[olskoolzkool]

Hey all,
New to the forum, not new to Preludes--but decided to start spending time up here and take part in things. Bought my first Prelude brand new from showroom in 1988 and have been hooked since then (Yeah...I'm probably the same age as most of your fathers...!). I picked up another 3rd Gen Si last week and am going to keep searching old posts for info I can use to fix this one up a bit.
My biggest interest is finding out if any of you have info on the leather interior option. I remember it being offered back in 1988, but kinda quietly. It's not listed in the options from the brochure, but I seem to remember the dealer telling me I could get it for a couple grand extra--I passed. So I left there with a '88 2.0si in Barbados Yellow. Would love to have that colour again. Someday.

I've currently got a 1990 Si (yep...B21A1--damn) and the car has black factory leather seats front and rear. What I don't know is if someone added these seats or if they were in it from new. Deciphering my VIN has become a little weird and I'm not even sure the leather trim would be indicated in there anyway. I put some pix of the car up in my album here:
http://www.preludepower.com/forums/a...hp?albumid=841
I literally trailered it home on Tuesday and really haven't done much with it yet, so it looks a little dingy inside (car's been sitting outside on a ranch here in AZ for nearly 4 years).

Going by the "official" decoding I find through this site, the BA4 in my VIN code says I should have a B20A engine and manual transmission. I've actually got a B21A1 w/5-sp BUT have a gauge cluster from an Automatic tranny car. Things have been interchanged at some point. My guess is the cluster went out at some time and this is all that was available for the owner to install? Gotta fix it as I've no juice getting to speedo, tach or coolant gauges. Odometer doesn't turn either.

Anyway, info on the leather from anyone interested in this topic would be fun to have.

[sixtyseven`]

Isnt BA4 the chassis code? All the 3rd gens have the same chassis so i dont think that would determine the type of engine.....or would it?

[luzer]

Welcome to the forum. It's good to have another "seasoned" member here. And I doubt you're old enough to be my father, lol.

The 90 and 91 Si models came stock with the b21a1. But maybe a previous owner swapped badges as well as the engine. In 90 and 91, the 2.0Si came with the b20a5 engine.

I wish I could help you with the leather interior question. I've only seen a couple 3rd gens in the states that had factory leather, and both of them were either a 90 or 91 Si. Sounds like someone has swapped quite a bit of parts on yours, so it's hard to say what it originally came with. Hopefully someone else here can answer that for you.

Originally Posted by sixtyseven`

Isnt BA4 the chassis code? All the 3rd gens have the same chassis so i dont think that would determine the type of engine.....or would it?

3rd gen chassis code can be either ba4 or ba5. But I don't know what the distinction between the two is.

[olskoolzkool]

Originally Posted by sixtyseven`

Isnt BA4 the chassis code? All the 3rd gens have the same chassis so i dont think that would determine the type of engine.....or would it?

It's supposed to be just the chassis code from what I understood from years ago. But this one lengthy vin decoder I've been reading (via VIN search on this site) Gives multiple engines/trims being associated with BA4. NONE of them are B21A1...even though I know that engine was specific to the 1990-1991. Weird.

[olskoolzkool]

Originally Posted by luzer

Welcome to the forum. It's good to have another "seasoned" member here. And I doubt you're old enough to be my father, lol.

The 90 and 91 Si models came stock with the b21a1. But maybe a previous owner swapped badges as well as the engine. In 90 and 91, the 2.0Si came with the b20a5 engine.

I wish I could help you with the leather interior question. I've only seen a couple 3rd gens in the states that had factory leather, and both of them were either a 90 or 91 Si. Sounds like someone has swapped quite a bit of parts on yours, so it's hard to say what it originally came with. Hopefully someone else here can answer that for you.



3rd gen chassis code can be either ba4 or ba5. But I don't know what the distinction between the two is.

Thanks for the welcome--I appreciate it! The VIN thing just has me a little stumped. I only went to look at all that to verify that mine was actually a factory 5 speed and not a conversion (because I've got the A/T version gauge cluster--I was suspicious). I did know about the B21A1 being specific to the two model years--but also questioned it after reading a certain VIN de coder. I honestly think the B21A1 is what was in this car from new, and that the gauge cluster got replaced with whatever was handy at the time later on in car's life.

If I can figure out how to post pics up here, I'll put some up of the interior in its current state.

