2000 Honda S2000

Where else but the East Coast can you build a turbo S2000 and not get noticed? Year after year of brutal winters must have people's heads frozen because this S2000 begs attention. With 20-in rims and multiple LCD screens filling up the latest trends on the East Coast, the guys at PF Modify, in Boston, decided to go against the grain and build a car that would stand out among a sea of chrome. The owner of the S2000, who prefers to remain anonymous, told PF Modify that he wanted his car to look good and go fast. Who doesn't? He was willing to dump the cheddar as long as it didn't come out cheesy. With a blank check and a West Coast sense of mind, work on the S2K began.

Back in 2000 when the car was purchased new, there wasn't much of an aftermarket to support the S2000. So what do you do when you want to go fast, but have no parts to back it up? You call upon the customizing skills of a shop such as PF Modify. After bolting on a set of MUGEN headers, the crew ran into a problem with the installation of the cat-back exhaust. There weren't any cat-back exhaust systems available! Without this essential part available off the shelves, PF modify custom built an exhaust system using A'PEXi Ni canisters. With the exhaust modifications in place, the S2K sounded vicious and was ready for some serious driving. Unfortunately, the arrival of winter put a stop to that. Unlike here in sunny Southern California, people in the Northeast are forced to put their cars in storage until spring rolls around.

With winter over and a few months of ideas floating in their heads, the guys at PF Modify decided to focus next on the wheels and suspension. Ultra light Volk TE-37 18x7.5-in rims were installed on all four corners. Affected by the lack of an aftermarket the only lowering springs available for the S2K were from H&R. The combination of larger rolling stock and a drop in height made for embarrassing braking performance. To handle the braking duties, Baer brakes custom built a set of massive 13-in rotors along with high-performance brake pads installed by PF Modify.

At this point everyone was pleased with the performance of the S2K, but there was more to be had, lots more. Afflicted with the common "Tuner Syndrome" and with so many new parts breaking into the market, it was time to go all out. Rather than try and decide between making the car "show" or "go," the final decision was made to add any parts they could get their hands on. To give the car a more aggressive look, C-West was called for a full body kit. With the kit installed and painted, the S2K became a real head turner on the streets of Boston. With the car looking as good as it did, it was time to give the engine a serious horsepower boost, literally.

The answer to the kind of horsepower PF Modify was craving came in the form of the Ultimate Racing S2000 Turbo Kit, rated at 7psi. While providing ample power across the rpm band, the kit retains everyday drivability, which is important since the S2K is a daily driver. Included in the extensive kit is the familiar Garret T04E/T3 Custom Spec Turbo, a heavy gauge tubular steel turbo manifold built to withstand the pressure of a turbo, along with a polished heat shield to protect the turbo from power-sapping heat, as well as a race proven HKS external wastegate and super blow-off valve. To keep things cool, a large front-mount intercooler with 2.5-in polished stainless steel piping was installed. To better expel the newfound exhaust gasses, the stock catalytic converter was dumped in favor of a stainless steel downpipe. Also included in the package is a three-inch polished intake pipe with a K&N air filter, large 440cc fuel injectors, pre-programmed GReddy E-Management electronic fuel management system, as well as an oil re-locator kit and stock oil filter. With such a large increase in power it was necessary to also increase the diameter of the exhaust piping to a fat three inches. A Cusco strut tower brace was also added to prevent flexing of the chassis. To keep tabs on all this newfound power,r a Defi BF boost, exhaust temperature gauges and a display link meter were installed.