Lude Generation

As some of you know I am doing a restoration on my '99 Prelude. I had intednded it to be a short term thing, but work and other commitments have gotten in the way of my progress. I am not quitting the build, but I am accepting the fact that it will be a long(er) term project. I want to do everything right and spare no expense.

That being said, I am kind of screwed for transportation to and from work.


Here is my solution:

1996 Prelude Si. H23 manual.
$1500 or ~750 quid.
243000 kms.

Runs great, the transmission is like butter. It has a bit of rust and a few dents but this is my beater. Not a bad foundation for a future build though.. ...lets not go there. ...yet.



My 99 is in the garage.


I like how it sounds, but I hate the look of that exhaust.


Door dent and rust. The girlfriends Civic is there too. I've been driving that around a lot lately. Fun car.


This came with it.




Reasonably clean interior. No rips or gouges.



I love this dash!

http://s796.photobucket.com/user/Silver ... b.mp4.html <---video!


I have been looking at 4th gen goodies, but I'm finding a lot of cheap chinese ebay ricey jobby. Is true 4th gen stuff hard to find these days? Or am I looking in the wrong places?

Not bad for a beater, hey? Welcome to the 4th gen club. Hope you enjoy the car.
Had a 2.3 for a couple of years, really liked that engine.

That exhaust does look bloody awful though totally the wrong angle!!! The duct taped spoiler brake light is interesting, too!

The rear between seat pocket thingy is rare I think - only the second time I've seen one.

4th gen stuff is as easy to find as 5th gen stuff I think? Might be different in canda though

Hahaha yeah the electrical tape holding the third brake light in the spoiler is something else eh? I call those my racing stripes.

The 23 is not a bad motor at all. It paired with those longer gears makes it enjoyable to drive. Visions of rebuilding that m2b4 and swapping it in are starting to crowd my thoughts.

I really have to control myself though... I'm trying not to get too attached to this car but its easier said than done.

I just took her for a rip on the highway...


I love this car.

Nice buy!

BlackShadow wrote:I just took her for a rip on the highway...


I love this car.

...and so it begins!

Hi mate !
Nice 4th you're having there.

@wurlycorner: the piece between the rear seats is specific USDM. JDM and EDM came not with a pocket.

You are looking for 4th gen parts. JDM ? EDM ? USDM ? Replacement parts ?
Watch the US forums and US part group on Facebook.
Some nice parts are coming by

Gotta love the 4th gen's EL dash!! I do miss mine.

If you get bored, you can always have fun changing the colour of the gauges:



Can't say I ever looked at the cost of 4th gens when I was in Canada, but when I lived in Florida, they were ridiculous prices!

I think the exhaust looks fine!


(...for something a farmer would use as artillery )

I thought I'd share a couple more pictures of the ol girl...


Type-R radio delete for added weight savings



Seriously though, this part really sucks. Whenever I get into some traffic my first reaction is to flick onto the traffic reports and find out whats going on. IT dawns on me again (and again) that I don't have a radio.

In-dash screen: nothing but bum droppings to watch as usual.



The car was certified as "fit" back in June. Those slips are only valid for 36 days, so if you don't sell the car within that time frame, you or the new owner has to have it re-certified. Mine lapsed so I had to take it to a shop to be inspected. Keep in mind, I was driving the car illegally (it wasn't registered to me because of the certification). If a cop had of run the plate, it would have come up as a black 99 prelude. They would have taken the plates, and impounded the car. That being said, I went to the nearest shop, which is in one of those big chain hardware stores. Big mistake. By taking it there, I basically handed them a blank cheque. The only thing i was aware of and told them about was three marker light bulbs were burnt out. They come back to me with:

1) Rear brakes "totally drokked". $1100
2) Seatbelt frayed. $560
3) battery tie down missing.
4) Hole in quarter panel. (body shop required)
5) Front right upper control arm is missing a nut.

They never found the light bulbs...

Eleven-hundred bucks for rear brakes! Honda quoted me that much for all four on my 99! They tried telling me they were way beyond the minimums. I played dumb and asked:

Me: "oh my.. how would that problem manifest itself?"

Them: "Well uh.. you'd get a lot of grinding, screeching, and increased pedal travel."

He didn't know what to say when I told him I checked the brakes before buying the car, and they were absolutely fine.

Them: "we have our in-house minimum standards and your brakes don't meet those."

Me: "I too have "in-house" standards for cars, and some brand new cars today wouldn't meet those, but what I think is irrelevant, as are your in-house standards. The ministry of transportation has minimum standards and that is what I am paying for!"

I told them to stick it, and went down the road to a small "mom and pop" shop. Their inspection was $30 cheaper and took less time.

1) Front right marker light, both rear bumper lights out.
2) Battery tie down.
3) Upper control arm nut.
4) Quarter panel hole.

- I replaced the bulbs myself. Even the front corner one, which was a bugger to get out.
- Battery tie down I took off the 99.
- The control arm nut wasn't listed in any drawings (probably comes as a unit). 1.25 seems to be an odd pitch here so I had them put one on for me. To my surprise, they did it on the house. How many shops would do that?

Last but not least, the hole in the quarter panel. "How do I fix that?" "Foam! FIll'er up with some expanding foam and you're good to go!"

Bodyman-in-a-can:



Now she is certified and in the clear. I changed the oil last night and gave her some sea foam. Chirps into 3rd now I am picking up a new valve cover gasket in a few minutes because the gromet on the number 2 spark plug tube is leaking, badly. I checked the plugs, and in the few seconds I had that one out, enough oil dripped into the cylinder to create a huge plume of blue smoke when I started it again.

Next weekend, weather permitting: VC gasket install, and valve adjustment.

Seriously lovin' this car.