Hey S2Ki community, new AP2 owner here. Have wanted an S for probably 15 years now, and finally found one (somewhat) close to my area with low miles. I would love some advice on recommendations for getting this car up to spec. Video walkaround -
Some context -

• Purchased from older gentleman (1 owner) who only changed the oil with Mobil1 5w30 every year. He didn't even change the tires, as I'm almost positive the factory tires are still on. He kept it in his garage under the factory S cover (which I use to cover the car in my garage as well now).
• After driving it some, it now has just over 8k miles, so very low mileage.
• I plan on keeping it completely stock (apart from bluetooth headunit and better speakers). I have a Subaru to scratch the modding itch, lol.
• I don't plan on tracking it, dragging it, selling it, or garage queening it (though I don't want to pile miles onto it either).

Questions - I've found some help in these forums concerning some of this, but...

• Recommendation for fixing rear quarter panel gap (shown in video above)
• Recommendation for garaging every day with top up or down? I want to do everything I can to keep soft top in good condition.
• Tire recommendations for street use? From research, thinking Continental EX Sport or Firestone Indy 500s. Ride quality > Performance > Longetivity
• Oil recommendation? It's been on Mobile1 5w30. I'm in north Florida, so I assume staying a lower weight is best bet
• WHAT MAINTENANCE DO I NEED TO DO ASAP??? Such as diff fluid change?

Any input would be much appreciated. Really excited to be part of this community. The S2k is just an awesome car and I want to take care of mine the right way from the start.

Thanks, Michael

 

Congrats on the purchase! We have very similar cars - I have an '05 SSM with 7.5K miles in the garage. If its worth the drive to you, check out LHT Performance for any of your needs - they're on YouTube and do everything from basic S2K maintenance to custom supercharger builds.

Some answers to your questions:

-I garage my s2k with the top up, latches not locked on to the a-pillar. It will reduce strain on the soft top fabric. For cleaning and preservation, there are threads on the forum about how to clean and protect your soft top. I treat mine with 303 Fabric Guard
-I recommend Michelin Pilot Super Sports. They come in factory sizing for our "AP2V1" wheels and are a great street tire. Plenty of reviews here, and I also run them on my S (though disclaimer, my car sits more than it drives)
-Mobile 1 5W30 is fine, I also use this along with many forum members
-Changing all the fluids is a must at this age. Diff, Trans, and Brake fluid can be changed with OEM Honda fluid to save you from the research headache, and Mobil 1 for engine oil as mentioned. Might want to check on the cabin filter as well.

Thanks for joining the forum, and I hope you enjoy the car. You bring back a lot of great memories when my Dad and I brought the S home years ago, and we went through the same maintenance items together. Take care, and shoot me a DM if there's anything else I can help with!

 

Nice find!

The 2005 owners manual details the maintenance schedule. Items like hydraulics and coolant are time based and the car was due for new brake/clutch fluid and coolant years ago. An even better source is the Service Manual. <-- (that's a link, click on it and then download all 2000 pages). Start on page 3-18 for maintenance details.

Consensus here for any new-to-you car is a complete fluid change to establish a zero base. There are photo essays in our library here on how to do all this which supplement the Service Manual nicely.

Engine oil? You'll get a hundred recommendations. Some swear Mobile-1 burns too quickly; others think Amsoil cures cancer (and COVID19). Spec is (again) in the owners manual. 10W-30 or 5W-40. (I personally use Royal Purple 5W-30 ) Same for gearbox oil. Honda MTF is spec. The differential needs hypoid gear oil. All in the references. Only use the specified Honda S2000 oil filter as it has a larger capacity and special seals.

The tires on the car are scrap and unsafe to drive. They aged out 8 or 9 years ago. Again you'll get a hundred tire recommendations ranging from All Seasons to Extreme Performance summer tires. The car handles best with stiff sidewalls. I've personally decided to not drop below Max Performance summer tires and run Bridgestone S-04 (Pole Position or something). The Firestone Indy 500s are well received here although "only" Ultra rated. Regardless don't drive with those tires any more than to get new tires mounted.

Body-fender gap doesn't offend me enough to worry about until the rest of the car is brought to maintenance standard. My roof is Up all the time in the garage (and the pine pollen still gets inside). There is some exotic grease for the rubber seals. A tube will last for years.

