http://newjersey.craigslist.org/cto/5427665836.html

I was wondering if this is a good deal, the car is a bit modded so I just want to make sure if I should be wary of the mods that the person has on the car.
It looks very promising, but one thing to note is that I will be new to the stick game. Recently drove an 89' mazda miata and learned the genereal concept of switching gears and stopping.

 

Looks like a good deal. I would part the aftermarket parts myself, and be a few hundred dollars ahead while increasing the overall value of the car. The fact that he knows the s2000 has a different oil filter than a typical honda is a good sign, probably indicates he takes car of his car the RIGHT way, not just the "dealer maintained" way.

Price seems right/good.

 

Sounds like a car that was driven and carefully maintained.

Do it.

( see if you can get some 'stick time' on a more basic car, if you can drive one stick you can basically drive them all but learning might be hard on a 98K mile clutch)

 

http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/cto/5417800907.html

I'm looking at purchasing this s2000, looks very clean and well maintained. I'm going to inspect it today. He is firm on the price, is it worth it?

 

Completed my inspection of the vehicle, here are my observations:

Good:
Oil consumption according to the owner is about 1/2 quart for 4000 miles if using Mobil1, no consumption if using Mobil1 extended life after 3000 miles.
He uses 75 90 Mobil fluid in the diff every 6000 miles and OEM honda tranny fluid
Last oil change was 1000 miles ago
One remote and 2 keys, one valet one regular
No leaks from the engine, and the floormat is not wet from clutch fluid (though the master was recently replaced, so I didn't think this would be leaking)
Spare tires and tools are included
Engine looks clean enough to eat off of
The seller is a honda master mechanic, handles all of the s2000s for his dealership and services several others from this area from his house
Very organized, had answers to all of my questions
Keeps notes of maintenance, however does not seem to keep receipts, carfax backs up his maintenance claims
All TSBs have been performed on the car

Bad:
It needs tires, there are about 1/2 mm before it reaches the wear marks.
There looks to be very slight surface rust developing in the rear fender wells near the rear bumper
It was in an accident 4 years ago which ripped the front bumper, scraped the fender and broke the headlight, no airbag deployment and all parts were replaced with new oem parts
The passenger window seal is slightly misaligned and he says that in heavy rain it will leak a bit, however the car is stored garaged
The passenger tail light is cracked / scratched up in the lower corner
2 paint chips on the front bumper, one on the hood.
1 slight dent on the trunk lid, and a scratch in the paint next to the dent
There is no rear view mirror, although the mount is present
There is a small paint chip on the driver fender
The front bumper on the driver's side where it meets the fender is raised a bit, and there is a bit of paint missing near the passenger side headlight.
In the trunk the passenger side carpet is missing.
The intake pictured has been replaced with the stock airbox, this may be a pro or a con, not sure.
There is a bit of clutch chatter due to the comp clutch and 11 pound flywheel

All that said, any thoughts?

 

For a 12 year, 100+k mile car, it seems in nice condition.
Levi

 

I'd run, not walk, away and find another. Way too many things wrong with that one for the asking price.

If it were around $8500 I'd consider it but wreck history, zero VIN stickers showing in the front end and all your negatives don't add up to anything close to $14k.

 

Thank you both for your opinions, although very conflicting . Are there any legal implications to having those VIN stickers removed after crash dmg / paint job? In my area super-clean examples seem to go for around 17-20 grand and I simply don't have the money for them, and the ones in the 8000-12000 range seem to be completely run into the ground: poor maintenance history, interior looks aweful, etc. This seemed like one of the better examples that I would be able to afford. I'm going to try to have my mechanic take a look at it and go from there. Other opinions are always welcome and considered.

 

Not a fan of the wire tuck at all, hands have been on and relocated WAY too many things that could be major issues in the future. Unless you know what you are looking for to determine if it was done well I would pass

 

14k aint bad. Does he have the stock suspension and other parts? I'd just make sure the paint all matches...from the look of the pics the front bumper looks different, but could just be lighting. Go check it out at least.