2002 Honda S2000 - Performance Auto LLC

Well reviewed dealer/service garage. Called them up and they told me if I recall correctly that "there is a grind going into 3rd gear at high rpm." I have to verify that it is only from 2-->3 but I don't believe I had the wisdom or knowledge of the matter to ask for the clarification at the time. Looked through some threads here and if I deduced correctly there are a few potential things that it could be...please correct me if I'm wrong on that. I am located just outside of DC so this is my question before I decide to catch a plane out there: Is this beautiful blue s2k worth it?

Thanks in advance,
-Josh

 

^^^It is a good year/color!
Levi

 

^^ yeah I the Suzuka blue has grown on me since I began my s2k search. At the beginning it was my least favorite, now they are all favorites. I really like the blue interior and I especially like the red interiors in the silverstones and GPWs.

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heres some pics and information straight off the ad to help you all help me without leaving s2ki platform

2002 Honda S2000

$9,900.00 Asking Price

– 117,500 Miles
– 2.0L VTEC 4 Cylinder Engine
– RWD (Rear Wheel Drive)
– Manual 6 Speed Transmission
– Brand New Spark Plugs
– Brand New Battery
– Brand New Clutch
– Resurfaced Flywheel
– OEM AP1 Wheels
– OEM Spoiler
– Aftermarket Radio
– Convertible
– Leather Seats
– Cruise
– Keyless Entry
– AC (Air Conditioning)
– ABS (Anti Lock Brakes)

Exterior: The exterior of this car is in good condition! No rips or tears in the soft top. There is a dent on the passenger side quarter panel as well as a couple of small spots that have been touched up with touch up paint

Interior: The interior of this car is in good condition. There is a hole worn through on the driver’s seat bolster.

Mechanical: Everything works on the car as it should! We just inspected this S2000 and replaced the battery, spark plugs, clutch, and had the flywheel resurfaced!

 

Hey Josh, I'm trying to figure out why you are thinking about making a trip halfway across the country (to a place that's still in the salt belt) for this particular car. Are you trying to keep the budget close to $10K? Are you looking for an AP1 or a 2002 year model specifically? I'll admit that it's getting harder to find one of these cars for under $10K, but in this particular case looking over the photos of the car on the dealer's website I see too many things that give me pause with this car. The photos aren't of the greatest quality, so maybe I'm "seeing things", but here are my observations.

In addition to the dent in the rear fender that they mention and the torn up driver's seat, it looks like there is a tear in the carpeting on the driver's side. There also appears to some issues with the driver's side quarter panel (look at the gap around the driver's side taillight). The trunk lid also appears to be jacked up. Again, look at the gaps between the trunk lid and the rest of the body as you move from the back towards front of the trunk lid. From the photos it also appears that this car is missing the VIN tags on both the front and rear bumpers along with the passenger front fender. Do they even list the title status of this car anywhere? Combine all of these things together and it just doesn't seem like this car is worth the cost/effort involved.

 

Guth thanks a lot for your reply. Definitely trying to stay sub 10k (without getting into salvage territory) so that I will have a decent pillow in case something does go wrong as well as to get tools for some entry level DIY maintenence. I am not overly concerned with cosmetics as long as its not torn to shreds and obviously not cared for at all, or had some half ass repair work which speaks to the same issue. I would prefer an 04/05 for the reliability/durability without sacrificing drivability but at the end of the day I'm just looking for a good deal. Wow I had some serious lust goggles on while looking at this one...didn't notice any of the obvious gaps with the trunk or QP nor the lack of VINs. Title status isn't listed for any of their vehicles on their website...I believe the manager mentioned the title being clean on our phone call. A couple days without sleep is screwing with my memory and my judgement lol so I'll definitely double check on that...and get a good nights rest before hand. I did ask concerning the rust and he told me it was clean no rust so thats good. gonna get it on their lift to verify of course. Also asked if they checked retainers which he said they had not. I have a FaceTime call with the same guy on Monday to do a walk around. I have read the "before you buy thread" questions to ask but, are there any questions/requests either specific to this vehicle or in general that I should ask while I have him on FaceTime? THANKS A LOT Guth I appreciate you.

