Ok, heres the deal. Ive got a 98 prelude, auto, 195 xxx kms (121 xxx miles) and i paid $3000 for it (pretty good deal ). its got a few upgrades such as rims and tires, CAI, full sound system (sub, amp, components) with double din dash, etc. I just dumped $1500 into some body work because of a minor fender bender (new front bumper, new headlights, as well as paint on the bumper, hood and 2 fenders). I am going to get the rest of the car painted for $800.
Its got a minor trans problem, not too bad right now. I can get a new auto trans put in for $700 through a friend, but i really like the car so lately I have been thinking about doing a 5spd swap. The labor is going to be probably around $800, maybe less with the friend. Keep in mind, I dont plan on keeping the car forever, a few years, until I save up for something nicer. So right now im kind of leaning towards the 5spd swap. Also, im on pace to only put 10 xxx kms a year (6200 miles) on the car, which is very little. Not to mention the fact, everyone of my friends at school have standards and they make fun of me for having an auto lol. It was a mistake I made, but oh well.
How much would all the parts be? Can someone give me a list of everything i need?
What are your guys' opinion? Has anyone had any problems with their swaps, after it was done? Anything else i should know?
Last edited by CannMann21; 03-13-2011 at 10:07 PM.
dont mean to sound rude, but what are you so worried about? It SOUNDS like you really want the swap done, but you're hesitant because you're afraid something bad will happen.
any mechanical issue regarding the swap, or caused by the swap, will be covered free of charge from the mechanic. in otherwords, no matter what, you will end up with a working 5 speed prelude for that 1 time fee.
i drove my car after the swap for a few weeks, before going back to my mechanic to adjust the clutch. because it was slipping. he fixed it free of charge even though he said it was fine the day he gave it to me. (which i said it wasnt fine the day i took it, but didnt know since it was my first manual car).
its really hard for others to tell you if the swap is worth it or not. take me for example, i overpaid for my car from a honda dealership, i paid a buttload for the swap cuz i didnt buy my own parts. was it worth it? probably not. do i look back? no.
everyone is different, and have different priorities. i live with my parents, but i work fulltime and help pay for living expensives and other things. i make more money than the average person my age who just graduated. to me, money is important, but the only reason money is important to me is to buy happiness. (in which case, i achieved by spending it on cars). after overpaying for my car, and doing the swap. im still saving up alot of money monthly. from a third person perspective; i wasted alot of money. from my perspective; i kept myself motivated to keep working as hard as i do to make more money to spend ;D
sorry for the long rant.
im biased, cuz i got the swap. i think you will like it too. but if you really want to save up for a new car, then swapping will only set you back further. resale value is also lower cuz people would rather buy a 5speed stock. maybe consider trading in your car to a dealership and take the loss now (instead of swapping and taking a larger loss sometime in the future).
why would you pay for the swap, and then sell it? i doubt after the swap, you can make up for that loss. yes, you wont be able to sell the auto for much, but after paying for a swap, you wont get much more for it.
if i was a buyer, i wouldnt touch a 5 speed swapped prelude. i rather pay a bit more and find an ACTUAL 5 speed prelude. this means the only way a 5 speed swapped prelude can sell is if its ALOT cheaper than the average real 5 speed preludes. no matter what, swapping is a waste of money, unless you plan on keeping the car for a long time.
Im sick of driving auto. i dont know whether to put a new auto trans in and sell it (paid $3000+$3000 done in work=$6000 put into it) for probably around $5-6k or just get the swap done and keep it for a few years. Cars can be hard to sell at times, and i dont really want to go carless for a very long time. Then i will have to find a car after and most likely pay more, it all takes time.
im just trying to weigh out my options before i think about dumping $2000 into a swap.
^what car are you planning on upgrading to? if its a new car, bring your car to a dealership as is, and see how much you can trade in for.
its hard to sell a auto prelude to the community because people will know autos will fail. and its hard to sell a swapped one, because people would rather have a original 5speed.
i know dealerships wont give you near what you can sell for independently, but still go check.
Haha noo I wouldn't be upgrading if I sold the car now, I would just buy something in the same category, but a 5 speed. I was talking about in a few years when I'm done school and working with a much better paying job :P I'm almost 18 and im graduating this year so money isn't exactly flowing in.
That's why instead of going through the hassle of selling and re buying, I'd just be better off keeping it and sell it once I finish school or something.
I'm kinda in the same boat. About to graduate high school and my auto went on me a couple months ago. When it died I weighed my options and decided that I wanted to have a lude regardless. I figured I could either sell it for very little, save some and get a decent condition 5spd lude or I could do the swap, all for about the same price.
I'm currently in the middle of the swap. It really kinda comes down to if your content with a lude and want to stick with one for several years longer, and if so if you feel motivated to do the swap. I personally intend to hold onto the car for a long time so I'm not concerned about resale value, just having fun with it.
