My neighbor just bought a 2000 S2000 with 4000 miles on it (yes, 4000 miles -- not a typo). The original owner was some guy who had 25 vehicles and, apparently, money to burn. He drove it for 4000 miles in the first year and then never drove it for 7-8 years and just had his mechanic start the engine and drive it around the block to keep it lubed, keep the tire from getting a flat spot, etc.

The car looks like new. If I didn't know it's a 2000 model year, it could have been a 2009 model year. The original owner had it covered at all times. I looked at the underbody and it's like a dealer car. It is basically a 2000 model year car driven for 4000 miles and then stored for 7-8 years.

My neighbor is thinking about selling it for what he bought it for two months ago -- $16,200 -- because he's unsure about his job. I checked Autotrader and the price seems good.

What, if anything, should I be concerned about on a 2000 S2000 with such low mileage? Any other thoughts about this vehicle?

Thanks.

 

You would want to look into getting new tires, the rubber tends to get stiff and lose its 'sticky' traction over time. Fluids tend to break down over time, so i would change all of them including diff just to be safe. As long as they ran the AC pump when they drove it you should be good to go!

 

It sounds like a fantastic car, but be aware that there are all kinds of issues that could come up. It's not good to treat a car like that, even though the end result is a time capsule in perfect condition.

 

with a car that is nearly 9 to 10 years old, i would def flush all fluids and change. personally i would have it checked out by a dealer. have things replaced even though they might not need to be. DEF would check if the tires are more than 4 years old. if they are i would get new tires.

 

Change all the fluids and enjoy!

If the tires show signs of cracking or you plan to spend time at 100+, change 'em.

 

Might want to change that sepentine drive belt. It's likely dry rotted. Mine is a 2002 and the belt is about shot with 20,000 miles!

 

Check this out!!! I just saw this about tires blowing out due to extended shelf life...,

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897

 

I'd replace the tires regardless. 9 years is too long. Of course, I'd also change the engine, diff, tranny oil, and coolant immediately. I'd also change the clutch and brake fluid, but that isn't too critical.

Starting the engine and driving it around the block is a bad thing.. starting the engine and driving it 10 miles a clip every week would be better.

 

If the tires are OEM SO2s, they definitely need to go. When tires age (whether driven or not) one of the things that happens is the tread gets hard and looses traction. And you especially don't want that to happen on the rears on an S 2000. The results could be fatal, even driving 8/10ths.

 

While an AP1 with 4000 miles is a great novelty, are you sure you'd rather have that then an 04 AP2 with, say 40,000 miles? at 16,200 plus the maint and tires you will have to do on this car, you should easily find a nice AP2.

That being said, if you still want this, then just make sure to do a PPI and replace all thats been mentioned before.

We wouldn't mind a few pics btw!