I was reading Rick's thread about the 4.44 gears being available and a comment of his struck me. He said something like "Many of us think Honda should have used these gears from the factory". So it occurred to me that there are probably a slew of mods we all wish the S should have come from the factory with. I'm not talking about things that would increase the price significantly as we all realize there are compromises made to hit a price point. But things that shouldn't affect price significantly and seem like no brainer mods that almost anyone would want. Here's my short list:

1) CAI. This is such a no brainer. I have the AEM but I'm sure the others are good also. A CAI adds noticeable horsepower, makes the sound of the engine better, and (at least in the case of my AEM) is so much better looking than the stock airbox. Not to mention that getting to the oil filter is a breeze now.

2) 4.44 gears. I think most of us would love to have the additional power the 4.44 give. The 4.44's would pretty much eliminate all of the "no torque" criticism this car gets, as well as make it a consistent 13 second 1/4 mile car. How many of us see 155 regularly anyways?

3) Any stereo upgrade.

So what are your "essential mods"?

 

Dunno about the gearing. heres a question: my s2k is already turning pretty high on the freewy at 80. Whats the engine speed at the smae speed after gears?

 

both are non-essential mods.

the aem sounds ghetto bap bap bap. way too loud. and looks ghetto. there are concerns on sucking up water. it also changes the feel of the car... especially at the upper end where it makes it feel like it's losing power which is a big no no since we're so in love with revving to 9K rpm. the stock box is a superior design.

the car is already on the edge of being a driveable everyday car. no automatic is offered. the stock setup is pretty much near perfection from an OEM.

the only essential mods i can think of are all aesthetic (namely the smallish 16" rims).

 

Whoa! 1 or 2 HP gain is hardly "noticeable horsepower," and I've seen enough posts here from people who sucked in water through their CAI's that it's definitely not something I'd consider. And yes a CAI without question will change the sound of your car, but is that a change for the better? Some people want a more performance-oriented engine note, but to others (like me) that sound is highly offensive, almost in the same manner as a Harley with fart pipes. So with negligible performance gains, and typically a more obnoxious intake sound, my opinion (please note it's just my opinion) is on a CAI.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Strike
[B]2) 4.44 gears.

 

After installing a pair of seat heaters in my miata, I've come to the conclusion it's a must-have mod for any roadster. Driving with the top down at night is much more enjoyable.

 

My purpose in starting this thread was to get the opinions of people on what THEIR list of essential mods would be, not for people to criticize other people's choices. Personally, I don't care if you agree with my list or not. It'd be nice if you at least contributed to the topic if you're going to choose to post instead of criticizing my choices for "essential mods".

 

AEM CAI i would say is essential. just check out the hp/torque graphs : http://www.aempower.com/pdf/results/21-504...S2000%20CAS.pdf

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Strike
[B]My purpose in starting this thread was to get the opinions of people on what THEIR list of essential mods would be, not for people to criticize other people's choices.

 

One touch windows - up and down both sides

One touch top

Unlock button for inside (so you don't have to reach over to flip the lock...)

 

Not sure if you would consider this a mod, but I want to see the navigation system in the US...
and a clock or two.