Hey guys. My names Sean I'm new to the forums. I'm currently in the market for an s2000 for about 2 months now, only started getting serious and going to check out cars recently. I've been scour these forums for a while trying to get an idea of what i should be looking for, why and how much i should pay for it. After driving an AP1 and AP2 today i think i've decided i should narrow it down to AP2s because of the way shifting felt(i live in the city so i prefer to shift at lower revs), but do love the sound of the AP1 revving all the way up to redline, i was almost scared to take it there on the test drive cause the car sounds so loud.

I had a particular question about a car i went to see today as i still haven't totally ruled out an AP1 just think i prefer the AP2 at the moment. I drove a 2000 s2k with 46k miles and it was in fantastic shape but it made a strange noise when driving at low speeds in the lower gears. they were only audible when the top was up. It almost sounded like a wooshing sound and it sounded like it was coming directly from underneath the gearbox, it wasn't the normal sort of winding noise you hear from a transmission when the car is winding down in Revs while in gear. It felt almost like something that should have been there to deter the sound from coming into the car was missing or the sound shouldnt have been there to begin with.

Can you guys tell me if this is something common in AP1s or s2000s in general or do you think something is up with this car in particular. here is a link to it.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/?cmd=...ht_2972wt_1167

I was looking for an AP2 s2000 in sebring silver or silverstone with less than 80k miles in great shape and looking to spend somewhere between $12,000-$14,000 depending on shape and miles. Please let me know if I'm out of my mind with the price I'm hoping to get a car for, I came to it based on what i've seen cars listed for sale and what some have sold for on ebay. Thanks for the help guys.

 

There is a piece of foam insulation that goes around the shifter under the shift boots. That piece might be missing and causing the sound you are hearing. Can't say much else without more detail on what exactly it sounded like/felt like.

 

AP1's require you to literally beat the crap out of it to get the most out of it. A lot of people have a hard time adjusting to watching the tach climb to 9 and not cringe. Car loves it though, just takes some trust that it was meant to do it and after 10 minutes driving it, the driving style becomes natural.

Price seems a little low, but my only advice is to buy a car with either 1 owner, detailed maintenance records and close to stock as possible (or all 3 if possible). It's worth it to pay a little extra in the long run. I wouldn't be penny wise and pound foolish buying this car.

 

The foam on my ’00 had completely disintegrated.

 

Hey,
Looks like they sold the 2000 you had link to. I was gonna go check it out even though I recently got my 2002 Sebring S2k. Out of curiousity, were there any flaws on the Silverstone at Ramsey? It looks awesome in the pictures. Maybe some wear on the leather seats?

 

A clean AP2 for 12-14k might be real tough to find. We are getting into the summer driving season, so people are going to ask a little more for the S.

The search feature is your friend.

Good luck with your search. Hope you find a clean one.