My sister has a '90 Prelude 2.0SI automatic, it's totally stock right now but she'd like me to draw out a plan for her to start modifying it. She want's ballpark prices on basic stuff, problem is that i'm a CRX person and don't know a whole lot about the 'ludes. Some help would be appreciated, by the way, I used to have a '91 Prelude SI 5-speed and it was a way nicer car stock then my CRX

Body kit
Paint job
Newer B or H series swap with manual tranny
Redone interior
Intake
Header
Exhaust

Just some ballpark prices would be nice and recomendations on what brand is the best or whatnot. I'm going to do some research I thought i'd stop by the Prelude board as a start.

 

Hey.

Look here for body kit http://www.ludespeed.com
Call or mail http://www.placeracing.com for swap kit for the H22A.
She must use header for the H22a or maybe have one custom made.
I`m not sure yet. I still searcing around for this object.
Interior custom made.
And you hace to make an custom made cat.back exhaust system.

One guy in here recomended the Holeshot racing Header if i was going for hp.

But i`m going for Jun header,Jun Free flow muffler with an custom cat back system and an custom 3" intake.

 

if she wants to do all that then why doesn't she just save her money and buy a newer prelude that already has the h22 motor in it. with all the money and agrevation to swap all that stuff into that car she may as well just buy the newer model. then she won't have to redo the interior, paint the car, pay for the motor and everything for the swap, she won't have to pay someone to install the swap. the auto to manual swap in that car is going to be time consuming and expensive with the parts she will need. again, she is better off selling that car and buying what she really wants.

 

hi, i'm pfcfutrell's sister with the prelude in question, and in response to why i don't just buy a more recent prelude, i really truely love my car in an i-don't-think-i-would-ever-want-to-drive-anything-else kind of way.

please keep in mind that i'm a girl and really don't know jack about cars while i explain why i think overhauling the car i have would suit me better than buying a new car.

- i've pretty much been driving the same car since i turned sixteen. i have a very girly emotional bond with it. please try to understand. her name is marla.
- i am a very broke college student. buying a new car is something that involves getting a loan, putting down a down payment, and having financing looming over my head every month. i don't think i'm ready for that.
- with overhauling Marla, i can do a little bit at a time. i can do the rotors now, buy new tires in six months, intake, header and exhaust next year, and then do the paint and the interior in a 18 months, that kind of deal.
- one of the true driving forces in me wanting to take what i've got and make it mine, is that it will truely be my creation. i can choose the paint color, interior color, exhaust, sound, all of it will be original and no one will ever mistake my car for their's because it's stock. i want it to be mine.

anyhow, there's my reasoning. please feel free to let me know if you have any insights as to how i should go about doing this, how much it will cost and any other advice you think might be useful. i'd really appriciate it.

peace

 

in that case i'd suggest you start learning about them. it's always wrong to start modifying your car not knowing what exactly you're doing or listening to someone else with different taste and different views on it. learn the basic stuff, try to understand it, then figure out if what you want to do is right or not.
bad mods can lead to serious problems and can cost you lots of money.
do research on every mod you plan on doing, and do a lot of it. always get second opinions if you are not sure about something.
honda-tech.com is a good place to start learning, so feel free to ask any questions you have. i had a 3rd gen 2.0 Si as well, and i know quite a bit about it, so i could probably provide some usefull info. but don't stop here, also visit http://www.howstuffworks.com to learn the basics on engines, the site explains it all into details and provides good visual back-up. they also talk about other stuff like brakes, turbo-chargers, etc.
please don't just fix up your car cause you just feel like fixing it up. know what you're doing first. that will save you lots of unneccessary mistakes, headache, and money as well. and it will save you from getting a ricer image.
if you want an overall nice car to drive around town and enjoy it, while looking good doing it, here's what i'd do:
1. lowering. a nice set of coilovers coupled with some shocks will do the job.
2. i wouldnt get a kit, but if you want it so much, get the online kit (roy's). i think thats the cleanest looking one but please change the grill that comes on the rear bumper.
3. if you want to go fast, get ready to spend a lot of money! i'm not talking $1000-2000, but well over that. i'd suggest you just do a few basic bolt-on's like i/h/e, since you're not gonna go out and try to race everybody. or are you?
4. leave the interior alone, don't cover your seats in some nasty vynil, remember: the cleaner the better. stock is fine. a steering wheel and a shifknob will give you a more sporty feel, so chose the one you like the best. don't even mess with re-doing the whole thing unless its all torn up and stuff.
5. don't waste your money on un-functional mods. (clear lights, stickers, triple deck wings, etc.) save your money for functional mods that are worth that money.
like a set of strut bars to enhance the cars handling, or cams to give you a few extra ponnies...
6. always ask questions about everything you're buying. make sure it's worth the money.
good luck to you.

