The S2000 is one of the most rewarding DIY cars you'll ever own — precise, well-engineered, and honest about whether you're doing the job right. Your single biggest obstacle as a beginner is getting the car in the air safely: the AP1 sits at roughly 4.7 inches of ground clearance stock, and a standard floor jack will tear up the sills before it even gets under the car. Every other decision in this build flows from picking the right low-profile floor jack first. The F20C is chain-driven and extremely oil-sensitive — if you do one thing consistently, commit to 5,000-mile oil changes with Honda-spec 10W-30 and treat every fastener on this 24-year-old car with penetrating oil before you touch it.
Chain-driven interference engine — no scheduled timing replacement interval, but a stretched or jumped chain causes catastrophic piston-to-valve contact on this high-compression motor. VTEC engagement is oil-pressure dependent: dirty or low oil starves the solenoid, kills VTEC function, and accelerates engine wear. Oil maintenance is not optional on this car.
Brand: Arcan | Category: Lifting | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
This is the most important purchase in your entire build — not optional, not deferrable. The ALJ3T's 3.5" minimum height is one of the very few floor jacks that can physically get under a stock S2000. The aluminum frame keeps weight at 56 lbs versus 90+ lbs for steel jacks, so you can actually move it in a tight garage. The dual-pump action raises fast, the release valve is smooth and controllable, and the saddle is wide enough to seat properly on Honda jack points. The Pittsburgh HF low-profile technically hits 3.5" minimum too, but the saddle geometry is wrong for the S2000 pinch points and the pump quality doesn't inspire confidence. Buy the Arcan once and own it forever.
Alternative: Budget alt: Pittsburgh Automotive 3-ton low-profile steel jack at Harbor Freight, ~$90 with a 20% off coupon. Gets the car in the air but it's 86 lbs, the saddle is less precise, and the hydraulics feel sloppy. Acceptable if the Arcan is truly out of reach right now.
Brand: ICON | Category: Lifting | Store: Harbor Freight | Priority: CRITICAL
Never work under a car supported only by a floor jack. Hydraulic seals fail, floors aren't perfectly level, and a bumped jack releases instantly. The ICON 6-ton stands have a ratchet-pawl locking mechanism with a secondary safety, and the wide base won't tip on a slightly uneven garage floor. You only need 2-ton capacity for an S2000, but the 6-ton stands are physically wider and more stable — worth the marginal price difference. Place them on the frame rails, not the rocker panels.
Brand: Maxxhaul | Category: Lifting | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
Chock the rear wheels every time you jack the front, and the front when you jack the rear. The S2000 weighs only 2,800 lbs and will roll on a polished garage floor faster than you'd expect. Rubber chocks won't compress under load the way foam ones do, and they won't roll away like wood blocks. $15 insurance against a moving car.
Brand: Pyramex | Category: Safety | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
Brake dust, 24-year-old rust scale, oil spray, and the socket you drop from 3 feet above your face will all find your eyes without these. ANSI Z87.1 rated means they'll stop a small projectile, not just shield a light splash. Buy the 3-pack — one pair in the toolbox, one on the workbench, one spare for when a lens gets scratched.
Brand: Kidde | Category: Safety | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
The S2000 has a 13-gallon fuel tank behind the seats and a high-pressure fuel injection system. A dripping fuel line near a hot exhaust or a spark from a battery connection can escalate to a full fire in under 30 seconds. Mount this extinguisher within arm's reach of your work area — not locked in a cabinet across the garage. ABC rating covers fuel fires, electrical fires, and regular combustion. A 5 lb unit is better if you have room, but 2.5 lb is the non-negotiable minimum.
Brand: Tekton | Category: Sockets | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
The S2000 is 100% metric — you will not need a single SAE socket for anything from factory. 3/8" drive is your workhorse for 90% of jobs: oil drain plug (17mm), caliper bolts (12mm, 17mm), suspension link hardware (14mm, 17mm), spark plugs (see dedicated socket below). Tekton's 6-point design is critical on an aging car — 12-point sockets have twice the rounding points on corroded fasteners. Tekton has a lifetime warranty and ships direct without retail markup. No substitute at this price point.
Alternative: Budget alt: Husky 3/8" drive socket set at Home Depot, ~$45. Comparable quality with a lifetime exchange warranty if anything breaks.
Brand: Tekton | Category: Sockets | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
The 1/4" drive fills the gap for all the small hardware: valve cover bolts (8mm, 10mm), battery terminal bolt (10mm), air intake hardware, and interior trim fasteners. The S2000's engine bay is dense, and a compact 1/4" ratchet with short sockets reaches where a 3/8" drive can't. You'll reach for these more than you expect on the first real job.
