Ray Ho – 10/24/2020

Recently I went to a Home Depot to get some parts to replace a toilet…… er… flapper. As soon as I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed a couple of Honda S2000s (AP1 and AP2) parked in a corner with their hoods and trunks popped open. I looked closer and I found a couple of young men hovering around one of the engine compartment. As an auto journalist I couldn’t help but walked over and shouted: “Car journalist, show me your hands”…. er…on the inside. What I really said was “Hi, I am Ray and I am an car journalist, do you guys mind if I take some pictures and ask you guys a few questions?”.

They were very accommodating and eager to share their story. Turns out they met online and agreed to do a swapped of their intake systems. One of them is from Rancho Cucamonga and the other was from Koreantown. They decided to meet at a Home Depot parking lot to do the swap. Why not? There is plenty of open space and tools are available inside if needed.

These guys are fellow auto enthusiasts that had done some mods to their cars, besides the customary intake and exhaust improvements, their cars are noticeably dropped. I guess it’s still all about the stance. By the time I approached them, they were pretty much done and were just doing final adjustments. They fired up one of them and damn that exhaust sounded mean. They were so happy with their mod and raved about can’t wait to get back on the track, off course they mean literally.

In these days of the pandemic, it is refreshing to once again chatting with auto enthusiasts. Even when I have access to many new cars including occasional Supercars, it is still affordable great handling cars like the Honda S2000 that remind me why I became a car journalist in the first place. Speaking of great handling cars, I can’t wait to experience how the highly anticipated 86/BRZ update compares to the current generation.

So if you are tired of the pandemic, with proper social distancing and face covering, go out to the limited car events when you can. Or if you prefer, just head to your friendly neighborhood Home Depot.