Inevitable evolution for my S2000

The S2000 is already about 10 years past the last date of production and despite model year updates, it has by and large has been similar to its launch back in 1999 which puts it about 20 years old in terms of technology. Current day competitors like the Toyota/Subaru/Scion GT86/BRZ/FR-S and the ND model Mazda Miata MX5 have updated technology incorporated into their construction and this has reflected in their superior performance numbers despite having lower absolute engine output.

Is the S2000 due for a new lease of life? Probably but I won't be selling my S2000 for any upcoming newer models considering I've already spent a fair bit of time and money on the car as it is and prices of cars in Singapore are the highest in the entire world! The following areas have been pretty much the same since I began upgrading my ride since way back in 2011:

1. Suspension: I got myself a set of Tein Super Racing coilovers which had only been used for a couple of months and have been running them for daily and track since then. I've serviced them roughly every 18 months at an authorized Tein dealer to keep them running in good condition.

2. Cooling: I've been running my Koyo aluminum radiator and Greddy oil cooler even before tuning my ride. A pretty lasting setup that has endured debris from highway and even the odd unscheduled excursion into the gravel at the track.

With these considerations in mind I got my hands on these two items that I felt would be a welcome update to my current setup staying true to my focus on highlighting the strengths of the S2000 namely, its outstanding handling and the rock solid reliability of the car.

My new SakeBomb Garage (SBG) custom long stroke Ohlins DFV with Swift springs

 

CSF dual pass radiator

 

I made my decisions based on the following areas I determined might yield some benefits that I could enjoy over the years without too massive a cost:

A) Rear suspension stroke:

Performance upgrades for coilovers would commonly run out of stroke and bottom out on compression unless they ran very stiff spring rates or damping. The lack of droop travel was also an issue that has come up pretty often but was never really addressed in most of the aftermarket options available.

My experience with this facet of the shortcoming on the circuit I usually run at was that at points where I needed to run over the curbing , the car would not be particularly stable mid corner which tended to delay the point I could get on the loud pedal. The only way to get around this would be to stay on the tarmac but I didn't feel I could continue sidestepping the issue and would rather address the problem directly.

Modifications to the circuit I usually ply resulted in a large change in elevation for the corner leading onto the front pit straight. From my layman point of view, this penalizes suspension setups which aren't able to have sufficient droop travel to pick a line that allows the driver to get to full throttle at the earliest point and thus lose a whole bunch of acceleration momentum on the long pit straight. This is especially a problem for a car like the S2000 which isn't great in the acceleration department and has a very peaky torque curve.

With that in mind, I opted for the long stroke version of the Ohlins DFV by SBG to maximize bump and droop travel while taking the opportunity to upgrade to floating top hats and spherical bearings. The great thing about getting this kit outside of the hardware would be the consultation done with SBG to identify key areas of performance one seeks from their setup. Being an enthusiast, time and expertise is always in short supply so this is a welcome value add to a modification.

Pic of the floating top hat

Swift springs catered to my requirements

Billet lower mount to get that longer stroke

Suspension consultation form to ensure the setup matches the usage 

 

Heading to the track on this suspension, I immediately noticed an immediacy in response especially over uneven sections like curbing and the car seemed much more planted when I had wheels over the curbing. The car seemed much more stable post curbing allowing me to get on the throttle confidently. Although my track session o try them out was cut short, the difference in handling was abundantly clear compared to my previous setup. Heath and his team are super responsive and helpful even for aftersales service which is pretty confidence inspiring for me as an overseas customer.

B) Enhanced cooling requirements

I thought it prudent to get the cooling sorted since I had been running a Koyo down-flow radiator for quite some years and cross flow or dual pass radiators were now delivering increased cooling so I thought it would be time to get this added longevity mod done.

CSF has been well known the market for their performance radiators and through RockStar Garage, I purchased the S2000 specific setup with 12 and 10 inch Spal Fans. This setup comes with an aluminium shroud to enhance flow through the core. 

Fresh and shiny out of the box

Back view with Spal fans and shroud 

 

Comparison with the outgoing Koyo

 

In it goes! Plenty of clearance

 

I'm looking forward to the proving of this radiator on the track though the quality of the kit was pretty impressive so I have no doubts this would be a great insurance policy against the searing temperatures of the Sepang circuit.

