I am going to get rid of my POS 97 Jetta and get something that i actually like. The last generation preludes have always caught my eye, and i finally can afford one. Are there certain things to look out for when purchasing these cars?

BTW i will probably be getting one with less than 100K, unless i find an incredible deal on one with more than that, and i will definatly be getting a standard.

Thanks for all the help!

 

Hmm well... from my experience...

no rebuilt/salvage/stolen titles.... cuz there will always be something wrong that will bother you like hell...

no CEL, check every inch of the body. make sure the shifter doesnt shake side to side ALOT when in gear.
(1st gear is a bitch to learn so if it jerks... dont worry. they all do that.)
um... check under the spare wheel n check if theres is one. AND if theres a pool there... (mine had to get soaked into a towel and squeezed out many times).

thats all i can reallly offer for now bro. ill come back with more if i rmemeber anytihng. but just make sure u like every inch of it.

 

I wouldn't settle for anything over 70k. I mean, I live in Cali, so maybe it's easier here, but, I did my home work and found a beautiful '01 SH w/ only 54k. Although, I guess maybe it depends on $$ too? Although in my opinion it's better to have a higher monthly car payment then a constant monthly shop and/or parts bill. (of course, up-grading is a whole different story
Unfortunately there's not a lot of external things you can look at. With any car in it's class, it's likely the owner might have raced the hell out of it....... I've heard the transmissions can be a little weak on some preludes, so you might want to do a little low gear shifting to make sure you don't hear any whining or groaning.
You might be able to tell a little bit by the tire wear on how well the owner took care of the car (unless they're brand new or course).
That's my 2cents..... hopefully someone else can add some more for you?
-CR-

 

Make sure it doesn't have any big dents or cracked windows. That can happen to those preludes I see it all the time.

 

money is an issue, i really don't want to spend over 10K. I would like to keep it in the 7-9K range if at all possible. Thanks for the help guys, the more i learn, the better my purchase will be