1995 Honda Prelude Si 2.3 - Honda Prelude Forum

melarcky · 10-07-2008, 11:48 PM

So i just got my prelude about 2 months ago and am about to run into so some money.... hopefully about 1000. I live LA, and was wondering...

Sense this is the best place to ask, What would be your best advice as to what i should put into it.
She is all stock, interior is in great condition just the insides door handles' plastic panel is broken. Engine wise it has 131k miles and is stoke, The paint is a ok but i would like to fix that but am not sure exactly how much it would cost, any advice would be great...
Thanks in advance

proeliator38 · 10-08-2008, 12:45 AM

suspension

petern101 · 10-08-2008, 10:42 AM

preventative maintenance

death_adder · 10-08-2008, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by petern101

preventative maintenance

For sure.

dublued · 10-08-2008, 01:33 PM

i'd recommend doing suspension as one of the last things. go with performance parts first.

i've owned 3 preludes and i've always run into suspension. it was alwys one problem or another... whether it was tires going out faster than normal or whatever else.

if you do suspension, do it the right way the first time, and that can get to be a bit costly. (springs, camber kits, shocks, etc)

I would start out with some performance parts. buy parts that you know are compatible with both h22 and h23 engine. if you plan to keep the car long enough, you might just end up needing to rebuilt/replace teh engine. and what better to replace with than the h22.

So start off with intake, pulleys and exhaust. Header are not compatible between the two engines. (shamless plug: i have an Injen exhaust for sale, check classifieds for my thread

)

you can also do some interior mods since you spend most of your time inside the car rather than looking at it from the outside. you can work on sound, swap out for leather seats maybe. get pedals and shift knobs... figure out something for a cupholder.

people will disagree with me on this, but my personal philosophy is "go-fast first, comfort second, show-off last"

attorv · 10-08-2008, 07:18 PM

werd i just got my first car 94 prelude si 4ws i love it!! im in the same boat as u im looking at cold air intake first it came with a can on it so im satisfied for now then maybe a header cause the stock one looks ugly

melarcky · 10-09-2008, 01:46 AM

Well thanks i am looking into all of those things, Suspension seems pricey. i was thinking of having the engine working as best as possible, fix ups here and there and hopefully a cold air intake

rayslude · 10-09-2008, 04:52 AM

preventative maintenance then an AEM V2, if you have money left over after that then you can buy some springs/shocks or exhaust.

TNT's Lude · 10-09-2008, 06:03 PM

I would start with brake improvements. Then inspect your suspension for worn out components and fix as needed. Make sure your tires are good and your alignment is in spec too.

Once any other needed maintenance items are done move on to power.

Stopping and having properly handling safe car is way more important then power.

incredipaul · 10-09-2008, 06:50 PM

Maintenance first. Or at the very least... know the condition of your vehicle.

I learned the hard way. After a costly engine/tran swap I discovered I still had to replace the majority of the suspension components. I may be broke, but at least I will soon know what my car is supposed to feel like. Also, I don't have to worry about the wheels folding under during my commute. I'm hoping the real savings will be in the long run with no car payments... and who can part with their lude when none of the new cars you test drove feel as good?

Car's mechanically sound? Why not fix up the interior? It is afterall where you spend all of your time while driving, and these mods don't always have to be costly.

If you plan to have the car for a long time... take your time when modifying. Don't blow your load all at once... wait for the really good parts. There are great deals to be found here and other Prelude forums. My favorite score was a 3 setting stiffness adjustable mugen suspension. Used, but heck it was clean and was a helluva deal. Much better than the bottomed out stock suspension and crap springs I was riding on. At less than half the cost of the Tokico setup I was glad I waited.

Making smart decisions and taking your time will help your money go farther. This is probably the best Prelude forum... but if you make the rounds on others you'll find people have already covered over 3/4s of the projects you're considering. And you might find yourself changing your mind as you go.

melarcky · 10-09-2008, 10:53 PM

Thanks incredipaul i really appriciate your advice and am taking it into account. now the thing is where do i go. I know a mechanic who has worked on our family cars but i dont know how he is with modifying things. Any advice on places to go in the LA area? If anyone is even from there. If not and advice on what to look for in a shop. Thanks

1992LudeSi · 10-12-2008, 08:32 PM

there really is so many diff. ways you can go with this. i was reading everyones response and its all good. to me any of the above of what they have said would be good to start with, espically what dublued had to say