I dislike daily driving the S2000 in rush hour traffic due to the size of the car being invisible to many other drivers (especially those still putting on eyeliner using their rear view mirror) and the lack of vision from inside the car with the roof up. Good weather eliminates the second but the oblividiots are still there.

-- Chuck

 

Funny enough I was pretty disappointed with all of my S2K test drives. The car felt sluggish and the steering was so numb (compared to my E92 M3), but I was convinced they made great track cars with the right mods so I was already sold on buying one. It wasn't until I turned traction control off and threw the car around on an autox course that I just fell in love with the car. Then taking it on track just made it feel sublime (and even better as I started to mod it). Once I got to that point it was more fun to drive in corners than my M3. It's one of those cars where it's only fun to drive when pushing it really hard (at least for me).

 

Different travel can be a few things:
- Different pedal adjustments
- Pressure plate travel: as the clutch wears, the pedal movement until first roll/disengagement will change. The s2k does not use a self adjusting clutch like more newer MT vehicles
- Worn in hydraulics

There are a few more items. Really this should be a non-issue to most people, just adjust the pedal to your liking. With how little torque this motor produces there shouldn't be any slip situations until the very, very end of the clutches life or some serious slip abuse (heat).

 

Great suggestion, I was going to suggest the same.

I had a BYS rail in mine for years before switching out to Pole Positions.

 

Good suggestion on the seat rails - I've seen a few threads on here where folks used them in taller situations.

Today I drove a decent-shape AP2 - 2004 Suzuka Blue down in Freehold, NJ. It was in very good shape, except the front and rear bumpers were replaced at some point (missing VINs) which also aligns to the Carfax report where there were two accidents. There was also a missing VIN on the driver's side door jam, and the VIN on the door itself was painted over, so obviously work was done - that side painting worries me most, so I wouldn't purchase the car anyway. The repaint on the front bumper wasn't even good - color didn't match the rest of the car.

However, really like the AP2. It definitely feels more grunty in the lower RPMs, and while I appreciated the AP1's 9K redline, it seemed you really had to work the engine to get it moving compared to the AP2. Simply my opinion - I know there are AP1 diehards on here, so this isn't meant to turn into an AP1 vs. AP2 discussion... for all of the traits, I appreciated the AP2 better. I liked the slightly less ridged ride, more lower RPM pull, and I mostly appreciated the extra 1" of shoulder room due to the slimmer door panels. With the seat all the way back and reclined all the way, It was a pretty good ride. My head doesn't come near the roof, but the sightline is just a little high with the windshield header. I'm not ducking or anything, but I do feel I could use another inch of drop (hence, seat rails are a great idea).

It still felt incredibly tight and closed in though. I was on the drive alone (no sales passenger), so I found a parking lot and dropped the top - the top was warm from the sun and it was about 43 deg. out - not optimal, but I got a feel for the top-down experience. All I can say is - wow... I now get it. This car shouldn't even have a top, except for keeping the rain out. It immediately felt wide open and free. The car also was more enjoyable - with the rough ride, every squeak and bump is easily heard with the top up, and the road noise is accentuated. Top down, all of that drifts away and as weird as it might sound, the car seemed much more "solid". I also was able to get a better overall feel for the car without a sales guy in tow - felt like I could take a little more time to get comfortable with it, and I was kind of shocked and how quickly I got accustomed to the car - shifting, timing, etc.

So, to summarize my saga, I'm sold on the S2000. It's a top-down-only experience for me (save for an unexpected rainstorm when out and about). I haven't been particularly happy with any of the ones I've seen - so far the best samples I've looked at are in Suzuka blue, and while I love the exterior, I'm fully convinced I couldn't live in the all-blue interior world. My '85 CRX long ago had that blue interior, and it was fine on a state-of-the-art mid-80's car, but not in 2018 (sorry for those with one of these - remember, just my personal preference). I've been studying prices, conditions, trends, etc. for a few months now (and from the threads here), and it's pretty silly what some folks are asking for these cars. There were a few in Allentown at a secondary dealer where he was asking easily $5K over value. One had a ripped top (and still ripped sitting on the lot through snow and rain), misaligned bumpers, hammered interior, two accidents on record, etc. 2005 with under 40K, but he wanted $25K. He had an 08 with less miles but replaced panels, accidents on record and not in really great shape and wanted almost $30K. I've used Chuck's basis for validating prices and it seems to hold well on the median inventory out there - 2006 with 40K starting at $22K. Deduct $1K for each year older, 1K miles, deduct for accidents, damage, etc. Most mid-range earlier AP2s should be in the $18-20K range for good samples (more if 2006+). Mileage doesn't scare me at all, but poor maintenance or care does. I'm not even too concerned about fender-benders with replaced bumpers.

For now, I'm going to keep watching inventory, but overall I'm not expecting to pull the trigger for a few months, unless the right one comes along. Thanks for the input everyone. The help and information here is immense. I'm up to page 32 on the Talk threads, just reading through to educate myself. Appreciate everyone's help and feedback.

 

At least when the time comes to make your purchase you will be well informed and will likely end up with a car that is going to make you very happy. I also think that it's possible you might find a larger selection of these cars to choose from when the warmer weather months arrive.