Midlife Crisis Time
11-01-2018, 04:10 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Midlife Crisis Time
Hi all, Matty from New Zealand (NZ) here, first time S2000 owner. I've owned Hondas on and off for the past 24 years, starting with an EF3 hatch, then an EK4 hatch, and now a very well kept AP1. In my spare time I like to crush my spirit by working in a soulless IT job for a soulless global financial company.
After being condemned to driving land barges and Dadwagons for the past decade my wife graciously consented to me spending my own money on a toy for my 45th birthday, with the only stipulation being that it can't lose a ton of money like my past cars did - she's an accountant. I spent a few weeks investigating the options available (Evos, R32 GTRs etc) and when comparing the condition and value for money of other vehicles in the same price range I just couldn't look past the S2000.
Mine's a 3-owner MY2000 NZDM model with 103,000km (64,000 miles) on it, I don't know if that's considered high, low or about par for the course. Being a domestic market model it was something of a "semi-halo" car here, since very few people could/would fork out the extortionate amount for an NSX - the AP1 was $NZ75,000 ($US48,750 at current rates) while the NA1 was more like $NZ205,000 ($US133,250).
It's 100% stock, down to the radio and Honda-issued personalised plates. For an 18 year old car it's in incredible condition, with half the mileage being done in the first 3 years, probably as a daily driver. It came with owner's manual and full Honda service history, including a folder full of receipts for work done. No signs of rust, no accident damage (other than a few tiny carpark dents in the passenger door), original paint except for the front bar, which was resprayed a few months ago to get rid of stone chips. The alloys are moderately kerbed on the passenger side and the interior, while in great overall condition, is showing some age, with scratches on the driver's seat, worn gear knob and surround and so on. It hasn't seen any rain since at least 2015 and from what I can tell it has always been garaged.
I plan to keep it stock since it's in such great condition and feels like a big go-kart after so many years of mediocre vehicles. I said the same thing about my old EK4 (also a rare NZDM model) of course, but that ended up with a K20/TE37s/Spoon suspension etc. Must...resist...
All I've done so far is order an OEM cover for it, and I'll start shopping around for any parts required to bring it up as close to mint condition as I can - parts are still fairly easy to get here but I plan to hold this for many years and they'll gradually start disappearing.
I also type a lot.
Cheers,
Matty.
After being condemned to driving land barges and Dadwagons for the past decade my wife graciously consented to me spending my own money on a toy for my 45th birthday, with the only stipulation being that it can't lose a ton of money like my past cars did - she's an accountant. I spent a few weeks investigating the options available (Evos, R32 GTRs etc) and when comparing the condition and value for money of other vehicles in the same price range I just couldn't look past the S2000.
Mine's a 3-owner MY2000 NZDM model with 103,000km (64,000 miles) on it, I don't know if that's considered high, low or about par for the course. Being a domestic market model it was something of a "semi-halo" car here, since very few people could/would fork out the extortionate amount for an NSX - the AP1 was $NZ75,000 ($US48,750 at current rates) while the NA1 was more like $NZ205,000 ($US133,250).
It's 100% stock, down to the radio and Honda-issued personalised plates. For an 18 year old car it's in incredible condition, with half the mileage being done in the first 3 years, probably as a daily driver. It came with owner's manual and full Honda service history, including a folder full of receipts for work done. No signs of rust, no accident damage (other than a few tiny carpark dents in the passenger door), original paint except for the front bar, which was resprayed a few months ago to get rid of stone chips. The alloys are moderately kerbed on the passenger side and the interior, while in great overall condition, is showing some age, with scratches on the driver's seat, worn gear knob and surround and so on. It hasn't seen any rain since at least 2015 and from what I can tell it has always been garaged.
I plan to keep it stock since it's in such great condition and feels like a big go-kart after so many years of mediocre vehicles. I said the same thing about my old EK4 (also a rare NZDM model) of course, but that ended up with a K20/TE37s/Spoon suspension etc. Must...resist...
All I've done so far is order an OEM cover for it, and I'll start shopping around for any parts required to bring it up as close to mint condition as I can - parts are still fairly easy to get here but I plan to hold this for many years and they'll gradually start disappearing.
I also type a lot.
Cheers,
Matty.
11-02-2018, 05:28 AM
#3
Congrats on the purchase. I have never had a car that handles like this one in my life (I'm 45) and it certainly brings a smile to my face every single time I am in the car. I have wanted one since 2001 and they fell off my radar for years with other cars in my stable. I woke up one morning in May of this year and decided it was time to get one. I'm not married so that's easy. 
11-02-2018, 05:03 PM
#4
This works out well as your plan to keep the car stock and your wife's stipulation that it can't lose a ton of money go hand-in-hand. Enjoy!
11-04-2018, 02:12 PM
#5
Registered User
Thread Starter
Cheers folks, unfortunately the weather's been a bit rough over the past few days so it's stayed in the garage since I got it home, but we're heading into Summer so opportunity will present itself soon enough, at which point I can make sure all the rpms still work.
I must say, delivery of items from the US to NZ never fails to impress me. If I buy something in NZ it can take weeks to travel about 300 miles, while the car cover I ordered from about 7,200 miles away turned up in less than 5 days.
I must say, delivery of items from the US to NZ never fails to impress me. If I buy something in NZ it can take weeks to travel about 300 miles, while the car cover I ordered from about 7,200 miles away turned up in less than 5 days.
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