We knew we'd hit the jackpot when we learned all those many months ago that the magazine's art director would be Ti Tong, not because he's exceedingly talented, which he is, but because homie drives a 2001 S2000. A staffer for a Honda mag who drives the company's premiere roadster our imagination went into overdrive with all the project potentials.
Of course, very little has been done to his car since he assumed the reins as AD for HT, mostly because at any given time we have a dozen or so other projects going on and the last thing we want to do is start another one. In a sense we were looking for the right opportunity, and that opportunity presented itself recently when the folks who run Zigzag Asia, importers and distributors of Power House Amuse here in the states, started talking to us about putting together a vehicle for the 2004 International Auto Salon in Los Angeles. It didn't take long before we swiped the keys from Tito and started making calls for parts to shape up his convertible into a show rig.
Among the products that Amuse provided, and hopes to distribute in the U.S. market one day, is a set of street coil-overs made by Bilstein. The combined reputations of both Amuse and Bilstein was enough to put our minds at ease about the quality of the suspension parts; the only thing left to do was nail down an equally worthy shop to perform the work, which we found in Orsportz. The Chatsworth, Calif., shop came heavily recommended, primarily because the garage's partners, Orly Alcalde and Miguel Garcia, have spent the better part of the last 15 years working almost exclusively on the Honda/Acura marques.
So with all the pieces in place, we drove the S2 up to the San Fernando Valley to have Alcalde and Garcia tinker away on its underside. The job took them about an hour, although without a lift you can expect to spend about twice as much time on the task.
 [1] Fresh from Japan (or is...  [1] Fresh from Japan (or is it Germany?) is a set of Bilstein-made Amuse Hi-Tech Dampers for the S2000. The coil-overs feature valved monotube gas shocks, progressive-rate springs, and adjustable ride height via solid aluminum spring seats and locknuts (also known as perches). They also come with factory hats that include hard rubber bushings so you don't have to reuse the old hats. |  [2] Tito had previously installed...  [2] Tito had previously installed a set of H&R springs and gave us specific instructions not to change the ride height on his whip, so before the vehicle is raised Alcalde takes measurements at all four wheels. He measures from the center of the wheel to the bottom of the fender and records the numbers for adjustments later. He also recommends doing this step on a level surface. |  [3] The guys decide to do...  [3] The guys decide to do the rear suspension first, and that means gaining access to the upper mounting nuts that are hidden behind the trunk lining. The spare also needs to come out. |
 [4] Exposed nuts: with the...  [4] Exposed nuts: with the lining gone the 14mm mounting nuts on the right side are easy enough to get at with a powered wrench. |  [5] However, on the left side...  [5] However, on the left side the nuts are underneath some fuel inlet piping and hoses. Best to undo these with just hand tools. |  [6] With the car raised, Garcia...  [6] With the car raised, Garcia unbolts the shocks from the rear lower A-arms by removing a pair of 14mm through-bolts (one for each A-arm). |
 [7] Meanwhile, Alcalde detaches...  [7] Meanwhile, Alcalde detaches the rear anti-roll bar's end links using a boxed end and an Allen wrench to break loose the nut. With the linkage separated, the lower A-arm will have plenty of travel to remove and install the suspension parts. |  [8] Garcia uses his weight...  [8] Garcia uses his weight to pull down on the rotor and hub assembly, giving Alcalde enough room to remove the old shock and spring and replace it with the Amuse pieces. |  [9] Installation is the reverse...  [9] Installation is the reverse of removal, after we remember to reattach the anti-roll bar's end links and torque all the bolts to spec. |
 [10] Moving on to the forward...  [10] Moving on to the forward struts, Garcia pops the hood to get at the mounting nuts in the engine compartment. He also removes the bolt attaching the lower A-arm to the shock underneath the vehicle. |  [11] Unlike the rear suspension,...  [11] Unlike the rear suspension, brake lines are attached to the front shock bodies with 12mm bolts. Those lines are separated before removing the assemblies. |  [12] Garcia also separates...  [12] Garcia also separates the ABS lines from the upper A-arms, held in place with 10mm bolts. You'll see why in a sec. |
 [13] The wishbone suspension...  [13] The wishbone suspension on an S2000 places the upper A-arm about halfway down the shock, making it somewhat difficult to remove the strut assembly without removing the A-arm. So the guys do just that, removing the pivot bolts to free up the arm. |  [14] With the pivot bolts...  [14] With the pivot bolts out (but the upper ball joint intact) the upper arm is swung out of the way. |  [15] This gives the techs...  [15] This gives the techs room to remove the old and plug in the new. |
 [16] Alcalde guides the assembly...  [16] Alcalde guides the assembly up into the fender well and inserts the mounting studs through the holes in the strut tower, and Garcia tightens the nuts just enough so the assembly won't fall back through. The plan is to finish torquing them down when the lower parts of the suspension are reattached. |  [17] It's our favorite saying:...  [17] It's our favorite saying: installation is the reverse of removal. Alcalde bolts the new shock to the lower A-arm and... |  [18] ...resecures the upper...  [18] ...resecures the upper A-arm pivot bolts, using the recommended torque specs. |
 [19] Then the brake and ABS...  [19] Then the brake and ABS lines are reattached. Once all these fasteners are tightened correctly, the car is lowered and the upper mounting nuts are torqued down. |  [20] Here's a better look...  [20] Here's a better look at the ABS line and its orientation to the upper A-arm. | 
[21] |
 [21-22] While the car was...  [21-22] While the car was on the lift, Alcalde schooled us on these camber and caster adjustment bolts under the car. For a typical car, if a camber adjustment is necessary, it usually means you have to buy a kit, but not on the S2K. Located where the lower A-arm is bolted to the frame, the two bolts are etched with degree marks. Once the nuts are broken loose, the eccentric heads can move the lower arm in or out for camber adjustment, or forward and back for caster. |  [23] With the car back on...  [23] With the car back on the ground Alcalde checks to make sure the ride height is where we want it, keeping in mind the car will still settle somewhat and should be rechecked after a week or so. Judging from the copious amounts of threads left above and below our current setting, it looks like the car can be dumped quite low. | |