Reflections: 1500 miles, 4 major mods
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From: Midlothian
Reflections: 1500 miles, 4 major mods
Today was one of those magnificent, central Virginia days, low humidity, highs in the 70's, a sky so blue it was frightening.
In other words, top-down, pedal-down S2000 weather! So I am just back from a stellar hour's flogging of tarmac, and challenging of the laws of physics. My cute little grey Puma racing shoes are back in the closet - alas.
I just rolled over 1500 miles, and the engine continues to loosen up - it seems both stronger and more consistently strong up to red line compared to even 1000 miles, and I expect it to continue to pull harder up to the 5K range or so. The Mugen exhaust has a nice, mellow throat, with no trace of boom or fartiness. It has become a bit deeper in the 500 or so miles I have put on it, and the quality continues to impress (today I found what appears to be brass mesh wrapped around the tailpipe inner tube, where one usually finds just fiberglas or zinc coated mesh).
The mods I have made have caused no driveability issues, and have shown more peak power on my Vericom VC-2000:
Mugen catback exhaust, themostat, and fan switch
Spoon Snorkel
RR modified airbox with resonator bypass, K&N E-2435
Ricks X-brace
Lubes: MTL in tranny, LE-607 in differential.
As confidence grows in the man/car synergy, I am starting to drive it close to its limits, or at least the limits I consider reasonable for a public highway. (I have got to get this thing down to VIR for some open-track time!).
Still, the steering is linear and the feel excellent, and my car has just the right amount of push. The gearing and the added torque allow some throttle steer, which helps keep cornering speeds up, especially in street encounters where one does not know the road situation 100%. (You cannot drive the car with the throttle like you can in the Cobra, but the added mid-range juice is there, useful, and appreciated by this driver).
The brakes are terrific - they have confidence inspiring solidity, in that when you press the pedal, they "bite" fast and start to pull the car down, and that feel is progressive, which means that there seems to be a 1:1 balance - the harder you press, the harder they pull. In some cars, the initial bite is not there, then you press harder, and then braking hits all of a sudden. The S2000 set-up is much closer to a properly sorted out racing system, other than it works when the pads are cold. In hard street driving (road course), I have not induced fade, though it was likely just below the surface. I plan to upgrade to slotted rotors, in part for the cosmetic appeal of now having the rust show, but I rate the stock brakes as being B+, but below Porsche brakes.
The tranny also has become smoother and the 1-2 notchiness only shows now when I "short-shift" below 5K RPM. I no longer get 4th when i was hunting for 6th, and missed shifts are a thing of the past. If you over-rev this car, you were not paying attention for the conditions, in my opinion. Proper hand position* plays a major role in the 2-3 and 5-4 shifts, and using your hands and the shifter's springs should make proper gear selection nearly intuitive.
The RE050's have plenty of bite once they get over their slippery "mold residue" status, and in the few times I have brough the tail into an oversteer slide, the tires (and the new suspension?) gave plenty of warning, and when adhesion was dwindling, it was easy to correct with throttle and counter-lock.
All in all, I do not regret buying this car at all. It is surely my favorite driver overall, and that includes the ZR-1, NSX, and 911 Carerra that have been in my garage over the years. The combination of small size, balance, etc is great. This is a car that does nothing (except the shift action) better than all the rest, but it does so many of the important things so damn well, that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Factor in Honda racing engine heritage, high reliability, and inputs that even my little wife can handle for a fun drive, and this is a package that is unique. I am sure a well-kept, low mileage S2000 will be highly in demand in 20 years. I hope to be tearing it up in mine into my dotage, God willing and the creek don't rise.
*We were taught at Bondurant and Skip Barber schools how to position the hand for best shifting - I do not know if they do that anymore, but I have shown a number of car people the technique I was taught, and they now swear by it - I posted on it a while back, but it is hard to put into words: basically, you upshift by positioning the heel of the hand, and downshift by positioning the 2-4 fingers - most people seem to wrap their fingers around the shift knob in an awkward manner.
In other words, top-down, pedal-down S2000 weather! So I am just back from a stellar hour's flogging of tarmac, and challenging of the laws of physics. My cute little grey Puma racing shoes are back in the closet - alas.
I just rolled over 1500 miles, and the engine continues to loosen up - it seems both stronger and more consistently strong up to red line compared to even 1000 miles, and I expect it to continue to pull harder up to the 5K range or so. The Mugen exhaust has a nice, mellow throat, with no trace of boom or fartiness. It has become a bit deeper in the 500 or so miles I have put on it, and the quality continues to impress (today I found what appears to be brass mesh wrapped around the tailpipe inner tube, where one usually finds just fiberglas or zinc coated mesh).
The mods I have made have caused no driveability issues, and have shown more peak power on my Vericom VC-2000:
Mugen catback exhaust, themostat, and fan switch
Spoon Snorkel
RR modified airbox with resonator bypass, K&N E-2435
Ricks X-brace
Lubes: MTL in tranny, LE-607 in differential.
As confidence grows in the man/car synergy, I am starting to drive it close to its limits, or at least the limits I consider reasonable for a public highway. (I have got to get this thing down to VIR for some open-track time!).
