What route should I go with my S2000?

djdorifto said:
Hey guys, I'm doing something big to my S2000 and I'm still torn on what route I should go with. Right now its either keeping it NA or going FI route...

If I go NA route I will be going first with ITB's and later down the road a stroker kit (waiting to hear how the 2.7L kit does). As some of you know the ITB's on a S2000 is really for mid-range power. Not a overall gain. Gains on top would only be like 10-15hp, but mid-range would be 40+hp from like 5000 to 7000 grand. Stroker kit will give it better gains as it will use the air flow much better. Plus 2.5L right now is making around 275+hp NA with stock head.

Now, if I go FI route, it would be either SC or turbo. Only reason why I'd go turbo would be that I can easily up the boost and gain much more than the SC. But I'd go with SC because its really reliable and its basically plug-in and go. Either setup i'll be looking at 300-310 rwhp.


I'm not looking at a monster powerhouse yet. As I'm still in school, so being reliable would be something I'm looking for. But either route I go still be risks, just some more than others. Price is something I'll be worried about, but I'd like to do it right the first time, so it be expensive whatever route I go hehe.

what would you guys go with?
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To be very honest with you, the best option is to leave the engine along, unless you really want to make a difference in power, F/I should be your last resort for the S2000. I rekon with weight reduction, new custom build airbox, a nice in-take system and exhaust system will be enough for the car, it doesnt cost alot of money but it will improve your S2000's low/mid range torque and increase your power slightly.

Remember, Honda s2000 is not a drag car nor track day car, its pretty pointless to turn your lovely high revving 2litre into a T/C or S/C engine, reliability is also an issue, surely you wouldnt want to service your car every 15 000km.

hope my 2cents will help you in some sort of way...
 
Ford Prefect said:
my alternative: get a good suspension and some decent tires, and spend the rest of your money taking professional driving lessons... after that no little kid with his turboed megaengine will ever be able to keep up with you on a proper road...

just my 2 cents...
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I'm with the Germans on this one. And by proper suspension I think we both mean a really adjustable suspension like a Bilstein PSS9 kit or a KW Verison 3 or something like that rather than just a x-brace and a upgraded swaybar. Also read some books about chassidynamics and talk to experienced people so you learn how to setup the suspension properly. Top it of with some proper tyres and maybe bigger brakes. If you wanna be fast round the track as you say, the corners is where you'll cut laptimes the most. If you can't go fast with 250 bhp, 350 won't help you either so leave the engine be for now.
 
targa_997 said:
I'm curious about where you're going racing, since I live in Melbourne too.
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Car club here in Melbourne set one up once or twice every year. We'll be having one this coming month. I won't be attending this one due to tires, money, and valve adjustment needed to be made lol. Come and join the forums www.brevardmotorsports.org tell them djdorifto sent you. I'm one of the core/admins on there, just remember to put your name and car under the sig so they can let you in faster. We have a weekly meet every thursday night, no ricer hondas too. You'll like it.


madcow : yeah, I won't be doing much to the engine. I will most likely go ITB thou. Only 2 people have them on in Florida and tons of people with turbo's and SC's... so it be good on the being different part. But that midrange is what gets me over stock. I'll shave off a good few seconds off my avg times. Can't wait...

A drag car it isn't. but a track day car it is... you have to experience the joy of beating a 600+rwhp Viper by 1 second at the track day. Its a awesome feeling knowing your car is god's chariot.. lol


Svempa : I have coilovers on already. I wouldn't go with Bilstein's or KW, because their way to expensive and that money could go in track fee's and tires. The car is a bit soft when pushed to the edge, as well as a bit understeerie, so a harder front sway bar would help a lot. With a x-brace and more chassis stiffness. The last track day we had I placed 4th overall 26cars out there. First was a Turbo charged 240sx, then it was 93 Rx7, then it was 2 S2000's, then me, then a Viper, few other S2000's, few supras, 300z, etc... So I'm by no means slow. Proper Tires would have been nice, but i had just enough for the track fee and a full oil change (engine, tranny, diff). So yeah i'll probably go out with just rotors and better pads till I can afford the big brake kits.


Well, one thing I want to make clear, i'm not doing the ITB swap anytime soon. Probably be around summer time. I'll be saving up first for braces, sway bars, rotors and brake pads, and probably light weight Aftermarket wheels.
 
You mean adjustable shocks I suppose because most cars have coilovers :)
 
Instead of saying "how should i get more power" you should be asking yourself why you need any more power at all and what it will detract from the car.

Increasing the power will have a big negative effect on overall balance and feel. As mentioned, Honda put in thousands of man hours from the most experienced engineers and drivers on the planet to set up brakes suspension tyres weight balance and everything else on the car to MATCH the power it has.

