Hi guys i found this car at a dealer saw it today car is mint.I always considered AP2 and never even looked at AP1 before,so i need to catch up very fast or somebody will snatch it.They are asking $15K but i will try to tackle them down.How much i should be able to get down to?$10K will be really nice but i dont think they will bite.The car is really mint,tomorrow will go again to get inside and drive it.Please help me out with some input and advice.Things that i should be looking for?I know AP1 tend to burn oil and have tranny problems.Please help,thanks!!!

P.S.Is it really worth it to buy a mint AP1 for ($10K-$15K) or pay $20k-up for MY06-08 with all the bells and whistles???


Jeff

 

the newer the better

 

how many miles?

 

Title says 15k

the only thing I like about the AP2 is the center counsel and the temp gauge.

I like the glass rear window in the 02 AP1's. I also like the AP1 front better, but like the AP2 rear.

 

When buying used, you should always buy the newest lowest mileage s2k you can afford.

I don't know that you would be able to get them down to $10k...but $12k might be possible.

Glass rear window is definitely a plus, which the MY00 did not have stock. It's possible that a glass window conversion was done. Check for that.

Some MY00's had issues with synchros. Not prevalent after that model year.

The MY00-01 tend to put out lower hp because of a very conservative fuel map. Tuning with a VAFC is a very good mod and can give an easy 10-12whp.

Personally, there are a lot of things I like about the DBW cars. Most notably, you can get a really decent reflash from Hondata. So if it were me in your shoes and you have no trouble affording the newer car, that is what I would get.

 

^^^negcamber,thanks a lot for the good advice and the useful info,i really appreciate it.I was thinking the same way but i guess i need it somebody to back me up!!!Thanks a lot again...

 

Wow, first thing I'd do is figure how how it has so little miles on such an older car. If it sat for a long time, that could be a bad thing. Find out and make sure all of the proper maintenance has been done to see that everything is in good order due to age (not mileage).

I just bought an '04 totally mint with almost the exact same mileage for $15k. The sad part though is that even same condition and mileage, the '00 will be worth less. In the long, long run however (20 years down the line), an '00 could be worth a lot more as "the original". But then you'd have to keep it very low mileage and in mint condition. Will you? Will you really? Or are you like my friend that said he'd keep his place clean when he bought a house but now the house is... it's just naaasty.

Look up the price on KBB and make sure you don't pay any more than that. Retail is about $13,000. I personally would never pay more than trade in, but that's only $11,000. If they don't budge, explain to them the economy and ask them what kind of a person would pay OVER blue book? No one does. Then leave.

So where are the pics of this car BTW?

What color is it? IMHO, the center console in the early AP1's (with the carpet) looks COMPLETELY GHETTO... although the red interior doesn't look that bad. If you care about performance, find and swap an ECU (thought you'll have to pay to have it match your key). Also, the stock stereo is even more underpowered than on other S2000's. You are also likely to not have the windscreen that sits between the roll bars. To tell you the truth, I've never driven without it or with it down, so I don't know how much of a big deal that is. A plastic rear window also kinda sucks big donkey balls too.

However, the big fat sway bars on '00 are nice, but you need to make sure you're a responsible driver that can handle the car without driving either badly or stupidly... otherwise this is the most "dangerous" year.

Anyways, that's my take...

 

Ha - that sounds like my car. Mine is a '00 with 16k miles. As far as the carpet on the center console - I believe Rick's sells a leather cover for it. I got one a few years ago and it looks great. Glass rear window is easier to maintain but the plastic if maintained will stay clear and will give you more visibility since it is bigger than its glass counterpart.
Good luck.

 

Not that big of a mystery. We've been seeing a lot of early cars with low miles coming out of the woodwork. There was an MY02 in Jax that came up for sale with 8k miles on the clock.

Understand that when the s2k first came out it was supposed to be a limited production run. And it was pretty damn special technologically. Plus, the car mags were giving glowing reviews.

There were 6 month waiting lists and the cars generally sold for $5-10k OVER sticker. The people who bought the cars were enthusiasts with money who normally had another car or cars to drive. Some were used only as fun cars.

Now the economy has tanked, and those owners are weighing the decision of keeping a car that is barely used or having an extra $10k in liquid capital.

 

I'd get the AP1, if it's in mechanical condition of a 15k mile car and not the condition of a 9 year old car. But I think the AP2's aren't raw enough for my tastes (except the CR). It's a car. Get what you think you'll be ultimately happy with. If you value the benefits (compromises) of the AP2, then spend the extra dough. Keep in mind though the stuff that's easy to mod. Center console conversion isn't that difficult or expensive. What year AP1 is it?