Legal Bill

I have recorded the maintenance life of my S2000 on two sheets of paper. I do my annual maintenance at the end of the season before the car goes into storage for the winter. I always write down the milage and a few notes describing the service I just performed. The annual work includes an oil change. But I always do something more and just jot it down. This year I took about a half hour to make sure all undercarriage fasteners were still tight, and then washed all the rubber seals and applied a thin layer of Shin-etsu grease. I was also going to install a new cabin filter, but the filter I have on my shelf is the wrong one. I'm glad I checked the number before I started removing the weather strip and the plastic cowl. I guess I'll get to that next week, or next year.

As I made my notations today, I took a minute to look over the maintenance life of my car. The list doesn't include all the work that has been done to the car. The dealership has done a couple of things and I don't write down the few upgrades I have made over the years or new tires and batteries. Those things are captured on receipts that I keep in a file. My notes include just the end of the year maintenance. One year I might flush the brakes. Another I might change the diff and tranny fluid. A couple of times I changed the hydraulic fluid in the clutch and then adjusted the play in the pedal. When I change any fluid I always make note of the brand that I use to refill. I probably should add some notes about how I liked one fluid or another. Looking back now, I remember most of the different fluids, but not all.

As I read it occurred to me how much I enjoyed reviewing my notes and remembering the work I've done over the years since 2002. Fourteen years is a long time in the life of a car. You try to remember all the trips, all the people and all the fun. But you can't. You know for every ride you remember there are ten that you've forgotten. For every friend you made, there are five people you met once or twice and never saw again. The summary of my car's life is on two thin sheets of paper. The journal of my life with the car appears on the pages of this web site. While I've had my share of ups and downs, it has been a great experience. I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have.

Lainey

We keep no logs, no notes. Never have on any vehicle we have owned. I do keep all service records receipts. Rick does a few things when it's time to put the S to bed. He remembers what services are needed at the next milestone on the odometer.

We have been speaking recently of how much fun we have had with this car. The friendships we have made have added so much to our lives.

Hope to see as many of you as possible in May.

jukngene

I'm pretty much like Lainey in this regard. I keep all the service records, but don't record anything else. As long as I can pay the credit card bill at the end of the month, the fun and friends that this little car has given me are priceless and the only things that matter!

Since I have never "put the S to bed for the winter," the maintenance is on-going and as needed.

And, yep, looking forward to seeing a whole lot of you in May!

ralper

I guess I'm very different. I record everything I've done to the car including such mundane things like cleaning the windshield or vacuuming the interior. I record every drop of gas I've put into the car including the gallons, price per gallon and gas station. I have every charge card receipt from every drop of gas that has ever gone into the car as well. I record the miles at the end of the month every month. Almost everything I joking tell everyone it's for when I show the car at Pebble Beach in 2027, but in reality, I do it because I just like keeping the records.

The most import things about the car I can't record. The adventures, the meets, the people and all the other intangibles that I've experienced over the 14 years that I've owned it. I never thought I'd keep the car this long, but now I can imagine not owning it. Like most of us long time owners I've really enjoyed it to the point where it's become part of the family.

Scooterboy

I keep gas and maintenance records. They are all in an Excel spreadsheet with the date, total miles, miles since last fill-up, gallons, cost/gallon, total cost, MPG, brand and where it was purchased (both city & state).

I get it from my mother and father. They kept every record for everything and I mean everything!

jukngene

Related: Back in the early '80's, I bought a well used Piper Cherokee 140 airplane, and like Rob and David, kept very detailed records of everything i spent on it. After about a year, when I realized what it was costing me, I STOPPED! You can't put a price on fun. Years later, when I sold it and moved up to the Cessna Cardinal 177, I realized that the initial investment was worth it, in that I met some great friends and had some wonderful experiences that I would not have had if I had not bought the Cherokee. Same with the S and my NSX.

Edit: My flight log books do reflect every hour I have flown since 1965, including destination and any highlights of the flight.

Lainey

Neither of us have even given a thought to keeping the type of records some of you keep. You might consider a hobby. I think you have too much time on your hands............

The Honda file of receipts is getting fat. We've never kept a car as long as we have the S.

jukngene

I assume this ^ does not apply to me!

Emil St-Hilaire

Before storage:change oil and filter,fill up gas tank,and stabil,pump tires to 50 psi.disconnect battery,put on trickle charger,shinetsu...done

Spring,after storage: change oil and filter,diff and tranny fluids,reset tire press.and drive.

ralper

Actually for me the record keeping is part of the hobby.