Hey Nick, I have to agree with Bieg... and as Ive told you before... Unless you spend the 12500 on the Mugen curb feelers, you car is NOTHING

I'll tell you this... Its not getting the most hp/tq its getting a good amount where you need it. A few companies do it and this car DOES need it. yes its expensive, but as in most things in life... the best is always pricy.... case in point... Remi Martin XO ... $100 aged 15 yr
Remi Martin Louis XIII $1250 aged min 125 y7r... XO is a fine high end Cognac... XIII is a perfect Cognac
You get what you pay for!
As far as resale.... lets be logical... I have EVERY original piece stored, but right now with mods I have... anyone would have to be a moron to want a box stock over mine keeping all else equal.

Now, as far as Modding more extensively... I will agree.. I want Mugen and Only Mugen(yes Nick, you've used mind control and Made me want the mugen exhaust) and If you document and etc everything right... you'll have a rare car with MORE rare high performance equipment made from Honda.. Mugen+ Honda= perfect Honda just as peach+apricot= nectorine... call it genetic perfection...saying that, Id damn well want a rare perfect car than a rare stock car...but in anycase the "future collector" that buys my s2000 will have best of both worlds as I had best of both worlds as I owned it.
I also do not like when certain people say ...x ammount for barely nothing gained... hmmmm... but that barely nothing is enough for the perfect "Mika over taking Nazi Macher with Zonta in between last yr... arguablly the best pass ever" and that happens to me daily in daily driving.... To have that extra decides where your stuck behind a sunday driver on goddamn thursday, or making the evil pass and you out ahead by 15 car lengths on everybody, putting in an Enrico Caruso version of La Donna e Mobile opening a diet pepsi and smiling like a kid the first time someone other than his hand makes him say .. yeahhhh
for that...ill spend evil x ammounts...
hope I didnt offend anyone ciao

 

I agree, holding a superb car like the S2000 will hold it's value. Besides being hand built, it's one of the best cars I have ever owned. I like the Miata, a convertible vehicle is the way to go.

I don't think I would try to sell my S2000 unless I really had too.

PROLENE,

The Miata with the low miles is a keeper, I bet you had lots of fun in it.

 

An interesting premise for a thread that deteriorated into a battle of ideologies.

In response to the original question. Mods? Absolutely. In my case though, I won't do anything for purely cosmetic reasons, just not _my_ style. And I prefer items that stay with the theme of the car (i.e., nitrous just doesn't fit). I also like reversible mods. But anything short of overboring the block or porting the head is reversible if you have the wrenches and the time. Finally, I want to know that they work, conclusively. I didn't pick up the Mugen header till someone I knew and respected sent me his own dyno sheets.

With respect to the ideologies, each to their own. I tend to fall into Nick's camp, but I don't begrudge anyone another approach. I prefer to extract value from my cars in terms of fun and thrills, others may seek resale or appreciation. If you can have both to the level you want, great. I maintain my cars as well as possible (within reason), but paint chips will occur, tires will wear and engines will loosen up. As long as I had fun along the way, a loss in value is o.k. by me - hell, the value could go to zero if I have enough fun.

UL

 

if you want to write a check for my car and let me keep it, then, and only then, will i defer from painting pink polky dots on my car...........in the meantime, would someone come over here and help me get my dash back together???????/

 

Wow, I'm a little unsure about how this thread has turned out. People seem to be really divided on this issue. I didn't expect it to be so divisive. Bieg has his opinions and so does Nick...I have mine, too. It's a crazy world out there, they ought to sell tickets!

Seriously, the S2000 is one completely amazing car. And I think Honda did, as I said, a magnificent job on it. No question about it. I have also said that I think they dropped the ball on a couple of things.

I personally am not interested in cosmetic modifications. I did put the clear side makers on, that's about the only non-performance thing that I have done. I put component speakers in the doors, as well. But usually turn the stereo off when I'm driving.

I approach my car (and my life) like this...it's a car, it's mine (well, sort of) and it's here to be enjoyed, it's here for me to drive the snot out of it. That said, I also honor the heritage of the car. It's designed to be run where I most like to run it...on racetracks. Soichiro had it 100% correct and I get it. That's what this car is all about...