Ok so I was checking out kronns list on what trans to use but I don't know what to pick. Does it really matter? I was thinking of just going with the stock one. My lude is only for daily driving, no track or racing.
noobish question...but if you put another M2Y4 (base) trans in with the 5 speed swap, i wont get any more problems that an auto would have, even though its the same? was that just how crappy they were made between an auto and 5 speed?
I swapped, wouldn't do it again. It really is a lot of hassle when it is much easier to buy a 5speed.
its not necessarily easier to buy a 5 speed. first you gotta sell the auto (can be very hard with its rep) and then find a decent 5 speed for sale, which can also be hard. in my case, i paid 3 grand and with the swap, in total, i would of paid just over $5k for a standard prelude, which is pretty good. If i sold the car, id probably make about $3.5-4k, if that, and then have to pay $6-8k for a 5 speed.
i dont know if its worth it to sell, not to mention i dont have a lot of cash right now and the fact i cant really go car-less for a long period of time.
do the swap. enjoy your car for whatever duration you plan on keeping it. sell it and upgrade in the future. dont look back.
thats all i have to say.
for all we know, the world is going to end in 2012 lol. or something unexpected happens.
instead of worrying about "if i should swap or not", just do it. i know how you feel. i was in the same boat. i wanted it badly, but i kept looking around and holding off. problem is, if you keep holding it off, you're just gonna keep thinking about it anyways (which sounds like what you're doing). either sell your car NOW and forget about it, or do the swap NOW.
you keep making excuses not to sell your car too, which is the same thing i did before. trust me, just do the swap and enjoy it lol. who cares if you "overpaid", dont you rather be happy and enjoy your life instead of being stuck in this silly dilemna? ;D
im about 95% sure im going to do the swap. im going to give kevin a call this week and if everything goes good, ill start shopping for the parts. then hopefully i can get it done before summer. i went and talked to another guy but i dont think he knew what he was doing because he said it was cheaper to buy a whole new car...
the only reason im not on it right away is because i dont have all the money yet.
One thing I've learned about cars is, once you commit and make that first big spend towards parts or services, you follow all the way through with it....that or you end up taking a loss.
The prelude is a good looking car. Is it a race car? No...not without a lot of work, but it's got the lines of a classic in the making. It looks timeless and is IMO one of the best FWD coupes to ever come out of Japan. < Called me biased, but whatever.
I too am in the middle of gathering parts for the swap, not too much more to find, though. So far I've spent about $1300 on parts. Haven't chosen a shop yet, but expect that the labor will be at least a G note. And just to make sure the swap is worth it, I'm spending extra to get a quaife LSD put it.
That is just me. I'm a guy that plans on keeping his lude and building it over the course of the next 5-7 years. I love the car. I've had a lot of good times in it and with it.
Ask yourself this; "how much do I love my prelude to spend this much money on it?"
One thing I've learned about cars is, once you commit and make that first big spend towards parts or services, you follow all the way through with it....that or you end up taking a loss.
The prelude is a good looking car. Is it a race car? No...not without a lot of work, but it's got the lines of a classic in the making. It looks timeless and is IMO one of the best FWD coupes to ever come out of Japan. < Called me biased, but whatever.
I too am in the middle of gathering parts for the swap, not too much more to find, though. So far I've spent about $1300 on parts. Haven't chosen a shop yet, but expect that the labor will be at least a G note. And just to make sure the swap is worth it, I'm spending extra to get a quaife LSD put it.
That is just me. I'm a guy that plans on keeping his lude and building it over the course of the next 5-7 years. I love the car. I've had a lot of good times in it and with it.
Ask yourself this; "how much do I love my prelude to spend this much money on it?"
I love the lude, its an amazing first car. i actually never thought i could afford a 5th gen, so when i found this, i jumped all over it. I dont see me buying a new car for atleast another 4 years as im graduating and going into university. its getting the paint job finished soon and then with the 5 speed swap, she could be looking pretty sexy, along with a few other upgrades.
so yes, i think i love my prelude enough to spend money on it. ive started now, so i might as well stick with it for awhile.
I love the lude, its an amazing first car. i actually never thought i could afford a 5th gen, so when i found this, i jumped all over it.
I know exactly how you feel Cann. I started with an 87, wrecked it, and waited 7 more years to get another one for the right price. Last one I looked at was pushing $7k (manuel) Got mine for $3400.
But with dream come true also came a nightmare. Not a month after I get my coveted 5th gen, I learned, (through this forum) that my tranny is going out. Not sure if I am going to (try to) get another tranny, rebuild this one or jsut go for the swap. Money is a serious issue so I'm thinking rebuilding just to save the added cost. Still trying to find current, up-to-date info here. Something that's not 10 years old with broken links and changed phone numbers.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
). its got a few upgrades such as rims and tires, CAI, full sound system (sub, amp, components) with double din dash, etc. I just dumped $1500 into some body work because of a minor fender bender 
(new front bumper, new headlights, as well as paint on the bumper, hood and 2 fenders). I am going to get the rest of the car painted for $800.
>87 Lude 2.0 Si
Linear Mode
