twohoos

They're almost certainly Showa shocks - identical design & fitment to the OE units. Modulo is a trade name Honda has used for certain factory-blessed tuning and appearance options/packages.

I don't suppose Ballade took any detailed photos or made any measurements?

davidc1

Well, no measurements. They took a couple of pics which they texted to me. I'll get them off my phone and post them. If the quality doesn't come out well, I can get the originals probably.

Thanks for the info regarding Modulo. So, what do you think the marketing was regarding these shocks as pictured in the ad you copied a long time ago from the Honda site? I mean, they called them Type S in the ad. Do you think they were a Honda option? A particular dealer option? A tuner option? But, the ad didn't say anything at all about where they were sold or how, correct?

lovegroova

I thought the Type S setup was the same fitted to the MY08 onwards cars.

See here: http://www.evo.co.uk/honda/s2000/623...little-as-4000

davidc1

Hmm.....I just read that article. Lot's of inaccuracies, if, as I believe, the euro cars are pretty much the same as the US cars. I know of course the engine didn't change as quick and the suspension alignment settings were different, but there is a bunch of other stuff that is wrong.

For example, the very thread we are in here discusses all the spring/damper/sway bar changes. Unless I'm mistaken, the shocks had only one change in 2004. The article says there were three versions (not including the CR, which the article never mentions).

The springs were changed pretty much every other year. The article says three times. The article says the first change occured in March 2002. March? How did they pin it down to one month? The changes occured in the beginning of a model year, which I assume starts in the fall in europe as it does here in the states.

The article says the electric power steering is numb. Can't recall anybody else ever saying that. Porsche were complained about a lot, but never heard the S2k being complained about.

The article says the rear antiroll bar became softer in 2004. But both front and year changed every other year almost as well.

The article says that Honda dealers are well used to working on S2000's. Umm...I think we'd all agree that defiantly is not the case.

The article mentions the hood commonly leaks near the A pillars, getting the interior carpet wet. Really? It does?

The article also mentions that the gearshift lever is titanium. Possibly....but never heard that before.

Regarding the suspension, it mentions that final change was in 2008 with the suspension changes mirroring those of the Japanese market Type S. If I'm not mistaken, the Type S suspension was the same as the CR (which was introduced in 2008, although the article never mentions it), which is not the same as the base model at all.

So, all in all, I don't really trust that article.

Exactly whereThe Type S shocks I mentioned, and that Twohoos mentioned and showed pictures of, came from or what they were fitted to is unclear. Although they say Type S, I don't think they were a stock OE Honda part. I'm trying to figure that out.

davidc1

Ok, so I was able to locate a S2000 Honda OE accessory catalog that seems to indicate the Type S shocks we were discussing. It appears that perhaps they were a genuine Honda accessory offered by dealers. Sort of like all the accessories you can normally buy here. Not installed at the factory, but made by Honda.

http://www.honda.co....atalog_0810.pdf

Everything from shocks to lumbar supports for the seats, to cargo nets behind the seats, to nav units, to stuff you put on your windows (what is this stuff?), to heated mirrors, to paint treatments,

Anybody care to translate?

Here is also some technical info regarding the Type S in Japan. Anybody translate?

http://www.honda.co.jp/S2000/webcatalog/type-s-tech/


http://www.honda.co.jp/S2000/talk-about/yamano/



One curious thing is that for the Type S, it seems the brochure is talking about the small rubber strakes in front of the front and rear wheels as specific to the Type S, although they are on all cars here.

The catalog was produced in 10/2008. All kinds of cool accessories that of course were never offered here.

davidc1

So, Japanparts.com has confirmed that these shocks were indeed Honda accessory options for the S2000 from way back in the beginning. From the other information I could find, they are apparently a little bit stiffer than stock, but not as stiff as CR.

lovegroova

This same thing was mentioned in a fair few UK magazines, so it would have been in the corporate press pack.
http://www.carmagazi...00-2008-review/
http://www.autoexpre.../honda-s2000-gt


Most of those things are true for the UK.
Suspension was changed for MY02, MY04, MY06 and MY08 in the UK. MY08 corresponds to the Type S in Japan

Many UK magazines complained about the steering being numb over the years.

UK Honda dealers have been great for me, so it is definitely true (I presume that's what you mean by "defiantly"?) although they vary.

My roof leaked, and its very common in the UK where it rains quite a lot and most people do not have garages. Have a read of this: https://www.s2ki.com/...ng-roof-thread/

The Japanese Type S does not have the same suspension as a CR according to these articles:
http://www.autocar.c...da-s2000-type-s
http://www.autoblog....a-s2000-type-s/
http://www.thetorque...e_s_unveil.html

As for the parts catalogue, the nets behind the seats have been available for years and years.

Here's the English version: http://www.honda-acc...mages/88905.pdf

davidc1

This is cool. Thanks very much for the references. I'll enjoy reading them.

davidc1

Thanks for the links. It was interesting reading.

So, the first article I discount because the author says the car has had the i-VTEC engine since at least 2001, and that the top goes up and down in 6 seconds. Geez.

Reading the rest of the article it does indeed appear that the Type S suspension in not the same as the CR like I thought. A couple articles seem to imply it's stiffer than the base suspension and a couple imply it's the same as the 08 base suspension.

A couple articles imply that the suspension went though 3 changes in Europe, although in the US it was a continuous changes pretty much every year.

Regarding the leaking, if you call the bonnet what we call the hood, and you call the hood what we call the roof, then I understand what he is saying. I though the previously mentioned article the guy was saying it leaked where the A pillars met the hood, meaning around the cowel.

And I was all excited to see the link to the english version of the accessory catalog, because then I'd be able to look at all those strange things available in Japan. Alas, the only stuff I saw in the catalogue that isn't available in the US was the cargo nets behind the seats, and the one piece floor mats.

So, it looks like those Modulo Type S shocks are NOT the ones that are in the Japanese Type S, because nobody in the article mentions them being adjustable. But, it does look like the shocks were an official Honda option.

Thanks again for the links though.

lovegroova

You're welcome.

It is worth noting that British car journalists will basically repeat whatever is in the press pack. The best example of this was the assertion that the Z4 had the fastest folding roof, which we know is not the case (watch the Top Gear comparison on YouTube to see Hammond bemoaning "that's what it said in the brochure").
Given that several magazine's mention the Type-S = 2008 OEM in their articles, I suspect that's what Honda told them.

And yes, the bonnet is the thing that covers the engine, the hood is what covers the passenger compartment, sometimes also known as the roof.

AFAIK, the modulo shocks (and wheels) have been available for a long, long time.