Fanzo

Hi!

I've picked up an OEM HT but did not come with the rear lower brackets. Since my ultimate goal is always avoid paying the S2000 tax... I would like to ask, are Ballade 1 piece/street brackets any good? How do they compare to the OEM in terms of fitment?
A set of rear OEM brackets -just the lower plates- here in the UK sell for £450/$600, which imo is just utterly nonsensical. The Ballade street brackets at $60 sounds like a much better proposition.

Should I just sit and wait for a set of OEM brackets priced right (I waited 6 months for the HT and got it for a real good price) or will I get a 8/10 fitment with the Ballade brackets anyway?

ps. I am not planning on taking the HT off ever. Bought the car for the 9k redline, not the convertible top.

Cheers!

B serious

fixed brackets aren't as good as the clamping style OEM latches. But they still work fine. You have to finesse the install a bit more so that the top stays silent.

A happy medium may be to buy Forbidden USA "OEM STYLE" clamping rear latches.

The factory brackets cost more because they work better. I wouldn't get caught up on trying to skirt around "S2000 tax". Just buy the part which suits your need. Sometimes the expensive part just works a lot better. KnowwhatImean, bruv?

Fanzo

lol!! hehe I know what you mean bruv!!

I thought the majority of the cost was justified in people's head maybe because the clamp allows you to take the top on and off easily (not a requirement I need). Like in my case I plan to having someone to old the bugger down, whilst I tighten all the bolts in the bracket!
I hope that should take care of unwanted squeaks and noises?

B serious

So I have 2 S2000's...both with hardtops.

The one with bolt in brackets is definitely more difficult to get to be silent. But it can be done with some finesse. I just use my own body weight to lean down on it while using my other hand to tighten the bolts.

The one with latches was difficult to get lined up and quiet the first time. But once its set, its beautiful. Quiet and solid. Why didn't the seller sell you his/her latches?


Anyway, try the brackets first. They're cheap. So why not? If they suck and you can't stand them....save up for some latches

Fanzo

Understood! Thank you for the info!
The guy was an old gentleman and was just selling that. I did ask about the plates but he didn't seem inclined into getting anything off the car (although I did mention the plates value). I didn't push as the HT was up for a good price and I prefer the idea of fixed mounts anyway.

I think one added benefit is, as I also track my S2k 2/3 times a year and I don't have a roll bar, if I roll over it will probably save my head.


Edit. Here's a couple of videos of an s2k rollover, and the HT can be seen skidding away for a split second. If you scroll through the comments, someone mentioned a person loosing their life in a similar accident (head made contact with ground) to which the owner replied, the HT -although came off- saved his life. I'd imagine having it fixed permanently should only help.

https://youtu.be/U_DQvJHWeDg?si=XjDuSi4z-AghOJfJ

https://youtu.be/vnCD7uX93T4?si=LWci-lAesTubSJHG

Jub

I would not suggest putting any stock in a hardtop saving your life. I think that can go either way. There can be more metal near your head that can either protect or impale you. I don't think there's any evidence that the hardtop saved that guy's life. That's just a thing that some commenter said on a grainy youtube video.

Enjoy your hardtop and it may get you on track due to some stupid rules. Do not make the mistake of thinking it is protection from a crash.

More on topic - Some stuff has a "s2k tax". OEM stuff is expensive for these cars and aftermarket stuff is catering to a small market. It's a platform that doesn't share many parts with other Hondas and doesn't have the volume of, say, a Civic. Also, quality costs money. It requires more R&D and better materials. When companies do R&D on a part with a limited market, there is less volume to re-coup those R&D costs and results in higher prices.

Fanzo

I don't see how one can get impaled by an hardtop, maybe crushed? But anyway that's just the comments of the person involved in that crash and his experience... I certainly think is open to interpretation and very subjective! I.e. to be taken with a pinch of salt

Regarding the production volumes/costs, I'm not sure that's entirely justified. Yes there aren't 1 million S2000 on the market, but with over 100.000 units sold worldwide, our cars aren't exactly a limited production run. Whether Honda lost or made money, I don't know.

But take this, a pcv valve (which was also used on the CRV I think) sell for $40 if purchased under the S2000 name. But it's probably $10 under a the CRV name.
Like shared parts for high end luxury cars. I remember seeing a video where someone was trying to buy a Lambo rear light lenses. Lamborghini retailed for thousands $, then he discovered the same lense was shared with a much cheaper car and could be obtained for a lot less.
I am not comparing anything but there's definitely an unjustified tax on every S2000 part you can think of (caused by the hype for the car)


Edit. Here's another example that just came back to my mind... I was looking for a CD changer as mine had it removed and I contacted a reseller of used parts in Belgium... Bear in mind these are made by Alpine and are nothing special... He asked €380 euros for it
An identical Alpine CD changer sells for between 30 and 50 bucks on eBay anyday. All I wanna say is, I found a lot of people just take the piss when comes to s2k parts.

Manga_Spawn

Hard top is not a structural part of the car. It is not going to save you like a roll bar would. The a pillar and the roll hoops are there to save you not the hardtop. If anything I’d bet the oem hardware is meant to have it break away in the event of an accident so it doesn’t cave in on your head. As for the brackets they have always been expensive but oem is going to be best. I’d keep an eye out for a used set and use the one piece ones in the meantime.

Fanzo

I think we shouldn't speculate in either direction. The oem hardware is clearly designed for ease of removal and allows users to enjoy the top down experience when needed. I think breaking away is just the consequence of that.

Thanks everyone for the input. I have found a local supplier and purchased a set of fixed aftermarket brackets. Should they not be adequate, I will report my experiences here.

bruthaboost

I order nearly all my OEM hardware from Amayama. Even with shipping from Japan, it's still cheaper than what I usually find stateside, AND they have parts that usually aren't available here. Example: You can get the rear latch setup for about $640 plus shipping and shipping is reasonnable. You'll find people selling half of the rear hardware for nearly what Amayama charges for all of it.