hey guys, i currently have a 97 SH prelude but really considering on gettin a white 2001-2002 S2000. so take it easy on my questions please. i heard there is a diff. in performance in some s2000's. is this true? from certain years or just some motors? what is the diff. in the 01,02,03? and also i heard a lot of ppl say on this site about not driving their s2k's in the winter. why? is it bad for the winter time? im in so cal. so its mainly rain here no snow. thats all i can think of right now. oh yea, i also heard the 00 or the 01 has some tranny grinding problem but the 03 fixed it. is this true as well? thanks for all the help guys. how much do the 03 s2k's run for anyways?

also, i have seen off research the s2k's running 14.8 and some other sites say 14.1. which one is it really?

 

Lots of questions, but I'll answer all to the best of my knowledge. One thing to consider between the '01 and '02 GP White models is that they both came with red interior, but the '01 has red and black(dash, door panels, center console), while the '02 GP White's had ALL red interior which is a bit too much for some people. Some dyno tests say that the '02 has around 10 more HP than the '01, but I've driven an '02 and it felt the same. The '02 supposedly fixed the '1-2 grind' but it still happens. It doesn't happen that often though. The '04 has a new transmission that shouldn't have this problem, but then again the '04 has a new motor that is 2.2L and has a lower redline, but more torque and according to dyno's, more power.
I don't drive my S2K in any kind of bad weather, but it can be done. It can be driven in snow with snow tires, but since you don't have to worry about it, you'll do fine.
I have no idea what '03 S2K's are, I know MSRP was around $32K, but you could get a new one for $29K. So, expect a couple thousand off that.
Finally, the S2K with an excellent launch has been known to hit 13.7 or 13.8 in the 1320, but realistically, expect around 14.1, but als expect to break your differential if you drag race it, which is not a good idea in this car. If you want to look into getting a stronger Ring-and-Pinion(most commonly broken diff. part), check out http://www.ricks2k.com.

 

i have heard that the diff. breaks but why? and what do you guys usually launch at? also, if i want to make a REALLY QUICK turn to change lanes on teh freeway lets say going at high speeds or something in a tight area woudl the car loose control due to the rwd? stupid question but please answer it lol thanks. the O2' doesn't come in the red seats with black dash liek the 01'? oh yea, thanks for the help dude really i appreciate it. why is the bad weather cond. like rain for example or something bad for this car? any specific reason? sorry but differential as in the tranny area?

 

the differences b/w the '00-'01 to '02-'03 have been questioned to be the ecu, specifically the ignition timing. The difference is noticable on a dyno but I doubt you'll be able to discern the difference.

As for the diff breaking...I sound like a broken record by saying it's due to abuse except for the fluke events in a defect from the factory. If you plan on street racing this car or drag racing it, go get a big block domestic, it wasn't made for drag racing. You can't dump/side step the clutch at 6k+ rpms and expect nothing to break.

If you unfamiliar with RWD cars and take risks in terms of weaving in and out of traffic and taking corners fast and lifting off-mid way, this isn't the car for you unless you drive smart.

If you want to get pricing info, go to edmunds.com or kbb.com, there's like 5 threads already on pricing of this car used.

The grinding issues were addressed after the '00 model year, yet many still complain. I have an '01 and have never had any grinding issues, perhaps it's b/c I don't quick shift or power shift b/c that only increases wear. Most people aren't used to the short throw shifter the car comes with and the hand always moves faster than the foot. Grinding the gears overtime will create a condition that will wear down the syncros and give the tranny a notchy feel and increase grinding.

 

thanks alot for the info very helpful, but just out of curiousity, why will things break launching the car? is it the way the s2000 is? and can't you buy the diff. reinforcement or something ican't really remember what it was called to fix the problem? thats what i was told and saw on a website. my friend has a 03 as well as his friend and his other friend has an 02 and they say the 02's car is really slow compared to the 03. he siad he isn't sure if its the year or not but is it jus the motor?

 

Don't worry too much about the diff.. odds are you will never have a problem with it. But it can happen, and yes, it can be reinforced.

As far as the back end kicking out, drive sanely and it's not a huge deal. turning from a stop on wet/gravel areas are the only times you need to be overly cautious. Going from the FWD prelude to a RWD s2k is a big difference though. Just take it easy until you get the hang of things. Go lose control at autox's rather than on the road.