My 2 cents... I would pass. The front fenders have been rolled, and badly at that. The drivers side is rusting. There's far better options out there for slightly more. To me, rust is a dead stop.

 

Thanks for the reply, earlier today he said he wanted to check out the car but he said if we did the trade he would want to keep the wheels and have me out my ms3 wheels on it...Thought that was a pretty stupid proposal considering how bad my wheels would look on an s2k so I declined. He's gonna hold out for a cash offer so my search continues! So difficult to find someone who's looking for another car.

 

Its California pricing. A car in your condition and year (I'm assuming great condition) with those miles can go for almost 12k here in NorCal. Theres a 00' model year on car gurus right now priced at 14k with almost 120k miles. And it will probably sell within the next week or so.



I do think the seller is being overly optimistic however. The crunch in the front fender along with the rust, the terrible condition steering wheel and overall wear and tear wouldn't make me pay more than 6k for the car.

 

Dude, don't trade in your MS3. I have a 2009 MS3 CWP and honestly speaking, if the S2000 was my daily, there'll be problems.

My MS3 has 107k on it and it has had zero mechanical issues, there's no way I can trade a car like that in for something that has half the practicality. (Half the speed too, haha)

 

Thanks for letting me know I'm not going crazy. I didn't know until after I posted that the fenders looked rolled too. I would run from this car.

 

Ahhhh I don't know man I've wanted an s2k for so long.
I got my MS3 after my 1999 Miata's engine seized and loved the extra speed, but after I rode in my friend's 2000 Porsche Boxster S, I can't help but miss that low to the ground feeling.
Not to mention the satisfyingly notchy gearbox and the roar of the engine. (My mom drives my MS3 too and doesn't want me to change the exhaust)

 

Patience my friend. I wanted an S2000 on and off for nearly 5 years. Then I started to look into one passively about a year ago. 6 months later, I stumbled across one that was mechanically sound and well within my budget. It was only then did I pull the trigger.

My advise to you is that, these things are merely toys, and you shouldn't have to make financial sacrifices because they offer next to zero utility. Be firm with your budget, be patient, and your gem will surely come around.

Don't trade your MS3. I tell people all the time that my daily (MS3) blows the doors off of my weekend car (AP1 S2000).

 

I agree with all the advice. Be patient, but also do enough research to know when a good deal is there.

I was in a similar position as you. I had a 2017 Focus ST that was my daily driver. I was looking at an S2000 as after i had to sell my first one a few years back ive always wanted another one. Being in a better financial situation i knew i could afford one, however it would have to be my daily driver.

My requirements were:
under 60k miles
AP 2 (year didnt matter)
Good condition
20,000$ or less
Had to be at a dealership so i could get trade in value for my Focus

It took me a few good months finding the one i ended up buying. And i managed to stumble across a really good deal. Found myself a 2005 Suzuka Blue, with 58k miles in pristine condition for 20,000$ and the bonus, came with an OEM hardtop.
The best part is that the dealership offered me 16000$ for my Focus. (i paid 19k for it) so it was a hard deal to pass on.

Moral of the story is, write down a list of requirements, mileage, color, price, year, all that stuff. Stick to it. Eventually it WILL show up. I know i'd be ok with an AP1, but realistically the AP2 makes me happier, so dont settle just because you want one so badly. If you can hit all your primary requirements (which as long as you are realistic it shouldnt be hard), then you;ll walk away with the car of your dreams.

Also the S2000 is my new daily driver. Yes i lost a TON of cargo space but honestly...it hasnt been that bad.

 

I'll add to this (at least on the "be patient" piece) - I wanted one since they came out. Last few years I've been in a financial position to afford one. I tracked prices and inventory for over a year before I stumbled on the one I purchased. It showed up on a Friday night at a local dealership, 10 miles from my house, color, condition and price range were spot on. I jumped on it, but two days before I wasn't thinking I was buying an S2K that weekend... the right one just came along.

I LOVE the car - but I would not want to live with it as a daily driver. Be patient. Be careful of "settling" for what is in inventory at the moment. Everyone says the right one will come along, and believe them - it will.

 

Haha thanks for the advice. I'll be holding on to her for now, probably work my ass off over the summer to get in a better position to buy an s2k.
In the meantime are there any cheap mods for the MS3 that you know of to get a more notchy feel to the gearbox or to add some power?