Engine/Gearbox

su8han · Post by **su8han** » Sat Jan 02, 2021 5:52 pm

hi guys wonder if you can help or point me in the right direction.
i am not really a hands on kinda person when it comes to mechanical repairs or service for any car time,tool and space is mostly an issue for me.
Need a good mechanic that knows what he’s doin that can take my prelude off my hands and give the time love it needs.
iam in manchester by the way.

Scott560 · Post by **Scott560** » Sat Jan 02, 2021 7:27 pm

Without wanting to discourage you - owning a 20+ year old car and not be able to work on it (for whatever reason) is not a good relationship.

The newest prelude is 20 years old already, and whilst it was made well and from good parts - if you plan to use it regularly, you will regularly be needing to attend to things. Sometimes with warning, sometimes without. If you need the car for work or important family obligations, its probably not the car for you.

At the minimum , you could do almost no maintenance and the car will survive but become old and tired and eventually too many issues will bring about the end of the car at its next MOT or breakdown. If you don't keep on top of preventative maintenance, all the issues will come to a head, the cost of the repairs/maintenance will outstrip the value of the car (perhaps twice over), and you will be sad that the car has to go in this circumstance.

If you take it to a garage every time something goes wrong or sounds funny or concerns you - that still isn't enough maintenance. It will cost you as no one will generally look at it for free. These cars have had their lives, unless you start putting life back into it, it will run out sooner or later.

What I would suggest is that if you want to keep the car beyond the next MOT or two, you need to find a car buddy who can help you look after it. Without somewhere/someone to help , the car will slowly deteriorate to the point it's not useable/enjoyable to own/reliable. If you keep taking it to a garage to get all the jobs done, you aren't doing it right.

No one is going to spend their time and love your prelude for you, unless you pay for it. Its a value judgement. I have spare time and tools, its 'worth' doing all the jobs I do. If I had to pay for them all to be done, it wouldn't be worth it, the jobs wouldn't get done, and the car would be worse for it...

Sorry if that sounds defeatist, but old cars need lots of care to keep them decent. You either do it yourself, or you will have to pay for it.

su8han · Post by **su8han** » Sat Jan 02, 2021 7:59 pm

yes i totally understand what you are saying and where you’re coming from, at the moment the car needs a full do over and it’s a car that i’ll be using occasionally.
i need to bring it back to its former glory in order for me to keep on top of it in years to come.
yes i now no 1 can put love or passion into an idea that in your head but with guidance and money i suppose it can be achieved.

Post by **vanzep** » Sat Jan 02, 2021 11:47 pm

maybe post up some pics of the car and this will help
bodywork can be costly
but mechanical stuff can be easier to sort out that you think and the prelude is a good car to work on
put up some pics and see what others think & maybe list what jobs have been done or what needs to be done