Hey guys, I've been looking around for an S2000 for a little while and every so often, I'll see one with a turbo already on it. I'm not shopping for a daily driver, just something fun to drive when its nice out and maybe do some autocross. I realize that a stock S2000 would also do a fine job of accomplishing this task but I know myself well enough to know that I won't be happy with stock very long. One of the curses of having "the knack" is that I will find a reason to tinker even if <fill in the blank> isn't broken. I'm sure plenty of you are in the same boat.

Anyway, my question for you guys is what are some of the red flags you would look for when considering an S2000 with a turbo on it? From the reading I've done on here, I picked up on the mods that I should be looking for, or at least be prepared to add (AEM EMS, bigger injectors, wideband O2 sensor, clutch, fuel pressure regulator and gauge, etc). What I am curious about though is what are some telltale signs that a turbo'd S2k has been abused to the point where I should avoid it? Also, if I were to have a mechanic look at it ahead of time, would I be better off going to a Honda dealer or a shop that specializes in boosted cars (not specifically Honda)?

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

Hmmmm

Leak down and compression test it

Look for hack jobs under hood

Drive it.

Personally I'd look for a stock one and do it yourself. Everyone including me wants more money for a completed car then a stock one. But a completed car is usually worth less lol. Only car I want to buy completed is a v8 s2k lol. When I make real money I'm coming for one!

 

Definitely, those two tests are on the list. Is there anything component-wise that I should be leery of? Certain brand of turbo, oversized injectors, that sort of thing?

And I know exactly what you're talking about when it comes to doing it yourself. There's no better security blanket than that. However, I've been down that route many moons ago (CRX, engine swap, big brakes, suspension, etc) and you're absolutely right about a completed car not being worth more than stock. That's kinda why I've got my eye on buying a completed one .

Anyhow, thanks for the input so far, good luck saving up for that v8 s2k. If it were me, I'd have to set up a slush fund to finance all the tires and speeding tickets that would go along with that thing .

 

Lol. Look for oil leaks on turbo. Look for melting stuff in engine bay. Try and find a car with kit on it from reputable shop. Then only install might be suspect.

Good luck though they are out there.

 

A lot of it has to do with why the buyer is selling it. Feel them out, if they feel anxious/pressure you to buy, there's probably a good reason for it.


When I bought my S, the sellers wife took me aside and asked that I wait until they drove away before leaving it away, as her husband was pretty much in tears. Now THAT is the type of person you want to buy from, someone that took genuine good care of the vehicle.


As mentioned above, look for things that are melted/ shit wiring jobs and just overall clutter. A lot of these cars are getting cheaper and hacked together these days.

Take a look around the FI section here, a lot of guys take the utmost pride in their vehicles/work, and you should be able to get a good idea of what you're going to want to look for.

 

will do, thanks for the advice guys

 

Avoid the Greddy turbo kit if your gonna want to upgrade later on. Log style manifolds are the basic turbo kits that require little to no under the good tinkering like relocation kits and such. Just research the type of turbo kit that's on the car before you buy it. ID1000 injectors are pretty standard around here, 06+ will have easier tuning solutions (flashpro vs aem) and please avoid anything with a thicker head gasket lol

 

Just make sure the stuff is quality parts and that the installed stuff looks clean.

 

First off if the car is already turbo charged then it has almost certainly been beaten on. If it were me i would by a car already done if thats what you want in the long run. It will save you a bunch of money and time. I told myself i was gonna keep my car mostly stock and then bought my supercharger a couple months later. As long as you do what everyone else already said you should be fine. Compression test, etc. Also check the coolant level and reservoir. I didnt when i bought mine and wound up doing a headgasket like a month later. I would also find out who tuned the car so you at least know whether the car was safe while he beat on it and is still safe if you want to. As long as all the supporting mods are correct then you should be ok. If the guy is running a decent sized turbo at like 18psi and only has like 550 injectors and a stock pump then you know something is up.

 

Again, thank you guys for all the help. I'll be sure to post pics once I track one down.