So, WhaTz InSUrANcE LiKE On OnE Ov DeEz WhIpZ?
lol jK, on a more serious note:

I'm still trolling the s2k forums cuz well.. I wanna do things right the first time. My budget is roughly 10k. (leaving 5k for other projects, more funds to come for the boost of course)

I'm the kind that's not worried about title status, clean or salvage works for me as long as the car functions 100%. so thus far I've only planned for getting the s2k and how to approach this project. I'm at the part right before buying an s2k and committing to it fully until it's finished. I've found 3 that come to the same general figure as a fully functional s2k. (just around 10k estimated for each) all or most labor will be on me + my trusty manuals/internet.
(i also factored in that salvage will be harder to insure the car, but my finished product will be 10k at most so it might be worth the risk. i got a quote for full coverage at abt 3k/year, and liability at abt 1400/year so 10k/1600 ~ 6years to break even)

anyways: heres the 3 im deciding between.
(WARNING: horrid images below, not for weak stomache'd )
s2k1


no headlights/motor/tranny/interior.
I predict that will go for 5k (it holds a clean title)

s2k2




^-- this one would be just locating parts, probably 4-5hours of labor at most.
wires are cut but confirmed to run/drive. (local to me too)

s2k3

this is a local seller who said the car has some minor engine problems. i'm gonna have to see in person what the problem is and probably report back searching for the symptoms..

which would you suggest? there are other s2k's available, but I don't need opinion on those. (basically price good = buy) SO, which would you think is the best bang/buck out of those 3 alone? I'm partial to the white one because it's white and I'll know exactly what went in. The black one is a mystery to me so I'd really have to see it in person but i like it. The silver one, i'd probably paint it since it has scratches (not shown in pics) and i'm not too fond of silver since the car's i've driven have been
silver LS teggy
silver 05 accord
Nordic Mist Prelude 98' (silver w/ a slight blue tint)

Any and all opinions welcome, flame suit's on and all.

 

ooh and this is another sketchy one,


AP2 w/ AP1 front bumper, airbags blown, headlight missing.. the site also doesn't give it run/drive or start-up verification.. alignment looks normal.. but in the engine bay pic the batt terminals aren't fastened. (it's touching, so it would give the cluster power to show the mileage and stuff..) what other reason could it be that the motor doesn't start?

 

The yellow got a ap1 bumper and no headlights cause the ap2 **** got stolen for the ap2 front conversion on the ap1. And I dono why it wouldnt start maybe the ecu got stolen too??

The white one I would not get cause ull go way over your 5k prediction.

The black you should go take a look at it might not be too bad. Thats my best guess.

 

the white one i meant 5k as a shell.

the yellow one isn't a theft recov, airbags went off.. so i thought it'd been wrecked and he's hiding damage

 

well then I dono you should chek out the one with motor problems.

unless you buys the white shell for 5 k and get another one for 5k as parts only interior drivetrain

 

Update:: the black s2k will crank but won't turn over (fire up)

the seller didn't sound too mechanically inclined but told me it was because of the following (i don't think these are correct diagnosis, but figured i'd mention it)
-s2k alarm system (figured if this be the case, it wouldn't crank at all.. unless if the main fuel pump relay was pulled out or if there's a killswitch for it somewhere..)
-head gasket (figured i could diagnose this in person when i see it, drain oil and see if its mixed with coolant.. if not then i'd give him the free oil change haha..)

my educated guesses from search
-battery isn't giving enough juice
-no spark
-fuel pump not giving enough pressure
-it's hydrolocked? (he does have a CAI and lives in bay area, but i could find out by draining the oil and/or cranking with plugs out and see what comes shooting out)

what would be your best guesses for an s2k that cranks, but won't start.. no serious modifications, clean title... if you have any insight to anything i didn't mention please lemme know thanks.

