I need to redo most of my car, cause its 10 years old and really shoing its mileage (non-cosmetically that is). I need/intend to do the following, please provide your input/tips/suggestions...
Brakes:
-Rebuild rear calipers (probably)
-get good rear pads and rotors
-Put some cheapo front pads on to get through the summer
-Speed Bleeders
-Next semester do a front Legend Caliper/VTEC Rotor swap with brembo blanks and some nice pads
-Eventually SS Brake lines
Suspension:
-Replace rear blown/blowing shocks with Koni's on all four corners
-Stock springs, lowered slightly on Koni perches
-Tanabe Front upper and lower tie bars, DC lower rear tie bar, some rear upper tie bar
-Neuspeed rear sway bar
-Full allignment
Engine:
-Loosing oil through seals... Replace all "easy seals", replace rear main seal when clutch goes out.
-Check compression/leakage, if piston rings are bad either rebuild motor or save up for an H22
Interior:
-Fix all those damn rattles, moldings and so on...
Most of these are straight forward, some arent. Does anyone have any input as to which of these are worthwhile and which arent? Anyone done any of this work (aside from the upgrades)? What kind cost will I run into for parts? How much for labor if I get lazy and dont do it myself?
Also, after I replace all this stuff on my 92 Prelude Si 4WS w/ 110k miles, is there anything else that might/will go bad? I know tranny and clutch, but what other stuff should I look out for? i just dont want to drop all this money in the car only to have more problems.
Thanks, Jordan
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1999 Prelude Base (daily driver)
1992 Prelude Si 4WS (broken)
after ALL of the money i've spent the last 24 months keeping my prelude on the road, i'd recommend you drive it as is and only fix the CRITICAL problems and just drive it into the ground, meanwhile save the money you would be putting into it for a newer, nicer, better car
i'm STILL kickin myself for not buying that AWD 94 talon turbo for 4500$ in near mint condition 2 years ago
i think the 94 talon would cause more problems than the prelude. the talons are known to break down. my buddy had a 95 and it was in the shop more than he drove it. hehe
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Stage Five SRV
Best Time 14.69@95.21mph
Stage Five SiR (sold)
Best Time 14.11@102mph
Suzuki GSX-R 600
Re: Car is dying, restoration plan... Input wanted
Quote:
Originally posted by Jordan_4WS
Brakes:
-Rebuild rear calipers (probably)
Why? You shouldn't need to do this unless you have a leak or suspect contamination. If you flush out the system and it doesn't leak, you should be OK.
Quote:
-get good rear pads and rotors
-Put some cheapo front pads on to get through the summer
-Speed Bleeders
All good ideas.
Quote:
-Next semester do a front Legend Caliper/VTEC Rotor swap with brembo blanks and some nice pads
-Eventually SS Brake lines
Go VTEC. The Legend ones are more trouble than they are worth.
Quote:
Suspension:
-Replace rear blown/blowing shocks with Koni's on all four corners
-Stock springs, lowered slightly on Koni perches
Sure you want stock springs? Not stiffer? If you think your suspension is too compliant, it's likely the springs and not the struts. They may very well be blown, but I've seen Preludes with 150k miles on them before that were 7 or 8 years old and the stock struts were still OK. I would recommend new ones if you swap springs.
Quote:
Engine:
-Loosing oil through seals... Replace all "easy seals", replace rear main seal when clutch goes out.
-Check compression/leakage, if piston rings are bad either rebuild motor or save up for an H22
This is really worth looking at. How much oil do you lose? Anything less than a quart per 3k miles isn't worth worrying about. Even a new or "fresh" motor may burn as much.
Quote:
Interior:
-Fix all those damn rattles, moldings and so on...
Haha! Good luck!
Quote:
Does anyone have any input as to which of these are worthwhile and which arent?
Suspension and brake upgrades unless you are hemmorhaging oil. In that case, I'd worry about the motor first.
Quote:
Also, after I replace all this stuff on my 92 Prelude Si 4WS w/ 110k miles, is there anything else that might/will go bad? I know tranny and clutch, but what other stuff should I look out for?
