Just picked up a New 2005 Sebring Silver w/Black/Red interior - it is replacing an old 1971 MGB (used to be my daily driver) I just couldn't justify putting 15K worth of work into. Took me two years to make the call, but well worth it. I don't know what all the fuss was about the S2K engine revving too high - no different than driving the 'B except you left the "B" in a dropped down gear at 3K vs. lurking with the S2K just below VTEC, 5K. The "B" is downright sedate next to this, and I love that hard(er) sprung roadster feeling again. Picked it up last evening with only 8 Miles on ODO, have put on 58 since then. A few ?? based on the early driving:

• When starting cold, the car revs to 2000 then after a few minutes drops back a 1000 - I assume this is normal as set by the computer?
• The salesman - to a direct question - says "No breakin required - run it hard". Well, kinda of sorta did that for about 50 miles, hitting VTEC at least 5 times and bounced the rev limiter once - after "warming up" for the first 10 miles at 4K or so. Get home, read the manual - 600 miles before exceeding 5K. I should have known (did) but wanted to hear "no breakin". Anyone else do this and then have "bad" things happen - needless to say the engine will be run right until 600.
• What have ya'll found as the best mod that won't burn the warranty but delivers a punch? Lightened flywheel? Exhaust / Header change out?
• The stereo is downright weak - anyone replace the head unit and add speakers / kicker? Any speaker location suggestions - like aftermarket headrest? Any brand that replaces the head unit cleanly?

The car is downright awesome - the "B" is coming out of the garage now and going for sale, the S2K is going in. Thanks.

 

[*]When starting cold, the car revs to 2000 then after a few minutes drops back a 1000 - I assume this is normal as set by the computer?

This is totally normal. i usually wait for the RPMs to drop before i move the car. This way I am sure that the entire engine is lubricated. The engine will not VTEC before it warms up. So drive gingerly for a block or two, and your engine will last much longer.
[*]The salesman - to a direct question - says "No breakin required - run it hard". Well, kinda of sorta did that for about 50 miles, hitting VTEC at least 5 times and bounced the rev limiter once - after "warming up" for the first 10 miles at 4K or so. Get home, read the manual - 600 miles before exceeding 5K. I should have known (did) but wanted to hear "no breakin". Anyone else do this and then have "bad" things happen - needless to say the engine will be run right until 600.

don't overdo this, and you should be fine. but the engine has a factory set breakin period. (as you discovered) some owners believe that revving the engine out of the box is actually better for the engine, but this is debatable. The rev limiter cannot protect you from bad down shifts so make sure you are going into fourth and not second when you pass on the highway, you can blow your engine.
[*]What have ya'll found as the best mod that won't burn the warranty but delivers a punch? Lightened flywheel? Exhaust / Header change out?

Driver's school, & really sticky tires. I like potenza so3's. There are so many mods you can do to the car, you'll just have to read about them on this site and figure out what you want to do. The bug bites pretty much all of us eventually, and it bites hard, so start saving now.
[*]The stereo is downright weak - anyone replace the head unit and add speakers / kicker? Any speaker location suggestions - like aftermarket headrest? Any brand that replaces the head unit cleanly?

With an 05, simply replacing the headunit will make a substantial difference in your stereo sound. The stock seakers in the 04+ are tolerable with a decent amount of power. Get a high powered headunit from a major manufacturer: Alpine, Pioneer, Eclipse, etc. There is much info to glean from the FAQ in the electronics section about how to go about giving yourself a stereo with the top down @ 90 mph.

hope this helps!

Nice color combo BTW!

 

[QUOTE=Standing Room Only,Oct 8 2005, 07:51 AM]Just picked up a New 2005 Sebring Silver w/Black/Red interior - it is replacing an old 1971 MGB (used to be my daily driver) I just couldn't justify putting 15K worth of work into.

 

Welcome. You discovered, like many of the rest of us, that salesmen will say what you want to hear if they think it will help sell a car. I doubt that you did any damage. I think the best mod, if it qualifies as a mod, is the OEM hardtop.

 

There are numerous beliefs that if you break in your car, you either do it hard or follow the manual and do it that way, but nothing in between.

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

 

Nice answers Steve R,

The only disagreement i have, and i'm sure all the Electronics Junkies would agree with me from the Electronics forum, is that the HU replacement is your first step for better sound in the s2k. The speakers should only be replaced along with the headunit and definitely not instead of it.

 

the good thing about head unit replacement is it is easy. it is probably the easiest of any new car out now in fact.

 

You'll get no arguments from me!

All I've replaced so far are the speakers. I didn't even go super high end either, just the standard upgrades that Lucid recommended. There was a noticeable difference in sound quality with just that. I was able to hear music and voices much more clearly, especially with the top down. That was something I didn't expect. I have no doubt that a better radio head would be the icing on the cake. I just haven't gotten around to it.

Willie Gee, I'm assuming you've done both? Have you done anything in the way of rear speakers? I think I'd go either the Lucid's "behind the seats" style or the S-Pods but all I know about them comes from reading this forum. I'd really like to catch up with someone that's got them installed. Hearing it for real would make the decision a LOT easier.

Drive Safe,
Steve R.

 

I have been thinking about swapping the HU. I'd like to get something with integrated Sirius.

Time to do some searching to see what allows me to keep the external controls that includes Sirius!

 

Mod's tend to be pretty expensive for little bang on this car. The best "bang for the buck" is a a K&N filter or their RAM air unit and cutting out the resonator on the exhaust. The cutting out of the resonator is a must, it will sound like the way you invisioned the car sounding like and is totally under the radar.... I say the filter because they get dirty quick on this car, so might as well replace it with a reusable one, and the RAM air model is quite nice by all that have had it, and based on my reading, the best way to go.