UL, I am totally down with what you said. Performance mods, I'm all over that. Cosmetic crap, nah, not my style. That's not worth the time or money.

I would like to see an S2000 world in which people can do whatever they like to their cars free from the ridicule and chastisement of others who do not share their viewpoint. That, IMO, is shameful...

Interesting thread, nonetheless...

 

Nobody is saying that you can't do what you want with your car and your money. Greg asked a question. I gave my answer. There may be some younger members of this forum that have not learned the lessons that modding cars tends to teach you. Lesson one is that the value of the car is not likely to reflect what you have invested in the mods. More than likely the mods will send a red flag to a lot of buyers who don't want to buy a car that they feel has lived a hard life. Some people, myself included feel this is one of the special cars worth hanging on to and keeping in nice original condition. Collectors look for perfect original examples. Some kid may think cutting a set of gauges into his dash will "improve" his car. If you define improve meaning YOU get more enjoyment from the car, well maybe it is an improvement for YOU. Someone like me would not look twice at the car if I were looking to buy a used one. It has been ruined and nothing short of a new dash would remedy it. Most likely someone would walk away from it because it screams "I have been owned by a kid who probably beat the balls off of me".

So if there are some people sitting on the fence regarding to mod or not this is the other side of the story.

Do with the information what you will. Like I said I really don't care what anyone does with their car other than many times I cringe at what some people consider "improvements". But I get over it.

 

Yeah, come on guys:

1) No mods.

2) No racetracks.

3) No bad weather driving.

4) No daily driving.

After all, you have to keep that residual up!

Give me a freaking break. It's a car, made to be enjoyed, raced and modified.

 

Interesting topic. I enjoy modifying cars, but it depends on which car. If I have a Supra TT or RX-7, I'll mod the sh!t out of it because they are meant to be modded out of factory. With very little money spent, you get a next level performance car. However, for the S2000, I've to think about it since it's tuned near perfection and limit out of Honda, why bother spend thousands of dollars getting exhaust, header, gears or intake while it only gives very minimal gains?

 

Exactly. Plus they will more than likely devalue the car so you lose money up front and later on.

 

I also enjoy modifying my cars. I've got an '87 Accord LX-i hatchback that has Eibach springs (pro-kit, 1" drop), Koni shocks, and is currently wearing Yokohama AVS Intermediates. I also have a '96 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 3" lift, 31x10.50 tires, Borla cat-back, K&N Gen. II FIPK, Mopar performance ECU, and Rancho RS9000 shocks.

I told my wife that I'd never modify the S2000 and that the car didn't need anything. That was until I started to visit this forum on a regular basis. It opened my eyes and I became aware of a few things that Honda could have done a better job with. So now I've added a few mods which I feel only makes the car better in terms of performance and stays faithfully with Honda's vision. I've chosen my mods carefully and feel each one adds a bit of individuality to the car but still keeps it looking nearly stock.

I can't stand "ricey" imports and never want my Stook to look like one. I don't understand why someone would want to add a huge "Indy car" wing or carbon fiber hood and make their Stook look like it belongs with a group of Civics or Integras. This car is an engineering marvel and belongs with the likes of Boxsters and M Roadsters (at least on the performance side, not the frills or gadget side).

1) Muz's mat designs (floor and roof) are what Honda should have put in the car from the factory. Although the car's carpeting is thin and flimsy, it's that way for a purpose -- to reduce weight. I don't mind the cheap carpeting but floor mats need to be strong.
2) Rick's leather console cover should also cover the console of every Stook from the factory. The carpeted console looks unfinished.
3) I always thought the stock exhuast sounded too much like a Civic and I firmly believe Comptech that this is the way a sports car should sound.
4) The JR filter is not debatable in terms of added performance but is debatable whether or not it should be stock.
5) Why did Honda use a plastic dead pedal? All the pedals should match (Mingster's dead pedal to the rescue).
6) I guess none of the engineers at Tochigi listens to music, otherwise, the Stook would have had better speakers.
7) More bracing and chassis stiffening can't hurt handling.