Greetings all,

I'm about to receive a new-to-me 2005 AP2, Suzuka Blue / Blue, 111,111 miles. This was my dad's car, he has posted here a few times - he _loved_ his S2000, autocrossed with it well into his 80's. He left us a few months ago, so I'm taking up the mantle and transporting this car from SC to NorCal to start its next life.

I'm excited to get it out here, get it maintained and detailed, and remember him through it. It's mostly stock; not planning any track mods, so OEM+. Expecting it delivered by Intercity in a few weeks.

Lots of little things to do (maintenance), some larger things (likely need a new top), and I might have an electrical gremlin, but for its age it's in excellent shape.

Looking forward to tapping this forum's expertise to help me get this car to 100%!




Octogenarian Autocrosser dad


/Mitch.

 

Welcome! Gotta love that photo! I’m sorry for the loss of your dad… I bet you will love the Suzuka like he did, and you’ll find yourself smiling every time you drive it. I’m sure he loved knowing you were taking it. I actually bought mine with money left to me from my mom, who also loved sports cars. I know it will bring you great joy in remembering your dad!

 

Thanks!

You know what's funny? He only let me drive this car once . Took me to a parking lot, lectured me for a while, I got to drive it around a bit, then he said 'that's enough" and took it back.

".. but dad, I'm 58 years old..." That didn't matter, he really was having the time of his life treating me like a teenager around his toy Among my happy memories!

Goal is to get this car cleaned up, get my brother out here to the Bay Area and cruise Highway 1 for a while to get an expensive burger in Big Sur.

/Mitch.

 

Welcome to S2KI!

 

Hi MitchL,
Welcome to the bay area for the new car. It looks very good.
If you haven't done the top yet, I can recommend Jerry at Miatatopworks.com for a new one. Don't be put off by the name, as he does S2k tops as well, and knows how to do it properly. He is located in Sausalito and I believe he can do the work at other locations. His phone number is 415 425 0715. Give him a call, it's worth the drive.
I am in the north bay about an hour north of Sausalito.
Larry

 

Welcome to the forums. Sorry to hear about losing your father. I am sure he would be happy you are going to continue to drive and enjoy the car he enjoyed so much.

 

Thanks all! I just received word that Intercity picked up the car on Saturday and I might have it as soon as next week.

I'll check out all your suggestions for new tops and other work - I'm not a "car person" but I suppose if I were to become one, the S2000 is a great car to start with.

The top has been leaking for a while, I believe it was repaired incorrectly when the rear window delaminated under a cover in the hot SC sun a year ago. I'm considering a Robbins top for it; it looks a little different from the OEM one but from what I read it's made of better materials.

So: I'm likely to also need a decent detailer, hopefully somoene who can also clean the carpet if there has been water ingress in the cabin. I'll make a detailed list in a week or two.

It's gonna be fun!

/Mitch.

 

According to the folks at LHT Performance (who have a YouTube channel loaded with S2000 related content), a while back Honda had to change suppliers for their soft tops (hence the recent part number change). In the past LHT always recommended the OEM replacement tops from Honda. But following the supplier change they are now recommending the Robbins tops as the new tops from Honda do not fit nearly as well as they used to. Sounds like you were leaning towards the Robbins top anyway, but it doesn’t hurt to know more.

Sorry to learn about the passing of your dad. I loved your story about the one time he let you drive his S2000. Here’s hoping that his car brings you much joy in the future.

 

Thanks for your comment — I’ve learned that the car was picked up in South Carolina on Saturday (and it started, yay), and I could see it here as soon as this weekend. Have I cleared out that 3rd garage bay that has been full of junk since I moved here more than 10 years ago? Of course not, sigh.

I’ve binged on YouTubes and online forums like this one for a few months, I did see the bit about LHT becoming a Robbin’s dealer, and also that they’ve gotten a warranty-replaced bad Robbins top already.

My strategy for the car is to keep it as OEM as possible, within reason. No wings, body kits, track mods, superchargers, etc - I’ll keep the changes my dad made (intake, radiator), perhaps un-lower it a little if my driveway proves challenging. I’m putting a Robbin’s top, if I go that way, in the OEM+ category - a tasteful change that is more about keeping a 21-year-old car going than enhancing it. We’ll see, perhaps I’ll find out that the current top is just fine but was re-installed incorrectly. A couple of years back when my dad moved to his apartment from the house, the car had to live outside, and he had covered it. Under the hot SC sun the rear window delaminated from the top due to the cover, so he got it repaired, and I think it was reinstalled incorrectly, since water now gets into the trunk. I know he didn’t get a new top; very likely what is on there right now was the factory original.

All will come into focus in the next couple of weeks, looking forward!

This car was my dad’s toy. Every weekly call for years had some S2000 component to it. Every visit had some chore I had to do. It’ll be weird to have it out here, but I’ll get over the weirdness quickly on highways 9, 17, and 1 out here in the Bay Area

/Mitch.

 

Awesome looking car. Welcome Aboard.