Still, the steering is linear and the feel excellent, and my car has just the right amount of push. The gearing and the added torque allow some throttle steer, which helps keep cornering speeds up, especially in street encounters where one does not know the road situation 100%. (You cannot drive the car with the throttle like you can in the Cobra, but the added mid-range juice is there, useful, and appreciated by this driver).
The brakes are terrific - they have confidence inspiring solidity, in that when you press the pedal, they "bite" fast and start to pull the car down, and that feel is progressive, which means that there seems to be a 1:1 balance - the harder you press, the harder they pull. In some cars, the initial bite is not there, then you press harder, and then braking hits all of a sudden. The S2000 set-up is much closer to a properly sorted out racing system, other than it works when the pads are cold. In hard street driving (road course), I have not induced fade, though it was likely just below the surface. I plan to upgrade to slotted rotors, in part for the cosmetic appeal of now having the rust show, but I rate the stock brakes as being B+, but below Porsche brakes.
The tranny also has become smoother and the 1-2 notchiness only shows now when I "short-shift" below 5K RPM. I no longer get 4th when i was hunting for 6th, and missed shifts are a thing of the past. If you over-rev this car, you were not paying attention for the conditions, in my opinion. Proper hand position* plays a major role in the 2-3 and 5-4 shifts, and using your hands and the shifter's springs should make proper gear selection nearly intuitive.
The RE050's have plenty of bite once they get over their slippery "mold residue" status, and in the few times I have brough the tail into an oversteer slide, the tires (and the new suspension?) gave plenty of warning, and when adhesion was dwindling, it was easy to correct with throttle and counter-lock.
All in all, I do not regret buying this car at all. It is surely my favorite driver overall, and that includes the ZR-1, NSX, and 911 Carerra that have been in my garage over the years. The combination of small size, balance, etc is great. This is a car that does nothing (except the shift action) better than all the rest, but it does so many of the important things so damn well, that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Factor in Honda racing engine heritage, high reliability, and inputs that even my little wife can handle for a fun drive, and this is a package that is unique. I am sure a well-kept, low mileage S2000 will be highly in demand in 20 years. I hope to be tearing it up in mine into my dotage, God willing and the creek don't rise.
*We were taught at Bondurant and Skip Barber schools how to position the hand for best shifting - I do not know if they do that anymore, but I have shown a number of car people the technique I was taught, and they now swear by it - I posted on it a while back, but it is hard to put into words: basically, you upshift by positioning the heel of the hand, and downshift by positioning the 2-4 fingers - most people seem to wrap their fingers around the shift knob in an awkward manner.
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Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 6,869
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From: Minneapolis, MN
Nice write up RR. Glad to hear that you are getting more familar with the vehicle. I've recently been caught saying the same thing. Generally when I get a car I really enjoy it from day one. I enjoyed the S from day one but it has grown on me like no other car. Each day I grow into the car and the experience gets better, each race day this level of enjoyment and familarity skyrockets 
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 2,189
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From: Texas City
Originally posted by SBS2000R
nice write up...have a link to the hand positions while shifting?
nice write up...have a link to the hand positions while shifting?
I got to test drive a MY04 the other day and really enjoyed it. I did, at one point, attempt a 5-6 shift and wound up with a 5-4 shift. I had my hand essentially behind the shift knob and the centering springs pulled the lever back to the middle and I caught 4th instead of 6th. I wasn't pushing the car hard at all and was immediately back on the clutch so there was no real danger of over reving the engine but it was an attention getter. I certainly "do not" want to do this at anywhere near redline.
My impression from that brief driving experience was that if you keep your palm to the right side of the shift lever for the 1-2 shift with a little pressure toward the left and your palm on the left side of the shift lever for the 5-6 shift with pressure toward the right, it will stay within the required line for the 1-2 and 5-6 shifts. Shifting from 2 to 3 was simply a matter of pushing the lever forward with the palm and letting the centering springs guide it into the 3-4 line. Likewise, downshifting from 5th or 6th to 4th, was simply a matter of pushing or pulling the lever toward neutral and letting the springs center the shift lever and then pushing or pulling it into 3rd or 4th as desired without any sideward pressure involved. It worked very well for me anyway.
FWIW!
Drive Safe,
Steve R.
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,230
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From: Sydney
RoadRage - I didn't realise you were so new to an s2000 (or is this your second one?).
300 days of memebership only 1500 miles? With your other cars mentioned I gather your s2000 is not a daily driver.
300 days of memebership only 1500 miles? With your other cars mentioned I gather your s2000 is not a daily driver.
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 2,516
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From: NJ USA
Nice write up RR ... your informative & inuitive post(s) are very helpful, enjoyable & entertaining.
Thank you....
I just rolled 1800 miles today - & just returned from a sunset filled 60-65 degree 30 mile evening jaunt - what a glorious day in the Northeast - each day my S feels better around me & I feel better in it!
thanks again.
Thank you....
I just rolled 1800 miles today - & just returned from a sunset filled 60-65 degree 30 mile evening jaunt - what a glorious day in the Northeast - each day my S feels better around me & I feel better in it!
thanks again.
