amongmany

Ok, as some of you may have picked up from my other posts, I am very interested in purchasing a used s2000 in the not too distant future. However, it will be my first manual. My experience in a rear wheel drive vehicle is limited to my explorer (which I have driven for 5 years through plenty of snow, rain, etc). Its looking like my budget will be about $24K including TTL, shipping, and anything else thats necessary to get the car to me in a usable condition. It also looks like my purchase time will be at the end of the summer, right when convertable prices are highest. That said, I am considering the possibility of getting some sort of interim vehicle that will let me get used to a stick-shift and rear wheel drive in a car, and then waiting until next winter to purchase the S when prices drop and we see whats going on with the '03 (knock on wood). I want to lose as little money as possible on the interim vehicle, obviously.

Does anyone have any recommendations on a vehicle that might serve as a good trainer? Thanks!

Cape Cod

How about an old Fiero with a six in it. Mid engine and it really is like an older (ok much older) version of the S. I have an '87 and the similarities are remarkable....even to the point of no glove box, storage between the seats. You can learn to drift the Fiero with ease...slides evenly all four wheels in harmony. The S tends to break the rear, so it's not exactly the same, but for experience, the tamer engine let's you get the feel of mid-engine design w/o the drastic results. You should be able to pick one up for a few grand.

WestSideBilly

I'd suggest a late 80s/early 90s pony car - mustang, firebird, or camaro. They're a dime a dozen, fairly powerful (a bit less than an S2000), and should be "cheap" - maybe $3000-4000.

Another good alternative would be an older Nissan 240SX. Much more reliable than the pony cars, although not as powerful, probably a similar price.

TurboMiata

Get an old Miata...they can be had for around $4000 or less. You will be able to sell it back for about the same price, plus it is rear wheel drive and has very similar handling characteristics as the S2000, while a Mustang is on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Bo Keith

Go buy yourself an old 280z. You can get the turbo car for next to nothing. Heck, you can even find some good 2nd generation Z cars out there. Once you get your stook, you can make the Z your track car. IMHO the old Z is the best value out there.

amongmany

The old Z may be a possibility, but there's no way that I'll probably keep it as a track car. Like I said, $24K is my total budget, so if I get an interim car, it needs to fit that budget as well. Any idea what they run? Thanks for the thoughts from everyone!!

negcamber

I second the Miata suggestion. Very robust little car. It will get you accustomed to the size, the quick steering, front engine - rear drive layout, and convertible experience. For $24k including TTL you can actually afford an '01 or '02 Miata, which offers variable timing, a 6sp tranny, and 16" wheels. The '01 & '02 do handle better than previous Miatas...not as much body lean and turn-in response is much better with the lower aspect ratio tires.

The S will be a nice step up from the Miata.

amongmany

Yeah, but if I buy a new Miata, I'll lose value right off the lot. The point is that I would really like to find something I can drive for about 6 months and sell for what I paid. I suppose that might be possible with a used '01 miata, but something bothers me about sinking all (or most) of my money into a car that I don't really want and am just driving to get prepped for the one I do want.

Another couple of questions: how much seasonality is there in prices on the S2K? Is it possible that by mid august we'll know the specs on the '03 to see if the values will drop on previous models (due to some sort of change)? Ideally, I'd rather just buy the S2K in august and then take a couple of courses to really learn to drive it.

Thanks for the input!!

Bo Keith

I quickly went on AutoTrader and found several prices on the Datson 280z's. It looks like, mint cars go for 8k-10k. The cars I saw in this price range had 25k miles or less. The rest of the Z's were anywhere from 2k to 6k, this includes turbos. I didn't price any 2nd generation Z's. Good Luck!

negcamber

True...a used Miata would be the way to go then. An '01 if you can swing it. Otherwise a '99 for around $13k or a '94-'98 for under $10k.

[QUOTE][B]Another couple of questions: