My Prelude Project Thread
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Sorry to highjack your thread slightly mate, but seems to be the best place to ask this question, but...
A prelude is in the list of my next car, what is the performance like on the 2.2, is it 200bhp? Also when buying one, is it stupid getting one with 110 - 120k on the clock, bearing in mind i only do about 6k a year max?
Any other pointers i should look for?
A prelude is in the list of my next car, what is the performance like on the 2.2, is it 200bhp? Also when buying one, is it stupid getting one with 110 - 120k on the clock, bearing in mind i only do about 6k a year max?
Any other pointers i should look for?
GinG
I've just purchased a 2.2 Motegi 5th Generation Prelude. There are two versions of the 2.2 to consider, the standard VTI and the Motegi. The standard 2.2 produces 185bhp whilst the Motegi 2.2 produces 197bhp. The motegi was a limited edition produced post 1999 and features a full body kit as standard. The way to gauge if its a VTI or Motegi is the colour of the engine block, Motegi's have a red cam cover.
As for mileage, it really doesnt matter if the cars done 60k or 120k, its the condition of the car itself thats more important. Ensure that it carries a full service history (honestly, this is a big must) Tensioners and belts MUST have been changed as scheduled. The 2.2 engine will go on for 200-250k+.
Also, for the love of god please stay away from the automatic, tiptronic etc. A manual gearbox is THE ONLY version to buy. The failure rate of automatic cars boxes is quite big, add to that the performance loses (adds over a second to the 0-60). The only other thing to investigate really is the 4 wheel steer system, there should be no '4WS' error lights on the dash once the car has started up.
I've owned mine for nearly one month, and after getting over the shock of 28MPG combined, I can say its a stunning car to drive, performance when you need performance and lazy cruiser when you just want to cruise.
I've just purchased a 2.2 Motegi 5th Generation Prelude. There are two versions of the 2.2 to consider, the standard VTI and the Motegi. The standard 2.2 produces 185bhp whilst the Motegi 2.2 produces 197bhp. The motegi was a limited edition produced post 1999 and features a full body kit as standard. The way to gauge if its a VTI or Motegi is the colour of the engine block, Motegi's have a red cam cover.
As for mileage, it really doesnt matter if the cars done 60k or 120k, its the condition of the car itself thats more important. Ensure that it carries a full service history (honestly, this is a big must) Tensioners and belts MUST have been changed as scheduled. The 2.2 engine will go on for 200-250k+.
Also, for the love of god please stay away from the automatic, tiptronic etc. A manual gearbox is THE ONLY version to buy. The failure rate of automatic cars boxes is quite big, add to that the performance loses (adds over a second to the 0-60). The only other thing to investigate really is the 4 wheel steer system, there should be no '4WS' error lights on the dash once the car has started up.
I've owned mine for nearly one month, and after getting over the shock of 28MPG combined, I can say its a stunning car to drive, performance when you need performance and lazy cruiser when you just want to cruise.
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<(Multi)> said:
coupe of points. after i think 2000 then all 5th gen preludes were 197hp.
The 4th gen prelude came as a UK car with 185hp and as a jap car with 197hp, I beleve confused started with a UK lump and how has gone JDM y0!
Things to look for is dodgy 4ws and worn synchromeshes.
Hi,
I bought my Prelude 25 months ago with 157k miles on the clock - and out of all that I've driven since - it's still the best one I've driven! (Hence why I decided to rebuild it rather than change it for another, or something else!)
As for the 4th gen (the shape of mine), the UKDM ones are 185bhp, and the JDM ones are "197"bhp. The 197 is in quotation marks because that is what it was rated at on 100ron fuel that they use in Japan. The UK is rated on 95ron!
Put even 97/98 ron in a JDM and you're looking at more like 194. The main difference in the power output between the two is that the JDM has a higher compression ratio (due to their increased knock-resistance of the 100ron fuel), and addition of a knock sensor.
Other main differences between UKDM and JDM are that the JDM has climate control (rather than just manually controlled air conditioning in the UKDM), and everything else was an option on the JDM! All UKDM VTECs have 4WS & sunroof, but it were options on the JDM. The JDM also had an optional LSD gearbox, which was never offered in the UK.
As for the 5th gen (the newer, squarer shape), the UKDM was 185bhp until 2000, when all became 197bhp (as identified by a red rocker cover - though some have resprayed theirs red!). I believe all were 4WS, apart from the Type-S, which is the top-of-the-range 5th gen, which has ATTS (rather than LSD, which wasn't an option on any 5th gen) and ~220bhp!
For more information on any Preludes, check out PreludeUK
Garry
I bought my Prelude 25 months ago with 157k miles on the clock - and out of all that I've driven since - it's still the best one I've driven! (Hence why I decided to rebuild it rather than change it for another, or something else!)
As for the 4th gen (the shape of mine), the UKDM ones are 185bhp, and the JDM ones are "197"bhp. The 197 is in quotation marks because that is what it was rated at on 100ron fuel that they use in Japan. The UK is rated on 95ron!
Put even 97/98 ron in a JDM and you're looking at more like 194. The main difference in the power output between the two is that the JDM has a higher compression ratio (due to their increased knock-resistance of the 100ron fuel), and addition of a knock sensor.Other main differences between UKDM and JDM are that the JDM has climate control (rather than just manually controlled air conditioning in the UKDM), and everything else was an option on the JDM! All UKDM VTECs have 4WS & sunroof, but it were options on the JDM. The JDM also had an optional LSD gearbox, which was never offered in the UK.
As for the 5th gen (the newer, squarer shape), the UKDM was 185bhp until 2000, when all became 197bhp (as identified by a red rocker cover - though some have resprayed theirs red!
). I believe all were 4WS, apart from the Type-S, which is the top-of-the-range 5th gen, which has ATTS (rather than LSD, which wasn't an option on any 5th gen) and ~220bhp!For more information on any Preludes, check out PreludeUK
Garry
Just heard from my dad, everything's been undersealed, most of the plastic arch liners are back in, and the windows have been taken away to be tinted (too much dust in dad's garage for them to be done there), and will be back tomorrow
STILL not got my front lip made, so I'll either be on a standard bumper, or will have that other one as posted a few weeks back.
I've also just sprayed up the roof trims (that sit in the channel either side of the roof), as the old ones were a bit worse for wear - can't put anything half-assed back onto the car
Am going over to my dad's straight after work tomorrow to do as much as possible - might not get a chance to update until Friday evening...! Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Garry
STILL not got my front lip made, so I'll either be on a standard bumper, or will have that other one as posted a few weeks back.
I've also just sprayed up the roof trims (that sit in the channel either side of the roof), as the old ones were a bit worse for wear - can't put anything half-assed back onto the car
Am going over to my dad's straight after work tomorrow to do as much as possible - might not get a chance to update until Friday evening...! Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Garry
Quality thread, been following this over on preludeuk, can't wait to get my colt sold and a prelude bought. Fallen in love with the idea of a white bb4 with the wings west rs lip kit <3
Cars looking fantastic mate, can't wait to see the end result
Cars looking fantastic mate, can't wait to see the end result
Soldato
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
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- 11,701
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- Cheshire
Nice car, but really dont like the wheels!
Quick update before I dive into bed for an early start tomorrow!
I now have a full compliment of glass!
And, the rear windows are now tinted - something I'd been wanting to do since I got the car!
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Everything's been undersealed, and wheel arch liners/plastic undertrays are back on (although I may have said that in my last update, I can't remember!)
I've also started cleaning up my brake callipers for painting, as I need to definitely swap the nearside rear tomorrow. Muppet here left my Goodridge braided brake lines at home, so I can't fit them tomorrow
I do have 2 tyres on the rear wheels, and they're back on the car (although they're coming off to do the callipers again).
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Yes, I'm aware it's sitting high there, and I can fit a family of immigrants under there - but the car's only just been lowered back on the wheels - the suspension's not moved and settled yet!
Still got quite a few things to do tomorrow, so hopefully my next update will be more substantial!
Garry
I now have a full compliment of glass!
And, the rear windows are now tinted - something I'd been wanting to do since I got the car!
Everything's been undersealed, and wheel arch liners/plastic undertrays are back on (although I may have said that in my last update, I can't remember!)
I've also started cleaning up my brake callipers for painting, as I need to definitely swap the nearside rear tomorrow. Muppet here left my Goodridge braided brake lines at home, so I can't fit them tomorrow
I do have 2 tyres on the rear wheels, and they're back on the car (although they're coming off to do the callipers again).
Yes, I'm aware it's sitting high there, and I can fit a family of immigrants under there - but the car's only just been lowered back on the wheels - the suspension's not moved and settled yet!
Still got quite a few things to do tomorrow, so hopefully my next update will be more substantial!
Garry
I guess I'd better do a proper update, rather than my quite brief and cryptic post of Friday night!
Basically, the Prelude is back on the road!
However, that's not to say I didn't have some drama!
On Friday morning I got up early, and took the wheels & Toyo tyres to my dad's work, so the tyres could be fitted, and the wheels balanced.
