Oh so you agree with me, not IheartS2ks? Yeah I figured all that additional stuff is gonna end up costing more than the difference already and I'll have a car that has more value since it's newer.

 

Exactly.

Take it to and empty parking lot late at night and test its limits. Best 20 minutes I ever spent. Learn the car, then push it.

As far as AP1 or AP2...I personally think the 03 is the best year to buy (all issues from 00-01 taken care of), and any year of S2000 is a very safe car considering what it is capable of and also considering its a convertible.

Bascially, don't be stupid with the car and it will take care of you...that is what I have learned in 13 months and 18K miles put on my S2000.

 

Right, obviously the RSX is much safer being FWD and having much less power (base rsx) which is the reason I brought up the safety factor. Never thought about taking it to a parking lot by that's a good idea.

I am very surprised with the fact that the S2000 is heavier than the RSX. I always thought it looked lighter and felt that all the factors about the handling that was so much better than most cars had to do with the fact that it was light. I guess all of the RWD, safety, and electronic convertible components have a lot to do with it. It felt light when I drove it.

 

If you consider the Avg. price of an 02 is 19k and the Avg. price of an 04 is 24.5k (taken from cars.com) thats a difference of 5.5k.

Here is a list of exterior only parts to make your 02 look like an 04+. All of these parts are brand new from a board vendor.

04 headlamps 800

04 f. bumper 250

04 b. bumper 250

04 tail lamp 530

04 f. splash shield 190

04 Front grill 30

04 f. - r. tow hook cover 15

04 wheels ~1000

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3065 + tax + shipping + paint = ~4000. I don't know what painting would cost but I doubt it would be a lot for just a f and r bumper and paint match.

Mind you, these prices are for BRAND NEW parts. If you were to shop around on a deal for both your car and the parts you would save quite a bit of money.

But I've re-read your post and seemed to like the 04+ engine and the softer supension of the 04+ so mearly upgrading the exterior wouldn't suffice.

However, to say that converting the exterior would cost an arm and a leg over the price of a regular 04, is a misnomer. Yes to convert everything: engine and transmission and diff, would cost quite a bit, but I was thinking your main gripe was the look of the 00+ and the lack of a glass window.

I would still strongly consider a cheaper 02, doing the exterior mods only, and getting some 4.57r gears for low end grunt...but not every one has the time or patience for that. I know I didn't.

 

Well, I did do a few exterior modifications on my RSX and it was kind a pain at first. Now it'll be easier since I have a feel of what to do but it still takes some work. As far as the price of paint, usually ordering those parts from Honda, they're already painted if they're OEM bumpers. I could save some money on exterior parts if I got them used but it takes work to find them in good condition.

Also, value is what I'm considering as well. If I buy an 02, and put money into changing the exterior, I'll be losing money and won't really be earning it back when I sell the car in the future. However, if I were to get an 04, my car would have the value of an 04 without losing any money. I think I should just wait about half a year to a year before purchasing one and hopefully the price will have gone down a bit. Also, I'm seeing some 04's for about 21k now with less than 40k miles on it which isn't too bad.