Brand: GearWrench | Category: Sockets | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
A 72-tooth ratchet has a 5-degree swing arc — you only need 5 degrees of rotation to advance the mechanism. In the cramped S2000 engine bay and under the car, that's the difference between loosening a bolt efficiently and bashing your knuckles on the firewall every stroke. GearWrench 120XP specifically — the head is low-profile, the chrome-vanadium internals are durable, and the quick-release button actually functions under load. A cheap ratchet slips, strips, and teaches bad habits. Don't compromise here.
Brand: Tekton | Category: Wrenches | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
Open-end and box-end wrenches are what you reach for when a socket won't fit or you need to counterhold a bolt while turning a nut behind it. On the S2000 you'll constantly use 10mm and 12mm for engine bay hardware, 14mm for sway bar links, and 17mm for the oil drain plug backup. Tekton chrome-vanadium doesn't round fasteners, and the markings stay legible. At $30 for 9 wrenches, there's no reason to spend more at this tier.
Brand: Tekton | Category: Wrenches | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
Lug nuts torqued to 80 ft-lbs and an oil drain plug that hasn't moved in years will laugh at a 3/8" ratchet. The breaker bar is pure physics — 18 inches of leverage breaks loose anything on this car without power tools. The flex head lets you change the working angle when access is tight. This is also your torque-testing tool: if you can break a fastener loose by hand with this bar, you understand what torque actually feels like before you start using the torque wrench.
Brand: Wera | Category: Hand Tools | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
The S2000 uses Phillips screws throughout the interior, battery hold-down, air intake, and engine bay covers. On a 24-year-old car, every one of those screws has some degree of corrosion or past overtightening. Wera's laser-etched tip technology bites into worn screw heads instead of camming out — you feel the grip difference instantly on the first corroded fastener. The Kraftform ergonomic handle transfers torque directly without hot spots. This is the tool you'll hand someone and say 'now you understand.'
Alternative: Budget alt: Klein Tools 6-piece screwdriver set, ~$25. Decent tips but noticeably inferior on corroded Phillips heads. Acceptable for first year.
Brand: Knipex | Category: Hand Tools | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
One pair of Knipex Cobras does the work of five pairs of Channellocks and never slips. The push-button jaw adjustment snaps into position in a fraction of a second, the parallel jaw geometry grips without rounding, and the German steel does not deform on a seized hose clamp. On the S2000 you'll use these for coolant hose clamps, the battery terminal pinch bolt, oil filter removal in a pinch, and any rigid fitting that needs to be grabbed and held. Buy these once, use them on every car you ever own.
Brand: Knipex | Category: Hand Tools | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
The S2000 engine bay is compact and full of wire connectors, cotter pins, hose clamp springs, and hardware in spots you can barely see. Needle-nose pliers are how you grab a cotter pin on the caliper slide pin, route a wire around a heat shield, or compress a fuel line clip with one hand. Knipex jaw alignment is precise and the German steel doesn't flex under load. These last forever.
Brand: Tekton | Category: Torque | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
Lug nuts undertorqued causes wheel separation; overtorqued causes warped rotors within 500 miles. The S2000 spec is 80 ft-lbs — not approximate, not 'feel.' Wheel bearing hub bolts, caliper bracket bolts (80 ft-lbs), and axle nut (181 ft-lbs) all have torque specs that matter on a precision sports car. Tekton's click-type is ±4% accurate out of the box. Store it at the lowest setting between uses to protect spring calibration — a detorqued spring drifts out of calibration. Never use a torque wrench as a breaker bar.
Alternative: Budget alt: Pittsburgh 1/2" torque wrench at Harbor Freight, ~$25. Accurate initially but loses calibration within a year of use. Fine as a starter tool.
Brand: Launch | Category: Diagnostic | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
A $15 code reader only reads engine codes — it will completely miss ABS faults, SRS airbag warnings, and transmission issues. The S2000 is 24 years old; you need full system diagnostic capability. The CRP123X reads all four systems, clears codes, and shows live data streams so you can watch coolant temperature, oxygen sensor function, and VTEC oil pressure switching in real time. This pays for itself the first time you diagnose an issue yourself instead of paying $150 at a dealer just to plug in a scanner. It's also the most beginner-friendly full-system scanner on the market — clear menus, no laptop required.
Alternative: Budget alt: BlueDriver Bluetooth OBD2 scanner + phone app, ~$120. Better interface but COSTS MORE than the CRP123X and requires your phone to be the display. The CRP123X is the better value.