Quote:
Man, on a 10 year old car... there's risk, but it seems that your car is actually in better shape than you think it is. Keep oil in the motor, keep the timing belt changed, the valves adjusted... flush all fluids every 30k and you should be OK. Check your ball joints (suspension and steering) for cracks... CV joints... other than that, you should be good for a long, long time.
i am actually going through the same thing with my car but mine is cosmetically not doing as great as yours i am going to need a new paint job, new shocks, and pretty much everything you added up there.. good luck to you man, i know i'm goign to need it, but i'm going to keep this car forever, so its going to be one hell of a restoration expensive too!!!
Originally posted by 93PreludeS i am actually going through the same thing with my car but mine is cosmetically not doing as great as yours i am going to need a new paint job
Thats what you think... My roof, hood and trunk are all mad faded and dinged. I have a chip on the pass. fender deap into the paint, I have a few door dings on my drive side, where some stupid people kicked the **** out of my car, amongst otherthings.
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1999 Prelude Base (daily driver)
1992 Prelude Si 4WS (broken)
might want to change all your water hoses especially all the little ones that no one likes to bother with cause they are so small and make sure your injectors are all squirting good maybe run some cleaner through them. spray some intake and throttle body cleaner in and burn out all the carbon build up. do a compression test to see if your engine is still worth keeping maintained and then if it is then just do valve adjustment if it needs and keep up the oil changes and you will have it forever.
Re: Re: Car is dying, restoration plan... Input wanted
Quote:
Originally posted by marcucci
Why? You shouldn't need to do this unless you have a leak or suspect contamination. If you flush out the system and it doesn't leak, you should be OK.
There is a rubbing noise, which is most like seized calipers. I havent had a chance to take a look at them, but another person had the same sound and it was a seized caliper.
Quote:
Go VTEC. The Legend ones are more trouble than they are worth.
What makes them trouble some? What have you heard? I knwo quite a few people have done this (and the NSX whicha re the same) and have had no problems. With the exception of the shim you need to make, they apparently function completely as they were designed to. What the insite on this?
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Sure you want stock springs? Not stiffer?
First off I dont want new springs, cause my car is way too low as it is, and on the koni perches I would not lower more than 1/2" or so (no stiff springs that hegith). Then to get ground controls and run them near stock height, I think there would be better places to spend the money.
Quote:
If you think your suspension is too compliant, it's likely the springs and not the struts. They may very well be blown, but I've seen Preludes with 150k miles on them before that were 7 or 8 years old and the stock struts were still OK. I would recommend new ones if you swap springs.
One of the rear struts is starting to leak. I figure if you have to replace them as a pair, I might as well just put in some konis on all four corners while im at it (I intended to do that anway). Keep in mind, While I ahve 110k miles, my car is 10 years old and lets just say cali doesnt have the greatest of rodes. To the best of my knowlegdge the struts were never replaced.
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This is really worth looking at. How much oil do you lose? Anything less than a quart per 3k miles isn't worth worrying about. Even a new or "fresh" motor may burn as much.
As per my other thread... On the last fillup I lost about 1/2 a quart (from high line to inbetween high and low fill) in 5 days and about 275-300 miles, combining highway, city and a little hard driving. What do you think?
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Haha! Good luck!
Dont laugh at our preludes, thats not nice ... I can atleast start by getting some of the obvious ones and that door molding that comes off the car and is often mistaken by passengers as the seatbelt!
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Suspension and brake upgrades unless you are hemmorhaging oil. In that case, I'd worry about the motor first.
Motor is first priority, the upgrades in hear are stuff I'd liek to upgrade when I get a chance and while i am at it.
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Man, on a 10 year old car... there's risk, but it seems that your car is actually in better shape than you think it is. Keep oil in the motor, keep the timing belt changed, the valves adjusted... flush all fluids every 30k and you should be OK. Check your ball joints (suspension and steering) for cracks... CV joints... other than that, you should be good for a long, long time.
