So I saw that in another thread and I thought to myself, "Self," I said, "I don't know everything there is to know about an S2000! What question should I ask which might spark some interesting discussion amongst those who do?"

And yeah, I call myself "self" sometimes. Get over it.

So anyway, I pondered and pondered many a weary second, ruled out anything about best motor oil or what tires to get or what supercharger is the hot ticket, and came up with this:
I realize many of you have had your S2000s for nigh on 13 years now. And some, not so much. So much to look back on, eh? Many of you already know each other's answers to a question like this since some of you have probably been here in this little nook of the Internet for those same 13 years, but I'm the newbie and I want to hear all the old stories get trotted out for discussion again, no matter how it might bore all the long-timers here.

* Okay, I lied about the prize. It was funny at the time.

 

I'll play.

1. Most memorable. Hard to pick one, but I guess finding the point where the car oversteers beyond recovery wins. The lesson comes with a 180 or 360 degree spin, an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach, a mad series of instinctive reactions exercised in a futile effort to regain control and a tingle in the base of my spine as my vestigial tail tries to find something to grab on to. Quite memorable.

2. Most surprising. I guess I could have gone with spinning out for this one too, but I assume we can only use an event for one answer. So for most surprising, I'll go with the cars reliability. They are not without their quirks, but compared to the MANY sports cars of my past I am very surprised that the 2 liter N/A engine, boasting the most horse power per cc of any engine on the planet has held up for so many trouble free miles. I'm not discounting the reliability of the rest of the car, but that engine's longevity really does surprise me.

3. Most unexpectedly annoying. This went to the squeaky seatbelt problem that many AP1s had. The sound came from the friction between the seatbelt and the seat where it passes over the shoulder. Not every car had this problem, but mine did. Tall people may have avoided this because their shoulders were high enough to lift the belt above the seat, thereby avoiding the friction. But at a towering 5'8", I was not so lucky. Anyway, I had to remove the plastic seatbelt bracket and install a strip of felt to lie between the belt and the seat. People often ask me what the little strip of felt is for. The story is boring, so many times I say I don't know.

 

I'll just go with the most surprising: the folks on this board. Who knew 11 years ago that I would still call so many other S2000 owners, from so many corners of the USA and Canada, friends?

By the way, welcome to Vintage, RMurphy!

 

^^^ OH OUCH! That was not a good picture! LOL! And those sandwiches (when we did finally get them) were HUGE!!!

 

I am sooooo glad you shared that (not that the vestigial tail story wasn't very good... pucker up babe, and enjoy that new seat crease!) because I have that very same issue (AP2) and it drives me freaking nuts. I've learned to ignore it, but I've always hated that. Now I have an idea what to do. Others have suggested slipping the belt on top of the holder, but then the whole thing ends up behind the seat when I get out and it's a pain to fish it out later (and I don't like that there is nothing to keep it in the right place up there over my shoulder -- potential safety issue). I've tried those cushiony things you wrap around the seat belt but then it keeps the belt from retracting and I risk closing the buckle into the door jam.

So did you do a write-up on this or is it one of those so dirt easy kinds of things it needs no further explanation than to say "go buy a piece of black felt, unscrew the plastic thingee and stick the felt under it?"

 

1.)
I dunno Bill, I'm actually amazed at how far the tail can go out and still be caught and brought back home. ( of course I'm not denying the sphincter clenching inducement factor when it occurs.)

2.)
I think we all enjoyed finding the secret compartment, for some it was just a little longer than others.

3.
I didn't realize that was the seat belt Bill. I always assumed it was the back on the seat rubbing on the trunk bulkhead.
Of course based on relative delta of stature it may yet be true.

 

Well, actually, mine will do both. Passenger seat, if all the way back and tilted, will make that squeaky noise. Drivers side belt rubbing on the seat will also squeak. I've had both. Fixing the passenger side was easy. One notch tilt forward. Driver's side belt thing, annoying pesky PITA which I've just lived with but now have a solution for. Yay!

And, just to add to the leather squeaks list, my shift boot will also squeak when the car is in 2nd and 4th. I assume it will in 6th, but I can't ever hear it over the other car noises then. I know it's the boot because I stuck a tissue in there one day and it stopped squeaking. What I need is a CR shift boot. :-D

 

Yeah, you just did the write up. First remove the belt from the clip. Next, remove two screws and the plastic clip comes off. Find a piece of felt in the color of your choice. Cut it about an inch wider than the width of the belt and in a length sufficient to fully separate the belt and the seat cover. Center the strip so a bit sticks out on either side of the belt. Sandwich it between the seat and the clip and reinsert the screws. Run the belt back into the clip. Noise is gone!

 

Beat me to it, Bill. The problem never bothered me enough to take the time to do the fix, but I did read about it years ago.

 

When she goes, she goes. After two years of autocrossing, I found that moment in many, many different conditions, angles and speeds.