I also had to go and pick up my front bumper, driver's wing mirror and driver's door handle from the bodyshop. Thankfully before I did this I checked the new insurance certificate for the Prelude (I'd done a change-of-car), and they had started the insurance on the Prelude from 00:01 on the Friday - rather than midday when I'd asked. They also wouldn't provide me any overlap between the two cars, without charging me £43 for the privilege of a week's overlap, hence why I asked for 12pm - so it gave me the morning to run around and pick up things like the bumper! Luckily I have Drive Other Cars cover - so I was able to borrow my dad's Shogun (which has wasn't too pleased about, but could hardly deny me!) to go and pick them up, and get a numberplate and load-balance resistor for the LED indicators, to stop them flashing too fast!
When I got back from the bodyshop with the bumper (which they carried out to and put in the Shogun), I took it out of the boot - but it was a bit light - they hadn't given me the metal support bar - which meant another 40 minute round-trip to get it.
Luckily, JohnnyB from PreludeUK then turned up to lend a hand, as he'd booked Friday morning off work in case he needed it to do his clutch & flywheel, but he didn't, so he decided to give me a hand instead As soon as he turned up, I turned him straight back around and he went to collect the bumper bar, and lunch! He returned a little bit later, and then helped by attaching the front bumper to the car, cutting out my driver's door card for the puddle light, taping up the rest of the plastic in the doors, and refitting the door card. There were also other little odds and sods he did such as cleaning my leather seats (where they'd been sat in the garage for 7 months they'd got various paint overspray and dust all over them), and swapping the seat belt clips from the donor car's seats to mine, and then fitting the seats, passing me tools etc. All little bits that would have taken me an extra few hours to do, and would have probably made me too late for the MOT!! So, an extra special thanks to JohnnyB, as without his help on the Friday I wouldn't have been finished in time.
As I mentioned before, I had a sticky brake caliper on the nearside rear, so this needed to come off. However, one of the bolts that held the handbrake cable to the caliper had seized up, and my attempts to remove it just ended up rounding the head of the bolt. So, I decided I'd just take the whole caliper and handbrake cable off, and use the cable from the donor. So, I did. I removed everything from both cars, poked the cable from the donor through into the inside of mine, ran it back to the rear wheel and attached the new caliper & handbrake cable, and then built up the rear end again. I then went inside the car to hook the cable to the handbrake lever. Only I failed to do so - because the cable was 4" too short. Oh dear...! The pre-facelift donor car has the handbrake further back than my facelift car... So, I had to remove the donor's handbrake cable again, then try to remove the bolt from the original caliper/cable. A combination of brute force with a slightly smaller impact socket, a hammer, and a bit of heat from a blow-torch, and my dad managed to get the bolt out, and the cable was reinstalled to the car! Not something I really wanted, as it took me lots of extra time in order to mess around with all this!
I also had to refit my cat, as I'd previously put a de-cat pipe in it's place.
My BMC CDA is rather larger than the ones other Prelude owners have, and they struggled to fit theirs, so I had to bodge my old eBay-special filter onto my OEM intake pipe - a little duck tape came in very handy then! Hopefully I can figure out some way of fitting my BMC CDA and improve the intake filter to one of the best available for a Prelude!
Once all the little bits were done, I was able to take it down for it's MOT. The emissions test was a little nerve-racking - the cat hadn't been used for nearly a year so took some time for it to warm up and decide to do what it's supposed to do, but it did come down. It did unfortunately fail it's MOT! The offside headlight aim was too high, and the nearside was aimed too high and too far to the right. This was fixed on site, aim re-tested and an MOT pass was issued!
JohnnyB then took me off to the nearest Post Office to get tax. I however was a muppet and forgot to get my V5C out of my bag, so we had to go back to my dad's to get it. Second time lucky, I managed to produce all the required documentation, and the road tax was purchased. Another £180 to line Gordon Brown's pockets (well, either him, or whoever is taking over his old job now he's about to become Prime Minister...!)
Once I'd got back, I started to re-fit some more of the interior trim, but it was then soon time to leave so I could get to my girlfriend's for us to start making our move towards Japshow
I put the car on the PreludeUK stand, and spent most of the weekend showing people my lights! The members of PreludeUK voted mine as runner-up in the Best Modified Overall and Best In Show categories - greatly appreciated awards, as it was voted by over 30 Prelude owners and enthusiasts!
Now, some piccies that I took of it on Friday, and some of my lights from the weekend
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[continued...]
Basically, the Prelude is back on the road!
However, that's not to say I didn't have some drama!
