12 years
08-07-2014, 04:15 PM
#1
Thread Starter
12 years
It’s hard to believe but this coming Tuesday, August 12th is my S2000’s 12th birthday. I never owned a car for 12 years, and I never imagined that I’d own this one for that long.
In the mid 1990s I wanted to buy a Miata. I liked them from the start, and it was time to buy a fun car to replace the MGs, Triumph and Fiat that I’d sold so many years earlier when Liz and I decided that a two seater just wouldn’t work for a family. Somehow I just didn’t move on it. Actually, I fell in love with the CR-X in the 80s, but we were living in the city and I didn’t want to pay to park two cars.
In 2000 one of my clients bought a Silverstone S2000. I fell in love with it at first sight. In the early summer of 2002 I started negotiating with my local dealer, Joyce Honda. They had a Suzuka Blue in stock. I liked the color but I didn’t like the blue interior. I was going to buy a Silverstone but on Saturday, August 10 as I pulled into Joyce’s parking lot to further negotiate I saw a car carrier unloading a batch of new Hondas, one was a Sebring Silver S2000. I rushed into the showroom, grabbed my salesman and told him not to put that one up for sale, its mine. We finalized the deal and on the following Monday, August 12th I picked it up. The rest, of course, is history. And what a nice history it’s been.
That day I picked up my son Adam in my brand new S2000, and we’ve shared years and years of adventures together with it. From going to meets to changing the oil, it has truly been our car. I fully believe that the main reason Adam is a student at Virginia Tech majoring in mechanical engineering is the hours we spent together in the S and working on the S.
A few days later I found S2KI, joined and started to participate. Over the years I learned a lot from this website, had the honor of helping to found the Vintage Forum and more importantly became friends with many of you. Some of our conversations were real good, some not so good, but in the long run, S2KI has been a great place to be.
Over the years I’ve attended lots of meets and seen lots of places. I still talk about the back roads of West Virginia, or the first Spring Fling organized by Rick in Hagerstown. Or the first Fall Colors, all the way back in 2003 when all of us met for the first time. Remember the whoop d whoops in Pennsylvania? Or Watkins Glen? And all of the other meets?
I only have 36,000 miles on my Garage Queen. It’s frightening to know that I’ve changed the oil about 36 times (always Mobil1), the transmission fluid 4 times and the diff oil 4 times. I’m on my third set of 100,000 mile spark plugs, and my fifth air filter. I’m sure there’s at least 25 coats of wax on the car, and I still have the original windshield washer fluid in the tank. I’m not sure if the wipers actually work, I’ve only used them twice. Excessive? Well maybe just a little, but for me this has also been part of the fun of owning the car.
Every now and again I think about selling the car. After all, I hardly use it and most of the time it sits in the garage. It costs money to insure, and I put a lot of time into the upkeep. Fortunately I always come to my senses. When I don’t my wife does it for me. She knows how attached to the car I am and won’t let me sell it.
So here we are. Next Tuesday will be 12 years that I’ve owned my S2000. Looking ahead, I’ve only got 13 more years until I can show it at the Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach. I fully well expect to win the Production Class trophy, and I expect to see all of you there to cheer me on!
In the mid 1990s I wanted to buy a Miata. I liked them from the start, and it was time to buy a fun car to replace the MGs, Triumph and Fiat that I’d sold so many years earlier when Liz and I decided that a two seater just wouldn’t work for a family. Somehow I just didn’t move on it. Actually, I fell in love with the CR-X in the 80s, but we were living in the city and I didn’t want to pay to park two cars.
In 2000 one of my clients bought a Silverstone S2000. I fell in love with it at first sight. In the early summer of 2002 I started negotiating with my local dealer, Joyce Honda. They had a Suzuka Blue in stock. I liked the color but I didn’t like the blue interior. I was going to buy a Silverstone but on Saturday, August 10 as I pulled into Joyce’s parking lot to further negotiate I saw a car carrier unloading a batch of new Hondas, one was a Sebring Silver S2000. I rushed into the showroom, grabbed my salesman and told him not to put that one up for sale, its mine. We finalized the deal and on the following Monday, August 12th I picked it up. The rest, of course, is history. And what a nice history it’s been.
