Pierscoe1

Hi all..

I'm hoping to buy an S2k this year, once I've sold my old MX5. I have a feq questions about my potential purchase... most of which revolve about the suspension, and it's various incarnations in different models of S2k.

I'm hoping to buy a 2002 car, as it's the newest my budget will allow, and I want the glass rear window, and suspension tweaks.

My issue is, there were more tweaks done in 2004 (iirc) and more again for 2008. Magazine's seem to generally say that every round of changes has made a reasonably substantial improvement to the handling and on/over limit behaviour (Evo mag, Performance Car, Autocar etc etc)..

What are the suspension tweaks (for both 2004 & 2008 models)?
Are they retro-fitable?
Are they worthwhile?
Is there an aftermarket package (bilstein/ohlins etc) that provides all the benefits of the 2008 tweaks (and maybe more?) without compromising ride quality (this will be an everyday car)?
Is there anything else I should know regarding all these issues?

Thanks in advance for any info/suggestions/comments.. all much appreciated.

Piers.

RUSS H

I owned an 02 then an 04 and could hardly tell the difference in
handling etc. I think if you plan on major upgrades then you should
maybe go for the model year 04 in the first place.

Russ.

j8mie

Piers

I'll try to answer your questions as best I can.

I believe the suspension changes in 04 was basically just softer rear suspension. Not 100% sure about the changes on the 08 car, but I'm sure it has uprated ARB's (thicker) and again different suspension front and rear.
Yes they are all retro-fitable.
No.
I'd go with aftermarket parts for upgrading the suspension. Bilstein are make decent coilovers, and Cusco make excellent braces and ARB's.

There has been plenty of threads on here covering this, so have a poke around.

Stevo071077

I progressively upgraded my car from stock with; Cusco ARBs front and rear, brake pads, hoses and fluid; Bilstein PSS9 coilovers lowered ~35mm and bump-steer kit etc. The car is almost indistinguishable from stock. The coilovers are adjustable and can be set softer than stock. Pull all these mods together with some trackdays driver training and I'm one happy owner. Cost of mods might affect the budget for your car though...

eho

Found this on the net, might answer a few of your questions.

http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread/2173176

Note that its from american web site, some of the points may not apply to the UK model.

cheshire_carper

01 is the one to really go for but I accept, if glass rear screens are your thing then compromise on the 02.

The 01 had the real geometry but that plastic rear window is nasty and a lot of those windows are dying now.

If your budget only stretches to 02 incarnations then the rest of your questions are pretty academic.

As the car has got older in its model years, it has become softer all the way up to drive by wire although the vsa owners on here think it is great.

If I were you, I would seek out the best 02 I could (you will probably find it on the FS section on here) and learn to drive it. Forget resetting geos to emulate later model years. What's the point? Learn to drive what you have. If you get a good example, you will love it. It is useful to ensure the geo you have is still in line, so get a test on that at a reputable org.

Read the FAQ from this site, pay attention to the bolt seizing issue when purchasing a used model, pick the best 02 you can afford and fall in love.

chrispayze

The main geo/suspension changes were between MY99-01 and MY02-04 models, so by getting the 02, you're already getting a slightly softer, easier-to-drive (some may argue 'less hardcore') car. I stretched my budget to a MY04 purely to get the updated bumpers/wheels/lights etc. Some people reckon the 17" wheels improve handling, but I couldn't comment on that, having not driven a pre-MY04.

Bassoctopus

with all the points made in this thread, but I'd add that cars up to March 01 stay with

j8mie

Don't believe all the hype about the later cars not handling as well. 99% of people will never be able to tell the difference when driving on a road (on track is a different matter).

I drove a 04 and 02 back to back and the only difference I felt was less roll on the tyre side walls on the 04 car (probably due to the fact the tyre side walls are smaller due to the 17" wheels) when on cold tyres.

Bassoctopus makes an excellent point about car tax. There have been a few threads recently about this on here.

cheshire_carper

Don't believe it at all. 100% of this carper will tell you that.

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.ph...=178615&st=150



For back when Jamie didn't have an S......