I know I dont have an really big problems (aside the oil), but it is always the little things that annoy you and make you broke. Since my car has the milleage it does, is there anything to be done more often, or shoudl I just follow the service schedule? I intend to follow the service schedule for service mileage and maintanance with the exception of oil chnages (every 3000 miles, rather than the 7500). Is there anything else to do more often? Anything else to give extra intention? When I do my 3000 mile oil changes, what should I inspect aside from chaging oil, topping off fluids and checking for bad hoses/belts and under the hood leaks? What is especially important to take a look at to make sure nothing premature wears?
Thanks for all your help marcucci.
-Jordan
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1999 Prelude Base (daily driver)
1992 Prelude Si 4WS (broken)
"One day at a time."
Last edited by Jordan_4WS; 05-06-2002 at 02:58 PM.
Originally posted by 96-luder make sure your injectors are all squirting good maybe run some cleaner through them. spray some intake and throttle body cleaner in and burn out all the carbon build up.
Wont getting rid of carbon build up create leaks on my engine since it has high milleage? Also what is the deal with injector cleaner? Some people like it, and some people say its bad.
-Jordan
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1999 Prelude Base (daily driver)
1992 Prelude Si 4WS (broken)
110 isn't really high milage for a honda if you've taken care of it. i say get all that carbon out of there but another way of getting some carbon burned off is to take a three hour trip where you are driving constantly for a few hours and that should burn off a lot of carbon in your engine. that is if you don't want to use the carbon cleaner which i still use and i don't have leaks. I'm at 86000
Originally posted by 96-luder 110 isn't really high milage for a honda if you've taken care of it. i say get all that carbon out of there but another way of getting some carbon burned off is to take a three hour trip where you are driving constantly for a few hours and that should burn off a lot of carbon in your engine. that is if you don't want to use the carbon cleaner which i still use and i don't have leaks. I'm at 86000
Anyone else have an opinion on this matter?
-jordan
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1999 Prelude Base (daily driver)
1992 Prelude Si 4WS (broken)
take it or not. it's your cars life on the line. i'm just trying to help. my car hasn't had a problem since the day i bought it. it's all about maintenance and it's sad you are waiting ten years to do that.
Originally posted by 96-luder take it or not. it's your cars life on the line. i'm just trying to help. my car hasn't had a problem since the day i bought it. it's all about maintenance and it's sad you are waiting ten years to do that.
Nothing personal to you, I have just heard that when a previous owner does not use cleaners the carbon buildups create a seal. Then removing them will create a leak. This is why I just said I wanted to get a second opinion.
-Jordan
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1999 Prelude Base (daily driver)
1992 Prelude Si 4WS (broken)
Legend Calipers:
Ask 71dsp, or search for his threads on it. He did it and it turned out to yield no percievable gain. He spent more money on the calipers (less common) and the rebuild kit costs more. IMHO, it's not worth it. Also, the NSX calipers are NOT the same. The NSX ones are finned and I think the piston sizes are different. If you want to upgrade the brakes, I would suggest (especially considering the money) better pads.
Rubbing sound:
Don't be so sure. 9 times out of 10, it's the brake shield hitting the rotor (they bend easy). If it's a siezed caliper, that wheel will get hotter than the others. After a fairly easy drive (very light braking), feel each wheel. You can also jack it up and see how hard it is to turn compared to the others.
Springs:
Stiffness is up to you, but if you want something stiffer, you can get the Neuspeed (APC) Konis which will allow you to raise the car. I believe up to 1"- that will cover most of what most springs lower.
Oil Consumption:
It might be an ignorant question... but are you checking the level at similar times? Like in the morning, before you drive it? Let it sit at least an hour, and try to be consistent when checking. It can be hard to get "similar" readings off the dip stick.
I think you're on the right track for making the car "right." You're right, though, you can go broke doing this. As for maintenence... I say cut Honda's schedule in half for everything for normal driving, cut it by 4 if you race a lot. It sounds extreme, but keep in mind that their schedule is BS to begin with (if you want to keep the car forever and maximize the life of parts), and when you're racing, you're pretty much doubling the RPMS that you normally drive at. That means 2x the wear, likely more, since the forces at work are much greater.
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expensive too!!!
j/p.. man i want an rs kit so bad hehe.!
How bout you hook me up with your hood, and Ill hook you up with a WW kit for really cheap (I got an account with them).
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