[sixtyseven`]

Originally Posted by olskoolzkool

It's supposed to be just the chassis code from what I understood from years ago. But this one lengthy vin decoder I've been reading (via VIN search on this site) Gives multiple engines/trims being associated with BA4. NONE of them are B21A1...even though I know that engine was specific to the 1990-1991. Weird.

Yea, that is strange.

[cudaboy]

If you using the online shop manual it is for 88-89. European market. If you don't have factory shop manual of your own I highly reccomend the helms reprint. It was the maker of shop manual reprint I actually bought at a honda dealer for my old '84 accord. For the prelude though just go to http://helminc.com type in the 1990 year under user manuals. and go from there. They have actually come down in price. As far as the leather I am pretty sure my '91 prelude sales brochure showed a pic of it. If you have leather panels on the door too it is either a very thourough conversion or original to the car. Does it have any goodies like the armrest?

[olskoolzkool]

Originally Posted by cudaboy

If you using the online shop manual it is for 88-89. European market. If you don't have factory shop manual of your own I highly reccomend the helms reprint. It was the maker of shop manual reprint I actually bought at a honda dealer for my old '84 accord. For the prelude though just go to http://helminc.com type in the 1990 year under user manuals. and go from there. They have actually come down in price. As far as the leather I am pretty sure my '91 prelude sales brochure showed a pic of it. If you have leather panels on the door too it is either a very thourough conversion or original to the car. Does it have any goodies like the armrest?

Not using a shop manual at all...yet. I only did online VIN decoding search found in threads up here. Just wanted to see if I could find out how much of my car is factory and what might have been messed with or changed. I've yet to decide if I'm even going to do anything with this car or offer it for sale to someone else to spend time on. Really , I just grabbed it because of the interior--thinking it may be something worth having whether for me or somebody else. This is Arizona, so black leather is not the wise choice for driving around in! Way too hot out here for it. I think the seats may have possibly been added because the door panels are std. vinyl (unless those panels are not original...I just don't know). Unfortunately, no armrest (I wish it had one...)

[skatersparkz150]

if u want some help or just want to chill and lude talk, hit me up. i live in az too, which part r u in? i hope u figure things out man, seems like u got a frankenstein car in ur hands haha

[olskoolzkool]

Originally Posted by skatersparkz150

if u want some help or just want to chill and lude talk, hit me up. i live in az too, which part r u in? i hope u figure things out man, seems like u got a frankenstein car in ur hands haha

Hey thanks. I dunno if it's frankenstein or not. I got it for a good price. It's in good shape. I do have to do a head gasket job on it. The other little problems like the gauges are things I can figure out myself once I decide to get started on it. it's only been in my hands a couple days, so I haven't really messed with anything at all.

I think it's just gonna sit here for awhile until I get motivated. Just decided to buy it at the last minute...I didn't really need it, just figured--"what the hell".

I'm in Central Phoenix. Who do you know in the area who'd be good to get ahold of for doing work on preludes--especially head work? Gotta change this gasket sometime before I think about doing any driving in it. I don't have a garage where I live...so I have it bad as far as working on stuff myself goes. I have to pay people to do things I really can do myself if I had a workshop...!

[JDM_89LUDER]

My 91Si came w/Tan leather but not in very good condition, so I swapped out the door/rear panels, seats and carpet from my parts car that had a black cloth interior. I still kept the seats and panel inserts though.

[russman4ws]

i was lookin at a 90 si ALB and it had all black factory leather interior

[Ludcifer]

As far as I am aware there was no such thing as factory leather here in the US. However there were and still are dealerships that will offer an aftermarket product such as katskin.
Canada, Japan and Europe did have leather as a factory installed item on specific models.
If you can get some pics posted I can tell you if it is the factory material from another country or an aftermarket install.

['89NClude]

as i understand it ba4 is the chassis code for all preludes except jdm. i've had 3 preludes, all of them were ba4, one was an 89 w/ b20a5 the other two are 90, and 91 w/ b21a1

ba5 is the chassis code for jbm preludes iirc.

[olskoolzkool]

Originally Posted by Ludcifer

As far as I am aware there was no such thing as factory leather here in the US. However there were and still are dealerships that will offer an aftermarket product such as katskin.
Canada, Japan and Europe did have leather as a factory installed item on specific models.
If you can get some pics posted I can tell you if it is the factory material from another country or an aftermarket install.

