2007BB_inGA

I just couldn't take it anymore. I was going crazy reading car websites and watching YouTube videos of different cars. I was driving my wife crazy talking about and researching cars: used 911's, future Toyota GT86, old S2K, future Toyota\BMW venture, etc. I been talking for years and waiting for my current car to die. My 2000 Acura TL won't die. I have had only two cars in my life -- a black Honda Accord coupe MT and my current 2000 Acura TL 4 door.

I almost bought a nice grey 2009 911 4S for $47500, but the expense of maintenance stopped me, and I dislike the closest Porsche dealer. My brain said the new slightly improved GT86 would be more practical than a 10 year old S2K, but my heart really wanted a S.Blue S2000. I have no interest in the Corvette, 380Z, and my wife definitely won't let my buy a Miata. She thinks the S2000, and GT86, and the Honda V6 manual coupe are for kids. She had me convinced on buying a gentleman's toy like a used 1980's Mercedes SL.

So off we went car shopping today. We stopped and looked at a nice looking old M-B SL. I have always liked those until M-B and Chrysler merged. It needed too much work even if the price was so so low. I was hoping it was a clean M-B SL because I have good memories of those old 80's SL's. Down the road was the Honda dealer, and I knew that they had a 2007 BB S2K. I wanted my wife to drive it to convince her that it was a beautiful car and a better toy than an old M-B SL. I asked for a test drive, but apparently someone from Nashville was coming down possibly to buy the car. If you are that person and reading this, I apologize. The manager didn't know if they had put a deposit down. Eventually the manager called him and found out that they would have to come down a few days later and that there was no deposit.

The car was black. I like black cars, but after owning the black Accord coupe, I would never own another black car. They are so much work. My 6th grade girl refused to stay by herself in the dealer lounge area. My wife never got to drive it. The car was very clean except for curb rash on one rim and some under the front bumper. Otherwise the inside and top were really nice. The dealer wanted to know if I wanted to leave a deposit before going to eat. I was about to leave, but every time I take an hour or so to think about it, someone comes along and buys it, like I was doing to that guy from Nashville. I really regret missing out on the silver s2k in Chicago that had 18,000 miles and was perfect except for a small tear in the top. By the time I called some convertible top shops for prices to negotiate with the Lexus dealer in Chicago, some guy from Texas bought it over the phone sight unseen other than the web pictures.

So.... I bought the 2007 BB with 28,000 miles. The car is loud, and the noise trumps the radio. I don't think the radio will get much use. Anyone wear the Bose noise cancelling headphones plugged into their cell phones? Wonder if that is even legal to do. There are the shooting range electronic headsets to limit the noise for long highway drives. I might have to experiment with the current ones in my closet. For short every day commutes the engine, car, wind noises are perfect. Even though it's not S.Blue, the BB one in the garage is looking better every time I walk by it.

The 2007 seems less raw than the 2003 that I test drove last weekend. I don't know if that 2003 was tuned, but the VTEC seemed to kick in earlier or maybe the higher red line was the difference. The 2007 seems more tame, sophisticated? The previous owner took very good care of the car, but the driver seat it's starting to get worn. I will buy some seat covers to protect the leather. I plan on keeping my old Acura as my DD and use the S2K as therapy.

One last thing, the sales guy left, the finance guy left, my wife drove off. The Honda dealer was now closed and empty. I sat in my new car, put it in neutral, and adjusted all the mirrors, turned the key, and pushed the start button. Nothing happened. I started to get nervous that my new old car was dead on purchase.

I was stupid. I didn't know that it won't start unless the clutch is pressed.

NobleAccord

haha what a post..yea the first few ones i looked at were bought before i could get serious..then i found one, talked to the owner of the dealership for days, he knew i was coming..i even paid a local honda dealership in his city and state to check the car as if with a fine tooth comb...everything was rock solid!! a day before i was to go up there, his employee sold the car to someone else without him being aware...i was very disappointed and frustrated

i eventually had to put down a $1000 deposit to get mine.

I chose to get the AP1 mainly for the 9K rpm redline...
I hope to buy a second s2000 one day...
I really want a 2009 or atleast a 08 CR

I recently bought a 86 volvo 740 station wagon mainly to carry my bicycles..but i know what you mean, the s2000 is therapy

rpg51

Welcome to the club. Your going to love it. After a few months it will be as if you are wearing it, not sitting in it. It will be an extension of your body and your mind and you will effortlessly and instinctively move from place to place with vigor, control, and passion.

pwrinxs

With the list of improvements of the later model s2000s in mind, I think you made the right choice. They are also much easier to tune and modify in case you felt like you wanted to lower VTEC or keep up with some Porsches or BMWs with the addition of a supercharger.