A word of appreciation to SakeBomb Garage and RockStar Garage for the great pricing and customer service!

Thanks to:

LTM Performance for the trusted support for all the work done to my ride





The trusted partner that is LTM Performance supporting me trackday after trackday after trackday

Many a time in discussing the results of motorsports endeavor,  there is great focus on the driver and the machine including parts used to achieve improvements in performance. Most of the time, the less glamorous but equally vital maintenance support goes unacknowledged when this is positively critical for long term care to keep the driver in the running over the years.

Since in Singapore virtually no one has the space to work on their own car, my work schedule definitely rules out wrenching on the car myself, I needed to look for a workshop that could support me in installation and servicing needs. I was already acquainted some years earlier with the head mechanic of the workshop Alvin and was subsequently introduced to Edmund who owned the business. We shared alot of common viewpoints and I'm truly grateful to his trust in me to run the decals of LTM Performance as a showcase of the capability of the business to support cars prepped for the racetrack.

Visiting their website at LTM.sg , we see their history from as far back as the 60's and their continued success until today is a testament to their experience and repute in the industry. The entire span of car related services are available spanning car performance enhancement, servicing / repairs, accident claims, spray painting, car purchase/sale and even car leasing. They have recently said their farewell to the iconic workshop at Sin Ming Industrial Estate Sector C and are currently housed at  176 Sin Ming Drive #03-06/09/10.

I managed to get some pics of the old workshop just before they completed the move and I was kind of sad to see it go seeing how it had become a familiar haunt of sorts for me.

Here is my ride in front of another S2000 awaiting our turn for some TLC

 

 

Some of the cars being worked on Continental, Japanese and even GTRs get work done here.

 









Even a Thai registered plate Silvia track car gets it work done here



Some of the past magazine features and history of their racing exploits







Showcase of the turbos on sale, something to whet the turbo car owners appetite!

 

 

Workshops in Singapore have had to deal with rising labour costs, rising rents and dwindling demand in areas such as modifications. LTM has taken these in their stride with the diversification of the business into areas such as spray painting and commercial vehicle maintenance housed in the the flatted Sin Ming locations.

 

Commercial vehicle workshop in the new building at Sin Ming Auto City

 

 

 

The spray painting workshop is situated at Sin Ming AutoCare building, right alongside the main LTM workshop

 



 



All prepped for the paint job

Spanking clean facility to get the paint job done perfectly

The main workshop for their car maintenance and operations also at the 3rd floor of Sin Ming AutoCare like their spray painting shop

Cosy waiting area while you wait for collection of your car

Yet another track car being worked on, this one being a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution deliciously  covered in classic Advan Racing livery. If i'm not mistaken this belongs to the owner of VP Racing , racing fuels and additives company, locally

The performance arm of LTM, obviously titled LTM Performance, focuses on maintenance and enhancement of cars much like mine and the vast experience the mechanics hired have in this line has been of great value to on my motorsports journey. I attended the Nakama R and Super GG trackdays to test out my new Ohlins DFV long stroke suspension which had been setup by SakeBomb Garage. I'll share a bit more on how I came across this setup and how it has worked for me in a following post but here is a snap of the suspension set as a whole.

 



 

Here are some pics of me making my runs during that those trackdays where there was a lovely variety of machines blasting away through the corners

 

 

 

 

 

 

You know Malaysian motorsports scene is vibrant when Ron Celestine of SpeedHunters is also trackside and I'm pretty pleased he got a snap of my ride

 

 

 



In the first trackday the car felt sluggish and only felt worse at the next trackday where I began to experience a fair bit of backfire or misfire. The oil levels had fallen perilously low which led me to cut short the track time I could muster. These symptoms were truly worrying and I immediately sent my car in to LTM once I got back from the track.

