Buying without seeing in person
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 179
Likes: 0
From: Windermere, FL
i would never buy a car sight-unseen. nope. always have a trustful, knowledgeable mechanic check it out. the s2000 is a strong and resilient car, but there can be problems. '04 is ap2, but the first year. improved valve retainers but you can still have little cracks on the top, leaking vtec solenoid, tires and suspension age whether it's driven or not.....and the s likes to be driven....and NEVER trust carfax.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 36
Likes: 5
From: MA
OP - I live in Southern MA and just went through the same dilemma as you. Unfortunately, New England has close to no real good S2Ks for sale, and if they do pop up, many are rusted or modded. I ended up having to buy a S2000 sight unseen from the midwest back in October. Here are some tips I have for you:
Once you find something you like, have the seller take video clips from their phone of the car, showing all the imperfections (exterior and interior). Obviously try to get all 10 VINs captured, try to get a feel for the condition of the soft top, have them peek underneath the hood and show you the oil filter (to confirm a PCX_004 was being used), and try to get some undercarriage pics if you can. If there are any cosmetic flaws make sure they document them for you. Also run a carfax and try to make sure the carfax report matches the story the seller is telling you regarding maintenance / accidents. All of this should help you get a general feel for the car.. If the car is at a dealership, try to get them throw the car on a lift and send you some pictures to see if there's any rust or leaking.
Also - Look up SavageGeese on Youtube and watch his S2000 buyers guide, it has everything you should be checking for when looking to buy a S2K. It helped me a ton and I highly recommend it.
In terms of shipping - I recommend (and used) Fisher Shipping company. Ask for Stacie. I ended up doing enclosed shipping but you can opt for open carrier if you want to save money. They delivered the car exactly when they said they would, and kept me informed throughout the process. They took tons of pictures at pickup and at delivery to confirm nothing was damaged as well. Figure $1200-2000 depending on what you decide for shipping.
Good luck
.
Once you find something you like, have the seller take video clips from their phone of the car, showing all the imperfections (exterior and interior). Obviously try to get all 10 VINs captured, try to get a feel for the condition of the soft top, have them peek underneath the hood and show you the oil filter (to confirm a PCX_004 was being used), and try to get some undercarriage pics if you can. If there are any cosmetic flaws make sure they document them for you. Also run a carfax and try to make sure the carfax report matches the story the seller is telling you regarding maintenance / accidents. All of this should help you get a general feel for the car.. If the car is at a dealership, try to get them throw the car on a lift and send you some pictures to see if there's any rust or leaking.
Also - Look up SavageGeese on Youtube and watch his S2000 buyers guide, it has everything you should be checking for when looking to buy a S2K. It helped me a ton and I highly recommend it.
In terms of shipping - I recommend (and used) Fisher Shipping company. Ask for Stacie. I ended up doing enclosed shipping but you can opt for open carrier if you want to save money. They delivered the car exactly when they said they would, and kept me informed throughout the process. They took tons of pictures at pickup and at delivery to confirm nothing was damaged as well. Figure $1200-2000 depending on what you decide for shipping.
Good luck
.
Last edited by MintBolster; Jan 20, 2021 at 05:50 PM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
zeroptzero
Southern Ontario S2000 Owners
19
Oct 16, 2019 03:56 PM
TMH44
California - Bay Area S2000 Owners
27
Feb 2, 2016 06:23 PM