That day I picked up my son Adam in my brand new S2000, and we’ve shared years and years of adventures together with it. From going to meets to changing the oil, it has truly been our car. I fully believe that the main reason Adam is a student at Virginia Tech majoring in mechanical engineering is the hours we spent together in the S and working on the S.
A few days later I found S2KI, joined and started to participate. Over the years I learned a lot from this website, had the honor of helping to found the Vintage Forum and more importantly became friends with many of you. Some of our conversations were real good, some not so good, but in the long run, S2KI has been a great place to be.
Over the years I’ve attended lots of meets and seen lots of places. I still talk about the back roads of West Virginia, or the first Spring Fling organized by Rick in Hagerstown. Or the first Fall Colors, all the way back in 2003 when all of us met for the first time. Remember the whoop d whoops in Pennsylvania? Or Watkins Glen? And all of the other meets?
I only have 36,000 miles on my Garage Queen. It’s frightening to know that I’ve changed the oil about 36 times (always Mobil1), the transmission fluid 4 times and the diff oil 4 times. I’m on my third set of 100,000 mile spark plugs, and my fifth air filter. I’m sure there’s at least 25 coats of wax on the car, and I still have the original windshield washer fluid in the tank. I’m not sure if the wipers actually work, I’ve only used them twice. Excessive? Well maybe just a little, but for me this has also been part of the fun of owning the car.
Every now and again I think about selling the car. After all, I hardly use it and most of the time it sits in the garage. It costs money to insure, and I put a lot of time into the upkeep. Fortunately I always come to my senses. When I don’t my wife does it for me. She knows how attached to the car I am and won’t let me sell it.
So here we are. Next Tuesday will be 12 years that I’ve owned my S2000. Looking ahead, I’ve only got 13 more years until I can show it at the Concours d’Elegance at Pebble Beach. I fully well expect to win the Production Class trophy, and I expect to see all of you there to cheer me on!
08-07-2014, 04:45 PM
#4
Community Organizer
My car is 14. I've owned it for 10. Like Rob, the longest I've owned a car.
I do have a bicycle that I've owned for 30 years though.
08-07-2014, 06:22 PM
#5
08-08-2014, 01:20 AM
#6
Nice remembrance, Rob. My second one just turned 8. It has attracted lots of attention over at the rehab facility where my mother is being treated. A few regulars sit out front and say "Hi, Ms Perky!" when they see me. 
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08-08-2014, 02:53 PM
#8
thanks for sharing the record of your adventure, Rob. Not sure if I'll be able to get IN/OUT of a sports car in 15 years....but I'll hope to be there. I'll get Ben to push me in my wheelchair 
my '03 was 11 in January...although I didn't adopt it until May '05. Only 78000 miles and also pretty much of a garage queen since Jan '08
my '03 was 11 in January...although I didn't adopt it until May '05. Only 78000 miles and also pretty much of a garage queen since Jan '08
ownership and S2ki...
08-08-2014, 07:01 PM
#10
Registered User
We had our S2000 13 1/2 years before selling it. The +1 misses it more than I do, but it was a fun car, especially the day I tracked it.
My Toyota 4X4 pickup is now 26 years old this month. Bought it new off the lot. It has 65,000 miles on it. Nobody in my family has owned a vehicle that long.
Nice write up Rob. I'm glad it helped keep you and your son close also.
My Toyota 4X4 pickup is now 26 years old this month. Bought it new off the lot. It has 65,000 miles on it. Nobody in my family has owned a vehicle that long.
Nice write up Rob. I'm glad it helped keep you and your son close also.