 

Their checks confirmed the compression seemed a bit on the low side although still within acceptable ranges but revealed my coil and plugs were drenched with oil (my entire catch can was full!) as the pic below shows

 



 



Some searches on S2000 International Forums (S2KI) revealed that engine oil apparently was not drained fast enough when it is on the baffle plate in the valve cover and thus gets sucked into the vents and into the intake manifold side of the engine especially when successive hard cornering is done. RAIN H8R on S2KI suggests to drill drain holes in the baffle plate allowing it to drain quicker back to the oil pan and road racing S2000 owners have had their oil consumption issues resolved when they followed his guide.

Here is the link to his thread on the valve cover modifications : RAIN H8R V/C MOD. DIY S2K Smoke Screen Fix w/valve cover modification

Here is the link to his video on the modifications:

Honda S2000 Smokescreen cure with the RAIN H8R mod

Here are his suggested spots to drill drain holes for the AP2

 

 

 

The mechanics at LTM Performance used this example and did the modification for me as per the pics below, following the guide that RAIN H8R had detailed.

 

 

 

Testing at the API Racing trackday, no issues with excessive oil consumption thereafter!

 

 

 

 

I later decided to upgrade my radiator to a CSF Dual Pass radiator to enhance cooling efficiency on the track which I will expand on later in a separate post along with the coilover upgrade but some months down the line had issues with high coolant temperatures at idle or low speed. LTM Performance once again came to the rescue by narrowing down the problem to a malfunctioning fan which was spinning far too slowly and needed to be replaced.

 

Here is the video of their testing which shows clearly the poorly performing fan

 



 

It's tough enough figuring out as an enthusiast the various chassis specific related enhancements or fixes required so the support that LTM Performance has given as my trusted workshop has been absolutely vital to my upkeep of my ride. There not many S2000s on our shores or even in the region and as such I have needed to many a time consult forums in the USA to get more information and have LTM act on it as best they can. At all times, they have gone out of their way to accommodate and keep my vehicle in the best of shape so I am proud to run their livery as a testament to their excellence in keeping my S2000 ready to race!

 

Big smiles from the boss Edmund and here's to many more years of racing with the strong support of LTM Performance!

 

 

Thanks to my partners in motorsports:

LTM Performance

Achilles Radial

Thian Seng Motors

Ardeca Lubricants Singapore

 

Photo and Tech information Credits:



Ad.Am Photography

aziemphotography

Tune Photography

#SYAZ_ONE Photography

Ron Celestine of SpeedHunters

RAIN H8R from S2KI for valve cover modification information and photos

AutoMoment

9tro

 









New beginnings, thoughts for 2017 and what lies ahead in 2018

I faced significant challenges in 2017 for my setup just as I did in 2016 however on a totally different magnitude and I'm not sure I would have done what I did should I had known the ramifications. Juggling my personal life and career was already tough with the car in its previous incarnation but the plans I had to transform the car necessitated sleepless nights and constant monitoring. This was clearly required much more of my attention and time so I am relieved I am past that stage.

Probably a good idea to get a tune done after so many years!

In summary, a rebuild of the worn and torn parts of the car was done, most of the car's performance was given a new lease of life in order to give me the best possible start to the goals I had set myself for the years ahead.

  

And what a start it was!

I had spent what seemed like an eternity away from the track and has totally lost touch with braking / acceleration points and but the support from my partnering companies had given me the ability to be able to hustle in just one hot lap that eventually counted for the win at MegaLap Round 2 2017.

A massive delay at the checkpoints, a Malaysian police stop that almost resulted in a fine (no idea how I wriggled out of that one haha!) and slow traffic conditions meant I arrived at the track way later than I had expected. The blur of action that ensued when I eventually reached Sepang Circuit involved setting my car's pressures and suspension for the track, registering for the event, getting safety equipment on and clearing the car before my class was due to run. MegaLap is one of the supporting events in the MSF Racing program which was crafted by Adian Yein and the organisation is absolutely top notch with the best emphasis on track safety and class regulation that other organisers can only hope to replicate so I was in good hands despite my travel issues.

Queuing up is a Singaporean obsession

 

Sitting in the car with a flustered mind, I had hardly a moment to reflect before the marshals of MegaLap began waving participants into the lineup. More than a year's absence meant plenty of the memory that helped me around the track was lost, I had to quickly pick up the new character of the new setup which would be a challenge for a relatively slow learner like myself and above all I had to manage a winning lap while staying out of traffic or trouble.

