My 3rd Generation Honda Prelude
Before I go any further, let me just say that I absolutely adore Honda Preludes, and I was the proud owner of several of them over many years. Preludes are wonderful machines, a real "driver's car". Few things can put a smile on my face the same way taking my Prelude down a twisty road can. A Prelude, my friends, is pure fun, brought to you by our good friends at Honda. What a great hobby!
1991 Honda Prelude SE-SR ALB
My (former) Prelude
Chassis: BA4
Color: Red
Engine: B21A1
Transmission: 5spd
For the most part, my Honda Prelude was largely unmodified. These beautiful cars are so well put together in the first place that I never strove to make too many changes. Sure, I made the odd performance related modification, but I certainly never attempted to modify the outward appearance of the car. It took me a long time to locate the Prelude that I wanted. As many of you will realize, my model was not a common one, so I was very proud to have one. It was very fun to drive.
Tokico Premium Performance Suspension Kit - Pure Fun In A Box
In my opinion, the number one way to make a car more fun to drive is to upgrade the suspension. Shooting through corners at speeds that were previously impossible is much more fun than straight line speed. With my setup, not only could I shoot through corners, but I could raise some eyebrows in the process. 3rd generation Preludes are well balanced cars to start with, but with the help of Tokico's engineering, I took things to a new level. Trust me, this kit is worth every penny.
Most people make the mistake of only putting springs on their car to get the 'lowered' effect. This is a mistake, because the aftermarket springs are almost always too strong for the stock dampers. This causes undesirable 'road-hop' when you hit bumps. This can be very dangerous if you car decides to jump off the ground while you're going through a corner. In short cornering + poorly match springs and dampers = you're in the ditch.
To maximize handling, the springs must be properly matched with stronger dampers, and in my opinion, the best way to achieve this is to buy the springs and struts together as a kit. After doing a lot of research, and talking to as many people as I could, I decided to purchase a Tokico Premium Performance Suspension Kit for my car. My friends, I'll never look back.
The quality of the kit is phenomenal, the install is easy, and they work better than I could have ever imagined. My Prelude handled well with its factory suspension, now it handles ten times better. I am frequently surprised with the confidence my car has on the road. Cornering is a blast, and on the straight, my ride quality is still satisfactory. Don't get my wrong, these springs are stiff, and you will feel most of the smaller bumps on the road, but it's nothing unpleasant. I'd buy more Tokico products in a second, this is obviously a very well engineered kit.
Short Shifted
Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes Honda made while engineering the 3rd Generation Preludes was a decision to give them an obnoxiously long shift lever. Sure, the factory set-up makes for very easy shifts, but it's a pain in the butt when you want to change gears in a hurry. Naturally, I had to do something about this.
Not wanting to trust any of the short-shifters that are available on the Internet for 3rd Generation Preludes, I decided to make my own. This proved to be one of the easiest projects I have ever endeavored to complete. I shortened my shifter by 1.5 inches, making the shift throw feel a lot like a 4th Generation Prelude. I'm very satisfied with how it worked out. Shifting is still quite easy, and I can complete my shifts much faster when I need to.
Other Mods
Exhaust: Cat-Back
Illumination: H4 Conversion PIAA Super-Plasma headlights. A must for all my night driving.
Induction: Custom 3" Cold Air Intake
Electrical: Battery relocated to trunk to make room for my CAI.
Engine Dress Up: Painted valve cover. Refinished intake manifold, intake components, and exhaust heat shield.
Undercarriage: Completely refinished with an incredibly strong black paint. Brake components painted blue.
I'm a true believer in 'sleeper' cars, so I have made numerous other small mods that I won't mention. The smaller mods helped to make the car uniquely 'mine'.