-Josh

P.S. what do you think a fair price for this car would be? I likely have some negotiation room as they are not a traditional used dealership (no $500 dealership fees, processing fees, etc), just a couple guys flipping cars and running a service garage.

 

That "before you buy thread" really does a good job of going over most things so I'd be hard pressed to add anything to that list off of the top of my head. It's not uncommon to find the bumpers on these cars repainted, especially the front bumper. Given the apparent lack of VIN tag on the front fender (possibly elsewhere) and the gap issues I'd want to know about any past damage or lack thereof. Did they supply you with a Carfax report? If I was going to fly to buy then I'd also want them to send me better quality photos, providing a good detailed accounting of the car. Of course the fact that the car is so far from you adds to the time/expense/effort and buying from a dealer only adds more to the price. Have you been looking for one of these cars for very long now?

I travelled three hours away to buy my S. I don't know how far away you are from D.C., but a three hour radius from that general area opens up a lot of possibilities and would save you the extra cost of airfare and lodging. Maybe something like this?: https://southjersey.craigslist.org/c...753538642.html That price for that car seems to be too low (at least based on the few low quality photos provided), then I notice that the posting has already been up for 2 months so there's more than likely something the owner isn't noting in the posting. The cool thing about this forum is that there are members located all over the place and you might be able find someone already knowledgeable about these cars who would be willing to check a car out for you or meet you when you go to check one out yourself.

Whatever you end up deciding I wish you the best of luck with your search. Some people are starting to ask crazy prices for these cars which in some people's minds equates to raising the value/prices on all of these cars. But that doesn't mean they'll all get what they want and fortunately there are still a lot of these cars left out there since they were built to last. So do your best to stay calm, shopping for cars can really take it's toll sometimes, lol. Hang in there!

 

No car fax report..I will ask for the high quality photos and see what they say. and about the jacked up gaps and previous damage. If I like what I hear/see ill put down the money for a carfax check otherwise ill probably pass. As I mentioned earlier they don't have any additional fees just the agreed upon price is what you play flat. I have been looking for a couple months but only in just the last few days have I become a serious potential buyer.

Good point about the radius cutting down the expenses...just depends on the deal but I would be up for a cross country road trip in a new S if the price is right. I have seen that south jersey listing....I pretty much agree with your take on it, but wouldn't hurt to give him a "text". I will post in a regional forum when I find one that I want to go look at/ find a reputable shop in that area to do a PPI.

gonna calm down a bit so as to not jump the gun.
Thanks again for all your help and advice.

 

Sub $10k, you're just not going to find a car that's not going to need a little TLC. I suspect you definitely wouldn't find one with all VINs in tact. For reference, I sold my '05 NFR not too long ago for about $13k with that many miles. Minus a couple holes in the top (I patched), mine was in MUCH better shape, and all VIN #'s in tact. I think if you stretch your budget $2-3k more, you'll find something much nicer. Sub $10k and you'll get garbage IMO. I also did a fly and drive when I originally purchased it. Done that with a few vehicles now (including motorcycles). I personally would expand your search to a 6 - 8 hour drive. One way tickets are less than $100 in most cases. Fly out early morning, be back home in the evening. Doesn't always work out, but in my case it did. Done it a few times now, and I rather enjoy it. Sometimes my wife will come if it's a city that interests her. Usually costs me a purse and a nice dinner, but hey, it's all part of the chase

 

Thanks for the response and tips. I have a feeling I would have a tough time getting a wife without getting a car first lol. I've seen a couple sub 10k that have sold on this forum that looked and sounded clean. Some people don't want to wait for several weeks/months to make the sale. My budget is what it is so unless you'd be willing to donate to my cause I'll be shopping for sub 10k, at the most 11k loll. God willing it will work out for me as it did so well with you.
-Josh

 

Opinions on the modified suspension? Otherwise is this a decent price?
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