I've started making my S2000 increasingly track focused; it is barely used on the road and I don't mind sucking up uncomfortable road miles for better performance on the race track.

I'm not yet able to race (small children), but have a lot of track days under my belt over 12+ years and looking to exploit as much as I can from the car by targeting the appropriate modifications alongside more seat time.

So far the changes have been:

• Urge & Girodisc two-piece front and rear rotors, with;
  • Uprated pads, braided lines, Typ200 fluid, master cylinder brace
  • Brake ducting front and rear, w/ APR backing plates
• Nankang AR-1 semi slicks (currently on stock MY05 wheels, aiming to go square setup next)
• Ohlins DFVs with Swift 13/11 F/R springs (w/ 10mm axle spacers)
• Removed clutch delay valve and air pump

I'm due get the car professionally undersealed in the coming weeks, which has prompted me to look at what may be worthwhile doing next whilst the suspension and subframes are dropped for powder coating.

I've ordered the Ballade full spherical suspension bush kit, which then made me think about mounts. The car is now on 74k and 15 years old so no doubt need a refresh regardless.

I'm pretty much settled on the Spoon full kit (engine, trans and diff) given I'm not running more power and don't intend to go FI. That begs the question as to whether I should also consider the rigid collar kits for the steering rack and subframes whilst they'll be off the car anyway.... I've read a lot of competing arguments for/against these but curious what the heavy track users think.

With that done I'll then be looking at a square (17 x9.5) wheel and tyre setup and have a look at ARB configurations to get the balance fine tuned before I look into stripping the interior and investing in buckets and harnesses. Finally, I then plan to look at exhaust & intake modifications with some Hondata tuning to squeeze a bit more out.

Appreciate thoughts and feedback on the approach, particularly around my next planned purchases for the engine mounts and rigid collars when it goes in for undersealing.

Cheers,
Rob

 

Its sounds like you pretty much have it figured out. Not much I'd change or do. I will say safety should be at the top of your mod list. A proper fixed back seat with 6 point harness and rollbar/cage is a must if you track regularly. Also buy a Hans device, save your neck and brain.

As far as mounts and such, I'd recommend Innovative 75A mounts along with their diff mounts. There's a company in the US called dragon eye tuning that sells rigid collars for under $100. I have them and definitely helped with centering and aligning the front and rear ends. Do it while you have the subframes off for sure. Squared wheels is also a must, along with maybe some adjustable swaybars to fine tune the handling.

If you eventually plan to start being competitive in TT or W2W I would hold off on buying parts. Go over the rule book top to bottom and see what's allowed.
Ex. a lot of grassroots racing organizations give points against you for using spherical bushings.
Buying a AIM Solo lap timer is a huge help with data collection. You can easily find time by reviewing your lap data.

 

Megan Racing is a good budget option for motor and transmission mounts (as opposed to Spoon). It's also hardened rubber. I replaced mine 5 year ago - still in good condition. Spoon will get the job done too - no need to go with solid/billet mounts.

As .Boston. said, i would also add differential mounts. I just replaced mine 2 months ago - they were torn and leaking fluid.

I can't comment on subframe collars, as i don't have any (but do want them).

Steering rack collars were a very nice addition for getting some added steering feel. Our cars are known for numb steering due to the electric rack, and the solid collars in the rack definitely added a lot of feel that I didn't realize was missing.

 

I like the Vibratechnics mounts because they don't have nearly the harshness of other mounts and allow you to mount the motor 1/4" lower for some CoG gains. An engine torque damper also does wonders to reduce harshness of stiff mounts and preserves them as well.

I had the Innovative trans mount and loved that piece as well.

 

For mounts I would suggest hard rubber as I don't like poly for NVH or if you use the engine/diff as a jacking point you can deform the poly mounts even if they have a lifetime warranty. I would do Hard Race if it were my car. I stick to the OEM rear diff mounts. Usually the driver side is the one that goes bad.

 

Thanks all for the input; agreed on the safety aspect. I'm based in the UK, but similar considerations to be made when it comes to what parts are allowed in a given race series. An AIM Solo is also on the list; seat time and analysis will undoubtedly make the biggest improvements to lap times.

