Hi

I just have a quick question. Someone told me that the engine of the s2000 is Handmade, but is that true? cuz I was checking the honda web site & some reviews but no one ever mentioned that its handmade.

 

No, it is not "handmade". The car used to be built at the Tochigi assembly plant along side the NSX. This plant was only partially automated, so that's probably what your friend was thinking.

The car has been assembled at the Suzuka plant since the 2004 mocel year.

 

This may be too much information, but here is a previous post I saved from another board member, offering a detailed history of the old Tochigi plant and a description of the extent to which the S2K was "hand assembled":

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The S2000 was originally manufactured in Tochigi, Japan. The Tochigi factory complex is composed of three different plants: The Takanezawa Plant, 51,000 sq. meters housing 1,200 employees. Operating since 1990, it focused on the production of advanced niche models such as the S2000, NSX, and Insight hybrid vehicle. Also at the complex is the Mohka Plant, 58,000 sq. meters with 800 employees, operating since 1970, to produce engine and chassis parts for both automobiles and motorcycles. The third plant at the complex is the Haga Parts Plant, 6,900 sq. meters, 200 employees, operating since 1993, which is responsible for production of high-tech automobile components.

But through April 2004 the Takanezawa plant was place you would find the S2000. It was considered their flagship factory. It was originally created exclusively to build the NSX. The S2000 shared an assembly line with the aluminum-bodied NSX and Insight. Takanezawa was best described as a small-number mass-production custom factory where high-tech production technology and old-time craftsmanship come together. Rather than a heavily automated assembly line, the S2000 was constructed at a series of workstations by a number of teams.

Following an announcement in 2003, Honda closed the Takanezawa Factory and moved the entire facility to Suzuka Factory in May 2004. Honda said this was done to integrate production, with the engine assembly to the completed vehicle being performed in one location. However, insiders say is was also due in part to the lack of interest in the dated NSX which ceased production at the end of 2005 and necessary to free up space at Tochigi to produce more compact, alternative-fuel vehicles.

Outline of Suzuka Factory

Production capacity : (Completed automobiles)
No. 1 Line: 1,100 units/day
No. 3 Line: 1,100 units/day
New line: 60 units/day This is the line where the S2k and NSX and Insight will be built
Total: 2,260 units/day
Automobile engines : 2,260 units/day
Production models : Civic Series, HR-V, Mobilio series, Fit, Stream, Integra, Life

The Suzuka Factory was established in 1960. At the time of the transfer it had 7,300 employees and could produce 2,200 units per day. Production included Civic, Integra, and others. The new small S2000 line will produce 60 units per day raising the limit to 2,260 completed automobiles per day. Existing Suzuka Factory equipment was combined with the exclusive equipment transferred from Takanezawa Plant, making it possible to achieve small-volume yet low-cost production characteristics. The engine production equipment for small-volume models used by Tochigi Technical Center, Honda Engineering Co., Ltd. was also transferred.

The impressive front end of the S2000 is made with a 1,500-ton press machine to draw, bend, trim, and trim again, in an exact, precise method. In order to produce the strengthened chassis for the S2000, Honda developed a variety of new welders including custom hand-held welders for the X-frame-based body. In the original plant a track went along the ceiling that moved, plus it could raise and lower the bodies as they went through the factory. Again, in the original plant, with the exception of some welding and painting robots, the S2000 was almost 100% hand-built (assembly and installation). Aside from such unique features, uncompromising quality control and precise production were the pride of the factory. According to an S2000 owner who toured the Takanezawa plant, automation was limited to two spot welding robots that do some chassis welding and portions of the painting process. The cars were rolled around on independent jigs and the components which arrive at the factory preassembled are then hand-installed into each new car. It seems fair to say the car

 

Very nice info papalegate.

When I first got mine, someone said that there was something that the end builder signed under the metal spark plug cover, but I obviously didnt find anything. So I guess my car was somewhat hand assembled. Pretty cool to know.

 

So if you have a model built before 2004 it is at least partially hand made?

 

machines > people

this is why an oem car will be more conststant car to car on a dyno than cars with a crate motors set up identical from the same builder.

 

true, but its nice to think that your car was assembled by someone who thought of themselves as a craftman and took pride in their work. The C6Z06 engines are made by hand as are SVT engines.

 

[QUOTE=papalegate,Feb 12 2007, 11:03 AM]This may be too much information, but here is a previous post I saved from another board member, offering a detailed history of the old Tochigi plant and a description of the extent to which the S2K was "hand assembled":

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Hand assembled cars *usually* have more "character" than others, but that's a part of their charm. The idea that older Ferrari's and other hand built cars are inferior to mass produced cars doesn't hold much water.

 

people have bad days at work. robots dont.