492 WHP AP1 is Perfect for Summer Cruising
Track-ready S2000 uses creative ways to extract maximum power from a turbocharged setup.
Irresistible
When Marine Corps veteran Corporal Ben Huey was in search of a new vehicle after his Civic had given out on him, he found the perfect candidate and purchased it from a friend. Serving with the White House Communications Agency in Washington DC at the time, when Huey came across the irresistible S2000 for the first time, he knew he had to have it.
Photos: DSport Magazine
Starting With the Basics
When he brought the car back to his home in San Francisco, he already had plans to modify it. He began with simple bolt-ons such as an intake, coilovers, and an aftermarket exhaust. But after about a year of enjoying the car, he was itching to extract more out of it. While there was plenty of performance to be extracted, budget constraints pushed Huey towards the idea of doing the majority of the work on his own.
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Needing a New Diff
What started the snowball effect was the fact that the differential gave out from the additional force generated through the mild power upgrades. Huey purchased a new rear diff from PuddyMod. The Stage-4 rear end takes the factory item and strengthens it with solid steel pinion sleeve in place of the factory crush collar. With an upgraded differential, it was time to up the power, too.
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Adding Boost
There's only so much that can be done with the naturally aspirated F20C, before forced induction is required. And forced induction is exactly the direction Huey wanted to take this build in order to achieve the type of crazy output he was looking for. For his work in the power department, he had the help and guidance of the folks at Redzone Performance (RP).
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Underhood Upgrades
Along with the addition of the Full-Race (FR) turbo system with a Garrett GT3567R ball-bearing turbocharger, a number of small mods were made under the hood to help harness the boost. These include Supertech bronze valve guides, Cometic MLS head gasket, and ARP head studs. The motor exhales through an FR downpipe and 3-inch RP exhaust.
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Maximizing Performance
To further improve the power output, Huey decided to go with a 50/50 distilled water and Methanol injection system to help improve the fuel octane. Improvements in fuel delivery allow for even better performance on the track. And to manage all the modifications, there is an AEM Engine Management System at work, making sure everything works in harmony.
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Track Ready
The S2000 was clocked on the dyno producing 492 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque at the wheels on 19 pounds of boost. Given that the goal was always for the Honda to be a track-ready street car, suspension upgrades were a must. As great as the S2000 is in stock form in the handling department, you can never go wrong with JRZ Suspension Engineering single-adjustable front dampers and double-adjustable rear dampers work with Hyperco springs. As we all know, a project is never quite finished. So it's likely only a matter of time before Huey decides on making even more upgrades.
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