Hey guys, I found a 97 prelude with 130k for sale. its automatic, and needs a new tranny. how much would you say I should offer him for the car? how much are these usually worth with a good tranny? let me know what you think. THanks!

 

i would offer 6, no more. You are also going to want to buy a manual tranny for that and the swap will run you around 1000.

 

I would offer about 5500 and go from there, but like he said, not above 6K......and make sure the tranny is manual

 

the car is automatic. where can i source the 5 speed parts? i tried searching on here but couldnt really find a conversion write up for the 97-01 prelude. let me know if you know of a write up

 

he says he will take $4000 for it. seems like a good deal, i just have to trailor it home. says the head was rebuilt and only has 28k on it. why would the head need a rebuild at only 130k?

 

Not a bad deal sounds like..

Head Rebuild? He could have bent some valves or something?

Depends on how he drove the thing.

 

yeah, and how does a tranny go out so soon? the car must have had a rough life. i should probably still look into it. the guy doesnt have high reolution pics for me though, which i cant stand. and he sounds like an idiot when i try to ask him questions. some people need to learn how to sell their **** properly

 

from searching it seems that 97 automatics are only worth about $5-6k in good condition. Doesnt seem like a good deal anymore. any more input on this?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by H23legend &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i would offer 6, no more. You are also going to want to buy a manual tranny for that and the swap will run you around 1000.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Then you'd be getting raped afterwards....For an auto Prelude that needs a new tranny, I wouldn't offer anymore than $3500, cause it has high mileage, and it's an automatic

 

yeah thats what im thinking

 

how much does a used auto tranny go for anyways? maybe $300-$400?

 

i bought a 97 auto lude with 127k miles on like this past december for 4800. No tranny problem no head problem, excellent interior and exterior just really scratched up rims. So now you can decide what to do. For a not working car it should defintely be under 4 grand just my two cents

 

im sure u could find one for 3-4 hundred but buying an automatic prelude tranny is like buying cancer...so please do yourself a favor and just do the swap. With a couple of buddies you could knock the project out in one weekend with a manual and no experience. But on the other hand, if your doing all of thise work, y not just buy a 4th gen vtec
...after all, they are the prime of the prelude

 

hamadiscool thats a damn good deal

But i would remind him that car doesnt run then politly offer 3000ish, if he declines, Id walk away.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by m.c. &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">hamadiscool thats a damn good deal

But i would remind him that car doesnt run then politly offer 3000ish, if he declines, Id walk away.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Thanks i know it was lol but even though the tranny runs fine now i am not gonna take a chance and swap in a manual next summer hopefully. And I agree what ^^^ said

 

Do you guys usually source the 5 speed conversion parts on the forum? or is there a good place to get them. whats the 4th gen vtec motor? i am somewhat new to hondas. thanks

 

also does anyone know of any write-ups people have done on this swap?

 

The auto trannys have been known to die around 60k miles...it was a poorly built transmission to the prelude. I have a spare 5 spd tranny w/130k miles on it, (say $500) as well as clutch master and slave cylinders (free w/tranny)...I should be able to source the clutch line and shifter cable as well, and brake/clutch pedals. The only thing you would need from there is the 5spd ecu which you can get for around $100.
All in all, if you do the work yourself, you could easily get it done for around $1000. It's pretty simple to install if you have a Helms manual and a little bit of mechanical aptitude. If you pay someone to install it for you you might be looking at around $800 for the install (rough guess). gerhard at absoluteprelude.com has a writeup of his auto to manual swap.

 

i would give him 3500 if it needs a new tranny. I brought a 97 manuel with 145k in great shape for 4500.

 

DUDE, DON'T BUY THAT CAR. ITS A RIP OFF. I JUST SOLD MY 97 LUDE THAT WAS CLEAN AS HELL, AND ALL I GOT WAS 5K. PLUS I REPLACED THE TRANNY BEFORE I SOLD IT AND PAID 2500, SO NO WAY CAN YOU GET ONE FOR 400..
KEEP LOOKING BROTHA

 

get a carfax...that told me that there was nothing wrong with my 1994 si, but now I have a tranny problem and my parents screwed me over........so check into that, unless they drove it really hard it shouldnt need the head to be rebuilt

 

he seems pretty firm on $4,000. maybe i will wait it out and hope he comes down to my $3500 i offered him. if anyone offers much more than that they arent really getting a deal. thanks for your help guys

 

i dont' think this car is worth it at all. this car sounds like a headache waiting to happen. my advice is to just leave it and move on to look for another one.