Hi guys as some of you probably know, i'm on the look out for an S2000 at the mintute to replace my 98 spec teg with.

Now, i have been looking at quite a few on the net recently and like 5 or more have either said "has blown engine or had engine replaced!" which has straight away got me worried because i have never read for sale adverts on a Honda saying that!

So am i suppose to belive that the F20's arent as reliable as the common B series or is it just due to people not looking after their engines properly? I know the F20c is probably the most highly strung honda engine given its 120 BHP per litre so it must need to be properly cared for.

The one i'm going to look at has 86k on the clock but a full Honda service history but i guess there is no way of telling how the engine has been cared for in the past right?

Any info would be great...cos i'm kinda worried about the S2's now

 

simple rule

the more compromises you make - the greater the risk

by compromises I mean:

owner history, multiple and vague
service history - patchy and non main dealler and no bills
mileage - 86K miles is welll over half-life imo
repairs - vague and not well done

the best thing you can do is buy a car from an established member on her - that's someone with thousands of posts and who has been here for years

NOT someone who has just joined in order to post an ad

once you get down to buying a car from a back street independent, with some or all of the compromises referred to above, you really are taking a gamble

if you think the kind of best risk car I have described is too expensive - save up

hth

 

There are lot of dogs out there.

Trouble with the S2000 nowadays is its becoming affordable to more people with less money.

Therefore the car doesnt get serviced, oil replaced regularly and thrashed to an inch of its life.

Pay for a well looked after example and you will reap dividends.

I had two and have only had a binding caliper which was replaced. The rest is all service scheduled stuff.

The moral of the story is, Get a well looked after car, look after it and you will be fine.

If you dont then chances are you could get caught out. Personally I'd look around spending 10k + on a clean example. The 6k ones are at that price for a reason.

HTH

 

Thanks for the responses...

But how do you actually know if your getting a well looked after one? you dont. The only way i guess you can tell is if it has a full Honda service history right? thats the best and really only way of knowing if it's been cared for.

This 86K one does come with a full Honda service history with lots of paper work which i guess is going to be the closest im gonna get to knowing if its been card for or not..

 

These cars are very addictive in vtec so I'm imagining a lot are just thrashed with little regard to maintenance.

For the early cars, pre 02, clutches, soft top and bushes will cost the most if they haven't been replaced/greased.

 

Everything said above is spot on.

I’ve gone for one at the bottom end of the scale.
£5.5k.
120k miles on the clock.
Tatty roof, tape deck stereo and plenty of stonechips and carpark dings.
Not too many owners though and a lot of history.
So far it’s proved to be a good car, and a brief once over from a trusted mechanic gave it a thumbs up.

It’s the third car in my garage, it’s not my winter daily driver.
It’s a summer toy, I’ll track it and not worry about stone chips and drive it to work when the suns shining.

It fitted the budget I was willing to spend for a toy and I’m willing to take a risk on the reliability.
I guess it’s almost a beater – but used for fun rather than collecting bricks from B&Q.

If I was looking for a new daily drive for rain or shine I’d be looking for one of the £10k-£15k ones on the for sale section.

It really depends on how much you’re willing to risk on the reliability and repair costs of the car.

 

10k + for a daily

6k for a weekend toy with the preparation for boom.

With these cars you can often tell from whom you are buying the car off.

How much they can tell you about its history, etc.

Thats why I'd buy from here as you can see peoples posts, history, characteristics etc.

 

Well i dont plan on buying just any cheap one i find. It will have to have a full Honda history and be in good condition which this 86K one is.

I guess there are risks with any car you buy isnt there and all you can do is use your judement on the car at the time you see it and drive it. As long as you know it has a good service history and visually it looks good then you cant actually do anymore when buying a car. There will always be risk i know, but by eliminating some of the things listed above i guess it's all i can do..

 

There you have it, close thread

 

No dont close thread! lol

I still need to hear if the F20 engine is actually a good engine when looked afer...rather than the car's that i have seen saying blown engine etc for sale!