exV8

Hey guys I just picked up a 2000 Honda S2000 and was looking to do some minor mods.

this thing is completely OEM/Stock except for a head unit (which i dont like, i need to find a better one. any recommendations?)

what are some must haves?

probably want to keep the motor stock.

looking for more of an OEM+ look than anything or some subtle mods

Chuck S

How many miles on the car?

No "mods" are needed, consequently there are no "must haves." Learn to drive the car as it is. Front wheel drive cars drive differently. Much differently at handling limits. You will spin this car if you're too aggressive and not attentive. You'll learn but don't be that guy who claims he hit oil in the roundabout or on ramp.

Putting the car in a good maintenance level should be first. Consensus here is replacement of all fluids with Honda-branded/specified or otherwise top shelf materials. This will establish a maintenance baseline. Pay attention to the gearbox and differential. RTFM, the differential uses hypoid gear oil, not Honda differential oil. Next is good tires. Honda OEM 17" wheels will fit the car without modifications and there are more tire choices. Max or Ultra summer tires will optimize handling. Alignment. Radios are so far down the list as to be invisible.

-- Chuck

exV8

Thanks Chuck! Its a 2000 with 130,000KM (80,000Miles). Yeah making sure shes all topped up maintenance wise should be my first goal. ill call my local honda dealer and see if i can get it penciled in. My other car is a 540HP Mercedes C63 which is RWD so im no stranger to danger....that being said WOW did this little honda ever blow me away!!! such a fun car to drive!!!

what are some must haves? im thinking a nice phone mount and maybe a new set of interior mats. also was considering a short throw shifter i saw on the forums here

Lawrenceh

Congrats on the new car!

I would say you need a decent set of tires, a good alignment, and that's pretty much it if anything currently on the car doesn't annoy you. Other than these it would be the driver's mod.

If you are looking for a phone mount, the modifry dash bracket is a good one.

Yeah C63 has a lot of power behind the wheel but, it's a different car with longer wheelbase, heavier weight, etc. Early year AP1s won't act the same. If it spins or snaps, it happens much quicker. Just take it easy and learn the car for some time.

Oh remember, drive slow and safe in the rain.

s2000Junky

This cars classic and aggressive styling still looks great today, however some popular updated mods wile keeping the integrity of the car in check are a nice mid grade or above set of coilovers lowering the car 1-1.5" wile improving the center of gravity and improving the handling, as well as an updated set of 17" wheels, either oem ap2, or aftermarket wider wheels. Those two things right there make a really nice updated impact performing and visually.

Chuck S

For me the the shift pattern is already short spaced. The "CR" (round) shift ball feels better to me and may be a little lower on the lever. "CR" in quotes as Honda puts this knob on many performance versions. The CR version has yellow lettering, some have red. I filled mine black. It gets hot in the sun, though (just plop your hat on it when parked.) Too many posts here regarding shifting into 2d in stead of 4th while accelerating or 6th to 3d when downshifting causing over-revved engines. The lever centers wonderfully in the 3-4 slot, don't force it.

The car already has coilovers just not adjustable coilovers. Leave the suspension alone for now. A buddy bought a lowered '02 and it grounded on every speed bump and handled like trash. He retrofitted a complete set of '02 springs (Ebay usually has plenty of these) and the car handles -- and rides -- much better. Honda changed the suspension every two years starting in 2002 so there are lots of mix and match choices. Adjustable coilovers will be valuable if you want to autocross or race the car but the car was designed for spirited normal road work. Good summer tires will provide the best handling and the OEM 17" wheels use lower profile tires which can have firmer sidewalls. Extreme performance tires are very noisy. I dropped down to Max performance Bridgestone S-04 tires this set. If you keep the 16" wheels the wonderful RE-11 tires may still be available in that size (no longer in 17").

-- Chuck

GSteg

If your soft top is still in good shape, reinforce the areas that are prone to ripping. Change out the worn out straps from Modifry.

Rather than getting a short shifter, look into a countersunk weighted shift knob instead. It's a reversible mod and will shorten your shift travel. Plus the extra mass feels great as you row through the gears. Moddiction is a popular brand here.

Bubbels**

After getting the maintenance done, my first real mods were an oem hardtop, aftermarket wheels + tires, KW V3 (you definately won't regret this one if you decide to lower it) and dual J's Racing 60RS + decat.
I recently changed the tires again and went from Falken FK452 to Advan AD08R and I would also recommend these, lots more grip compared to the Falkens and the original Bridgestone RE050.

For me personally, I wouldn't change the above things (suspension, exhaust, tires) back to stock as they really make a big difference in driving and 'experiencing' the S2000.

If you daily your car I wouldn't recommend the Advans though, they wear pretty fast. Mine is a nice weather car only so it doesn't really matter
Like said before, if you want to keep it as close to stock as possible you can get some 17" AP2 wheels (3 styles to choose from) with decent tires and maybe the UK mod for the exhaust if you want a little more sound.

Also 2 oem wings to choose from or the bigger CR wing if you can find one, oem frontlip, oem side strakes, oem headrest speakers, oem tonneau cover...

Car Analogy

I would highly caution against bringing the car to a dealership, especially not for fluids. They don't see enough of these cars to be familair with them.

There is a very good chance they will ise the wrong diff fluid, which will destroy your diff in about 1k miles (~1.6k km).

They also won't know to tighten the oil filter properly. They will just assume its like every other car on the planet. Instead it requires tightening the filter an additional 7/8 of a turn after initial contact. This requires a filter wrench. Normal oil filters its a no-no to use a wrench to tighten a filter. If not tightened it can come loose, cause an engine fire, or just dump all your oil an destroy your motor.

A good local mechanic won't be much better. Its too easy to make assumptions about this car. You need to find someone local with S experience. Or diy. This car is very easy to work on, if you don't assume.

Ask in your local sub forum who to use if you aren't the diy type.

Manga_Spawn

New head unit I like pioneer or alpine.

Other first mods, a good shift knob (Moddiction knobs are nice) and full maintenance. Quality fluids, fresh tires, NEW CABIN FILTER (Seriously do this mine was super gross), maybe a valve adjustment. Ask in your local forum where people go for this work if you aren't able to do it yourself.