven't been able to drive it in the week I have had it :

1. Limp mode, due to the Vehicle speed sensor? - When test driving the car suddenly wouldn't rev past 4k, some sort of limp mode. Stopping and turning it off cured it. The owner promised it had never done it. I left not putting a deposit down and agreed he'd drive it for a few more days. He promised it hadn't done it again. He was selling the car for a genuine reason as he already had a E46 m3 with APs etc, 997 GT£ and had just decided to go racing and had just bought a mini Challenge race car, so the Elise had to go.

But then after an hours drive on the way home collecting it, a limiter came in on the motorway whilst cruising at 90. I dropped the revs to below 4k, carried on cruising at 80 until the next junction as this was just under 4k and then turned it off and on. It was fine for the remaining hour home at all revs!

I noticed as the issue occurred the rev counter dropped sharply and then came straight back up. On the test drive the owner said it did this also. Having a poke around when home I realised the VSS sensor was a bit lose on the grea box. The sensor on the gear bx had some surround broken off so wouldn't clip properly. I pushed it on more firmly and haven't had a chance to try driving it again yet. I really hope this is the problem, but going in to limp mode seems a bit extreme as a result of that being lose?

2. Coolant temp sender, now fixed - Then when having a poke around, the coolant sensor wire came off the sensor. This just feeds the dash.

The way it had been wired in left no spare wire to reattach it. Thankfully Elise Part found a supplier and noticing it was a common wring connector looked at the remains of the rover loom and it had a few of these connectors, meaning I could get that fixed yesterday


3. Split CV Boot -Then I noticed grease in the engine bay. A split boot joint! What was most annoying was that it had had a new Stark uprated drive shaft and boot fitted under 500 miles ago!! Its going in tomorrow for the boot at a local specialist. Then I can drive it with any luck, keep the laptop in the car, and if it goes into limp mode plug that in and read off what is up. Unfortunately I'm told each time you turn the car off the codes clear.

This is the problem boot and was the problem drive shaft. The Stark kit is designed to have the engine as low and as far fowrad as possible, firther than other kits. This means that this joint is at quite an angle. I've decided to go with an OEM HOnda CV boot, rather than a Stark one this time around as they are meant to be of better quality...



What a great start....

zzkamikazezz

Reserved for build photos

Here are the conversion photos, done by the owner previous to the one I bought the car from. He was an engineer and did a top job by the looks of it and then ran and tracked the car for four years after the conversion.









Attachment 186637

mugen_rsx09

Its a nice looking car, sorry for the problems.

cheshire_carper

You have exige power in an s1 shell. That's gotta be awesome. The problems are not complete job stoppers so just do as you are doing, get them sorted and move on. Looks a great motor.

You definitely need that rad swapped ASAP. I'm shocked it's survived to date on oem with the extra power. Get it swapped, tomorrow

Mines now all complete.... Went for a blat tonight. Decided to just circle where I live so I am only 3 miles from home at any time bloody nuts when you press on these little karts are.

Now it's time for engine mounts swap for me and gearbox oil....

zzkamikazezz

Yes, I am shocked the rad is still in one piece

Essex Autosport are shutting tomorrow to move premises to Chelmsford. Such a shame, as they were just 5 miles from me! It also means they only have time to do the CV joint and not fit a new radiator. I'm meant to be going to the Evo triangle in a week in it. I'm not entirely sure if I should take the car. Needless to say I took out full RAC cover today.

Yes, the performance is great. There will always be the temptation to rotrex or Jackson racing supercharge it, but it is PLENTY fast enough, and I couldn't live without the NA scream it has. It sounds bananas as the induction kit is piped up to the passenger side intake vent, so it just blasts out there.

Hopefully it does prove to be less problematic soon, I haven't been able to enjoy the car once yet

They really are like a go karts arent they. On the test drive he was driving on a dual carriageway approaching a roundabout. I thought, in the S (even when I had stoptechs) I'd be brakign about now, but this car is lighter, thats why we're not braking. Ok we should be braking now, not just lifting off. Oh, ok we're not braking, we're just going to go round it at this speed

mdb_75

That's the sort of car I'd love! Lightweight, a nice revvy engine and just a touch of practicality...

I didn't realise they are so kit car like under the skin until seeing your photos though.

cheshire_carper

Where are you in the UK? I assume southern. Can help with rad advice now I've done mine if you are happy to have a go yourself.

zzkamikazezz

I'm Romford, Essex. Where are you?

Thanks, but I'm not too handy, I would rather take it somewhere. Thanks again for the kind offer though. The last thing I want is to give myself more problems at this stage

cheshire_carper

No problems. Try kwik fit. In fact no, Halfords. Turn up next Sunday and offer em 15 quid to fit your rad