After a warm up lap to heat the tyres, I tried to get going but much to my embarrassment ended up doing a nice 180 at the exit of T15 at the end of my first hot lap thereby wasting the entire lap. It became apparent how rusty I was as I began to relearn the track while avoiding overenthusiastic competitors sharing the track with me who had managed to spin in front of me.

 

Snapped by a friend who had come to spectate, nicely timed shot Ken!

 

The car felt good but the water and oil temperatures started to climb higher than I had expected them and with my limited experience of this new setup, I had no choice but to limit the revs I could use to err on the side of caution. The blazing hot ambient and track temperatures could be a reason this was so but there was no real way for me isolate that is the sole reason. The Qstarz LapTimer showed me I had done a 2:38 and although this was not a great time, I had hoped the second session for my class would allow me cooler temperatures so I could eke out a better timing.

 

Live timing site was able to give real time updates

 

After some food I decided to take a walk to check out the cars competing in MegaLap as one of the big attractions for me as a particpant has always been the diversity of rides competing in their individual classes. Malaysian enthusiasts are a friendly bunch and I saw more than a few familiar friendly faces while being engaged with conversation with a few curious folks checking out my car.

 

Chilling the pits while resting

 

This Ex WTAC Evo looked insane!

 

 

NA RWD Street Class competition

 

 

Other classes were very diverse and there were plenty of other gems outside the track

 

Soon enough it was time for round 2 my allotted runs for my class and I got taught a lesson for my utter lack of preparation by way of a stumble due to the lack of fuel! In my haste, I was not able to get a full tank of fuel before getting to the track and this meant that I was running less than half tank by the time I was heading out for my second hot lap. The first sign of this came at the upslope at Turn 9 when the engine stumbled and I slowed down to try to see if it was anything else like the engine pulling ignition from knock. I tried to string together a lap more gently but it soon became a bit more common and I decided to err on the side of caution and end my run early. The cooler weather did not significantly alter the trouble I was having in terms of managing rising engine temperature so I would have to be content with the best laptime of the first run.

 

In the office busy busy

 

Overall standings looked like this

 

After getting back to Singapore, there was some soul searching to be done if I wanted to break my own personal records and hit the targets I had set for myself in the coming year. Outside of the poor prep which had cost me dearly as my pressures and damping settings were NOT right, these points stood out as what I needed to address:

1. Seat time was a priority. I really needed to get the hours down to get comfortable driving at the new limits.

2. A back to basics plan to identify my new brake and acceleration points would be critical and I intend to seek some form of coaching to unlearn my poor habits.

3. Resolving the issue of heat so I could consistently lean on the engine without being forced to limit revs which is less than ideal. This is on the way to be worked on and should be done before my next event.

4. Some areas in the handling departments were a step in the wrong direction owing to my over reliance on the conventional wisdom but its clear now how flawed that has been. If I had trusted my own feel for how far the balance was changed, I might have done way better.

 

OEM paint looking nice and shiny in the sun, great pic by BecauseRC.com

I am absolutely astounded by the support I have received in my journey in 2017 from my main supporting partners who have believed in me and kept their trust in me through this long arduous evolution that I have undergone. During conversations at the year end, we realigned our goals and I'm thrilled to say we have a superb 2018 to look forward to. This win is for all of you!

Some might question what exactly the vision for 2018 holds and here's a little sneak peek into what lies ahead for my dear readers. New partnerships to raise my setup to a vastly improved envelope of performance in my quest to reset the limits of what we think is possible for the S chassis, a thorough look at what I as a driver require to operate or maintain the car and plenty more racing in store so keep me on your favorites tab!

Thanks to the following who made this possible:
Achilles Radial for the strong support
LTM Performance for all work done on the car to prep it for the track
Thian Seng Motors for all OEM Honda parts keeping my ride going
Ardeca Lubricants Singapore for the Pure Sports engine oil keeping the engine well protected
MegaLap for the fantastic event, fantastic work by Adian and his team plus use of the pics
BecauseRC for the use of the pic