Joey’s S2000: Best of Both Worlds
Mark Mason had owned some nice cars in the past, but this particular build had to be special. “I’d tracked a lot of FWD Hondas in the past, but I wanted to try RWD. It was natural I’d get an S2000,” he began.
The typical track rat won’t bother to beautify a car that will be pelted by dust, rocks, oil, and rubber regularly, and that’s how Mark appeared to think initially. Most would skip the step of repainting a track toy, but Mark wondered why this was prudent. “I believe in driving your car hard, but it’s gotta look good first,” he added.
So he pulled everything off, replaced the front fenders, which had been creased from the previous owner slamming it, with a set of wider Vaikhari front fenders. Then came an OEM CR bumper and lip, as well as a Ballade Sports carbon roof and a coat of Berlina Black paint.
Now, this gleaming gem had to be given a thorough footwork overhaul to make it track worthy. Friends with the owner of S3 Suspension, he picked up a set of their track-specific coilovers with the peace of mind that comes from knowing service is just a short drive away. Along with Eibach front and rear swaybars, he installed a set of Evasive Motorsports Spec 17x10” Advan RSIl wrapped in 255/40/17 Kumho V730 rubber. Inside those, he mounted a set of FK8 Type R brake calipers, custom mounts, and Project Mu Club Racer pads.
The car was quickly becoming a dedicated track car, but with the intention of being able to street drive the car legally and easily, Mark kept the motor as basic as possible. “I didn’t need any more power; I needed to learn the car,” he proclaimed. With just a Koyo radiator, and a little ECU fettling, the F22C – this one with particularly good compression – was punchy enough to be called a zippy, quick car. Fast might be too kind, but with the suspension modifications and the S2000’s wonderful balance, it was ready to set respectable lap times.
Being a 2006, it’s also aided by the fact that it’s drive-by-wire, which makes a Hondata reflash even easier.
As he wanted a showable track toy, Mark installed a rear double-diagonal crossbar and bulkhead bar from RSG, then painted it to match his Advan wheels. While this required removing the rear interior, the front carpet was kept to keep the car semi-civil. Only a Renegade Motorsports short shifter, Mugen steering wheel, and a Sparco Pro 2000 seat were installed to improve driver connection.
And with those interior additions, Mark had finished his show-worthy track car. Clean as anything that had rolled off the showroom floor, tastefully chosen parts, a slight edge in focus over the CR – almost as if Honda had built a clubsport version – the car had a great deal to offer with only a stiffer ride and a little drone on the freeway to bother him. More than a fair tradeoff.
Though his taste was impeccable, his timing wasn’t. Just as soon as it was ready for track work, life intervened and Mark had to seize an opportunity to buy a house. The two hadn’t shared a single track date yet, but the S2000 had to be sold.
Mark raffled the car. The man who picked the lucky ticket was Joey Pena, a dedicated track driver and Honda nut.
In the last year it’s been treated as well as a car track can expect to be. If ever a car received the Kobe beef treatment, this one did; living most of its life under two tarps and garaged unless it was being tailored to the track.
Receiving constant attention and the little maintenance needed over the last eighteen months, it’s been pampered ninety percent of the time, and when it’s given a chance to run, Joe hasn’t hesitated to put it through its paces.
Joey put his mark on the car with a K&N intake and a relatively quiet T1R twin-exit exhaust to free up a little power and theater without compromising the car’s legality.
In addition, he wanted to feel at home in the cramped cockpit, so he installed a Works Bell hub with a Mugen wheel, as well as Sparco Evo bucket seat.
The setup is just about perfect, and Joe hasn’t felt the need to tweak it aside from making a swaybar adjustment to settle the tail slightly. “It’s absolutely glued to the track,” he began, “and I have to credit Mark there – he knows how to set these cars up. It’s been rock-solid, too; aside from the routine valve adjustment, all I’ve installed is a Billman timing chain tensioner and a new catalytic converter.”
Even though it is the thoroughbred motor in the family, it is still essentially a stock Honda lump that needs little more than oil, fuel, and the occasional tune-up. It’s been good to Joe, who’s amassed quite a collection of cars and needs to part with a few. Unfortunately, the focused nature of the car means it was sold just last week, but with the way it’s been given the garage princess treatment by its former owner and the demanding nature of a track-oriented car, it has gone to another deserving track rat who appreciates a car the looks as good as it goes.
