Test drive and go get the compression test first. Then get the one with the best condition if money is not a factor. Also if this is your daily car then I go with AP2, I have AP1 so please don’t think I am trying to support AP2.

 

3,1,2 Really not hard to put a suspension on and get it aligned.

 

Gotta be honest, I'm a little shocked to see that folks consider the AP1 -> AP2 difference to be worth $5k (or maybe more importantly, 50% more). The mileage between #2 and #3 is not that far off, and $5k seems like it would go a long way toward buying performance mods or just paying for repairs.

As an aside, are these reasonable deals? They look like they're somewhat in line with what I've seen in the "what'd you pay for it" thread, but I just wanted to make sure.

Also curious to see why people are picking #3 over 1. Is it the color? Or did something change between MY '04 and 05? It's got almost 20k more miles on it and it's theoretically the same price.

btw, I know it's not tough to put a suspension on it, but I've bought cars that have literally failed on me on my drive home because of a shade tree mechanic messed up putting the suspension in. I'm sure I could fix it myself, but I'm looking for "turn key" here for this price, not a handyman special.

 

Number 2 sounds like it could be hiding more problems than you can see. Mismatched parts, needs new tires and clutch which is expensive. Etc. Plus you don't really like the color combo so I would forget that one. Personally I would go with number one if you like the color and it has the lowest miles. I like having a clean slate to work on. Also if you like the red interior you can always swap out interior parts on the black one.

 

#1 my choice by far

 

Numero uno amigo! No but seriously number one seems to be the best deal. Ap2 FTW! oh wait I drive an ap1...

 

I would rather get the one that was least molested. Don't like the sound of anything stock being replaced save for the head unit/wheels. So my pic would be #1

 

I know I had a thread similar to this posted just a few days ago and it got merged into the "is this car worth it" thread. If the mods would be so kind as to leave this a separate thread for today only, the extra exposure would really help since I'm in a bit pressed for time here. After today, feel free to delete.

I'm really struggling with this one. The $5k difference is huge, and not making this easy. A bit more info on each:

#1: $15k - Berlina/black, '04 AP2, 65k miles, no accidents, 3 owners, 60k service performed, all Mobil 1 oil changes done by owners, no records, wheels are aftermarket 18" (ouch) Volk G-Games 77S, tires and brakes "probably have another season left", upgraded HU and speakers, exterior looks about 8/10 (quarter-sized crack on underside of front lip), interior 8/10 (very little wear on bolsters).




#2: $10k - Silverstone/black, '03 AP1, 87k miles, minor accident from backing up in a parking lot, 2 owners, all service performed by Honda, no records, brakes are "good", tires need immediate replacement (stock 16"s), clutch "seems good but probably will need replacement in next 30k", upgraded HU, speakers, with flush-mount amp and sub in trunk, exterior probably 7.5-8/10, interior 7/10 (mild wear on driver seat).





That extra $5k goes a long way, but obviously #2 would need tires ($500-600) right away and potentially a clutch ($700-1000?) within the next few years. I would want to swap #1 wheels for stock V1 VP2 wheels and new tires - not sure how easy that will be to do. This is my pleasure car only and is replacing my '94 Turbo Miata, so my rational mind says go for #2. The greedy part of my mind says "black cars are sexy, and the extra torque will be nice"

When I listed this before with another option, most folks said go with the AP2, but didn't really give a reason. Any advice is appreciated.

 

Tough choice. 02-03 IMO are the best AP1's, more refined and have a better ECU/Fuel map - fixed a lot of the little quirks from 00-01. 04-05 are my Favorite AP2's because they retain the throttle cable where it is replaced with drive by wire in the 06+.

I'd take the AP2, having driven both for quite some time. You get much more when you buy an AP2, Stronger Transmission and Differential(albeit not by much), more torque in the F22 over the F20. The AP2 feels more refined as you're driving it, you can tell it took time to figure some things out in the AP1's. AP2's have revised suspension angles helping the car to be less of a oversteer monster that the early AP1's were known for. The Clutch in the AP2 may last out to 130k+, my AP1 had 134k on it and I beat it relentlessly and it never slipped. Have 74k on the AP2 clutch now and it holds GREAT.

That being said, if you were to purchase the AP2 I would immediately remove the Clutch Delay Valve but this is just personal preference for many people. Depends on driving style, they say.

I also would probably stop using Mobil 1 in the engine, some people have no issues with it but it seems more often than not Mobil 1 is not recommended in these engines.

 

this is actually a tough call! Id opt for the cheaper car (ap1) because u can invest that 5k in a massive overhaul or have the cash for further maint. I am also bias w my silverstone MY00' as far as torque i dont think its a significant gain in the ap2, either way (ap1 or 2) your getting a torqless honda