If you're doing it for the same reason most people do it, as some sort of automotive penis size contest with no regard to the overall purpose or use of the car, you deserve the unbalanced car you're going to get.
 
djdorifto said:
Lots of replies... let me go down and reply to each person...

thedguy : Soft top are automatics. Here in the states I believe we started with the 2.2L and then with the 2.5L's. As of right now they are rev'ing still to 9k. Some of the race cars are doing 10800 revs from the company that does the stroker kits.

I'll most likely go ITB's.
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Seeing the dyno sheet, I'm liking the ITB's. I never really was sold on ITB's on cars. Everything I was always told is short runners = for high revs, long runners = more torque.

I don't know a whole lot about soft tops, as few cars with convertibles I like the looks of, but ever consider taking all the components that make the factory top Automatic? I.e. convert it to a manual top some how? The motors and counter weights can't be good for weight.

BTW, It's nice to see someone else actually agrees a 2800 pound car is not a lightweight car.
 
ok so i stumbled onto this thread doing random stuff...

and can someone fill me in on what ITBs are?

cuz i've just read two pages of this and i still have no clue what ITBs are and what they do.

thanks. *stupid wave*
 
Use your money to take driving lessons. Sell the car as is when you become a better driver.
 
GraemeH : Well, if you read the post I made, the power I'm looking for isn't for anything for a penis contest. If I was I'd look on getting a Supra or something. Me and my s2000 friends all agree that the one thing it lacks is power when at a auto-x or road course event. It just needs that extra power coming out of the corners. If it was so well balance then you wouldn't see Spoon, Mugen, J's Racing, C-West, do stroker kits to their S2000's.

Increase in power in a 2800+lbs car isn't anything on killing the balance. Have you seen the last video of Amuse S2000 GT car. Its a 320hp NA car and it handles better than stock. In keeps up with RE's FD Rx7 in the touge... I know this isn't the greatest example, but it is a example nonetheless.

thedguy : Me either, it took actually researching and seeing the dyno's why ITB's work so good in the midrange. Its cool stuff when you get into and talk with people that done it and you learn more about how this engine works.

The top is heavy, but I'm keeping it the way it is. Don't want to change to much from it.

But yeah, I was surprised when I first found out how much it weights. Every single person says, "Oh! its really light thats why it handles so well". When I found out it was 2800+ lbs I was like whoa! Its a heavy bitch. So giving it a bit more power isn't overkill.

GLOSHOWT-028.jpg
 
Question from a person looking into possibly getting a 2nd hand S2000 (of the 2002-2003 vintage), how does it behave in everyday driving? Since I'm up here in Canada, it probably means I'll need to invest in a hardtop in addition to dealing with RWD in snow (snow tires are almost a must up here). In a car where most of the power comes at 7000+rpm, how civilized is it really?
 
It is a car that can be used everyday. Its fast when you want it to be and civil when you want it to be. Vtec kicks in at 6000 when WOT... If on the throttle softly it will kick at around 6500-6800. If you shift around 4000-5000 for every gear its very civil. But its hard not to rev it pass 6000 to hear the beautiful sound of 9grand lol.

It would be best to get a hardtop since it will see Snow often.
 
I think that you should stay on the NA side. The S2000 has a brilliant NA engine, dont ruin it :) ITB's are a good thing, and maybe an exhaust system, but other than that, I think that power is more than enough, especially if you want to do autoX or track racing. Weight reduction, adjustable suspension (not just shocks, I mean chamberplate etc), stiffer bushing, better brake pads, a grippy steeringwheel with gloves, and thats it.

Thats what I think. Power is the least thing you need imho.
 
ChaoZ said:
In a car where most of the power comes at 7000+rpm, how civilized is it really?
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Well thats the good thing in Vtec, under 6000 its civilized, its not loud, fuel consumption is good, etc. After 6000.... ROAR :lol: Gotta love high revving engines.
 
whoster said:
ok so i stumbled onto this thread doing random stuff...

and can someone fill me in on what ITBs are?

cuz i've just read two pages of this and i still have no clue what ITBs are and what they do.

thanks. *stupid wave*
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Individual Throttle Body
 
mancs said:
Well thats the good thing in Vtec, under 6000 its civilized, its not loud, fuel consumption is good, etc. After 6000.... ROAR :lol: Gotta love high revving engines.
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I drive an Acura TSX at the moment and the high-revving engine is what is annoying me actually. 200hp, but only like 140lb/ft torque. It's fast (relatively speaking to typical car on the road), but doesn't really feel it based on the butt dyno.

That's why I'm looking for something that while may not have more HP, feels faster and handles sharper.
 
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