I plan on buying another car within the next year and as of right now the S2K ('00-'02) is sitting pretty high on my list...

I've seen conflicting threads about bolt-ons, some say they don't do anything other than change the car audibly and aesthetically, some say they have had noticeable power gains... what's the definitive answer? I'm not sure I would want to go with FI because I don't want to compromise reliability very much... I've read the drivetrain is the issue?

Anyways, it is worth it to dump thousands into the car in basic bolt-ons without any sort of FI?

 

Definitive answer? You won't get one. You'll find people arguing both sides pretty fiercely. My opinion is Honda eeked almost all the power out of the engine in it's stock configuration that it could. Most will agree that there are little gains to be had with mods that work well on other cars. The tried and true intake/header/exhaust route will not get you any truly noticeable gains. This feature of the car was a main selling point for me, little to no temptation to fiddle with it.

 

It all depends what you want out of the car. If you want a car that will pick up massive power with every bolt-on, the S2k is not the right choice for you. If you're happy with a better sounding/looking vehicle and a few extra ponies after dropping a fairly large wad of cash or just leaving it stock, the S2k is a very fun car. I installed a Comptech intake on my car not too long ago and besides for looking awsome and sounding great, I did notice a gain in low-end torque which was nice. I also plan on doing exhaust sometime within the next month or two, I'm expecting a little more top end power, but mainly I'm doing it for the sound and looks of it. I like modding my cars, always have, probably always will.

 

From everything I have read about this car, and it's a lot. The gains with basic bolts on will not been seen unless you decide to run some kind of EMS such as AEM. Even then, expect 15 whp and a lot of $.

People have said it before me, Honda did a fantastic job with this car from the factory. If sound and tinkering is what your after then mod away. Other than that don't expect much.

That being said there other way to increase performace without adding power. Weight and gears, tend to eb the first thing that jumps to mind. Do a search and you will find some happy owners.

 

im buying an s2000 soon and... ive noticed on a car performance is not only gained by engine modifications..

my first mods will be tein flex w/ edfc/porject mu BBK... 0-60 might be important for you.. but my ability to go around corners faster and stopping later...

in my civic i can outrun a srt4 on the curves because with my tein flex allows be to get more out of carving the curves.

anywho. to each its own is what it comes down to.. look at s2k compared to 350z thats what i was deciding between... but sheer weight and lack of HP gain on turbo systems has me convinced to get s2k

riley

 

I agree. IMO unless you're looking at major engine enhancements like superchargers the gains are minimum and hard to justify from a cost perspective. Handling modification on the other hand can be noticeable. There is a draw back not to be over looked and that is most handling modification will make your car ride stiffer and in the case of lowered springs reduce ground clearance. If I could do it all over again I'd just buy on 04.

 

i ride on 10kg/mm and 14kg/mm right now so im used to stiff..

the spring rates on flex for s2k is only 8kg/mm and 10kg/mm which is actually pretty comfortable in my opinion..

riley

 

There are three kinds of car enthusiasts: Drivers, modders, and washers.

Which are you? If you are a driver then the S2k is an awesome car stock... well, maybe with an alignment adjustment. If you like to mod and get a lot of excitement out of it, you should wait until that wears off. Wait until you start auto-xing or doing some other form of real performance driving. Nothing you can do on the street counts. Once you do that, you'll see that spending bucks to make the car faster reaps far fewer rewards then learning how to really drive. The S asks a lot of a driver and if you don't have it, there's no use in modding cause you'll still be slow... but if you have it, holy sh*t, you'll be shocked at what this car can do.

Of course I'm speaking in a general manner and this in no way is meant to be directed at you level of skill. I have no idea what that is.

 

im a good driver but i feel like im not "the best" where would you say to go to learn to be a better driver.. ive tried to find racing schools etc.. but i really want to learn on the S and not on some racecar.

riley

 

Your first mods? You really are a newbie. Why not invest into some driving classes before you dump almost $8000 worth of parts when you really dont need a BBK or Tein coils? Just a thought. So many young newbies think this car is like a civic or integra and can just go out and buy Project Mu brakes. Uhh fyi this kit is close to $4500 plus a 3-6 month wait. Tein isnt really high on my list as far as suspension goes but why not try out lowering springs first?
Also if you go with the larger Project Mu brake kit be aware you will probably spend another $3000 just to get custom wheels to fit with no spacers so your looking over $10000 for just 3 parts. Good luck though. Its going to be very expensive.