BTW --- nice color choice!

-- Chuck

PS: Leave the radio alone. Enjoy the sounds the car provides as you run thru the gears with the roof down. You may find you have no need for any other music. I forget the radio is there 99.9% of time and leave the door closed. Plenty of time later to change it later, it's one of these least important things (for me) in the car.

 

True about the radio Chuck. The PO happened to put a nice stereo in my car with an Alpine amp and nice speakers in the door. It always sounded a bit off to me so last month a friend who knows more about car stereos adjusted the amp settings for. It sounds great now but I've barely used it since. The Tanabe sounds much better!

To the OP, I've been running Michelin Pilot SS on mine for the last two sets. I think Michelin has now gone to something even more expensive so for my next set I plan on getting the Bridgestone S04's. The Bridgestones also have a stiffer sidewall than the Michelins. I'm curious to see how that helps.
For oil I personally run Castrol edge synthetic 10w-30 and my car uses none between changes. For the first oil change when I bought the car I used Mobile one and it used at least half a quart.

 

Welcome.

The Firestone is a great choice. I've also heard good things about the Yokohama ADVAN Apex. The Bridgestone S04 or similar 2 ply sidewall tire would be a good choice on this car.

If the oil you're using works then keep using it. I like use and recommend Castrol Edge 0W40 for the engine...and Mobil 75W90 or 75W140 for the diff. Honda MTF works well in the trans for a street driven S2000.

 

Welcome and congrats on such a great find! What part of north FL are you? I’m west of Orlando. Anyhoo, after talking to other Floridians, I use 10w-30 Pennzoil Platinum, Honda MTF, Amsoil 75w-110 in the diff, Honda fluids like brake and coolant, all with good results. Oh, get a tube of Shin-Etsu grease for your rubber trim - find it on eBay or Amazon. For the top, keep it conditioned with Raggtopp (for oem vinyl top, is what I prefer) or 303. I keep the top up in the garage. For tires, I like Bridgestone for the stiff sidewall, S-04 Pole Position is a very good all around Summer Tire. Like Chuck mentioned, you’ll find everyone here has their favorite products!



Have fun !!!

 

Car with less than 8k shouldn't need much more than a good polish. Don't F with the bumper. t's OEM! lol Everyone has that gap. It's more trouble than it's worth to fix it.
I'd pull the wheels just cause their probably stuck. Change your fluids, condition your rubber seals, replace your tires and call it a day. Have someone check your valve clearance and rear axle nut.
Happy Motoring! I had an 05 once. I think it's the best year.

 

PS
I was going to keep my car stock too and I thought I'd never go to the track. Now I have some minor mods OEM+ and I've known the pleasure of attending at least one track day.

 

Thanks, I didn't know that. (I learn something new everyday.)

We now have 12 things to check for originality. The 10 VIN tags, the rubber plug in the underside of the hood (bonnet), and the rear bumper gap (as unnoticeable as it is).



Photo taken 10 minutes ago.
-- Chuck

 

Based on feedback on this thread, decided to just change all the fluids. Went to Honda dealership early this morning and spent too much money.




That's a great recommendation on leaving the top unlatched. And love to hear that it brings back great memories! Part of what it's all about, isn't it?

Thank you Chuck for my Honda fluids bill this morning. And decided to run the same RP as well. And on the radio, you may be right. The sound of this car is intoxicating. Some of you driving it for years are I'm sure used to it. For me who's mainly driven modded Subarus, this S sounds glorious.

I'm entirely torn on which tire to go with. Michelin Pilot 4s (I think this is the newer SS?), which from what I read is one of the best ride quality tires, which is important. OR, go with a thicker sidewall like the Bridgestones. I'll have to pull the trigger on something in next couple days as I'm not driving it until tires are changed.

I'm in northwest Florida, about 6 hours from Orlando. Would love to meet other S owners around!

This bumper gap is driving me crazy. While I don't consider myself a generally OCD person, with a car's exterior, I am. And that spacing is where my eye goes to first. I'm assuming you've been there before. So what makes you say it's not worth the trouble? Is it that much of a pain to fix?