ill start off saying, ive owned a 2001 s2000 before. Sold it back in september and now another member on the forums owns it.

I have my EVO IX MR special edition for sale right now and once it sells, i will be buying another s2000.

i am debating the years. I know like 95% of the differences between every year, but need a few questions answered before i can really pick which to buy.

I will most likely go with an AP2 this time around, because i love the look of AP2 and the 2.2 liter engine makes more power.

I will be changing out the stock springs and dampers for coilovers, so the AP1 and AP2 suspension "rawness" wont really matter, since it will be stiff as hell when im done anyway.

People say the AP1 is more raw because of its 9k redline and stiffer suspension and lighter weight...

But the weight is only about 70lbs difference between a MY2000 and a MY2008...
And if im changing out the suspension, tuning it for NA and probably raising redline to around 8500 anyway...

Is there really any real reason to consider an AP1 at all?

And what about 04-05 vs 06+...

If i go 06+ will i encounter issues with HEAVY modding? Due to the airbag sensors, drive by wire, 06+ ECU, etc...

so for someone like me, who will mod quite heavily, what year will make most sense.

Also, i plan to stay NA, but i also plan to make the car very aggressive while doing so.

thanks for your time

matt

 

i have a MY07, and have modded quite a bit-just a few of them-sc,aem ems with harness for dbw(wich defeats the vsa anyway), if you plan on heavy modding save your self a headache and get a 04-05 with low miles, plus there is some interior changes that make aftermarket seats and roll cages a pain to get right with 06+

 

get a low mileage 05.

I have several members in my section who upgraded from the AP1 and they ALL say the AP2 is better, even the ones who track it regularly.

 

it really depends on how would you like ur car to be. IMO, AP1 are more mods friendly then the late AP2s. Also, theres transmission issue in MY04, so maybe its better to get the 05 or just go for an early AP1. its cheaper so you can throw abit more money to mod it.

 

For heavy modding, I would go with an '05

 

No offense but there's really not much reason in getting ap1 other than the person mentioned above it'll save you money thus you have much more to put in. If $ isn't your issue, then just get an ap2. It's real hard to find a well kept ap1 nowadays.

 

Just bought an 04, haven't heard of a trans issue... more info?

 

cant be too major because i havent heard of any major tranny issue for 04

 

.MM, I am one of "those people" who wouldn't trade my AP1 for an AP2 straight up, but I'm not an AP1 bigot, and after reading your post I can't think of a single reason why you should consider anything other than an AP2.

 

According to my dealer, its mentioned on their service bulletin. I had a issues with second gear not engaging properly and popping out. All other gears felt normal, but second gear felt like I had to shift further back to get it engaged. If second gear feels loose when shifting, you probably have this issue. Honda replaced the gearset with upgraded parts. The service manager informed me this is starting to be common as AP2s get age on them as they had done this to a number of AP2s before me. I haven't heard this anywhere else so maybe someone who works at Honda could chime in? Also, mine is obviously an '05 so they are certainly not exempt.