 

That's why she has her bro to keep her in check (me ) and make sure she doesn't do any stupid ricer mods. Thank you for helping out my sis, you might be right about the body kit but she definetly needs a paint job.

 

thanks bro

yeah, i have no interest in lowering my car, but i do have an interest in making her run better, and making her look better. she's an old car, and she hasn't alsways been taken care of, and i want to repair the bad stuff and make the okay stuff better if a can.

as for the interior, i know there's nothing wrong with stock; i don't want to overhaul my car just for the sake of overhauling my car. i want to do this stuff because i want to continue driving this car for as long as possible, and i don't think i can in the state she's in, for practical reasons (a bunch of stuff needs to be replaced) and for impractical reasons (she doesn't look as good as i'd like her to).

i have my brother to keep me from doing anything truely stupid, so i'm not too concerned about wasting money; he's got experience with modifications. i can get second opinions from a friend of mine that works for a honda repair shop, but first i need a first opinion, which is why i'm here.

peace

 

ok, if you really want marla to last longer and enjoy the rest of her life, then there are a couple of things you should do. the first thing is to get rid of the two oxygen sensors that you have in the 2.0. on ludespeed.com there is a conversion to wire both o2 sensors into one 4 wire plug that will help with better gas milage. if you want better fuel consumption and a better average per gallon you should either get an intake with a k&n filter or get a k&n filter drop in, header, and cat-back exhaust system. let that car breath even more. remove all the plastic junk that goes to your airbox. let the filter hang in the air attached only by the stock tube if you go with just the k&n drop in filter. if you really want efficiency out of your car, reprogram your computer and/or get an msd ignition system. you don't want marla to get any lower, but i do recommend getting some nice struts for that car. the tokico struts for that car or some top of the line brand name from a local parts store really make that car ride nice. if you want new rims, don't go too big. i would recommend only going to 16 inch rims. that gives you a good size rim and a good chunk of rubber touching the ground. make sure you keep an eye on the radiator. they have a tendency to wear out without showing any signs of wear until it is almost too late. if you want to make sure your engine compartment components will last longer (especially the poorly designed power steering hose) then cut down on the heat. get some header wrap to help keep the heat inside the exhaust manifold/header. also try to put in a cooler thermostat (stock is a 195, so i would go with a 180 degree thermostat). that will help the coolant circulate more and help keep the engine a few degrees cooler. if you take good care of that car it will last you a long time. if you do not watch it closely or take care of it you will have lots of problems with it. well, i hope that was more of the answer that you were looking for.

oh, and just a side note, you can not change the shift *** with the automatic transmission unless you rewire and relocate the s4 button.


[Modified by crlude, 3:26 AM 8/27/2002]

 

Umm, no offense, but have you tried the dual-to-single O2 sensor mod yet? It is the worse mod out there for 3G Preludes, without a doubt. I purchased a 91 DC Sports header, and converted my 2 O2 sensors to a single O2 sensor. The computer was unable to adjust the readings between the 4 cylinders, and ended up bastardizing the A/F ratio. It caused *horrible* hesitations below 4k RPMS. I ended up purchasing a new DC Sports header designed for the 88-89 Preludes, and re-converted back to the dual-O2 sensor setup. The hesitation was now gone. I have confirmed this with atleast one other 3g Prelude owner who tried the mod, and reconverted back to the old setup. And when I say lagged, it felt like trying to start out in 2nd gear, until 4K came around. Then, it felt like a strong motor again.