For seat covers, might I suggest Clazzios from GoTuning.com. Check out the attached pic...sorry its the only obe I could find right now.

Like you, I came across a BB even though I wanted a GPW. But the condition of the car and the low mileage and great deal made me realize I had to have it. Never looked back...

PS. I had a new car stupid moment too. Had a panic attack when I couldnt find the gas tank release and was almost out of gas. I had to whip out the phone to look this up lol.

Chuck S

Sometimes you can wait. Sometimes you can't! I went to see several S2000s that turned out to be already sold!

If the car is that loud it's not stock, someone either put an aftermarket exhaust on it or modified it. Easy to correct. I considered the Bose headset after I put the common Invidia Q300 exhaust was on my car but I pulled that exhaust a month after installation as the noise was painful.

The AP1 9000rpm red line is only 600 rpm above the 8400rpm rev limiter in my 2006 AP2 which has been Gernby FlashPro tuned, something I highly recommend for your '07. Decide if you want to install the near universal K&N FIPK or other intake which adds a few ponies and if you want to change the exhaust to something reasonable (like the Tanabe Medalion Touring). Order the FlashPro and email Greg for the tuning procedure. The results are amazing with the VTEC lowered to 3600rpm under WOT.

-- Chuck

Classic JDM

Welcome to the S2000 / TL club! I couldn't bare to part with mine either. I have an 06 TL that I've had since new, and she's never given me an issue. The TL really makes the perfect companion to the S2000 since they drive and feel so different. It's makes me really appreciate each of them when I switch off cars. My S2000 is BB as well, but black isn't too bad to keep clean since she's only driven in nice weather and always garaged. The thing I like most about BB is that you don't notice the gaps between the doors and body panels, it looks fluid.

pwrinxs

Forgot to mention this but count me in the group too...we bought the first 2002 TL Type S to hit Tennessee back in March or April of 2001. It was a Pearl White and we put over 250k miles on it before we sold it a couple years ago. It was a phenomenal sedan and we still miss it.

importluva

Congrats! Don't you find that the thrill of the hunt is almost as fun as driving off in your purchase and parking it in your garage for the first time?

I will always remember how much time and effort i put into searching for my current cars.

NNY S2k

Congrats on the nice low mileage find, black sure looks nice when it is clean.
Levi

2007BB_inGA

Thanks for the replies.

I am going to order the black/black/black stitching Clazzios. The seats are tight since I need to lose about 20-30 pounds. It will make a the seats a tad bit more narrow, lol. I told my wife that if we both weight more than 400 pounds total, then we can't ride in the car together. Thank God that we are not close to 400 together....yet. Yah, I read the manual last night.

The car is not modified at all. The noise I was referring to was the loud highway sounds when driving for more than an hour. I am trying to figure out a way to reduce the noise level and still be safe when I have to drive long highway distances; you know like those Bose headphones people wear on airplanes. The noise during normal driving around town is great -- I love it.

The 2003 car was definitely different than this 2007. I bet that car had that VTEC tune. I would like to make the 2007 feel like that 2003, but I really don't want to do anything bad to the car. The Honda dealer from which I bought the car has a mechanic who owes a S2000, and one of the managers also owes a S2000. I am going to see if he can help me out with any type of VTEC mod.

Unfortunately, my 2000 Acura TL was from the batch of bad transmission year. My previous Accord Coupe MT was problem free. I sold it to a friend's relative at 180,000 miles. My Acura TL transmission died at 102,000. The purchased extended warranty ran out at 100,000. If I had know that the 2000 TL were transmission lemons, I would have made them fix it for free, but instead they put in a refurbished trans and all labor for total of $2000. It was cheaper than getting a new car. Since then, it has been running great.

Making money is so painful that I really don't want to spend any money if I don't have to so I just fixed the trans on the Acura TL. You should have seen me as the time to purchase that Porsche 911 was coming around. I kept getting more anxious as the day approached so I knew that I should not close the deal. I had no anxiousness when I wrote the check to the dealer yesterday.

Now I just have to figure out where to get color matched plugs for the front bumper license plate holes. Georgia does not require front plates.



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