When I bought one of these new back in the late 80s, the dealer in Monterey, CA offered me the leather option although it was not in the official literature of the time. I don't know how they worked that dealer installed stuff--either had it send from EDM or JDM to the US? No Idea. The 1990 Si I just bought has it in there, looks just like the material in the European ludes I rode around in when I lived over there. Whether it is original to this car, or installed later, I don't know. But it's got colour fading consistent with age and location of this vehicle anyway. I just figured it is pretty uncommon to find it 3rd Gen US models and it's probably worth restoring the bad spots.
Here's a pic from up on my preludepower.com album:

http://www.preludepower.com/forums/a...pictureid=4765

[olskoolzkool]

Originally Posted by JDM_89LUDER

My 91Si came w/Tan leather but not in very good condition, so I swapped out the door/rear panels, seats and carpet from my parts car that had a black cloth interior. I still kept the seats and panel inserts though.

I'd like to keep leather in this one, just wish it wasn't black. It's hot in AZ--would like a tan set. What sort of shape is yours in, and would you be interested in selling/swapping with me? Leather can be restored to look really nice with alot of time and patience. I might be into doing that with this car or OEM leather like yours in a lighter colour.

[papaluder]

Welcome. I am another old timer to. The code breaks down like this The first to Letters are the Manufacture code,The next letter is the vehicle type,the next 2 letters and 1 number is the Prelude code, the next number is your trany code(1-5 speed, 2 auto), the next number is your vehicle grade(2-S, 3-SI, 4-SI with 4WS), Next is a check digit( don't ask me that one), The next letter is your Year( J-88, K-89, L-90, M-91), The next letter is the factory code, then your serial number

[olskoolzkool]

Originally Posted by papaluder

Welcome. I am another old timer to. The code breaks down like this The first to Letters are the Manufacture code,The next letter is the vehicle type,the next 2 letters and 1 number is the Prelude code, the next number is your trany code(1-5 speed, 2 auto), the next number is your vehicle grade(2-S, 3-SI, 4-SI with 4WS), Next is a check digit( don't ask me that one), The next letter is your Year( J-88, K-89, L-90, M-91), The next letter is the factory code, then your serial number

Thanks for this--and I had most of it--but am still trying to figure out my trim code (the number before the check digit). It is 5--is that just another Si code number do you think?

[cudaboy]

does it have alb? natural progression of what has already been posted would be an si with alb (anti lock brakes) look behind your battery for a master cylinder shape container. I will locate my helms and report what I find. Other than that you just have to look at the badge on the trunk for grade. I did find my '91 sales brochure and I thought there was a picture of leather interior in it. What I found was no picture nor mention of leather interior. I didn't read every word but pretty positive that it was not an option in usdm '91 and doubt if '90 had it. My helms is for a '91 aswell since that is what I have. I would think the vin decoding part at the front of the manual would either be the same between '90-'91 or very similar. but could be wrong. I don't recall what the door post has on it for stickers (B -post). I know it has one sticker for exterior color and believe the other should have build date but its been a loong ass time since I loooked at mine.

[cudaboy]

PM me your vin and I will decode it. Just what I thought usdm grade code 5 alb. canada grade code 5, sr model. Do you have seat belts on the b-post (body behind the door)? = canada car. Seat belt retractors on the doors = Usdm A.L.B.

[cudaboy]

I just looked at your pic and don't see a seat belt for front seat on b-post and also spotted the reinforcement hook on your bottom door sill or ( upper rocker panel). So I would say you have a usdm lude with added leather going off the info I have at my fingertips.

[olskoolzkool]

Originally Posted by cudaboy

does it have alb? natural progression of what has already been posted would be an si with alb (anti lock brakes) look behind your battery for a master cylinder shape container. I will locate my helms and report what I find. Other than that you just have to look at the badge on the trunk for grade. I did find my '91 sales brochure and I thought there was a picture of leather interior in it. What I found was no picture nor mention of leather interior. I didn't read every word but pretty positive that it was not an option in usdm '91 and doubt if '90 had it. My helms is for a '91 aswell since that is what I have. I would think the vin decoding part at the front of the manual would either be the same between '90-'91 or very similar. but could be wrong. I don't recall what the door post has on it for stickers (B -post). I know it has one sticker for exterior color and believe the other should have build date but its been a loong ass time since I loooked at mine.

Build date is 3/90 I bought it thinking it was just a std. Si (w/o AWS or ALB) I don't mean 2.0Si, just Si. I hadn't even been thinking ALB at the time I looked at and bought it.

