gohiking

I'm a relatively new owner, and would appreciate any tips for inexpensive and relatively easy mods (I'm an enthusiastic owner...NOT an engineer) that will boost the already incredible performance of my S2000. A buddy has discovered several ways to unleash the hidden ponies in his 'Vette...I wonder if similar opportunities exist for us?

marcucci

Yes, but on a much smaller scale.

The first thing would be the air filter- $60 for a JR filter which has been shown to unleash some power (enough that you'll feel it). Just about everything else is based around keeping the intake charge cool; cold-air intakes or extensions, insulating the intake or airbox, insulating the intake manifold from the head, installing a lower temp thermostat and fan switch... anything you can do to lower under-hood temps will reduce the temp of the intake air charge and give you back some power that warm climates and a hot engine rob.

Try searching for "cooling," "radiator mat," and "manifold insulator." You should find quite a bit.

Wesmaster

Spend some time getting to know the car first (6 months to a year), then you'll have a better opportunity to assess people's recomendations. Because of this, I will not recommend anything as of yet.

marcucci

Good point. I think Wes is *very* unhappy with his SC and probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

xpander4

Easy shit to immediately do would be like a JR filter, removing the airbox cover, and removing the catalytic converters. If you know a good exhaust/muffler shop you can get a test pipe, which basically looks and sounds like the stock exhaust but without the restriction. These 3 simple things will get you pulling slowly but steadily on stock s2000s. Of course in florida there's no emissions testing, so removing the cats is no problem down here!

marcucci

Removing the airbox cover would promote sucking in hotter air than ambient and I would suspect deteriorate performance rather than improve it. As for the test pipe, you'll get a Check Engine light with it removed (unless you defeat it electrically), though I don't think it will impact power.

Schatten

yeup, removing that airbox cover will actually cause the car to bog down and you'll lose power - not gain any power whatsoever.

as for the JR filter - its a filter, that's it, just a better filter. Unless you have a 5 year old paper filter in there now that is entirely black and covered in dirt, you are NOT going to feel anything from a filter. It might yield some horses, but nothing feelable.

Penforhire

I also tried removing the airbox cover during dyno runs and I found zero benefit and a likely hot-air-intake on the road.

jschmidt

If I can sum up my year on the board, the answer to your question is "Probably no." Air Filters might gain or lose a pony or two. Exhausts aren't repeatably doing much. Newer cold air intakes (AEM, Injen) seem promising but there's not enough repitition of data to say for sure yet.

Headers require intake and exhaust to be very useful. Superchargers only work high up in the powerband. And on, and on.

All of these points are open to argument. None though, as of yet, is for sure. It's been really hard to beat 120hp/l.

BTW, if you find any lost horses, they are mine. Kindly return them.

s2ktaxi

Most mods produce only a small increase in hp (assuming it does not lose you hp). The better question is what you think you are going to do with that extra hp? Besides helping the economy along . There are some folks who have done a good job at matching mods to produce a noticeable hp and torque increase - but it takes a lot of trial and error and learning.

I suggest getting used to the car and spend money on performance driving seat time first. That will allow you to extract more out of the hp that's already in the car.