When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
My impression is that removable hard tops often get torn off when cars go upside down, and thus for safety-related discussions one should assume that a car equipped with one is the same as an open car.
My impression is that removable hard tops often get torn off when cars go upside down, and thus for safety-related discussions one should assume that a car equipped with one is the same as an open car.
--Ian
That is a given here, OP plans to drive the car on the street and needs something for the rain.
Does the S2000 have to have a hard top for a roll bar?
We don't have an OTS bar for the S2000, but having taken these cars apart I would absolutely advise you to invest in a real roll bar and not rely on the OEM hoops to do anything.
They are too short and flimsy to be considered a "roll bar".
A hardtop is not required, however if you're going the S2K route, some of the Spoon HT replicas are allowing for a much bigger roll bar than the OEM HT allows for, so my recommendation would be to hit your local fab shop and let them have a go at it.
Here's a comparison between two half cages I built for local customers, just so you get how big of a difference I'm describing -
The top of the hoop in the Silver car is 7" (!) wider than the one in the Blue car which fits nice and tight against the OEM HT.
You can see the extra width rather easily in this pic -
Ok, but most AP1's are beat to hell these days and are way more expensive to modify. For instance, what does it cost to get a new engine for an AP1 S2000? You can get a fully forged and built 2.5 engine from Joe at Dynotronics for 7k.
The new formula is going to become finding a blown-engine or otherwise cheap NC1, put a 2.5 in it, wheels/tires/suspension/rollbar, and get a huge bang-for-your-buck.
Certainly less than 7k. The irony is the upper power limits of a stock F20C and a built 2.5L are probably about the same. F20C's are as near bullet-proof as motors get.
Originally Posted by z31maniac
AP1 has too many issues to be corrected for the price.
Originally Posted by tyhackman15
AP1 needs a TON more work to be on the same level as a basic NC build. NC with ohlins, bolt ons, a flash, and some minor weight reduction is a beast on the track. Don't listen to people who haven't driven them, NC is a great platform for HPDE.
Like asked, I'm genuinely interested to see what you guys think needs to be done to an S2K to work for HPDE. I've always considered the S2K to be one of the best HPDE cars behind NA/NB Miatas.
Seems like the formula is:
1. Replace brake fluid
2. Your choice of 17x9's w/ 255/40/17 200 TW tires
3. Bring an extra set of blank brake rotors with you to each event
4. Bolt on splitter and APR GTC-200
Done. That formula seems well enough to drop below SM record times at any track and run all day long with zero issues. Few more changes and it's ready for TTD or TTC.
I wasn't talking about it's speed potential, from what I understand they are much less tuneable, have synchro issues, etc, vs the AP2. Hence the big disparity in cost.
There several plug-and-play gas pedal extensions for the NA/NB, but none that I could find for the NC for making heal/toe easier. So I bought this one https://5xracing.com/i-126688-5x-rac...zda-miata.html and had it cut down and bolted to the gas pedal.
I plan on flying to Kentucky to buy an NC next week. However, last night it occurred to me, since we don't know exactly what tune is on the car, I don't know if it's tuned for 91 or 93...............93 isn't available in Oklahoma. And I obviously don't want to beat on a car setup for 93, with 91 in the tank.
The car was originally setup by Mike "Junior" Johnson of SCCA/EVO fame. I suspect the car has a custom tune using an EcuTek license, and not OFT.
It doesn't look like Tactrix sells their OBD2 cable anymore, what's going to be the best way to figure out what tune is on the car?
Spoke with Xero Limit (Moto-East) they did originally tune the car, so once it's back in Oklahoma, I'm going to rent the cable and pull the tune to see.
So the new toy was delivered yesterday. MCS remote Double-adjustables, big front bar, I/H/E + 93 tune.......going to have it retuned for 91 here in OK. At some point may do injectors so I can switch between 91 and E85. CCP hardtop, 17x8 Konigs with normal tires for now. Plan for now it just to get it cleaned up, try some AutoX, since I've never done it before. This is also going to be my DD since, even when this is all over, I only drive about 30 miles per week.
Looks good. Has the coolant expansion tank been replaced?
Probably not, it's on the to-do list. It was near freezing on Sunday when it was delivered, and since no tag, I just took it for a quick spin around the block and put it in the garage.