What's a Banker in His 50's Doing With This AP1?
What's a couple to do when they want something to drive that is the culmination of their hard work through the years?
It's always better when built and not bought
John Aitken, a successful banker, along with his wife Cathy, were in the market for a car that served the sole purpose of fun for the couple. The two had no interest in an Italian car or something Bavarian, they had their eyes on something with a rock solid base that could be built into something truly special. Using the fundamentals of tuning, they zeroed in on the Honda S2000. After years and years of hearing about the car and seeing the car built countless times over by large and small outfits, the couple made the decision to purchase one for themselves.
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A couple looking for adventure
The couple had no experience in building a car and had no idea of the task they had undertaken at the time of purchase. So they did what any person who knows they are not in their field of expertise does, they turned things over to someone who does. The keys to the AP1 were handed over to Tien Hoang at SpeedTech Racing and Development along with the go ahead to order any parts necessary to make a stellar build with almost no budget. The project is essentially a builder's dream come true: no timeline, the best parts only, and no corporate sponsors to deal with.
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Boosting the F20
First things first was the issue of power on tap for the Honda roadster. A Comptech supercharger was chosen for its real world reviews and best warranty on the market. Other bolt-ons under the hood include Comptech headers and an HKS Hyper dual exhaust system. The fuel system used is all HKS equipped including the fuel pressure regulator, and a fcon v-pro ECU controlling the 350cc injectors. Spoon engine mounts and an Alex engine torque damper with heat shield keep the engine nice and firmly planted. For cooling purposes, there is a Spoon radiator with a high-pressure rad cap, along with Spoon radiator hoses, thermostat, and a thermo switch to keep things in check. A custom Kevlar propellor shaft carrying power to the J's Racing 2-way limited slip differential. A J's carbon cooling plate offers a wider cooling channel next to the Flex-a-lite twin fans. Pairing the transmission to the engine is a CLutch Master race clutch with a lightened flywheel.
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How does it ride?
The suspension setup had to be one that worked on the track as well as on road trips to the couple's cabin on the weekends. In went a full T1R B-max coilover suspension, Comptech sway bars for the front and rear with bushings to avoid any body roll in the corners. To reduce chassis flex there is a Comptech tie rod and cross brace bar, along with a Comptech upper front strut tower bar straightening things out. For the unforgiving northern roads, there is also a J's Racing SPL pillowball front and rear anti-bumpsteer kits. Filling out the list of bolt-ons in this areas are a full front and rear subframe custom painted red, a custom six-point race spec roll cage, a J's Racing front, and rear roll center adjuster and a few other parts.
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It's about what's on the inside too
The interior of the car was stripped of excess weight by way of two Bride Racing Zeta-3 red bucket seats and Takata 4-point harness belts. There is a Sparco 350mm red suede steering wheel with a Momo hub that nicely fills the duty of being the new guiding device for the S2000. Few other extras include custom belt brackets, and Alex Racing quick release, and a ZOM Kevlar mirror.
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What else is there on the car?
This S2000has been the recipient of all these mods and has brought the Aitkens so much joy. Tien Hoang expressed how much he enjoyed building this car as it was an exercise in what could be possible given the leeway and funds.
For the areas we didn't get to touch on, there is a great list of all the parts that were installed on the car. Here are the ones for the sections we did not get to cover in the slideshow.
Wheels, Tires, Brakes: 17×9-Inch +35 (F) 17×9-Inch +40 (R) Volk Racing Ce28n, Yokohama Advan Neova Tires 245/40/17 Tires, Brembo Gran Turismo Big Brake Kit, Goodridge Stainless Steel Brake Lines, Motul Brake Oil, Custom Front Brake Cooling Vents
Exterior: J’s Racing Type S Aero Carbon Kit(Complete). Daul Carbon Canards, Type V Carbon Fiber Hood, Dry Carbon Fiber 3d Gt Wing, Carbon Doors, Front Vented Fenders, Rear Overlay Fenders, Carbon Trunk And Tow Hooks, Apr Carbon Racing Mirrors, Mugen Carbon Hard Top Roof
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