Hey guys, I've been a long time fan of the S2000 ever since it came out. I've recently saved up enough to buy an AP1 S2000. I'm planning on going to Florida and driving it back to California and making a small road trip out of it. I had a couple of questions for my trip.

1. What maintenance should I have performed before embarking on the drive back home? I'll get an oil change and check the tire pressures, but other than that any more tips?

2. The owner is including the Tonneau cover. Is it going to fit inside the small trunk? Will it eat all my space?

3. How does buying a car out of state work? Do I just get temporary tags in Florida and I should be good to drive back home? I did my research but it doesn't hurt to have more information.

4. Any good places I should stop by as far as food or scenery? I'll be taking the I-95 up Florida to the I-10 West all the way home.

I'm extremely excited to be part of the club if all goes well and the deal goes through. Thanks in advance guys!

 

Have you already seen it, and is the sale already a done deal? If so, have you looked into having it shipped? It'd save you the ~2,500 miles on the odometer, not to mention the gas, hotel and food along the way. You should be able to find a carrier on uShip for around $1,000 for that trip.

If you do choose the road trip, I'd recommend at least doing the 3 major fluids right off: Oil, Transmission, Differential. Also have a reputable local mechanic give it a once over for any major things that should be addressed before the long trip.

Finally, have fun on the way back if you do it, if you'll be taking I-10 most of the way, try some scenic routs off the interstate. Here's the Arizona list, some of them may be of interest to you:

https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/922...es-in-arizona/

Welcome and enjoy the S!

 

I haven't seen it yet, and the sale is not a done deal. I have been asking a lot of questions though, and the seller has reassured me of it's condition. I'd need to have it looked over by a mechanic for sure though. Thanks for the welcome

 

One more thing, give a quick shout to the folks in the FL group, someone local might be able to check it out for you.

 

When I bought my S in Texas, the owner let me keep the plates when I drove to NY, but if that didn't workout, alot of people told me if I ever got stopped, to show the officer the bill of sales to see if that'll work

 

Buying a car out of state is always kind of a grey area, I've yet to find a state that has a good procedure for doing it. If you read the fine print, temporary tags are only good for that state and usually only good to go to and from the DMV. Some times you can't even get temp tags unless you are a resident of that state. Also sometimes the DMV won't give temporary tags unless the current tags are expired.

If you run into a d*ck cop the worse they can do is impound it, the most likely thing they'll do is ticket you, if you're far from home you'll probably end up paying the fine via mail.

If the seller will let you keep their plates on, then all you have to do is insure the car before you drive it (when you pass through Texas if you don't have insurance they'll impound it, its a big state GL), kudos if you get a notarized bill of sale and written permission from the owner to drive with his plates on it.

On another note maybe Florida has better temporary tag laws, someone from that state will have to chime in.

Edit: on the Tonneau cover I would probably just ship it, it takes up a good amount of space in the trunk, if you have a suit case you'll probably end up putting that on the passenger seat

 

Many states will give transport tags that allow you to transport it to another state - I did this when I got a car in NY and one in Wa.

I agree with asking someone from the Fl group to check the car out for you. I will help.

The cover will eat up most of your trunk - but if you pack a soft bag of normal size it should fit.

Let me know when you are heading west - We are about 30-40 min from I-10 and might be able to meet up for dinner or something.

 

Get a temporary clearbra like this:

http://www.buyroadwrap.com/

I read a report from a guy who went from the west coast to Chicago. I think he hit a couple birds, a possum, twisters, can't remember what else.

The S2000 is pretty loud inside, especially if the car has an aftermarket exhaust. And things like rattles could drive you crazy for that many days on the road. My 00 had a giant air leak due to worn soft top strikers, wasn't very enjoyable on the 8 hour trip home. My iPod with earbuds saved me on that one.

Bring a small toolkit and some duct tape.

 

Thank you for the advice everyone. A couple more questions...

1. How much is the compression/leak down test typically and how long does it take to get done at a shop?

2. If the compression numbers don't match, is it a huge problem that'll cost me a ton of money?

3. "G" ill hit you up if everything goes according to plan and we can meet up!

Thanks for the tips again, and please keep the advice coming!

 

What maintenance was done? What you should do should be based on the history. If it's unknown then change all fluids. Have you had it inspected? Check the tread and the tires. You might also want to verify that the alignment's good before driving across the country.

Use an inspection service before you buy or head out there. Do not rely on the seller.


Yes and mostly yes. The S's trunk if actually a good size for this type of vehicle.

Probably not unless you're registering in the state you're picking it up in. It really depends on the specific states involved as state can and do vary. The past two times I purchased out of state I drove back with the existing plates and then registered in my home state.

I use Diners Drive In & Dives & Yelp for food recommendations while traveling.

Depends on the car and the person. Never had problems with mine on multistate road trips.