I would not buy an S at that price without it being started, check engine codes and compression test. Carfax should show the mileage the person purchased it and how much it is currently showing.

If the current owner says its just the battery, cable jump it and give it a spin.

 

Hey guys. I'm in need of some other opinions on this car I'm currently looking at on AutoTrader around the Dallas, TX area

05 RYP S2000 86k Miles

It's got a few modifications like an Amuse front bumper, drilled and slotted rotors with ceramic pads, and rep BBS rims just from what the seller has disclosed. Stock parts are not available.
He's asking $18.9k for it and believes it to be competitive due to the condition/year/mileage/color, but I was thinking more along the lines of $16-16.5k. I was wondering what you guys thought, as I'm starting to think maybe I have the wrong perception of how much S2000s are worth.

 

^^^^From the pics I bet he gets what he's asking.
Levi

 

While i cant say for sure on the price because i'm in CA and we pay a premium over here, the price seems right on the money for the car. Yes while there are some mods, the car is still relatively low mileage and seems to be in great condition. Yellow also being a more rare color and 05 being a desirable year since it is the last year with cable throttle. A car like that in stock form here in CA goes for almost 20k. The mods, while not stock, are very well done and if you dont go for it i feel someone else who will mod the car anyways will easily pick this car up for the price asked.

 

That '05 seems a bit on the high side to me. But I'd say that it really comes down to if you actually like the mods that were made since the original parts weren't retained. (Clean Carfax?) Judging by the scuffed steering wheel and the lower bolster on the driver's seat I'm guessing that the owner is a pretty big dude that has a hard time getting in and out of the car.

 

I appreciate all the feedback from you guys.
Also, and this is just for future knowledge, but what would set the listing I linked above apart from something like this:

07 RYP 103k Miles

This California listing has 8/10 VINs and is OEM with no modifications besides different tire sizes. I understand the 8/10 VINs could potentially bring the price down, but I assumed having stock parts would give it a little bump in price with it also being on 07. Is it because the car has over 100,000 miles? The guy was willing to let it go for $16,000 after talking with him, but I ended up not taking it due to the distance. Does crossing that mileage mark really bring the price of the car down that much?

 

Some people care about VINs which is what can drive the price down. but also consider the year and mileage. Being a 2007 means that in 12 years, this car was driven 103k miles. Thats close to 8-9k miles a year. Thats actually quite significant for purely a weekend car. When i had my BRZ and it became my weekend car i put 5k miles on it in the second year. For reference my 2005 S2000 came with 58k miles. And it was listed for $20,000

 

Sometimes the price being asked simply comes down to how badly someone wants to sell their car or conversely just how proud of their car they happen to be. As to the mileage, most cars likely take a hit financially once they cross the 100K mile mark not just S2000's. That can work to your advantage as a buyer unless your are buying one of these cars with a focus on reselling it later on. Generally speaking the more stock the car, the greater the value (all other variables being equal, especially as these cars grow older). But like I said, if you happen to like the mods on the first car then it might be worth the price to you. Missing VIN stickers on the other hand are a big deal for a lot of buyers and that probably will cause the seller of the second car more grief than the car's mileage does. Keep in mind that the first car is also missing a VIN sticker as well since it no longer has the stock front bumper.

That raises another point. If the seller has documented why the VIN sticker are missing with photos that can show that it was from something like a cracked or scraped front or rear bumper without any other damage to the car then this is not such a big deal if you are buying the car to hang onto. If the missing VIN stickers previously existed elsewhere on the car then more consideration is needed. Again, hopefully the seller documented exactly what happened. As many people like to point out around here, better overall condition rates higher than lower mileage (within reason). Having documentation with the car never hurts, especially a history of service which definitely adds value.

Finally, it doesn't hurt to understand the sales trends for these cars but you probably don't want to focus too much on what others have paid for these cars in the past, or what they paid in markets other than yours or during slower times of the year. Compare your options with other cars currently in the market that you have access to and keep in mind that the further you are willing to travel, the more you increase your chances of finding fairly priced cars and good deals.

 

Hi,

I'm looking at this car in Phoenix:I have not driven it yet, but did complete a fairly extensive inspection of body, wheels, top, interior, and engine compartment. Appearance wise, the car is in pristine condition. The only flaw I found is that it appears that the windshield may have been replace (it didn't have a Honda logo). All the other glass has Honda logos, all of the body panels have the appropriate VINs, and the paint looks great. The dealer is asking $27k and may be willing to drop that by $500, but probably no more. The dealer claims that the Rio Yellow paint is a bit rare and highly desirable, hence a premium of maybe $2500 over other cars with similar mileage but not the yellow paint.

I would not purchase this car without both a professional inspection and my own test drive but, assuming that both of those turn out ok, is the dealer's price reasonable?

Thanks in advance for any feedback!

Dave

 

Over 50K Miles they are crazy