Hello! Wanting Desparately To Join the S2K World
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Hello! Wanting Desparately To Join the S2K World
Hello everyone,
I've had a huge crush on the S2K for some years now. I love everything that it represents and when I try to design my dream car in my head I always basically end up designing the S2k. Here's my predicament:
I learned to drive on a MT RWD 81 Celica. Not the lightest car in the world, nor the fastest, nor the most balanced, but it still instilled a certain love for driving in me. Since then, I've now been driving an AT Civic for the better part of a decade. I'm to a point in my life where I wouldn't mind having a second car that is a bit more lively than my Civic
I'm not a racecar driver and honestly, would never go tracking or even auto cross, but there are a wealth of windy back roads / mountain roads in my area and the older I get the more I find I just flat out enjoy driving. Even in my AT Civic I have a blast on some of these windy roads.
Back to the S2000... I've wanted one for quite some time, and can afford one, but my obstacle is that I don't know very much about cars mechanically. I'm familiar with the basic components under the hood and how they work together... but ask me to fix something, replace anything, or diagnose a problem and I would fail the test miserably!!!!
When I look on AutoTrader I can find S2000's from private sellers that look excellent to me. But since I lack any real mechanical knowledge I'm not sure how I know that there isn't $10,000 of repairs needed.
Is it rude to ask a seller to schedule time to take the car to a mechanic to get their opinion?
Is it safe to assume that if a S2k sounds good, looks good, and seems like it's been taken care of it's probably safe to pull the trigger?
If I was your child is there any basic buying advice you would give someone who doesn't have a wealth of mechanical knowledge?
I'm willing to sink some money into the S2k for repairs etc... but I'd like to know what I'm buying, and something tells me I shouldn't 100% blindly trust a private seller (or used car lot for that matter
On another note: can anyone relate? Do any of you love the S2k and driving in general but lack mechanical understanding? Or perhaps, did you not know very much about repairing / diagnosing cars before, but the S2k drove you to learn more.
For the record I would be looking for a S2k with little to no repairs needed and am willing to pay over fair price...
Anyways... I'm unbelievably interested in acquiring a S2k, just a little insecure about things at this point.
Any advice (or personal experiences) or links or tips on buying for beginners is appreciated,
Thanks!!
I've had a huge crush on the S2K for some years now. I love everything that it represents and when I try to design my dream car in my head I always basically end up designing the S2k. Here's my predicament:
I learned to drive on a MT RWD 81 Celica. Not the lightest car in the world, nor the fastest, nor the most balanced, but it still instilled a certain love for driving in me. Since then, I've now been driving an AT Civic for the better part of a decade. I'm to a point in my life where I wouldn't mind having a second car that is a bit more lively than my Civic
I'm not a racecar driver and honestly, would never go tracking or even auto cross, but there are a wealth of windy back roads / mountain roads in my area and the older I get the more I find I just flat out enjoy driving. Even in my AT Civic I have a blast on some of these windy roads.
Back to the S2000... I've wanted one for quite some time, and can afford one, but my obstacle is that I don't know very much about cars mechanically. I'm familiar with the basic components under the hood and how they work together... but ask me to fix something, replace anything, or diagnose a problem and I would fail the test miserably!!!!
When I look on AutoTrader I can find S2000's from private sellers that look excellent to me. But since I lack any real mechanical knowledge I'm not sure how I know that there isn't $10,000 of repairs needed.
Is it rude to ask a seller to schedule time to take the car to a mechanic to get their opinion?
Is it safe to assume that if a S2k sounds good, looks good, and seems like it's been taken care of it's probably safe to pull the trigger?
If I was your child is there any basic buying advice you would give someone who doesn't have a wealth of mechanical knowledge?
I'm willing to sink some money into the S2k for repairs etc... but I'd like to know what I'm buying, and something tells me I shouldn't 100% blindly trust a private seller (or used car lot for that matter
On another note: can anyone relate? Do any of you love the S2k and driving in general but lack mechanical understanding? Or perhaps, did you not know very much about repairing / diagnosing cars before, but the S2k drove you to learn more.
For the record I would be looking for a S2k with little to no repairs needed and am willing to pay over fair price...
Anyways... I'm unbelievably interested in acquiring a S2k, just a little insecure about things at this point.
Any advice (or personal experiences) or links or tips on buying for beginners is appreciated,
Thanks!!
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Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,311
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it isn't rude to request a car be seen by your mechanic...
it isn't safe to assume anything.. it's safe to do the background information and check and assure yourself..
my child was taken to car events and shown stuff about cars and talked with car people.. so... that would be my advice... get to know s2000 people in your area maybe... and the same maybe... as they become friends... one of them would be helpful in checking out your new car when you find one...
it isn't safe to assume anything.. it's safe to do the background information and check and assure yourself..
my child was taken to car events and shown stuff about cars and talked with car people.. so... that would be my advice... get to know s2000 people in your area maybe... and the same maybe... as they become friends... one of them would be helpful in checking out your new car when you find one...
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 1,040
Likes: 2
From: West Texas
There is some good info on here about what to look for on a test drive.
If you find a car you like, are serious about getting it, and the seller won't let you have it inspected; run.
One issue you may run into is finding a mechanic that is s2k knowledgeable. That's where finding some locals owners may come in handy. Many of the member here have more knowledge of our cars than an average Honda tech.
This site can teach you most of what you need to know about your new car (once you get it). The DIY's are fantastic. When I bought my s2k about a year and a half ago, I had very little mechanical knowledge. Now I feel confident about doing my own maintenance and repairs.
If you find a car you like, are serious about getting it, and the seller won't let you have it inspected; run.
One issue you may run into is finding a mechanic that is s2k knowledgeable. That's where finding some locals owners may come in handy. Many of the member here have more knowledge of our cars than an average Honda tech.
This site can teach you most of what you need to know about your new car (once you get it). The DIY's are fantastic. When I bought my s2k about a year and a half ago, I had very little mechanical knowledge. Now I feel confident about doing my own maintenance and repairs.
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Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 216
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Your initial post sounds a lot like me
Take a look at this thread:
https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/775...-a-used-s2000/
When I was looking for my S2000, I printed this out and took it whenever I test drove a car to make sure I knew what to look out for.
Definitely get a pre-purchase inspection before you buy a car - it pays for itself many times over! As Jdrum1 said above, make sure whoever you have look at the car is knowledgable on S2000's.
Take a look at this thread:
https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/775...-a-used-s2000/
When I was looking for my S2000, I printed this out and took it whenever I test drove a car to make sure I knew what to look out for.
Definitely get a pre-purchase inspection before you buy a car - it pays for itself many times over! As Jdrum1 said above, make sure whoever you have look at the car is knowledgable on S2000's.
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