m 6'2", very surprised to be able to fit in this highly impractical but fun car, did a test drive in SF Bay Area and Im looking to buy it used off craigslist.
Can you guys recommend things to watch out for, to check and doublecheck for issues that may present themselves ina 2-5 year old car(consider that ill be looking at a car that will not have much more than 50k miles, preferrably less), drive it for couple years, get the roadster itch out of me and then swap it for a more practical vehicle.
Any suggestions will be appreciated

 

I appologize for double posts. The server was acting funky and erroring out, but in the end it apparently posted my topic twice.

 

One of the first things you should do is decide if you prefer the AP1 or AP2 chassis. 02-03s and 04-05 will tend to have different quirks, but all in all there shouldn't be too many problems. Check that everything has a VIN # stamped on it.
Also, check the softop for rips, particullarly on the back corners.

 

02-03 deifferent car, looks different, different engine, etc..you can just look at the artibles written here about the updates. i had a choice and chose the 2004, the 2004-05 are different, then the 2006 car is different as well....again you can find out on paper the differences...

then go drive an example of each. i like what i have, and if it was gone tomorrow i may just buy another, which i cannot say about any other car i have had other than a 911 and that was some time ago.

i think the 2004 car is the best car for the money out there, then again i own one and have not driven a 2006 or newer model

what to look for, besides the obvious generic car related issues, does it drive smooooothly? gear exchange superb? clutch grabs in reasonable fashion, tires and brakes ok?, interior look warn? etc...there are many examples of these cars out there that are barely broken in...then give yourself several months to get used to the car, it is not for everyone and you can get sideways easy in the rain...maybe not with the newer cars as they have some form of traction control.

 

04 AP2s are the way to go. 3 years of depreciation is a sweat-spot for used cars. Also, AP2s are just better in terms is reliability (for example, diff is better, CDV).

watch out for mods. that usually means that he has tracked his car, or at the very least, rev-happy.

 

Im fairly convinced on a 2004 2.2l model for its better day-to-day qualities and occasional hill driving in san francisco.

 

>>>watch out for mods. that usually means that he has tracked his car, or at the very >>>least, rev-happy.

Right, thats exactly my thought, ill be looking for as close to stock as possible(maybe with aftermarket rear speakers), but buying a used car is of course an exercise in social engineering, id have to judge the person i buy it from to tell whether or not he is the type to take it to track often.

 

Watch out, some vehicles are defective and are "missing" a few hundred rpms up top....

I keeeed, I keeeeeed.

 

Yes, a defect affecting a wide array of the S2000s.


If you're D&D, definitely go for the '04. It's a good car.