SOLD 2004 Honda S2000, Grand Prix White on Tan, 53k miles

Michael Westerfield · **Posted:** Mon Nov 05, 2012 5:54 pm

Thanks Chuck and James for the advice. Oiling issues? I'll just keep my Honda.

How are Z3s and Z4s?

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Michael Westerfield wrote:

Thanks Chuck and James for the advice. Oiling issues? I'll just keep my Honda.

How are Z3s and Z4s?

All right, I'm getting sick of the bad rap that the 996 gets from anal-retentive internet surfers. So far my experience with the 996 is that it is MORE durable and MORE reliable than any BMW I have ever owned. No cooling systems disintegrating at 100k, no 50k control arms. The car has been very well engineered for durability compared with BMWs of the same era.

The IMS issue affects a small percentage of cars, and at this point with a 10 year old car either it's been affected, or it's not going to happen.

Now once you start wringing a car out on track, EVERY brand out there has weak points. Rockers on an E30, trans mounts on an E36, E46 vanos / shitty cooling hoses / expansion tanks, oiling issues on just about everything if you push hard enough. I never owned the S2000 long enough to find its weak points but I am sure there must be some (though admittedly fewer than the german brands).

Me, I'll only be buying BMWs from now on if I need a 4-door, or if I'm willing to put up with all their frailties for a bargain price, or to meet the needs of a spec series.

Jason Tower · **Joined:** Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:31 pm **Posts:** 1173

Michael Westerfield wrote:

Thanks Chuck and James for the advice. Oiling issues? I'll just keep my Honda.

good call, hondas don't have any sort of motor problems when driven hard. no siree, no problems at all

Michael Westerfield · **Posted:** Mon Nov 05, 2012 7:48 pm

Jason Tower wrote:

Michael Westerfield wrote:

Thanks Chuck and James for the advice. Oiling issues? I'll just keep my Honda.

good call, hondas don't have any sort of motor problems when driven hard. no siree, no problems at all

I hear they don't even need air filters.

Steven Carter · **Posted:** Mon Nov 05, 2012 7:53 pm

Michael Westerfield wrote:

Thanks Chuck and James for the advice. Oiling issues? I'll just keep my Honda.

How are Z3s and Z4s?

Depends on the engine, but most seem very pleased with the 2.8 or 3.0. I had a Z3-based MRoadster for four years and loved it, (S54 engine in that one) but couldn't get over problems people were having with diff mount failures popping the welds along the trunk floor, so I sold it for the S2000. Haven't missed it all that much, but the torque and power of that 3.2 was quite addictive.

IMO, the 3.0 Z4 is the better of the two, even though it's a bit heavier. Neither is better than the Boxster.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Just discovered the 996 has slotted shock towers. Woo hoo! -1 degrees front camber here I come! The nut seats were big enough that they completely obscured the slots.

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Tue Nov 06, 2012 9:00 pm

MikeWhitney wrote:

Just discovered the 996 has slotted shock towers. Woo hoo! -1 degrees front camber here I come! The nut seats were big enough that they completely obscured the slots.

easter egg FTW!

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Wed Nov 07, 2012 1:31 pm

MikeWhitney wrote:

Just discovered the 996 has slotted shock towers. Woo hoo! -1 degrees front camber here I come! The nut seats were big enough that they completely obscured the slots.

Mike, just curious - does the 996 have a crapload of caster built into it? My Merc sure does, it's something crazy like 12 degrees.

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Karl Shultz wrote:

MikeWhitney wrote:

Just discovered the 996 has slotted shock towers. Woo hoo! -1 degrees front camber here I come! The nut seats were big enough that they completely obscured the slots.

Mike, just curious - does the 996 have a crapload of caster built into it? My Merc sure does, it's something crazy like 12 degrees.

Matt McGrain · **Posted:** Thu Nov 08, 2012 12:40 pm

...annnnd I'll bring this S2000 thread full circle. Even Honduhs can have wood steering wheels. *ducks for cover* :lol:

Very nice Mike, finding another -1.0* on any car is never a bad thing, especially for tire wear. :thumbsup:

from IPG's FB page:

clinehall · **Posted:** Tue Nov 13, 2012 3:57 pm

So what about Kendra's lowly 5 series? What's the progress on that?

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

clinehall wrote:

So what about Kendra's lowly 5 series? What's the progress on that?

It's a 3-series. 2001 330i. Oh, I've done a little bit of maintenance on it.

It's actually cleaning up quite nicely.

Chuck Branscomb · **Posted:** Wed Nov 14, 2012 10:00 am

Mike,

I know you like older things a bit, but seriously that looks like a screen capture from DOS 2.01 days...

Or is this some personal program you wrote in TurboPascal years ago and still use in XP-emulation mode?

TomFreeman · **Posted:** Wed Nov 14, 2012 10:37 am

I'm betting OpenOffice and a jazzy color scheme of Mike's choosing. That spreadsheet makes my inner anal-retentive guy very happy. Mike...you're a maintenance madman.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Wed Nov 14, 2012 11:21 am

Looking at that spreadsheet caused thousands of my brain cells to commit suicide.

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SOLD 2004 Honda S2000, Grand Prix White on Tan, 53k miles

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