The seller of today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe S2000 says it’s only being offered due to an edict from his wife that he must reduce the number of toys taking up his time. Based on its price, we’ll have to decide how serious he is at meeting her demand.
Comedian Jeff Foxworthy has built a successful career focusing on one bit of schtick wherein he describes some ludicrous activity and claims should you participate in said activity, that you might be a redneck.
An example: “If you’ve ever wished that Deliverance had been told from the other side of the story… well, you might be a redneck.”
With that in mind, if you looked at last Friday’s custom 2006 Ford F650 Super Duty pickup and said to yourself, “now there’s an appropriate grocery getter” then yessireebob, you yourself might just be a redneck.
We’re not here to judge—at least not about that. No, we’re here to decide the fate of the cars and trucks for sale that pass before us. At $50,000 that big-ass Ford got a pass from 75 percent of you who felt the truck unworthy of such a payment. Big truck, big price, big Crack Pipe.
From one of the biggest vehicles you could buy to one of the smallest, that seems a fair and equatable path. Today we’re looking at a 2004 Honda S2000, a car that comes with a pretty diminutive footprint. Despite that, it’s still big on both power and reward once you get it up into its rev band fun zone.
The S2000 was the first RWD car from Honda to be offered in the U.S. market. The company had attempted this feat decades earlier with the tiny and lovely S600, but were unsuccessful. Like the S2000, that car also featured a DOHC all-alloy four up front the power from which was sent to the independently sprung rear wheels. The engine in the S600 however was only 606ccs and could only boast of 57 horsepower. That rear suspension was an odd setup too, with a hard-mounted differential ahead of the rear axle line which in turn drove two motorcycle-style chains in swing arm enclosures.
Honda took the S600 to San Francisco to test the car’s applicability for the U.S. market. There they were flummoxed by the city’s hilly streets, which admittedly are like driving around on a Shar Pei. Thoroughly defeated, the S600s were shipped back to Japan to lick their wounds and nurse their shiny clutches.
It would be more than three decades before Honda would again tempt fate with another S-car for the U.S.. The resultant S2000 addressed almost all of its predecessors’ shortcomings and set the stage for the creation of what’s arguably one of Honda U.S.A.’s most coveted models. As with anything desirable however, it’s oftentimes hard to find one exactly the way you like it.
This 2004 S2000 looks to be laudably stock, and with only a little more than 70K on the clock, appreciably underused. The car comes in Suzuka Blue Metallic over a black and blue leather interior. Now I should note that these cars, while not as tiny as its S600 ancestor, is still pretty damn small inside. You don’t climb into an S2000, you more accurately put it on as one does a condom—or, for you ladies a pair of skinny jeans that takes you an hour to don.
Once you get in, the S2000 is worth the work. This model year saw a slew of changes to the car that made it easier to live with, but did dull its edge a bit. The 2.2-litre DOHC VTEC four pumps out 240 horsepower, but to get to all of them you have to climb up to 7,800 rpm. Hope you don’t suffer from nosebleeds. At just 162 lb-ft, torque is not the F22C’s forte. A standard six-speed stick sends the high-rev horses to the LSD-equipped rear end. Bigger wheels, a softer ride, and a stiffer unibody are other adjustments made to the 2004 AP2, making it either more or less desirable, depending on how you roll.
How the seller of this Honda rolls is apparently determined by his wife. He says in the ad that she has laid down the law, and claims “My wife says I can only play with 1 toy at a time so this one is being sold, sad to say.”
It’s hard to determine if the implication is that she’s the other toy or not, but I’m not going to go there. This toy comes with a clean title and an appearance that’s equally so. The rear spoiler is likely not to everyone’s taste, but the body otherwise comes across as very tidy. The factory wheels are scuff-free and wear new tires. The top is also new which is a big plus as a replacement can set you back $500 without installation.
The pricetag is $18,250 and you have to wonder, based on the spouse-forced sale, if he’s being disingenuous in setting it at that number. What do you think, is that a fair asking for this S2000 as it’s presented? Or, is couples counseling the only answer?
You decide!
Viva Las Vegas Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Eddie Frank for the hookup!
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