[deniskapliy]

Hey everyone!


My name is Denis, at the moment I live in Moscow, Russia. The reason for registering here and for creating this thread is that in a couple of months I'm moving to US, particularly - MA Boston. Thus, I was recently forced to sell my 98 jdm Prelude. Used to absolutely love this car and now I am thinking of getting another lude in US. In this thread I'll tell you guys a little bit about the car I owned...as well as I really hope to get answers to my questions about old Hondas in US as I really have no idea about the condition, prices, available mods and many other things. So please don't be mad at me and my english

Ok, now, about the Prelude I owned:

Manufactured in Japan for the japanese domestic market, came to Russia in 2006 or 2007, not sure about this. As it came out it had a Black Top H22A with 200hp and a M2B4 with transmission with a diff lock (is this what you call it?:suspect

The second owner in Russia killed the engine and the transmission. The third owner bought exactly the same H22A and M2B4 transmission on Japan auction with approx 50k miles on it.

This is the final setup of my Prelude

• jdm H22A with 80k miles

• M2B4 with a diff lock

• Full OEM lip-kit

• TEIN suspension

• 63mm custom exhaust

• Type S front strut bar

• Cusco rear strut bar

• Club Linea wheels

• Honeycomb front Grill (I am not sure this is how you call in here, bit it is thought to be extremely rare in Russia and is extremely expensive)

• Replica of Mugen rear spoiler (which is also considered to be super rare here in Russia, even replicas)

• Black Depo lens Headlights

• Climate - Control

And some other minor mods like a new handmade leather stearing wheel with a stitch in interior color, Razo pedals and gear shifter, etc.

Here are some photos of my Prelude










Now, as I'm planning to buy another prelude in US, I've got a couple of questions which I was hoping I could get answers to.

I am looking for H22 only. I know they are slightly different for usdm models. Thats what I can find out myself, I guess. However, I wonder if:

1. There are stock H22 engines? I mean 80% H-series in Russia are swapped twice or even three times Is it real to find an alive H22? What would be the milage?
2. Where would you suggest to search for 5 gen preludes? What are the most popular web-sites with cars for sale?
3. I came on a huge number of offers from car companies and dealerships which sell used cars. How is it different from buying a used car from a private seller? In Russia those car companies sell rubbish and everyone knows about it. 95% of cars are bought from a random private seller.
4. I know what to look for in a car when I search for one, especially - a Prelude. But then - is it ok to take a car to a service station to inspect the suspension, cylinder compression, etc? (again, sorry, I have no idea how you guys call it).
5. What about the parts for 5 gen? I know this is a pretty stupid question, a general answer would be ok! Where do you buy parts?
6. And the last thing to ask - don't me mad at me, its about the insurance. How much is it for an average 5 gen with h22? What are the factors which influence the cost of the insurance?

Once again, I am sorry about the stupid questions...I am new not only to this forum, but also to almost anything else in US. Of course this is not gonna be my first time in US, but the first time I'll be living in US for a really long, actually indefinite amount of time. :smile: I hope you could clear it up to me a little bit!

By the way, it you guys have any questions about this car in the thread I would be glad to answer or to recieve any comments I ll add more photos soon!

Thanks!

 

[deniskapliy]

Ooops, found a way more suitable topic page for this thread - "Introduction". Can this thread be moved there please?

 

[infamouz]

This is also a good place to post your thread if you're planning on purchasing a prelude in the US and plan on building it. You can just add more content to this page.

Car looks very nice!

 

[playludesc]

1. USDM fifth generation Preludes, only ever came with the H22a4, however, none of the USDM cars came with LSD (or limited slip differential, which is what I think you're referring to as diff lock). There were three options for transmissions: Base Manual, SportShift (tiptronic automatic, which is to be absolutely avoided), and ATTS (Automatic Torque Transfer System: a manual transmission with a smart differential which will send more torque to the outside wheel during a turn, creating handling characteristics similar to rear-wheel drive vehicles--this was only available on the SH trim of the car). Most of us prefer the Base Manual version of the vehicle as the manual transmission is more reliable and does better with added power. The ATTS will disable itself at about 250 horspower, and the SportShift is known to fail early no matter what you do to it. ATTS is cool if you want to have a prettier car with mild power adders. If you want to do forced induction of any kind, you'll want the Base Manual. (However, the east coast has pretty stringent emissions standards, so forced induction will likely not be an option for you as modifying anything on the intake side is basically illegal. There are exceptions, but not many.)

Most Americans tend to drive their cars much longer than the Japanese do, so you'll have a hard time finding a Prelude with less than 150,000 miles on it, while finding one with less than 100,000 miles is starting to become unheard of. When buying, look for a car owned by an adult with no modifications. Here, if a kid owns it or it's been modified, it's a sure sign that the car has had a hard life and has likely been abused or poorly maintained. Additionally, Honda suggests that the timing belt and water pump be replaced every 100,000 miles, so if the car is beyond that or nearing 200,000 miles, be sure the owner has proof that those two were recently changed out. A compression test is also a good idea, because the FRM used in the H22a4 cylinder sleeves is so hard as to wear the piston rings, often leading to burning oil in older cars.

H22s are good engines; many, if not most of them that you'll find in the U.S. will be the original engine, running and well.

2.-3. Craigslist.com is going to be the most comprehensive source for buying used cars from private sellers or dealers. Most dealerships in the U.S. generally sell pretty good cars, but you can expect to pay 10%-30% more at a dealer than you will in private sale. Use KBB.com to find good estimated values for used cars. In my opinion, private sale is always better if you're willing to do your homework on a car. Use carfax.com and pay a small fee to find wrecks and other major repairs involving the car.

4. It's generally acceptable to take a used car to a trusted mechanic to have it evaluated for mechanical soundness. On the East Coast (of the U.S.) I expect you'll have trouble finding a Prelude without the famous "Honda rust" around the wheel wells. Most of the East Coast spreads salt on the roads during the winter to melt snow and ice, which translates to accelerated rusting.

5. OEM parts for 5th Gen Preludes are getting hard to find. Majestic Honda and eBay.com are going to be the most reliable places to find OEM parts. Lots of people who have owned previous Hondas whine about the aftermarket support for the Prelude, but compared to most of the cars in the world, it's really not that bad. You can still find aftermarket coilovers, bushing kits, intakes, engine management, air intakes, exhaust headers, etc. with relative ease. Options for engine internals, like valve sets and camshafts are more limited, but pistons, bearings, and other parts are still pretty easy to find. As far as body parts/kits, OEM stuff is almost impossible to find these days, but aftermarket options are still readily available.

6. Insurance is iffy. It will be tied to your driving history and age more than anything else. If you're 26 or older, it should be pretty cheap--around $75 per month or less for liability insurance. Expect to pay more (maybe close to double) for full coverage.

 

[deniskapliy]

Huge thanks! That's the reply I've been waiting for! Hope to get back here soon with another 5 gen