Brand: PB Blaster | Category: Shop Supplies | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
Your S2000 is 24+ years old. Every exhaust fastener, suspension bolt, and underbody hardware has had two decades to corrode. Spray PB Blaster on anything you plan to remove 24 hours before you touch it — exhaust manifold nuts, caliper slide pins, control arm bolts, sway bar end links. A snapped exhaust stud turns a $30 brake job into a $300 extraction nightmare. Cheap insurance. Buy the 4-pack; you'll go through it.
Brand: Permatex | Category: Shop Supplies | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
Anti-seize on spark plug threads prevents them from seizing in the aluminum F20C cylinder head — a seized plug in aluminum strips the threads and requires a Helicoil insert. Also use on lug nut threads (reduce torque spec by 10% when you do), and any aluminum-to-steel fastener junction you'll need to remove again. Small tube, massive consequence prevention.
Brand: Tekton | Category: Shop Supplies | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
Drop a lug nut or a valve cover bolt in the tight engine bay of an S2000 and you'll spend 20 minutes fishing it out. These magnetic trays catch hardware as you remove it, keep bolts and washers organized by location, and stick to any flat steel surface so they don't slide off the fender while you work. The nested sizes stack for storage. Sounds trivial — essential in practice.
Brand: Scott | Category: Shop Supplies | Store: Amazon | Priority: CRITICAL
Blue shop towels for oil changes, fluid wipes, and pre-inspection cleaning. Tougher than paper towels, lint-free, and disposable so you're not cross-contaminating brake fluid with engine oil on a cloth rag. Six rolls lasts a full year of normal DIY work on one car.
Brand: GearWrench | Category: Wrenches | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
Ratcheting wrenches are the single biggest productivity upgrade in a mechanic's toolbox. Any place a socket won't fit — caliper bolts with the rotor in the way, ABS sensor bolts buried in the knuckle, coolant hose clamps on the firewall side — a ratcheting wrench works in confined spaces where a regular wrench needs 30 degrees of swing you don't have. GearWrench's 90-tooth mechanism gives a 4-degree arc, the narrowest in its class. You'll reach for these over regular wrenches within the first month.
Brand: Energizer | Category: Lighting | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
The S2000 engine bay is dark and the undercar is darker. A 500-lumen rechargeable LED runs 4+ hours on medium mode, has a magnetic base that sticks to the chassis while you work, and folds multiple ways for hands-free lighting. Don't use your phone for this — you will drop it in the oil catch pan. No extension cord means no trip hazard in the garage.
Brand: AstroAI | Category: Diagnostic | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
The S2000's electrical system is 24 years old. Battery health (12.6V fully charged), alternator output (should be 13.5-14.5V running), VTEC solenoid continuity, ground strap resistance — all of these require a multimeter to diagnose properly. The AM33D is auto-ranging (no dial to set wrong), reverse-polarity protected, and accurate enough for automotive diagnostics. At $20 there is no reason to go without one.
Brand: Tekton | Category: Sockets | Store: Amazon | Priority: HIGH
Extensions let you reach recessed bolts that a socket and ratchet alone can't touch. The 10" extension is essential for S2000 spark plugs (seated deep in the head with a narrow entry angle) and for rear ABS sensor bolts buried in the knuckle. The 3" is what you'll grab for everyday engine bay work. You'll need these within the first oil change attempt. A universal joint swivel added later extends this set's reach dramatically.
Brand: Lisle | Category: Honda Specialty | Store: Amazon | Priority: MEDIUM
The F20C's spin-on oil filter gets overtightened every time a quick-lube shop touches it. The filter housing threads are aluminum — using channel-lock pliers to remove a stuck filter rounds the housing and creates a $200+ problem. This 65mm cap wrench uses a 3/8" ratchet to apply controlled torque for clean removal every time. $12 is the cheapest insurance you'll buy for this engine.
Brand: Tekton | Category: Spark Plugs | Store: Amazon | Priority: MEDIUM
The F20C uses standard 16mm thread plugs (NGK IFR6T-11 iridium recommended). On a 24-year-old car, assume the plugs are overdue for inspection regardless of mileage history. The magnetic rubber insert holds the plug on removal so it doesn't drop into the engine bay or down an intake port if you fumble it. Use this with the 10" extension from your set and a torque wrench — 13 ft-lbs, no more, on aluminum head threads.
Brand: Mityvac | Category: Brakes | Store: Amazon | Priority: MEDIUM
Brake fluid is hygroscopic — it absorbs moisture from the atmosphere over time, raising its boiling point threshold and degrading performance. On a 24-year-old performance car, the brake fluid is almost certainly degraded regardless of service history. Fresh fluid is a safety upgrade, not a maintenance checkbox. The Mityvac lets you bleed all four corners solo — no second person needed to pump the pedal. Also works for the S2000's hydraulic clutch. Do this job within the first year of ownership.