My used S was semi-molested before I got it. It's now a semi-CR clone and I'm OK with that. Would I love an unmolested low mileage CR, sure but I've had this car 10 years now and I've never owned a car that long before.

It's always been a "love / hate" relationship.

 

Every time I walk into the garage, I thank my lucky stars that I never modded my S (2006 w/27k miles ).

IMO I have never seen a mod that looks better than stock - but to each his own. At the end of the day, it's just a fairly inexpensive car.

 

haha exactly, that's pretty much the summary of my post

I hear that...and I agree, I did the same thing, but a yellow convertible does happen to catch eyes in traffic/raise questions at red lights...so in that regard, I do care how the car is percieved in a sense, whether people see it as a purebred sports car with an adult owner or another buzzy honda with a 17 year old kid driving it. When you get older (even though I'm only 27)/have a family you start thinking about being more age appropriate with everything, or you should anyway, but that's just how I feel


lol...wow, I get jealous when I see/hear this....I'm in a love/hate thing myself, but that's with every vehicle I've owned, probably cause I like too many, in the last 10 years I've easily owned 15-20 different vehicles


dang, 27k too nice. Yeah sometimes I wanna take it easy and take the wife out for a nice topless drive enjoy the day with her, but we getting close to 30, and here we are getting rattled, can't hear the music or hold convo over the exhaust, it's def. a love/hate thing

 

my S molested me

 

mine did too, and I liked it

I have an 00 and bought it bone stock never touched with only 38k miles....even the brakes are original!

I have done a few mods to the car but nothing that can't we reversed easy. No cold air intake nor will it ever have one, just BBS wheels, 1" drop (still have original springs) UK mod that sounds stock till you nail it lol. Did a few other little things as well but unless you know the car you would not know I changed them.

Bone stock is great but, not for me....I like to personalize my car a little so I can find it at a meet

 

Maybe swap out a quieter exhaust and get an intake? Intakes are only loud when you want them to be.


Short of trading up to an AP2, have you thought about gears?

I've always tried to be smart with mods. The reason I don't have a loud exhaust is because they are loud and draw unwanted attention. I generally keep the car stock unless I think the change will be something I can live with, but if I was tired of a mod, I wouldn't hesitate to go back - the car should be something you enjoy to drive, and that's why you change it, one way or the other.

 

Type S clone here...
No regrets. Only thing that I did regret was removing the windshield tapes. I replaced them a few years later to work with the black hardtop on the NFR paint.

Oh, and the Alloy Craft rear diffuser. Cool part, just not for me.

 

I didn't study automotive engineering, so I don't think that I know myself how to "improve" the S2000, but I have made some changes to my stock '01 since buying it with 45K miles almost 4 years ago.

My first mod was to install a taller windscreen with hope in the advertising that it would improve in-cabin wind turbulence. I didn't notice a difference, but I like the look and the S2000 laser engraving I had put on it.

Then I improved the audio system and for what I wanted, i had to change out my door cards to a later model in order to add door tweeters. I also installed S-Pod speaker holders in my roll bars, so now my roll hoops have covers front and rear, but the sound is wonderful. The footwell sub installation only robbed a few inches of legroom, but adds a wonderful bass to round out the system. The upgraded head unit brought the system up to modern amenities.

Honda wheel locks, color matched keyhole covers, then electric seat heaters, which have come in handy a time or two this winter with top-down nighttime drives.

Another early mod was the quick-drain oil valve, which makes oil changes a snap.

With the stock suspension, brakes, and everything else, I've had the car on the track and autocross. Yes, hard core devotees will suggest upgrades for those specialized applications, but since the car is a daily driver at times, for fun, and road trips, leaving it stock with the minor changes I've made gives me the most options.

I've seen wide body kits on the S that look like a kid tried to make something, and I've seen hot looking lowered S2000s that I like, but would not want for myself.

What is so good about this car, is that no matter if you leave it stock or make changes to it, it's still a wonderful sports car.

 

I'm 39 and I don't worry over "age appropriateness". I worry about what's appropriate to me. What other 39 year olds do or don't do isn't necessarily what I'd do. No regrets here but I never saw the point in modding for the sake of modding. I've made some changes to mine but they were all changes that I clearly knew I wanted and could live with long term. The primary shortcoming has always been the driver.

+1 That's why I went with an intake instead of an exhaust.

 

I wish I never ripped my soft top out, that was retarded. I also wish I was a little more careful with my front lip, I miss that thing every day.