im looking at buying a prelude, around the 1992-1993 mark
im lookin at the VTEC model and wanted to know what kinda things i need to look for to know whether im getting a good car
There are a lot of things. IMO the engine is most important. If you can, have a leak down test done as well as have the compression tested. Find out where the car was serviced, & see if you can get a service record.
Your best bet is to have a pre-purchuse inspection done. A lot of mechanics offer these services, and usually charge under $100 (there are even mobile services that will come to YOU). There are some things you can check for yourself to see if the car is a good candidate, and if it passes YOUR inspection then take it to someone to have it looked at.
Some things to look for:
rust in the rear fenderwells. Look for bubbling paint or signs of body filler (this is VERY common on 4th gens, and a VERY expensive fix).
Rust around the sunroof seal (also very common)
maintenence records are KEY (especially records of timing belt and water pump replacement)
if it's a 4WS model, verify the system is functioning.
If you want a vtec it has to be a 93+ unless someone swapped the motor. Which if that was the case I would stay away from it. I would also look for one in stock condition.
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If the odometer is at or above 90,000 make sure the timing belt and water pump have been replaced. If they haven't, it will be the first thing you will have to have done to the car.
Theres so much to go over when purchasing any car, but when looking for a VTEC car, make sure the VTEC works. I know it does fail, and it can break so test drive it and make sure the VTEC actually still engages.
Like red92s said, get a diagnostic done, and get an itemized estimate of what it would cost to repair the stuff they find. You may have to do it to a couple cars, but it's worth it. I've bought two 4th gen Preludes (93 and 94) and both times I had a diagnostic done for about $100. Both times, the seller took the full estimate price off the selling price! So I spent $100 but I saved several hundred.
Dan
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"The only thing that needs adjusting is the nut behind the wheel."
Theres so much to go over when purchasing any car, but when looking for a VTEC car, make sure the VTEC works. I know it does fail, and it can break so test drive it and make sure the VTEC actually still engages.
how do you make sure it still engages???
thanks for the help
my best mate is a mechanic so ill drag him along to look!!!
There's nothing wrong in buying a prelude that has a swap done to it. As long as the swap was done clean and ur not in cali u shouldn't have any probs at all. Best thing to do is bring the car to a mechanic of ur choice, have them put the car on the lift and check under the car. Various things u can do, like a car-fax (that is if any of the accidents were reported) when on the lift u can check for weld marks to make sure the car wasn't in a MAJOR accident that could have damaged the structural frame. open the hood and trunk make sure the paint is the same color as the car, also check for rust around the edges and verify the radiator support has not been changed. Try to stay away from cars that have had front end collisions. Many things come in to play when looking at a used car. Tire wear, check to see if the axles need to be replaced, most likely the shocks are blown and will need to be changed, all the bushings will have to be replaced as well as wheel bearings. You can use these as a leverage to lower the price and bargin the seller down.
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93 Prelude VTEC - Turbo & Still Going!
94 Prelude VTEC - Parted & Crushed
92 Prelude 4WS -GONE!
94 Prelude SI -SOLD! 2 a
89 240sx Fastback - SOLD!
91 240SR Fastback -SOLD!
90 240sx Fastback -Gone to lil sis
98 240sx Kouki - In Progress
96 240sx Zenki - NEW Project!
thanks for the help
my best mate is a mechanic so ill drag him along to look!!!
You will here a different engine tone, like a growl.
Make sure it engages at 5200rpm, and doesn't stall, bog, hesitate until the rev limiter. You also might want to check the clutch to see if it's slipping.
There's a good article on buying used cars in the new import tuner mag. It's got a pic of a hot asian chick on the cover. Oh yeah there's a Skyline gtr on there too.
You will here a different engine tone, like a growl.
Make sure it engages at 5200rpm, and doesn't stall, bog, hesitate until the rev limiter. You also might want to check the clutch to see if it's slipping.
US engines will engage at 5400
JDM engines will engage at 5200 due to the higher compression and more aggressive ECU.
the 4ws, how do i check to make sure thats working all fine?
Turn the car on, and then turn the wheel fully in both directions while looking at the rear wheels (hang your head out the door)... if they turn, then the 4WS works.
are you sure? because even the helms states that stock vtec engagement is at 5400.
Yeah I'm positive. I hit VTEC coming back from work earlier and it started up at 5200k. I've had my ECU replaced but I do remember it engaging at the same point even before. I'm not sure what's going on, can someone else confirm the engagement point?
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