I have always liked reading the "what about this mod" type threads because it's almost comical. I mean no disrespect here but I'm just curious as to why everyone spends so much money on modifications that don't do anything.

Intake: 150-1000 dollars. They give minimal gains if any, and maybe a bit more throttle response. This can be achieved with a Hondata gasket though. Why bother?

Header: 400-1300 dollars. Again, these give gains so small yet people spend 2-3 car payments on these things for power they aren't even going to notice.

Exhaust: 500-2000 dollars. Probably the biggest waste of money around, especially the duals. People dyno 2-3 horsepower with these yet love spending a few car payments just to sound loud. If you're going to get it, why not get the 70mm single? All the others are the same price yet give little to nothing in terms of power. Why bother with anything less than the best?

When people have full bolt ons, they're looking at 5-15 horses depending on whether or not they went with the best parts. I'm curious as to why people get parts that aren't the best. I used to have a cai, J's header, T1R 70mm single, vafc2, 4.77 gears, and 200 pounds removed from the car. I at least tried to get the largest impact that I could with the best parts. I see people with 1K mugen exhausts that are no better than the OEM. Why bother?

Let's say you have i/h/e and are +10 hp over stock. You've got some wheels and a drop going on and some EVO driver sees you and thinks "oh this guy is modded let's see what he has" but wait! The car is really no faster than stock! The difference between a stock s2k and a bolt on s2k could be made up with a better driver. If you can shift fast in a stock S, you could beat a "modded" one.

Having the car modded makes you look like you're a tuner and try to make the car faster, but since we all know that bolt on mods aren't going to make a difference worth mentioning, it just seems to me like "rice": that you're just trying to show off by having the car "sound fast". People wonder why other car drivers (street racers) don't give respect to the S2k but it's obvious. They run into kids that think that they're the coolest thing in the world because they have an S2000 with some modifications but in reality, it's still just a mid 14 second car.

If you really wanted to make the car faster, you could slap on some nitrous for around a grand and actually be fast so my question to you all is this: why do you bother with the expensive bolt on parts when you're just nickle and diming horsepower? Why not just save your money and pay the car off or get a forced induction system that will actually accomplish your goal?

 

Probably because for many people cars are a hobby or addiction. A lot of people just like to spend money on their rides. I've been debating on the exhaust/intake stuff, but like you mention, it doesn't do much. I'm leaning towards saving up the money and going FI.

Any way, back to the original question, people just like to put bling on their cars. Now what I do laugh at is when you run into somebody and they make these ridiculous claims of HP, when they've never had the car dyno'd before and after. All they did was take the mfgr's claims of HP gains for the exhaust, header, intake, etc and just added them up! That is funny.

 

Don't stop there, why add a lip kit? Because you think it looks good? Aesthetics are arguable based on opinion. One COULD argue that though stated as little to no power gain, bolt-ons could also just be something that makes the owner happy. Something to look at, something to hear, something to make them feel like a happy tuner. Justifiable? Who knows..

 

Mods do little for the S2000 because its already a highly tuned engine. On other cars, bolt ons can yield real gains. A Cobb chip on a Subaru yields 50 hp for $700. The Hondata reflash for the S doesn't offer nearly that power, but costs the same.

I think when it comes to the S, you mod it because you want a different sound, different looks, or you add a SC or turbo for power. People that add IHE for the 20 hp gain are wasting their time imo, but thats just my opinion.

 

Well, for me, fitting different muffler cans onto the car did two things. Took some weight off the car, and made it just a shade louder. Easier to hear the car with a helmet on while autocrossing it.

Otherwise I've fitted a Comptech air filter mostly for its washability. Everything else, such as it is, is handling related.

 

I was originally thinking about going HKS exhaust because I just loved the sound. Now, I hear your reasoning, and if I do go the exhaust route, I'll go with a single. So I guess that perhaps people just want a better sounding car, even if it doesn't yield hp. It's just personal preference.

Also, I think wanting to stay N/A might have something to do with getting all these bolt ons without going FI.

 

"People wonder why other car drivers (street racers) don't give respect to the S2k but it's obvious. They run into kids that think that they're the coolest thing in the world because they have an S2000 with some modifications but in reality, it's still just a mid 14 second car."

I have to comment on this. Who are these street racers that I should value their opinion? It's not meant to street race in a straight line, and if a guy in a turboed and who knows what Civic thinks he's better, then props to him. I don't street race, but that's besides the point. I just don't see how you can use street racing as a measuring stick for respect against which the S2K is judged.

 

^I didn't mean that I agree with street racing or what the street racing crowd says. I am merely referring to the s2k's "street credability" in terms of speed. When you go to a performance shop, a lot of people will talk crap about the s2k because they think it's slow. These are the kids who do 2jz swaps into 240sx's, built turbo civics, mustang owners, you know... people that have something to prove.

A lot of threads have been posted that ask why people think the s2k is slow, why people don't "respect" the s2k etc. I don't agree or care about what anyone says either, but I'm just saying that I don't understand why people are confused as to why other car owners think the s2k is slow. It's obvious why they think it's slow. It's a car that is modded by many and it's still just a mid 14 second car. That is why people think it's slow.

In short, I don't agree with that crap, I was just making a point.

 

I understand your point now, well put. But I still maintain that we shouldn't care what these guys, who you said had something to prove, say. Judging from your sig, you have a fast car - let them talk crap about it after racing it or after it blows by them. The S2000 can be made very fast, if people don't realize that, then they're being foolish.

 

I beat a turbo civic in my mom's 05' Pathfinder. My stock S has beaten LT1 Trans Am's and 3 valve Mustang GTs and they sure did respect my car after that....so i don't need a turbo right now.

Colton