On Friday morning I got up early, and took the wheels & Toyo tyres to my dad's work, so the tyres could be fitted, and the wheels balanced.
I also had to go and pick up my front bumper, driver's wing mirror and driver's door handle from the bodyshop. Thankfully before I did this I checked the new insurance certificate for the Prelude (I'd done a change-of-car), and they had started the insurance on the Prelude from 00:01 on the Friday - rather than midday when I'd asked. They also wouldn't provide me any overlap between the two cars, without charging me £43 for the privilege of a week's overlap, hence why I asked for 12pm - so it gave me the morning to run around and pick up things like the bumper! Luckily I have Drive Other Cars cover - so I was able to borrow my dad's Shogun (which has wasn't too pleased about, but could hardly deny me!) to go and pick them up, and get a numberplate and load-balance resistor for the LED indicators, to stop them flashing too fast!
When I got back from the bodyshop with the bumper (which they carried out to and put in the Shogun), I took it out of the boot - but it was a bit light - they hadn't given me the metal support bar - which meant another 40 minute round-trip to get it.
Luckily, JohnnyB from PreludeUK then turned up to lend a hand, as he'd booked Friday morning off work in case he needed it to do his clutch & flywheel, but he didn't, so he decided to give me a hand instead
As soon as he turned up, I turned him straight back around and he went to collect the bumper bar, and lunch! He returned a little bit later, and then helped by attaching the front bumper to the car, cutting out my driver's door card for the puddle light, taping up the rest of the plastic in the doors, and refitting the door card. There were also other little odds and sods he did such as cleaning my leather seats (where they'd been sat in the garage for 7 months they'd got various paint overspray and dust all over them), and swapping the seat belt clips from the donor car's seats to mine, and then fitting the seats, passing me tools etc. All little bits that would have taken me an extra few hours to do, and would have probably made me too late for the MOT!! So, an extra special thanks to JohnnyB, as without his help on the Friday I wouldn't have been finished in time.As I mentioned before, I had a sticky brake caliper on the nearside rear, so this needed to come off. However, one of the bolts that held the handbrake cable to the caliper had seized up, and my attempts to remove it just ended up rounding the head of the bolt. So, I decided I'd just take the whole caliper and handbrake cable off, and use the cable from the donor. So, I did. I removed everything from both cars, poked the cable from the donor through into the inside of mine, ran it back to the rear wheel and attached the new caliper & handbrake cable, and then built up the rear end again. I then went inside the car to hook the cable to the handbrake lever. Only I failed to do so - because the cable was 4" too short. Oh dear...! The pre-facelift donor car has the handbrake further back than my facelift car... So, I had to remove the donor's handbrake cable again, then try to remove the bolt from the original caliper/cable. A combination of brute force with a slightly smaller impact socket, a hammer, and a bit of heat from a blow-torch, and my dad managed to get the bolt out, and the cable was reinstalled to the car! Not something I really wanted, as it took me lots of extra time in order to mess around with all this!
I also had to refit my cat, as I'd previously put a de-cat pipe in it's place.
My BMC CDA is rather larger than the ones other Prelude owners have, and they struggled to fit theirs, so I had to bodge my old eBay-special filter onto my OEM intake pipe - a little duck tape came in very handy then! Hopefully I can figure out some way of fitting my BMC CDA and improve the intake filter to one of the best available for a Prelude!
Once all the little bits were done, I was able to take it down for it's MOT. The emissions test was a little nerve-racking - the cat hadn't been used for nearly a year so took some time for it to warm up and decide to do what it's supposed to do, but it did come down. It did unfortunately fail it's MOT! The offside headlight aim was too high, and the nearside was aimed too high and too far to the right. This was fixed on site, aim re-tested and an MOT pass was issued!
JohnnyB then took me off to the nearest Post Office to get tax. I however was a muppet and forgot to get my V5C out of my bag, so we had to go back to my dad's to get it. Second time lucky, I managed to produce all the required documentation, and the road tax was purchased. Another £180 to line Gordon Brown's pockets (well, either him, or whoever is taking over his old job now he's about to become Prime Minister...!)
Once I'd got back, I started to re-fit some more of the interior trim, but it was then soon time to leave so I could get to my girlfriend's for us to start making our move towards Japshow
I put the car on the PreludeUK stand, and spent most of the weekend showing people my lights! The members of PreludeUK voted mine as runner-up in the Best Modified Overall and Best In Show categories - greatly appreciated awards, as it was voted by over 30 Prelude owners and enthusiasts!
Now, some piccies that I took of it on Friday, and some of my lights from the weekend
[continued...]
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