I really do want the white one, but it's probably going to be 6-7k for a bare shell.. after everythings said and done i'm back to square one (paid full price for a regular s2k.. lol)

 

If you check Autotrader there are a quite a few cars that are under $13,000. That would give you a complete running car to drive and a few thousand to start upgrading the car with. The problem with the "theft" cars is the thieves don't always take their time and remove the parts correctly causing alot of hidden damage. That can really drive up the cost of repair.

 

what hidden damages do you speak of? the only thing I can see that would be the PITA is the cut harnesses, which is just an annoyance... oh and about buying a running/perfect s2k, i'm trying to cut down on cost without cutting down on reliability/quality. the only trade off is my time/labor.. but it'd be worth it if i save a couple thousand dollars.. im trying to stay under 10k.. if i were to use 13k i'd be well into my turbo setup

 

first one plz

 

bought a untouched perfectly running s2k with 100k for 11,500 in MINT condition. they are out there. be patient and you will find one. I wouldnt buy any of those because it looks like they werent taken care of. thats just me though. I was deciding between a silver one and the one i have. the silver one was about 7 hours away, just as clean with 90k and he wanted 11,300. the other was 11,500 with 10k more miles but he was only an hour away so i went with the one that was closer. so if money is the issue which it seems like it is because you are looking for beat up ones, then just search around you can find one for 10-12k.

 

im trying to get a completed s2k for under 10k, thats kinda my plan. i really do appreciate the advice for looking for a running one, but i have a DD for now so i don't mind an s2k with problems. The other reason is that I like to learn this way, if I was given my prelude in perfect running condition.. I would of never learned anything, maybe it's only me but I find learning a lot more intriguing + interesting when it's a forced situation.

 

i like learning also. but id rather do it in another way. for instance taking it apart and putting it back together. If you want one under 10k then just price out how muhc it will end up costing to get one of them up and running. It may come out to be kinda pricey because parts for these cars is super expensive. Thats the only reason i said try to find one. because if you spend 10k and a ton of labor hours then it might be worth it to spend the extra 1500 for the car. I just would hate to see you get one and spend way more then you planned on spending. Goodluck though! they are awesome cars and you will love every minute of it!

 

i actually did map out all the prices for each one and got the maximum bid in mind set.. the white one is definately going past what i expected.. currently at 4k and it sells tomorrow. The black one with engine problem is probably the one im gonna try to get, but since the seller doesn't seem mechanically inclined.. im gonna be extra weary to everything.. (side note: where's the crank on these s2k's? gonna see if it rotates smoothly at least, if so i'll buy it and tow it home lol) i mean if it IS something like a blown head gasket(doubtful).. just gives me a reason to swap + build the extra lol.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dagle &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
s2k3

</TD></TR></TABLE>


Has anybody else noticed the tow hook on this car? My guess is, and its just a guess, there is something seriously wrong with this motor and it possibly happened at a racetrack. That means there could be more engine damage that it is worth. Then again, its just a guess!

The others are correct. Take your time and find a car that drives and has a history. You have no idea what kind of bascket cases are out there. Be patient and look for the right car. In addition, you seem to like silver, which is not a tough color to find!

Good luck,
Brian.

 

I would not get any of those. Save up a little more and get a legit s2. salvage=problems

 

Get one with a clean title.

 

I noticed the tow hook, and it looks like the stock one.
He probably had engine trouble while out driving and pulled over and had to be TOWed, hence the TOW hook

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dcturbols &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I noticed the tow hook, and it looks like the stock one.
He probably had engine trouble while out driving and pulled over and had to be TOWed, hence the TOW hook</TD></TR></TABLE>

yup

 

go with the one with no body damage the body lines will never be the same on a wrecked car

 

i have a theory on this- the people who say "salvage=problems" or "salvage&lt;clean" or anything like that without any hard evidence or first hand experience are also the ones that won't be able to fix things for themselves when something breaks. I mean, sure salvage from serious wreck= hard to repair properly.. but to say in 2words and an equal sign that all salvages are created equal only shows ignorance.