I know I've got a brake fluid reservoir behind the battery and one on the upper driver side firewall as well. I'll have to check things out in daylight. The gauge cluster indicates nothing about it because it's the wrong one. Someone put cluster from an Auto Trans car in there at some point...so when I go to find a new cluster then I'll need to find one with the ALB warning light in it (if I turn out to have ALB at all). There are no ALB emblems on the door pillars or on the steering wheel.

The leather thing is another deal altogether. I really didn't want to make a big deal of it up here--just figured since it is a rare enough find on a 3rd gen, I'd spend time making the stuff look right. Rear seats are all leather, front buckets are leather faced, but seat backs and door panels are black vinyl. I have a feeling it was dealer installed as a special for someone, but who knows for sure. I've got a pic of EDM front and rear seats downloaded from the internet and they're the same damn thing I have.

[olskoolzkool]

Originally Posted by cudaboy

PM me your vin and I will decode it. Just what I thought usdm grade code 5 alb. canada grade code 5, sr model. Do you have seat belts on the b-post (body behind the door)? = canada car. Seat belt retractors on the doors = Usdm A.L.B.

It's US Spec, belt retractors are in the doors.

[cudaboy]

if you have the resivour behind the battery then you have an alb. Interesting thing about alb. I have a set of alb badges and have looked at the factory honda parts catalog and they are only listed for the '90 and not for the '91. So thats why they are rare. They are about $10 each online or around $13-$15 each local stealership. I would let mine go for $10 shipped for the pair if you want them. I have only the one set and if you search for them onhere in 3rd gen you will find a pic of them next to a quarter. Or I can pm that pic. Going on that theory of yours for customer specified build. It could of been built without the badges and had leather added at the factory. But more than likely someone either deleted the badges at some point and added the leather. I remember members years ago considering buying the complete leather interior from a guy in England and paying the exhorbant shipping costs. Seeing how you do have alb and it is kind of hard to install or deinstall with the metal hard line brake lines on firewall and sensors on steering nuckles. If you go to junkyards and find an alb in the future I would rape it of everything as they have been somewhat problematic in the past onhere. Not real big problem but a problem. It is much easier to add 4ws than alb. so if you are so inclined and find 4ws and want all options just look at mustard cats site prelude3g.com or whatev its in the faq. If you have an auto transmision and want lsd contact alika or search web.

[olskoolzkool]

Originally Posted by cudaboy

if you have the resivour behind the battery then you have an alb. Interesting thing about alb. I have a set of alb badges and have looked at the factory honda parts catalog and they are only listed for the '90 and not for the '91. So thats why they are rare. They are about $10 each online or around $13-$15 each local stealership. I would let mine go for $10 shipped for the pair if you want them. I have only the one set and if you search for them onhere in 3rd gen you will find a pic of them next to a quarter. Or I can pm that pic. Going on that theory of yours for customer specified build. It could of been built without the badges and had leather added at the factory. But more than likely someone either deleted the badges at some point and added the leather. I remember members years ago considering buying the complete leather interior from a guy in England and paying the exhorbant shipping costs. Seeing how you do have alb and it is kind of hard to install or deinstall with the metal hard line brake lines on firewall and sensors on steering nuckles. If you go to junkyards and find an alb in the future I would rape it of everything as they have been somewhat problematic in the past onhere. Not real big problem but a problem. It is much easier to add 4ws than alb. so if you are so inclined and find 4ws and want all options just look at mustard cats site prelude3g.com or whatev its in the faq. If you have an auto transmision and want lsd contact alika or search web.

I love this site. Guys like you have so much stuff in their heads. Thanks for sending me all this info. I've got the 1990 showroom catalog showing the Granada Black Si with ALB on pillars and the sawblade wheels. I figured if I did actually turn out having ALB, then the emblems either fell off from age or someone stole 'em. I *thought* ALB was on the steering wheel face as well, but could be wrong. I bought my first Prelude new in 1988 and all you could get was AWS. I remember the ALB coming out and it was pricey. As for leather , I think the dealer at the time told me something like $2,000 and I could have it, too.

If you want ALB nightmares...I had a couple Cadillac Allante Roadsters up until recently. The run the Bosch III ABS system. TOTAL nightmare if anything goes wrong, and thousands of $$. Any Prelude ALB horror stories I need to read up on???