Why the Honda Prelude is a Great First Tuner Car
Owning a Prelude means commandeering one of the sleekest, most reliable, top-handling sports cars of the 1990s.
Fitment Industries gave us the down and dirty on what it’s like owning a Prelude in a sweet new video. The Honda Prelude has long been a favorite amongst tuners for its reliable and sporty nature, good looks, and fun-factor.
Host Alex Martinez narrates the history as well as dives into what you can expect from owning this sweet tuner classic.
History
The Honda Prelude nameplate ran from 1978-2001. Martinez shares that it was first introduced in 1978 as a direct competitor for the Toyota Celica and Nissan Silvia. The futuristic design, however, is what sets it apart.
“It was stylized, ahead of its time, and featured a sunroof,” exclaims Martinez. “Which was powered. Ain’t none of that crank peasant sh*t goin’ on in the Prelude. This thing was powered. As standard equipment no less.”
The long nose, sloping hood, tapered rear windows, and short rear quarter panel completed the sporty look of this Accord-based platform.
As we travel deeper into the ’80s, Martinez remarks that the styling and performance became even more refined. The 3rd-gen Prelude carried design cues from the NSX, including 4-wheel steering! And in ’98 the 2.0 L Prelude even went on to become king of the slalom thanks to its 4-wheel steering setup.
Martinez shares that the 5th and final generation lasted from 1997-2001. While even the 1st-gen Prelude sold better than the last two, the 4th & 5th-gen Preludes remain the most memorable.
What It’s Like Owning a Prelude
According to Martinez, the 5th-gen Prelude carries the best aftermarket support. Modding is a breeze with such a vast selection. He feels these cars look good with just about any wheel setup. Martinez recommends Tein coilovers and Nexen tires to round out the look.
If you’re looking to buy one, Martinez recommends taking a close look at the paint and weather stripping. Water tends to leak inside, and for obvious reasons, you don’t want any of that. Another issue mentioned is taillight decay.
Also, Martinez had some strong feelings about the automatic versions. “Any ’90s sports car, any of them at all. Any of them that come with a 2-door, JDM, comes from Japan, stay away from the automatic trans,” says Martinez “Pro-tip, always stay away from them… they break every 100k miles, especially on the Preludes.”
Lastly, Martinez advises getting that timing belt replaced at 120k miles.
“If this was a Doug video, I’d probably give the Prelude an ‘A’. Because, Preludes slap. CEO of reliable sports cars: HONDA.”
Conclusion
Overall, Martinez sees the Prelude as a great first tuner car, noting that it’s reliable, forgiving with dumb mistakes, looks sharp, and that parts are cheap.
Just stay away from the autos.
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