What to look put for, when buying a prelude?

BigTom · Post by **BigTom** » Sat Nov 24, 2012 12:07 am

Good advice already form prelude_h22.

Check when the timing belts were last replaced as well (recommended 60k miles or 6 years). If they're overdue then mention the need to replace belts, tensioners and water pump (£500 job if you go the whole hog) and use it as bargaining tool on the price. Similarly, if there's any rust at all on the rear arches then it'll be there for good so use that as further price leverage.

mercutio · Post by **mercutio** » Sat Nov 24, 2012 2:22 pm

lol they are not fetching the sort of money where you have to worry about a lot of this if the prices suddenly go through the roof then fine but a lot of ludes wont be worth buying going from just the last post.
I agree you should buy the best car you can afford but buying a car for between 900-1500 and knocking the guy down on the basis that a cambelt job will cost between half or a third of the price of the car !!!.
A lot of these cars are coming up for over 20 years old and the reason prices are depressed is partly because people dont value the cars ie try to get a car for as little as possible, just remember when you come to sell there will have been someone reading this who thinks yeah i can knock him down even more. Its a double edged sword and if your not part of the solution your part of the problem.
rant over

BigTom · Post by **BigTom** » Sat Nov 24, 2012 3:07 pm

mercutio wrote:lol they are not fetching the sort of money where you have to worry about a lot of this if the prices suddenly go through the roof then fine but a lot of ludes wont be worth buying going from just the last post.
I agree you should buy the best car you can afford but buying a car for between 900-1500 and knocking the guy down on the basis that a cambelt job will cost between half or a third of the price of the car !!!.
A lot of these cars are coming up for over 20 years old and the reason prices are depressed is partly because people dont value the cars ie try to get a car for as little as possible, just remember when you come to sell there will have been someone reading this who thinks yeah i can knock him down even more. Its a double edged sword and if your not part of the solution your part of the problem.
rant over

Heh, I was just mentioning it as a useful bargaining tool. Bought my fairly mint 5th gen last month and knocked the guy down from (admittedly overpriced) £1750 to £1250, largely on the basis that the timing belt was overdue.