Lord_s2k

Hello Everyone,

Need some help here! First of all I am excited to be part of this forum where I can learn a lot of knowledge from owners about this awesome car. I have always been interested in having an s2000 but thought it would never happen. Well, this week I test drove one at a local dealership and loved it. Now, I’m in a little bit of a bind because I have some concerns with the car, and just don’t want to make the wrong decision being a full time student, this is where I come to you for your help.
The car at the dealership is a 2003 AP1 that looks to me to be in good shape. The car has 88k miles on it and has some minor cosmetic blemishes, such as scratches, minor scuffs, one chip on the door, and curb rash on one wheel. (I will post pictures below) The dealer is asking 12.8k on the car currently. When reviewing the car facts it shows that it has had 6 owners (which threw a little red flag for me), but other than that it is clean no crashes or accidents.
When driving the car I tried to pick out any imperfection I could see of hear. From my 45min. test drive yesterday I really couldn’t pick anything out, other than I was having a little difficulty get smooth upshifts but downshifts were smooth as butter. I’m sure that’s just me not being used to the car and how it wants to be driven. Other than that everything worked inside the car, radio, climate control, exc. Also, the soft-top looks to be in pretty good shape couldn’t find any rips or tears inside or out.
Now, my first potential problem could be that I’m not sure if I will be trading my current car in/or privately selling it. Or if I will be keeping it as a winter car. I live in Upstate New York so we get snow throughout the winter usually not to bad but every once in a while we will get a bad storm. Now I have read on the forum that owners will put Blizzak tires on I believe and say they are fine throughout the winter, is this true? My main concern is that if it has to be a daily driver and I am not winter storing it will it be okay throughout the winter driving wise as well as cosmetically, such as the soft top being damaged. If I drive it in the winter I’m not as worried about the soft top being damaged due to the fact that I will park it in the garage over night, I’m more concerned with drivability and getting to my destination. Basically I would love to own the car but I’m concerned with having it during winter.
I am on the fence if this car in practical for me in my situation even though I would love to own the car. Hopefully with your guy’s help and opinions on my situation I can make an informed decision. Thanks everyone! Sorry about the longer post!

Here's the link of pictures of the car: http://www.matthewsplanetpreowned.co...c8a7ee40ce.htm

A 2

^ I removed the link you posted. It does not work. Was also concerned it could be potential malware.

Please post a proper link and going forward do not copy what you posted elsewhere as your introductory post here. Someone may think you are a spammer and flag you as such.

Get the car inspected at a proper Honda technician close to you. Upstate NY is huge and it would help for you to post your location so someone close to you can recommend a good shop.

Good luck with the purchase of the car. Some people drive the car in the winter, but with dedicated snow tires. A majority store the car for the winter. One common theme you will come to learn, is the importance of tires and the right ones at that. If you get an S2000 always ensure it is properly shod with the right kind of tires.

A 2

Looks like you are from the Binghamton area. Nearest shop I know that I can trust is Formula H in Middletown, NY or maybe there is a Honda specialty place around the area that can do a compression check on the cylinders.

You have a garage, thats good. Get a set of blizzaks on a used set of AP1 wheels and you should be good. Keep washing the car regularly during the winter and you should be fine. As much as this is a car for good weather, one can always drive it in the winter provided it has the right tires.

Mark355

It's not practical. Buy it as a second car. Don't ruin it.

jsenclosure

Exactly. Just driving it in salt for one winter will ruin everything underneath and it'll rust to high hell. The car is a roadster, it's not a practical winter vehicle

kdiringer00nfr

I daily mine but only in the summer, it is definitely possible to do but I would suggest waiting until you can at least drive something else once the snow falls. That is just my opinion but I also have seen people drive throughout the winter. The ultimate decision is up to the OP.

Crazy_Schizo

When I first purchased my S2000, I daily drove it all through the summer. No problems there, but you do have to be a bit more careful with it in the rain. You should have no problems daily driving the car through the summer.

The winter is a different story. There are owners who do drive their cars through the winter, and I'm told that with a set of snow tires the car does better than you would think. However, I would recommend for the cost of a new set of steelies, snow tires (and maybe even a hard top), you could probably purchase a winter rat to get you through the snow and keep the S2000 in the garage and away from the salt.

Conedodger

Another reason for a second car is you can insure the S2000 as a pleasure use vehicle. The insurance savings could cover the cost of a winter car.

Bugsy

Although it is possible, I too don't recommend Upstate winter driving. There is just too much snow here.
The S2K is really a 3 season car here in central NY. Other states and downstate areas may be ok but really not here. Not as a DD.

Testut

I'm one of those who drives his 2001 AP1 all year long and has been doing so since I bought it new in 2001. I couldn't imagine doing that without a hardtop and four, high quality snow tires. To be honest, if you live in the Binghamton area, driving year 'round shouldn't be a problem, but if you commute to or live in those areas associated with more snowfall, I would imagine the S2000 would not be a practical winter driver even with snow tires owing to the limited ground clearance and light weight. Good luck and welcome to the forum.