Daily Slideshow: 12 Years of S2000 Satisfaction

12 years and counting

Most folks who buy their so-called dream cars or at the very least a car they felt strongly about fall out of love at a certain point. Those fuzzy feelings dwindle and soon there is another car, truck, or even motorcycle that has captured their attention away from their former automotive love. But what about those who stay true? Those owners that year after year still find themselves turning around to take another look at their car after they've parked it? Those individuals who purchase something and cherish until the day comes when they pass it onto a family member who will foster that same love and attention? That kind of person with that kind of love is the owner of this car you see before you. For 12 years, Jackie Law has owned, tweaked, upgraded and rebuilt the same car over and over and over again. 

>>Join the conversation about Jackie's long-held love for his AP1 right here in S2Ki.com.

Temptation at the door

A ton of JDM enthusiasts have a dark kind of lust for certain cars like the Skyline GT-R, Supra, FD RX-7, and a certain Senna-developed early '90s car. "The NSX was always a car that I'd wanted," he says, continuing, "and also a Porsche 997 911, but I was never able to give this car up for a new project." Once we see all the things that Jackie has done to the car and how he has shaped the car into something more personal than just a simple utilitarian device we see how difficult it would be to part with. Things like swapping the stock 2.0-liter for the updated F22C1 and then mating a Precision turbo to it. "I've thought about selling it to try something new, but I always get scared and end up keeping the car."

>>Join the conversation about Jackie's long-held love for his AP1 right here in S2Ki.com.

Lovely touches for improved performance

Making changes to the appearance of the S2000 has kept it feeling fresh as well with the AP1 receiving a front bumper and rear diffuser from Voltex, custom Spoon Sports hood, TE37s, and oversized AP Racing brakes. The modifications continue away from prying eyes with rigid collars from Spoon Sports to tighten up the chassis, and a custom bracket to hold the Weldon fuel pressure regulator in its proper place. 

>>Join the conversation about Jackie's long-held love for his AP1 right here in S2Ki.com.

DIY can save you a lot of $

For all of the work that Jackie wasn't able to do himself, he turned to A&J Racing. "Most of the work was done by me and some friends," he says before pointing out one of those big jobs he wasn't interested in doing. "After pulling the motor once in the garage, I knew I never wanted to do that again." Speaking of the engine, it was the inline 2.0-liter with the 9,000-rpm redline that first drew him to the car.  "I've wanted the S2000 since it came out," he says. "I was a big fan of the 9,000-rpm redline, and I wanted something I could beat on at the track." After coming to terms with the power deficient of the engine he went ahead and turbocharged it. It blew up. Then came the 2.2-liter replacement and he blew that one up too. Then "I swapped in an '05 F22C," of which he says is now good for 420 whp.

>>Join the conversation about Jackie's long-held love for his AP1 right here in S2Ki.com.

Bumps along the way

"Almost everything on the car I've broken once or replaced," he says. He also prepped it for paint on his own, which, by all accounts, wasn't any easier than any engine changeover. "It was a learning process for me, as I've never done it before," he says about the preliminary bodywork, which was "one of the bigger challenges," but made possible thanks to a bit of guidance from the professional who'd later lay down the paint. "My body guy, Kevin, was kind enough to teach me as I went, and he looked over all the work, making sure I was on track," he says.

>>Join the conversation about Jackie's long-held love for his AP1 right here in S2Ki.com.

Learning on and off the job

Since about 2003 Jackie has been studying up on being a mechanic by way of magazines and forum threads so that he'd be prepared for the handful of Hondas he'd modify over time. During that time he was also working at a tuner shop called Speedtech Racing Developments located in frosty Calgary "I learned a lot back then," he remarks. In addition to the S2000, he has a '06 TL that gets him from point A to point B when those Canada winters get a little too cold to bear for a roadster. 

>>Join the conversation about Jackie's long-held love for his AP1 right here in S2Ki.com.

In it for the long haul

When the day came for Jackie to part with the money for the S2000 he knew exactly just what he was getting himself into all those years ago. "I knew it was gonna be a long-term project," he says, and he knew that, at some point, every corner of that S2000 would've been tampered with. "I think I'm finally happy with the car," he says. "What it is today is pretty much what I wanted it to be."

>>Join the conversation about Jackie's long-held love for his AP1 right here in S2Ki.com.

All delicious parts

ENGINE

• F22C1 engine and transmission swap
• Hasport engine and rear differential mounts
• Sheepey Built turbo system
• Precision Turbo and Engine 6262 ball-bearing turbo
• TiAL blow-off valve and 44mm wastegate
• J's Racing throttle body and exhaust system
• Mugen radiator, radiator cap and fan switch
• Spoon Sports radiator hose and radiator bracket
• T1R coolant tank
• AEM fuel pump
• Injectors Dynamics 1,000cc/min. fuel injectors
• Full Blown fuel rail
• Weldon fuel pressure regulator
• AJR fuel pressure regulator bracket
• AN fittings and lines throughout
• AJR custom oil cooler
• Spoon Sports engine and transmission drain plugs
• J's Racing rear differential plug
• ARC spark plug cover; Mugen oil cap and hardware
• Downstar VTEC solenoid cover and valve cover hardware
• AEM EMS V2, boost solenoid, and MAP sensor
• Exedy twin-disc clutch and lightweight flywheel
• T1R driveshaft spacers

FOOTWORK and CHASSIS

• T1R B-Max coilovers and front and rear anti-bumpsteer kits
• J's Racing front roll center adjuster and rear shock tower brace
• Spoon Sports front cross brace, rear roll center adjuster, and rigid collars
• Cusco chassis reinforcement bar

WHEELS and TIRES

• 18x10 +40 offset Volk Racing TE37 wheels
• 255/35/18 (front) and 285/30/18 (rear) Advan Neova AD08R tires
• T1R titanium lug nuts

BRAKES

• AP Racing Pro 5000+ six-piston calipers, rotors, and pads (front)
• StopTech rotors (rear)
• Project Mu Max 900i pads (rear)
• Spoon Sports steel-braided lines
• Custom ABS relocation kit

EXTERIOR

• Moonrock metallic paint
• OEM hard top
• Voltex front bumper and rear diffuser
• Spoon Sports prototype hood; Science of speed hood dampers
• Circuit Garage carbon-fiber canards
• Craft Square carbon-fiber mirrors
• Mugen bolt-on mirrors
• Shine Auto Project carbon-fiber side diffusers
• J's Racing Type 1 carbon-fiber GT wing
• iPark Harder titanium wing stands
• Baller Bolts titanium wing bolts
• Seibon carbon-fiber trunk
• AP2 S2000 rear bumper, headlights, and taillights
• JDM S2000 side marker lights
• Raybrig 5,000k bulbs

INTERIOR

• Cusco six-point roll cage
• Spoon Sports carbon-fiber bucket seats
• Mugen seat rails
• Momo Alcantara Monte Carlo steering wheel
• Works Bell steering wheel hub and quick-release adapter
• NSX-R horn button
• Titanium steering wheel bolts
• Stack ST8130 instrument cluster
• Defi Link display
• AEM air/fuel meter
• T1R shift knob, shift boot and LED dome lights
• Zoom carbon-fiber rearview mirror
• AP2 S2000 center console
• Alpine head unit

>>Join the conversation about Jackie's long-held love for his AP1 right here in S2Ki.com.