Also, I don't know where you are going to reprogram an OBD0 ECU. I'd recommend a VAFC if you are really adamant about changing the A/F ratio, but I really wouldn't worry about it that much. Or you can get a Zdyne Stand-alone ECU, but that's a huge chunk of money.

If it were me, I'd do suspension (like Tockico shocks *struts are for non-dbl wishbone cars*), swaybars (can be found at Whiteline in Australia), custom intake, custom exhaust, DC Sports header, and lil' things like that. Oh, and camgears. Hondaprelude.com's owner had a 3g Prelude that put out an extra 11lbs of torque at the wheels w/ camgears...something to think about.

Or, you can do a turbo kit from Ludespeed.com

David


[Modified by PilotSi, 3:39 AM 8/27/2002]

 

yea i agree... i had an 89 si and i couldnt fix it up... sold it.. bought a 92 si and am fixing it up as much as my heart desires.... sell it!

 

thanks crlude, that was the most useful post i've gotten yet (no offense to anyone else). but is there any chance i could get that in non-carspeak? i know it's all very technical, but instead of talking about ratios, it would be more meaningful to me if you could say things like, "this will give it better acceleration" or "this will make the engine last longer". if you prefer to email it to me, i'm goosebump512@yahoo.com.

i haven't done any modifications yet, this is a plan that i'm working on, trying to get ideas and opinions before i do anything.

btw, thanks to everyone who wants to help. what i really need is ideas to make the car run better, last longer, and not drastically change the way it looks. i don't want a "ricer" as y'all call them, but i do want to make her my own.

 

htats why i suggested you learn the basics first. otherwisw none of this stuff is gonna make sence.

 

despite my reluctance, i think i might just have to do that. suggestions as to where i should start?

 

like i already said, http://www.howstuffworks.com is a great source. it will teach you how your engine works, what it needs in order to run good, etc. all that in such a way that anyone would understand. well, it is there for those who don't know anything about stuff like that.
this board is another good place. a lot of guys will be able to explain loads of technical stuff, terms you don't understand, trouble shooting, help you decide what product is better and what to get, and even walk you through some do-it-your-self mods. so feel free to ask about anything, and don't think it would be dumb to ask a certain question, because no question is a dumb question. just hit us with them, we'll be glad to help a fellow luder.
also, do some more research on this matter. you'd be surprised what kinda stuff you could find through any search engine (yahoo, altavista, google, etc.) by simply tiping in "honda prelude" and hitting the search button. there are lots of great sites out there that explain lots of technical issues as well as styling.
too bad hp.com is no longer up. that was a great prelude source.
just ask questions, do research, talk to people, mechanics, etc. and you'll do just fine. no one is born knowing everything about cars.
when i first got my license i only knw how to replace a wheel. and just a week ago i changed my own clutch.
also, don't rush into things, cars are delicate and it takes a right decision and right parts to make things work out the way they're supposed to. so take your time. don't try to get it all done at once.
and do it because you like it, not because someone else thinks it's cool. it takes an enthusiast to love a car.
good luck to you.

 

Can anyone go good for that company (Whiteline) that is delivering those swaybars?? And how is the quality of their products??
And give me the URL for that company.


[Modified by Lude 3.gen, 5:58 PM 8/27/2002]

 

strut, shock, whatever you want to call it - the thing that goes inside the springs. as for the reprogramming of the ecu, i can order the reprogramming device at work. it's like $400 bucks, but there is one. suposedly it gives you more torque, more horsepower, better gas mileage, and does a couple other things too. i haven't looked that far into it yet, but i have checked to see if it is available. also, you can have someone who reprograms ecu's reprogram one. that is what they get paid for. i just don't know anyone who does that around my area. if you would like i will get you some actual numbers as to what that program does to your computer.

 

http://www.whiteline.com.au

This is where I got mine.

David

 

I would think, w/o major mods, that the stock ECU does a pretty good job. I prolly wouldn't change it unless I had huge NA mods and/or turbo mods...

Even so, I think a stand-alone ECU would be a better choice (like the Zdyne, or Hondata)

David