I'm starting to realise the first steps of S2000 ownership (and perhaps the most difficult) are finding a car... I imagine everyone on here has stories of many false dawn until they unearthed their gem? Please tell me there is light at the end of the tunnel???

Last night I went and viewed my first example, it was an 05 with 75k for £10.5k and apparently in 'good condition'. What a massive disappointment, I went armed with all my research and was pretty deflated – it was messy, panels badly fitted, marks on bodywork and generally grubby. The seller said "it's good considering it's 12 years old" which said "Suppose so" but it wasn't until I got home that I thought "Hang on, that's BS". When I sold my Civic Type-S, it was 12 years old and apart from flaky alloys (thanks Honda), it was immaculate, there was one or two stone chips but that was it, the interior was like new which was no mean feat considering it regularly transported kids... So I say "No, it's only to be expected if you treat a car badly". Who cares if it has had one or five owners, if those owners cared the car wouldn't be how it is now! Ok, ok, this is turning into a rant but I feel justified, people are advertising their cars as 'modern classics, in excellent condition' for top money. If it's for sale for top money then it needs to reflect that.

Am I expecting too much here?

Also where are those 'vin numbers' on all the panels (ten in total)? Is that just a US thing? I could only find one on the front strut of the engine bay...

 

There is light at the end of the tunnel, but it can be a very long tunnel.
Took me just over 2 months of searching before I found mine. Very strict spec meant there were not many about to go and view. One sold half an hour before I went to view it!

Good luck with your search. Sure you will find the right one in the end.

 

It's just a US thing - this seems to be coming up a lot recently, is there some sort of new buying guide that people are reading these days?

 

Hmmm, I didn't have a 'standard' buying guide... Did I miss that? I complied my own from forums posts and YT vids. Perhaps a UK spec one would help. Could you point me in the direction of a decent one?

Thanks

 

I don't really need the car until the end of the year, perhaps even early next year so I have time. I guess I'm wondering how good a condition one I should be able to find?

 

there is few quite nice ones on uk ebay... also the 2000 silvestone with red roof ans 15000miles for 11k pounds. i cant imagine much wrong with it with such low milage.

 

£11,950 for a 2000 with a red roof seems a little high to me, even with the low mileage?. Saying that I know very little (so my kids tell me). Ideally I want a 2005 in Moonstone but thin on the ground

 

There's no such colour as "Moonstone"

There was Silverstone or Moonrock.

 

Ah that must be where i'm going wrong Sorry I meant Moonstone...

 

I wanted a Moonrock too but ended up compromising and getting pensioner blue instead - haven't regretted it at all. I think you have to be prepared to compromise a little - it's like buying any car/house/plane/boat - but there's definitely light at the end of the tunnel, you need to be quick off the mark and might have better luck in the autumn/winter when it's not the most roof-downiest weather for 40 years