does an s2k with seats stolen/lights stolen affect the chassis rigidity and overall balance? does a light impact crash that set off airbags affect chassis as well? salvage=problems, problems can be solved for the most part right?

i respectfully asked for an opinion from you guys (the people driving s2ks, working on s2ks, and have hands-on experience with s2ks) of which s2k would you pick, i didn't ask for advice on what to do. I really do appreciate for those who have helped, but I don't need people telling me to buy clean title because you THINK it's a better choice for me.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jeffsharrer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">go with the one with no body damage the body lines will never be the same on a wrecked car</TD></TR></TABLE>

You dont know wtf your talking about. You must know some shitty bodyshops.
Mine was a salvege and it was all body damege I fixed most of it got it painted and you would never be able to tell it was in an accident. My body lines are perfect. I think people that dont have experience with something shouldnt be giving advice on it.


You should really go check out the black one. It could be something really minor that wont let it run. If the motor is cranking thats a pretty good sign. But then again It could be all fuked with a bent rod or other major problems of the like.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Black S2K &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

You dont know wtf your talking about. You must know some shitty bodyshops.
Mine was a salvege and it was all body damege I fixed most of it got it painted and you would never be able to tell it was in an accident. My body lines are perfect. I think people that dont have experience with something shouldnt be giving advice on it.


You should really go check out the black one. It could be something really minor that wont let it run. If the motor is cranking thats a pretty good sign. But then again It could be all fuked with a bent rod or other major problems of the like.</TD></TR></TABLE>

AMEN!!! You are my hero Black S2K

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dagle &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i have a theory on this- the people who say "salvage=problems" or "salvage&lt;clean" or anything like that without any hard evidence or first hand experience are also the ones that won't be able to fix things for themselves when something breaks. I mean, sure salvage from serious wreck= hard to repair properly.. but to say in 2words and an equal sign that all salvages are created equal only shows ignorance.

does an s2k with seats stolen/lights stolen affect the chassis rigidity and overall balance? does a light impact crash that set off airbags affect chassis as well? salvage=problems, problems can be solved for the most part right?

i respectfully asked for an opinion from you guys (the people driving s2ks, working on s2ks, and have hands-on experience with s2ks) of which s2k would you pick, i didn't ask for advice on what to do. I really do appreciate for those who have helped, but I don't need people telling me to buy clean title because you THINK it's a better choice for me.</TD></TR></TABLE>


Wrong actually. I've bought/fixed/sold so many cars with salvaged titles. And trust me, I'm saying get one with a clean title. You can assume all you want. Also, I'm an S2000 owner. You don't go buy a car with a salvaged title from a place who doesn't know anythign about the car's history. Buy an S2000 from its original owner, or the 2nd owner. Buy it from someone you can actually TALK to about the car's history, and not just take a chance and guess on it. A car is an investment, and as long as you value your safety, I would invest wisely.

 

so you're telling me after you bought/sold cars, all that experience.. its better to know what the cars been through instead of re-doing maintenance yourself and finding answers on your own? I really doubt that even a VERY SKILLED mechanic could reverse frame damage, other than that.. everything else can be replaced. im not one bit worried about motor troubles, reason being that f20c1's are readily available and cheap..
i hope i didn't come off in the wrong way, i really dont mean to offend anyone.. i've got some good tips so far, im gonna go check the black one out over the break.. wonder if he'll let me crack the motor open when i arrive lol.

update on the black one
-he bought the car for just under what he's asking
-motor cranks but won't start, so i'll be checking for fuel/spark for sure
-gonna drain his oil too and see what it looks like if i can..
-bringing an OBDII code reader to see if there's a log

damn, i can't wait until i get in one of deez and do a 40foot powerslide. in an empty parking lot of course

 

if i were to buy one of those for a easy project i would get the silver one becaus it runs, hopefulley it runs good, becaus thats where alot of problems can be from theft since stolen cars are probably driven extremely hard caus they dont care about the car, and becaus all the headaches you can get from cut wires either in the engine bay, the ecu, the dash, etc