In an ideal world I'd like to use Vibra-Technics engine mounts but with the Spoon transmission mount, though this only comes as part of a kit. I considered using the Innovative trans mount, but don't want to mix rubber and poly; and the other rubber options don't come with the Spoon reinforced brace (though how much appreciable difference that makes could be questioned). As I'll be using the Spoon collars it keeps things simple to go for a full Spoon mount setup, though I've used VT mounts in the past on other cars and can't question the quality.

If I go the Spoon route I'm also intrigued as to whether I could live with the mount rings to stiffen things a little further.

 

Small update on this one. I've gone ahead and ordered the following:

• Full Hardrace (as opposed to Ballade Sports) spherical bushings;
  • With the exception of the rear toe arm bushes which only come as hardened rubber, unless you buy the whole arms
  • I emailed Hardrace asking why you can't order these on their own, which they've not yet been able to confirm
• Hardrace front and rear UCA ball joints (given no OE option)
• Hardrace front lower offset ball joint with RCA (to provide >2.5 deg camber)
• Hardrace rear lower symmetric ball joint with RCA
  • I like how the RCA plates are optional, as I don't plan to install these upfront unless I go much lower
• Hardrace OE style replacement tie rod ends
• Honda replacement rear toe arms (seemed as well given everything else being refreshed)

This will be combined with:

• Spoon uprated engine/trans/diff mounts with rigid subframe and steering rack collars and engine mount rings
• Ohlins DFV with Swift 13/11 F/R springs on a 20mm drop (standard cups) - already fitted
• 10mm axle spacers - already fitted

New suspension and subframe bolts will also be fitted throughout (wow that gets expensive quickly...)

All subframes will be removed for powder coating along with the rear crash bar and all control arms. The exhaust & trans will be dropped for the underside, box sections and inner arches to be undersealed (see Undersealing and rust prevention - Page 2 - S2KI Honda S2000 Forums)

Given I'll be running 255 wheels/tyres in time with semi-slicks I'm also tempted to ask that the place I'm taking the car to welds some reinforcing plates over the front UCA mount points. I hear the AP2s are stronger than the AP1s, but still cause for some concern?

That just leaves a question mark over whether or not to concern myself with bump steer, though with all the other mods and the fact it's an AP2 setup on much stiffer spring rates I'm not convinced it will be necessary? Adjusting rear toe seems like a time consuming job to get right so perhaps better not to try and fix what isn't broken.

As always, thoughts/feedback appreciated. Cheers, Rob

 

With the AP2s you do not need to do the UCA mount welding since the AP2s have been reinforced. I'm tackling that soon with my 03 along with some offset bushings.

 

I've read a couple of comments suggesting whilst the AP2s are seam welded vs spots on AP1 that they can still be susceptible to tearing. Rob Robinette noted that at https://robrobinette.com/S2000TrackEvolv.htm too.

Given the age of these cars and the fact I'll have it mostly stripped anyway I figure it's not a bad thing to be doing as a preventative measure

 

Checking back in with an update on this one... I'm finally due to have the following fitted next month when the undersealing work is done.

• Full Hardrace spherical bushings
• Hardrace front and rear UCA ball joints
• Hardrace front lower offset ball joint (for increased camber adjustment)
• Hardrace rear lower symmetric ball joint
• Hardrace OE style replacement tie rod ends
• Honda replacement rear toe arms

This will be combined with:

• Spoon uprated engine/trans/diff mounts with rigid subframe and steering rack collars and engine mount rings
• Ohlins DFV with Swift 13/11 F/R springs on a 20mm drop - already fitted
• 10mm axle spacers - already fitted
• Nankang AR-1 semi slicks (currently on stock MY05 wheels, aiming to go square setup next)

Whilst I'm still on the staggered OE wheels and sway bars but with stiffer spring rate, do I need to pay close attention to any particular alignment settings when this is done to take these changes into consideration?

The car will be corner weighted and I'm currently leaning towards the following as a starting point:

Front camber: -3.5 degrees
Caster: 7 degrees
Front toe: 0 degrees

Rear camber: -3 degrees
Rear toe: 0º 20'

Before this work and on OE shocks with the Eibach Pro springs I was running only -1º 30' front camber and -2º 30' probably by nature of the rear allowing more by default, with 0º 20' total toe and was happy with how it felt.

I know much of this will come down to personal preference and driver style, though thoughts appreciated to understand if there's anything that seems way off.