lol, the roads are good when you travel to them, and oh yes, they are amazing, but driving around town, running errands, the roads are pure junk and full of potholes, divets, and all kinds of crap.

I look forward to chatting. I definitely and starting to get why people like these cars so much. I have had it two weeks and I am pretty used to it and feel like I am just complaining on here, which is quite the opposite of the way I am emotionally invoked when I drive this car

A couple of more things I have noticed, or want to complain about, hahah.

-Is it normal for the convertible rag top to make so much noise (when up) as in creaking noises or seems not as compliant I feel like the car feels so much better with the top down.
-The leather on the seats makes noise too, ESPECIALLY around the seatbelt area (behind my ear). It's driving me nuts.
-I think the seats are decent, but the lack of lumbar is really noticed after a long drive. I never felt that on my STi.

Stereo is OK. Not as bas as some make it out to be.

 

Ok first of all, the AP1 stereo is exaclty as bad as anyone makes it out to be

 

An easy plug/play fix for MY02-03 cars is to either:
-Buy an AP2
-Buy AP2 door speakers

Whichever u want.

Top rattles are due to worn latches.

You can buy 06+ or hardtop latches and hardtop strikers for some considerable $$$$$$$ on bernardiparts.com. Use a 08-09 CR for your search car.


To preserve these latche$$$, help them out while latching the top. See the handle in the middle of the header bar for the top? Look above the rear view mirror when the top is shut. Use that handle to "help" pull the top into the latches while latching it.

Or reach out the window and pull down each side of the top header while latching it.

And don't snap the latches shut. Close them with the button pressed and then release the button when latched.

Small stuff to preserve these parts for a car with dwindling and increasingly expensive parts supply.


If you want to NOT spend your 401K buying latches, then you can use a shim under the striker (the part that's bolted to the windshield header). But sometimes, the header trim won't snap in all the way after adding shims.

You can also wrap your latch hooks with tape or rubber tube or something for a temporary STFU fix.

My thought is that one could remove the strikers and then add a tiny zap of weld to the hooking valley (which sounds like a cool place to party...but..sadly...its just a reference for a part of a striker for a S2000). Clean that zap up with a dremel...and bam...new striker surface.

 

The creaks and noises are mostly behind me so not sure it's the latches from the ragtop closing but I could try NOT shutting the latches shut by just locking them in, and instead do as you suggest, and trying pressing the button as I close it shut.

B serious, are you able to text and chat as we were talking about. Would really appreciate it.

While related, I also noticed that if the top is DOWN, and the windows are up, they rattle from flexing on bad roads. I noticed it the other day and of course when cleaning the window with the top down, I noticed how much play there is.

Justin
469 583 7346.

 

Just spray all the pivot points of the top frame and the latch mechnism with a thin grease spray.
Use one that is odourless, or you mabe have a nasty surprise when the car was parked in the sun!
After i bought my S2000, i found out that the top ratlled and creaked heavily while driving over cobblestones. After regreasing it, it is almost dead silence.

There is even a Honda service bulletin from April 2003 about this:
S2000.club - Service Bulletins & Recalls

 

Actually, we have shitty roads here in SoCal lol, I am reminded of this every time I visit my family in Arizona. In comparison they have asphalt made from the wings of angels.

 

Buy 4 used sruts off a low mileage S2000 and call it a day.

 

We have crappy roads all over California. Despite the highest gas prices/taxes in the nation, it is spent on programs other than improving roads. Now that they have decayed so much more taxes are proposed.
Why does Arizona, despite miles of desert roads in the blistering sun, do it better than California with such low taxes?

 

Lol I guess road conditions are relative.

All I'm saying is the brands I've mentioned would work to improve the ride even on upper midwest roads. They'll work in CA or AZ if they work here.

 

They're $100...you're making it out like A) You have to buy them every other year and B) they're some super rare gold plated part.

I'd skip all the "fixes" and just buy the appropriate part....

https://hardtopguy.com/store/250.html?category_id=93