thanks for all the replies so far.

howcome the first reply says it sounds a bit high? what would be considered a good deal then for an 03 with 7800 miles? just so i have an idea of what a "good deal" is.

the car was a repo cuz the 1st owner couldn't handle the payments. then the dealer that i'm buying the s2k from bought it from an auction, with a front bumper that doesn't match the rest of the color on the car (even though it's all black). so the dealer colored the whole car just to match the color. the car had an aftermarket steering wheel on, as well as aftermarket sound systems, all of which were taken off the car prior to being sold from the auction.

i shall check for matching vin's on the panels. just fyi i havn't actually gotten the car yet, i told them i'll think about it tonight, and tomorrow i'd pay my greens then walk away with the car. how else could i check to see if there might be anything else wrong? damage wise. thanks.

 

there was no misaligned panels. eveything fitted perfectly, front bumper, front and rear light housings contact points with the bumpers, and the rear bumper are all placed perfectly.

 

blowme Here we go, again.

 

Well I can say I bought my car, a 2004, slightly used with 2,000 miles on it. It was also a repo car and it was also repainted. The story I've gotten is it was scratched up real bad somewhere in the repo process (or before) and the car was repained somewhere down the line before it got to me. Odd that your situation/story sounds similiar. Mine makes a little more sense though because the back bumper was changed on mine do to the previous owner backing into something (supposedly) and supposedly it was all done at once. I still don't know for sure and probably never will, but the frame and all other panels of the car passed a bodyshop inspection (two actually) so I'm forced to believe it.


Regardless I think your price is high. I bought my 2004 with 2,000 miles on it for $24,400 before tax and all fees. I'd definitely talk them down further on price, and I'd also get it inspected prior to purchase. Try to get them to let you take it to an independant mechanic who also has a BODYSHOP and have the car inspected. You really don't want to end up in a pickle later because you bought the car and found skeletons in its closet (or trunk so to speak) later on. It's worth the $100 or whatever the inspection will cost. If they say no to getting in inspected, odds are they are hiding something. Just be careful, parts on this car are expensive and you don't want to buy something you can't be confident about. You may try the local section for your area on s2ki and see if you can find a fellow s2k enthusiast who will check it out for you. Offer to buy them lunch and I'm sure you'll find a volunteer. Keep us posted!

God's blessings,

- J

 

so did you get to do that with your s2000? from what i've heard most dealers won't let you take the car to get it checked. but i dont know, maybe you have some tips to try to get them to let me?

 

i just bought an 03 with 11,700miles for 22,500 without fees.

 

here are the pix of the car, as someone asked for. not sure if it'll help much. anybody else have any inputs/suggestions?

 

uhh i say walk away.
1. i already see swirl marks on a supposedly new paint job.
2. what happened to the airbox?
3. the weatherstripping between the bumper and hood is missing.

just seems kinda sketchy to me that a car with such low mileage would need to be repainted and some of the parts are missing.

 

im guessing the car had aftermarket stuff on it. for the missing weather stripping, perhaps he had a cf hood? for the removed stock intake box.. maybe he had aftermarket intake? and just "lost" it and whatsoever.. but nevertheless losing the car due to money issues

 

I did get mine inspected prior to purchase, but I ended up in a mess anyway because the Honda dealer I paid to do the inspection came up real short and ended up missing some obvious stuff that I found later (the bumper repair/change in the back primarily). Regardless I would not buy a car like the S2k without come kind of inspection. My "tip" to get them to let you, is tell them you are going to walk away from the deal otherwise. I know how exciting it is to be on the verge of buying an s2k and you want to let your emotion cloud your judgement, but don't do it. It can be a costly mistake.


First of all, I'm a little weary of this car. It does not have the factor airbox, its missing a few things we've alreaedy seen in the pics, etc. This tells me this car was modified and they didn't even do a complete job in putting it back to stock shape. If anything, the things you listed (mods, repaint, etc) would decrease the value, not increse it. You should be gettinig this car for several thousand less than it is being offered to you at. I really think you can do better. For the price you are paying you should have no problem finding one Honda certified from a Honda dealer.


Look for the vin stickers, this will let you know what panels have been replaced. There should be under the hood, on the chasis behind the motor, on the left and right quarter panels up front, on the front bumper (it sticks through near the hood latch), on both doors, on the rear quarter panels (should be in the door jams I believe), on the trunk, and on the rear bumper. I'm sure there are a lot more than this, but these are the ones that come to mind and are most obvious. I'm not saying not to buy a car if its had a bumper changed, but at least looking for the vins can let you know whats original on this car and what isn't. You might also check the tires, I'm assuming with that milege they are all probably original. See if they match and the condition of the rears.


Regardless I think that the ONLY way I would even consider this car (if I were you) is if you could get it inspected and if you could get it for a few grand less than the asking price. I understand it is a low mileage 2003, but its a low mileage 2003 with quite a history. Its been modified, unmodified, partially returned to stock, repainted, fishy issues with the ABS sensor, et cetera. It's not a mint 2003, if it was the price would probably still be a tad high. I'm not one of the fanatics on this board that thinks the s2k is a ferrari and should only be bought in original mint condition, but this cars history and price do not match.


Again, the main thing to remember when shopping is to not let your emotion and desire for the S make you buy something that your brain and logic normally wouldn't have you buy. This car has a way of sucking you in after a test drive. Another thing to consider is how much (if any) of the factory warranty is left? This car obviously has had "performance" mods done to it. This probably means it was not babied. Even though it has low mileage, you never know if the previous owner launched the car day and night for the time they had it. All the more reason for an inspection. If there was no warranty left on this car, there would be no way I would buy it.