You were definitely spot on with the diagnosis!

He said the car was overheating, and he immediately broke the car to the mechanic.

I asked him if the issue still prevails presently and he said everything is "fine."

I'm not in a rush to purchase an S2000, especially being a first year model.

There are some definite cosmetic issues with the car, the front fender has fairly large dent from being backed up into, and the rear fender has a scratch/dent.

The driver seat is actually extremely WORN. The fading/cracking is quite extensive, much worst than described.

I guess I should just keep looking. Again, thanks for all the help!

 

Hey fellas - new member here because i'm looking at a used S2000. I ran across the following car and have scheduled a pre-purchase inspection at Howdo Honda in Austin on Friday.

I've read over the shopping guide posted here in the forums. I won't be able to see the car until Friday morning and am bringing the list of things to look for with me.

Some details from the owner.

• Rear window is faded
• no mechanical problems
• does not have mechanical records but it was purchased from CarMax

Anyone have any suggested places in Austin to take the car for a purchase inspection which you prefer instead of Howdy Honday?

http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/3178912218.html

Thanks.

mogwai

 

Currently looking at this:
http://columbia.craigslist.org/cto/3201660939.html

Test drove it, drives very nice, has no issue getting up to speed or RPM.

The issues:
Passenger seat has a tear, but that's about it, they look to be in fairly good condition for their age.
Steering wheel has heavy wear spot on 1 to 2o'clock positions.

These aren't bad as they'll purely cosmetic, and can be cheaply fixed(at least the steering wheel can).

Now, there were a couple things that I am a little worried about:
The CEL is on, he says the code is the P1415, the air pump. He has an aftermarket CAI installed, a friend told me that sometimes they can throw CELs, but I really don't know.
The car has been lowered an inch, and driving over bumps at speed causes a Clunking sound from the rear end.
Idle is a little rough when coasting to a stop with the clutch in, and at a stop, the idle is below 1000RPM and it kind of feels like the engine is being bogged down, in a sense.

Are any of these issues that I should be worried about. The air pump might be an easy enough fix if he just connected the wires wrong, but I don't know anything about lowering a car, nor am I too familiar with the idling issue. I'm not mechanically declined, I know how to turn a wrench, but I don't want to buy something that I can't depend on, either.

 

Could be a good deal and low miles to boot. I'd recommend reading through the maintenance threads for issues specific to the early MYs & make sure your inspection covers them.

Stuff like the banjo bolts, the soft top frame, and other TSBs. I'm sure others will chip in too, but being so early in the production run I'd be more careful about the car.

 

Thanks sse2k.

So I have looked over the used buyers guide and in pretty good detail about the TSBs (got them all printed).

Tomorrow morning @ 7am is the inspection. I'm assuming the dealer will be able to give me an idea on what TSB's have been complied with and all that. I'm also considering having them do a compression test since I just want to avoid being ripped off as much as possible.

That being said, I also found a 2002 with 62k miles on it in the Dallas area and it's about 2k more expensive, but 2 years newer. Were many of the niggly problems ironed out by that model year?

FYI - neither of the car owners seem to have a penchant for letting me know about the maintenance history. But they both say it's a second car..blah blah blah.

Wish me luck tomorrow. Anyone have any last minute suggestions?

 

yes, updates were made in '02. the best years for AP1 are '02 and '03.

 

The car in question is a 2001 with 200,000 miles. However, the car obviously has been taken good care of because the interior look good and paint it in awesome condition. Question is, how much do you guys think a car like this should sell for at most? Also, what type of Mechanically issues may I run into at this high mileage? Oh yea, and its basically stock beside Ap2 wheels and front bumper. Any positive input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

do a compression test and if it comes out good, offer no more than 8K.

 

I'd offer around $7,000. Transmission/Differential Rebuild or replacement is in the future at that mileage.

 

Compression/leak down both are a must imho. Check the suspension for warn bushings. TCT.