I finally sold my STI and I'll be looking for s2k #3 soon. I've got a fixed budget for the car so now I'm down to deciding whether to spend it all on the newest low mileage car I can find or buy one that's a tad older and higher in mileage and have more money for mods.

I'll have money to spend on mods going forward with the car but definitely not for any large purchases. If I want any expensive parts I'll need to factor them into what I spend on the car.

Go for the gold or find one with a little age and character?

 

Go for the gold.

 

Newer/lower mileage all the way. Financial circumstances change, and from what I've seen your taste isn't in a ton of mods anyway...

 

newer ftw

 

Newer; the only mod that makes a big enough difference is going to cost you several thousand dollars anyways (forced induction) meaning you'd have a much older/higher mileage car and that's not something I'd want to mod anyways.

 

I had a pristine stock 08 with 3k miles and it was boring as hell.

Modded 00 ftw.

 

Sounds like money is a little tight, I'd just get a clean lowish-miles older model, not bother with mods (doesn't sound like you have anything specific in mind anyway) and keep more $$$ in my pocket.

 

As far as mods the only things I'm looking to do are some nice coilovers (probably) and wheels and probably another Recaro. Outside of that I don't care if anything else gets done sooner or later. Motor will stay bone stock like it did on the last two. I've had highly modded cars in the past and feel like the s2k is best left with a few quality mods that make the car I really want and will enjoy.

Given the prices they seem to be going for I think I'm looking for 04-06 AP2s with 50-70k miles. I think that's going to be the best balance of getting a nice car and still having the money to buy some of the parts I'd really like to have.

I'd be willing to keep it totally stock if I could find a CR in my price range but I think I'm going to be a tad short.

 

Do you have any particular affection for AP1 cars? If not, go for the newer car.

 

Both previous cars have been AP2 (05 and 06) I prefer the updated look of them along with getting all of the things Honda improved.