What's the Best way to Find a S2000?
05-06-2016, 12:24 PM
#1
What's the Best way to Find a S2000?
I'm a newbie but actively looking for a '06 +.
1) Is there a simple way to search here?
2) What other sites should I be looking at other than Craigslist.
FWIW I live in the Philly region.
TIA
Keith
1) Is there a simple way to search here?
2) What other sites should I be looking at other than Craigslist.
FWIW I live in the Philly region.
TIA
Keith
05-06-2016, 06:47 PM
#4
i did a steady diet of ebaymotors, s2ki, autotrader.com, and cars.com for nearly a year.
set a budget and buy the lowest mileage car you can.
i bought mine off ebay, sight unseen and got lucky.
darcy
set a budget and buy the lowest mileage car you can.
i bought mine off ebay, sight unseen and got lucky.
darcy
05-07-2016, 04:26 AM
#6
With both hands?
Sorry couldn't resist.
I bought mine some 4 years ago off of Craigslist about a week before they neutered SearchTempest.
Still don't quite understand why they did that. The new Search Tempest is a shadow of it's former self.
When ST was active I bought a lot of stuff off of CL. Prices in my general area are stupid expensive, but getting out of town 20-30 miles was a world of difference.
Good luck.
I missed at least 2 prime candidates before I got mine. Just at the wrong place at the right time.
Sorry couldn't resist.
I bought mine some 4 years ago off of Craigslist about a week before they neutered SearchTempest.
Still don't quite understand why they did that. The new Search Tempest is a shadow of it's former self.
When ST was active I bought a lot of stuff off of CL. Prices in my general area are stupid expensive, but getting out of town 20-30 miles was a world of difference.
Good luck.
I missed at least 2 prime candidates before I got mine. Just at the wrong place at the right time.
05-07-2016, 05:10 AM
#7
Determine just what S2000 you want before you even start looking. There are essentially six (6) generations of the car starting with the 1999 cars; 2000-2001; 2002-2003; 2004-2005; 2006-2007; and 2007+. Note Honda made changes every two years to the suspensions, etc.
The 2000 cars got suspension changes from the first year cars to help tame the snap oversteer inexperienced drivers often experienced. Suspension changes occurred on a biennial basis throughout production. 2004 marked a major "facelift" in the body appearance and wheels and the AP2 engine was added that year for the North American cars. 2006 cars got drive-by-wire (DBW) and the ability to tune the car's computer without aftermarket or piggy back ECUs.
Make a priority list if you don't just want to buy the first S2000 you find. Top items are vital; bottom items are nice to have. A priority list will create a short list so you're not looking at hundreds of cars. My list was headed by 2006 or later (DBW); factory stock; and under 50,000 miles. No point in looking at 2005 cars or cars with 100,000 miles, or buggered bodies ("rolled fenders" etc) or suspensions, or with replaced body panels or former damage. That was my list and it very quickly created a very short list of available card. Note color was not on the list but is often very high on other guy's lists. Your list will probably be unique.
I found the best source of information was AutoTrader. Craig's list and this forum only get cars from private owners many of whom have greatly exaggerated "values" on their cars -- an emotional attachment. Car dealers have no emotional attachments but know their buyers will and play on that. These are not "just transportation" like a Civic DX which in many situations makes this a sellers market this time of year.
I found my car on AutoTrader at a large Honda dealer in Columbus. Did NOT meet my very high ranked "factory stock" criteria due to horrible black aftermarket wheels. I determined I could easily replace them with proper OEM wheels. Everything else was to spec. Car had 38K miles, recent dealer service, professional "detail," brake booster recall performed, etc. Car is silver.
Took about 2 or 3 months 24 months ago.
-- Chuck
The 2000 cars got suspension changes from the first year cars to help tame the snap oversteer inexperienced drivers often experienced. Suspension changes occurred on a biennial basis throughout production. 2004 marked a major "facelift" in the body appearance and wheels and the AP2 engine was added that year for the North American cars. 2006 cars got drive-by-wire (DBW) and the ability to tune the car's computer without aftermarket or piggy back ECUs.
Make a priority list if you don't just want to buy the first S2000 you find. Top items are vital; bottom items are nice to have. A priority list will create a short list so you're not looking at hundreds of cars. My list was headed by 2006 or later (DBW); factory stock; and under 50,000 miles. No point in looking at 2005 cars or cars with 100,000 miles, or buggered bodies ("rolled fenders" etc) or suspensions, or with replaced body panels or former damage. That was my list and it very quickly created a very short list of available card. Note color was not on the list but is often very high on other guy's lists. Your list will probably be unique.
I found the best source of information was AutoTrader. Craig's list and this forum only get cars from private owners many of whom have greatly exaggerated "values" on their cars -- an emotional attachment. Car dealers have no emotional attachments but know their buyers will and play on that. These are not "just transportation" like a Civic DX which in many situations makes this a sellers market this time of year.
I found my car on AutoTrader at a large Honda dealer in Columbus. Did NOT meet my very high ranked "factory stock" criteria due to horrible black aftermarket wheels. I determined I could easily replace them with proper OEM wheels. Everything else was to spec. Car had 38K miles, recent dealer service, professional "detail," brake booster recall performed, etc. Car is silver.
Took about 2 or 3 months 24 months ago.
-- Chuck
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05-07-2016, 03:25 PM
#8
I found mine from craigslist, but in a neighboring state. A deal is a deal, wherever you find it or whoever you get it from. The big thing is making sure to check it out really good before purchasing, and if it doesn't meet your standards and/or price range walk and find another.
05-09-2016, 04:43 AM
#9
I second that. I just got back to WV from picking up a nice 2006 with 38k miles in Nebraska. I found the car on craigslist 12 hours after it had been listed. Use search tempest and scour all the ads in the radius you are willing to go to pick one up. Then the following you can select only the ads that have been posted in the past day so its quick and easy after that.
05-09-2016, 04:47 AM
#10
The big thing is making sure to check it out really good before purchasing, and if it doesn't meet your standards and/or price range walk and find another.
-- Chuck