Options for a beat up Prelude

What to do?

  • HonZuki Buggy

    Votes: 1 25.0%

  • U-car

    Votes: 1 25.0%

  • Ricer

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Yard ornament

    Votes: 2 50.0%
  • Total voters
    4
ManglerYJ

ManglerYJ

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Lexington, NC
I may be "inheriting" by step-daughter's beat-to-$HlT 89 Prelude Si 5 speed. This thing has been rode hard and put away wet. She bought it pretty much sight unseen from a guy at darn near midnight and instead of having me or her dad go look at it, she took her girlfriend who also knows nothing about cars. So far, I've replaced the rear brakes, radiator cap, one rear rotor, the clutch slave cylinder and her dad replaced the clutch. She has let it over heat several times and recently, (after I showed her where she was SUPPOSED to be pouring in coolant), she has been pouring in approximately a gallon of water into the radiator every other day.
It is not leaking water any more since replacing the rad cap, but I'm fairly sure the head gasket is non existant. The fact that the thing is still drivable is a true testiment to Honda.
So here's my choices if I end up with it: No matter what I'm looking at at least a new head gasket, probably decking the head if it isn't warped to hell.
1) build a Honda based buggy from the drivetrain and a Samurai frame that I have out back of my house. I will get free and clear title to the Honda, but the Zuk has no title. Haul the body to scrap yard or call 1-800 U-Pull-it
2) Buy a roll cage kit for the prelude and build a U-car race car on the cheap.
3) Fix what can be fixed, build a "ricer" out if it and keep as a spare vehicle.
4) Any suggestions?
 
SCRAP!! aftermarket supports not there for racing and getting HP outa that motor is gonna be like squeezing water out of a rock. parts are high bc its a honda. more than likely its gonna start to rust on the rear quarters. would make a crazy looking buggy though.
 
Save it for the next ECORS open "biggest jump" competition.
There's a jump at The Flats that looks perfect for a Prelude...
 
Post it on Carolina Hondas, those guys seem to think hondas are worth top dollar and might pay it. Slap some wheels on it and they will really go nuts. Lol

Pull the engine for the buggy, bring the rest to the lexington mud pits and let everyone run it over, then take it to the scrapyard and collect your check.
 
Hybrid Idea.
Take it to ECORS.Win the Crazy Jump Contest.Pull the Drivetrain for your Buggy Project and then Charge NC4X4 Members $10 Each to Drive over it with their 4X4's.Charge $50 for the first 4 guys since they will have the most fun caving in the Windows and what not.Then take what's left to the Scrap yard.It will be easier to move around once it's been Mashed flat by 500 4X4's.
 
RatLabGuy said:
Save it for the next ECORS open "biggest jump" competition.
There's a jump at The Flats that looks perfect for a Prelude...
Click to expand...

X's 10 the approach is long and smooth enough to get some good air, if nothing else, we need another obsticle....:bounce2:
 
If I build it as a buggy, I will only use the drivetrain from the Prelude. The rest would be a jungle gym of tubing. Has anyone made a buggy street legal? Since it's out of an 89, to make it street legal, I'm assuming it would need lights and turn signals, a windshield, windshield wiper(s), functional emergency brake and all the factory emissions stuff in place. Does anyone know if I'm on the right track and can do this? As I said, I'd be mounting all this on a Samurai frame and building tube off of it.

I know that people build dune buggies out of Volkswagons all the time and keep it titled as a Volkswagon, I an more wondering about the legality of keeping it as a Honda even with a Zuk frame.
 
the b20a5 is actually a pretty beast motor......unless it's the a20, in which case it'd be even more beast.

you can build it...there's tons of parts out there, but the chassis itself kinda sucks unless that's just the year you like (all preludes suck pretty much)

if you raced it in the Fast And Furious class like at hickory...it'd be a hoot....which is exactly what i'd use it for.
 
I used to own a 94 Prelude base model and it was a little race car out of the box. Even without a VTEC, it could plant you in the seat and hold it's own. I once had it to 155 (speedo pegged at 140, but the Vette I was keeping up with let me know). I like the 94 body style better than the wedgie 89, but I'd still drive it. As beat up as it is, it looks like less of a "chick car" than my 94 did.
 
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