I hope this is in the correct forum, if not I apologize in advanced.

This weekend I am going to look at a MY00 up in Atlanta. It has 82K miles on it and well below what I can afford. After talking with the guy he told me that he and the other owners of the car have just used it as weekend cruisers and have always had it garaged and such. Besides the basics to look for (paint, interior stuff, making sure everything looks to be alright in the engine bay) is there any thing that I really need to check for when I look at this car. I know the mileage may appear to be high but the carfax came back clean so it hasn't been in any type of accident or been problematic to its past owners.

Thanks in advanced guys and look forward to spending time around here once I get a S.

 

i suggest you get a 2002 and above if you can afford it.....and something with a little less miles because it is a sports car....and even if they did only take it out on weekends you have no idea how they drove it...

Peace

 

The mileage does sound high for a weekend car. Someone had to drive it every day to get to that number.

I bought a 00 out of Atlanta last spring that had 30K on it. That's the mileage of a weekend.

RE: Boosted04S2k's comment about buying an 02 because you don't know how the car was driven really doesn't make any sense. You don't know how any used car was driven.

My advice to you is to look at the general condition of the car. Is it clean? Look at the oil on the dipstick, is it clean? Look at the soft top, is the window clear? Are there wear holes in the top? That's a common problem and if the search function is up you can find several threads discussing it and describing the locations where it occurs. Most common place seems to be the corner right behind the window where it folds back...hard to describe.

Also check the inside of the engine bay and make sure the original VIN stickers are on the body panels. If not it has been wrecked in the front and repaired.

I had the local Honda dealership preform their 'certified used Honda' inspection on mine. It was $100...probably not worth much but better than nothing.

Also look at the leather...a lot of people really abuse the leather and the seats are very expensive to fix/replace.

People will tell you to get 02+ because of the glass window and lack of clutch buzz. Almost forgot about that...the clutch in the 00 makes a buzzing sound that is somewhat annoying but not detrimental in any way. At 80+ thousand miles the one you are looking at may not do it because the clutch could have been replaced already.

Personally, I wanted the 00 because it was the first year they came out and how I believe Honda wanted the car to be...I love mine!

 

I looked on the carfax and it appears that the first owner did the large bulk of the driving, guess it was his daily driver but the person I am looking to buy it from has only driven it about 5000 miles.

Thanks for the things to look for. I will search around to find out about the cover problem. I will be sure to check vin numbers but hopefully nothing will be different (the carfax came back clean of anything.)

The clutch buzz wont bother me because I am coming from a 240sx where it would make noises just looking at it wrong....it may actually be a step up for me.

I agree with you on the reason for getting the 00, that is what I was telling my buddy last night when he asked me why a 00. I don't need all the new comforts that honda has placed in the car, I can deal with what the 00 had that was later upgraded.

 

Carfax is a good place to start but it doesn't by any means cover all the bases. Carfax would only know if the car was wrecked if it was reported by the police or body shop. Sometimes this just doesn't happen.

I know because I wrecked my civic, long long ago, and it's carfax still comes up clean.

Also...someone could have had it fixed by a 'friend' in which case carfax would never know.

All I'm saying is that it can't be relied on completely.

 

also i'm hoping you're getting this car for REALLY cheap. You can get MY00's with a 1/4 of the miles for like 17k. remember things like the tires, if they're almost done, you're going ot be forking over a 1000 soon for new tires

 

Yeah the price is pretty cheap. I got a line on a 02 for not a bad price and only 36000 miles (friend of a friend) tonight that I am also gonna look at tomorrow night. That option was never there so it will probably change things. All I know is that I am set on getting a S2000 so I will find one that I like soon. I am a pretty picky person so basically I will go over everything to make sure of things.

 

I recommend a compression test for all used S buyers. You need to find out if the spark plugs were changed and re-torqued as per the spark plug "campaign" recall that was done in late 2002.

I wouldn't be scared off by high miles. Yes, you should get a very good price, but if the car was treated well it should be just great despite the miles.

I don't know if this car was driven in winter climates, but run your finger along the inside of the rear fenders where there's a lip (i.e., right above the tire). This is a potential rust spot if it hasn't been washed properly -- dirt (salt) can collect there.

Look closely at the seats, seat bolsters (if they're crushed down), and the top (for tears).

 

I actually bought a 2002 Berlina Black S the other day. Just waiting for all the paper work to clear to and such then picking it up. Should be Wednesday or Thrusday!! I cannot wait!!