240sx vs Prelude

[KO7]

When I was looking for a prelude a few years ago, I got so frustrated and annoyed by how many of them were autotragics, FUUUUUUU. May be looking at TSXes in the next few months and I'm already saddened by how many of them AREN'T 6-speed manual.

[donjalapeno]

theres a nice blue prelude at the Mazda dealership in pitt meadows. I drove by it today and it really caught my eye.


edit: found the link but its not in your price range and its auto

http://www.westcoastmazda.com/en/use...spy?id=4250893

[noventa]

well since you said you want to learn to mod I say go for the 240. The 240 and prelude are competitors in the same market category so they should be pretty similar. I think the prelude h22a is a much more refined engine than the crappy ka24de and as such, will cost you more to mod. The interior is also nicer on a prelude. If only for everyday driving, then the prelude is your choice.

However, if you are looking for a longer term investment then perhaps the 240 is the way to go. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the depreciation value of a 240 is going to be slower then a prelude. Also, it is a better platform for modifying if you are attempting to make a "race" car. Many upgrades can be had for cheaper because of Nissan's way of using interchangable parts from bigger beefier cars. Say if you had a prelude and wanted better brakes, you would have to go aftermarket. but for 240s, you can choose between gtr parts and z32 parts or even JDM silvia parts. These stuff would usually be cheaper and more available because they are offered as OEM for other cars.

Both cars are great and built by a quality manufacture with enormous aftermarket support. But I would say, choose the 240. Think about it. What other entry level japanese car can you find that is a 2 door coupe with rwd for that price from that era?

[325isMSPORT]

rwd and manual

[underscore]

If you wanna get into modding, buy an auto Prelude for cheap, start finding swap parts right away (Honda cross-compatibility FTW) and when the auto goes swap the tranny for a manual. Personally I'd go base as well because of the stupid e-diff in the SH (it's a pain). I think that Preludes start out nicer looking as well (especially on the interior, whoever designed that carpeted glovebox on the 240 should be shot)

Originally Posted by SpuGen

^
80% of the SR swapped 240's you see...anywhere are fucked.
240 owners are cheap. Half of them don't even do the proper pre reqs before swapping. Mounts, Thermostat, etc.
And some of them usually just paint over any pre-existing rust instead of actually getting rid of it.

I'm not saying that it's true for all 240 owners, but it's pretty much become the norm. They watch a couple drift vids on Youtube, then do hackjob swaps with ebay parts, and tweak the chassis. Or they attempt to make a cool drift car, and fuck up the Chassis by doing shitty welds for thier half assed rollcage.

Don't buy a 240 unless you're willing to do a proper job, with the proper tools and parts. I mean, for fucks sake they're selling knockoff N62 (Z32) MAFs for people who don't want to spend an extra $20 for a good used one.

Agreed, almost every swapped 240 has shit wiring and never runs right because someone just slapped in a motor straight off the boat without any prep or maintenance. I would never, ever buy a car that someone else has swapped.

[Nightwalker]

It's hard to think of any car with more aftermarket than the 240sx, besides a Honda Civic.

[MK-EK]

Originally Posted by Nightwalker

It's hard to think of any car with more aftermarket than the 240sx, besides a Honda Civic.

...
honda/acura integra!

[some_punk]

mustangs and camaros probally have way more,

[Over9K]

^^ They do....LOTS more.

Anyways, read my posts on here

http://www.revscene.net/forums/65403...ity-240sx.html

It's true, whether you believe it or not.

And +9999999999999999999999999999999 to SpuGen.

Here are a couple of examples

http://bc240.com/index.php?showtopic=7595

http://bc240.com/index.php?showtopic=5450





He fucked it up so bad, he had to get another chassis.

http://bc240.com/index.php?showtopic=7098

[european]

I like the Prelude. I own a 97 Honda Prelude base model and I've been driving mine for almost 8 years now. I did the auto-manual swap within the first year when I purchased it as I just don't like automatic on certain cars.
Here are a few pictures of my Prelude. It's nice I guess.











Many people do not like the Prelude as they say its heavy which is true or they don't like the headlights, think its ugly, too slow, etc etc but maybe those people are looking for a more serious tuning car like a Type R I guess? Not really sure but everyone has different opinions on everything. All in all the Prelude is a nice car. It's not the greatest or fastest car out there but its nice.

The Prelude engine, H22A4, is a good engine however many tend to leak or burn at some time in their life time. I have replaced every seal so currently I do not leak or burn but I'm sure as it gets older it'll happen. My engine is just under 340,000km's on all original parts other then replaced items with newer OEM parts. The engine is still doing well although I'm no mechanic or technician. I do all maintenance on time and/or when needed. I take great care of my Prelude.

The automatic transmission on the Prelude is not the greatest however, mine was perfectly fine and I sold it for 80 dollars I think, along with two axles and a half shaft if I remember correctly. Many that have a automatic 5th gen Prelude tend to have problems with it and some have replaced or fixed their automatic transmissions but only to find out that the newly installed transmission went bad again. Some change the auto tranny to a 5speed manual and they love it! There are many threads on dedicated prelude enthusiast websites which tell you step by step on what to do. It's actually pretty easy and only takes a few days with the right tools and help from friends. You can also get a reliable local performance shop to do it like GarageFive or EvolutionAuto.

The Prelude has a nice exterior and interior. I like the 5th gen interior a lot comparing it to other Hondas that I was interested at the time of purchase although I still like very many different cars and still wish I had enough money to buy them all. The one thing I don't like about the 5th Gen Prelude interior are the front seats. Maybe I have some type of lower back problem, which I wouldn't be surprised if I did, but the front drivers seat always hurt my lower back and my ass! Maybe its because I'm boney or something but it killed after about 45 minutes or driving. I've replaced those stock seats with JDM DC5-R Recarco's and driving for longer periods is great.

If for some reason the engine fails and you're ever planning on replacing it, you can look into installing a JDM H22A from a Japanese SiR S-Spec Prelude. It has a bit more power and torque due to more quality parts and precision that went into those specific engines at the time of their assembly. The SiR S-Spec and Type S engine in Japan received a bit of a Type R treatment so its more along the performance side but still a great engine to have when the stock H22A4 dies or needs to be rebuilt or something.

The Prelude is not the type of car where it will blow everything out of the water when you step on the throttle. If you are looking for something with more power then the Prelude is not for you. For example, if you want something with power look into a NSX and fulfill your need for speed in a enclosed and supervised environment such as a race track like Mission Raceway or Portland International Raceway. The Honda Prelude still has a bit of kick to it but not as much as some may like. I think its plenty as there is not much room to gallop around these city streets or highways. Even if you wanted to "open her up" it's not worth the risk of getting a massive speeding ticket, your car towed away and possible license suspension or something.

If you are looking into a Prelude get the 5speed and a base model. The Type SH has a ATTS unit which is really neat but it tends to get a bit complicated if you ever want to start doing some modifications, don't quote me on that though as I've only read a few articles about it in the past. Although, some people still have their automatic Prelude and love it. They drive it like a regular automatic. They do not use the sport shift mode. Not sure if they have ever replaced the automatic transmission or not.

I think you should drive the 240 and Prelude a few times and see what you think as its ultimately your decision. Maybe even read a bunch of dedicated 240 and Prelude websites to see the pros and cons on both worlds. Personally if I had the money I would buy both 240 and Prelude. Like I said, I like many cars.
Just buy what you want!

Anyways, I hope this helps out at least a little bit. Let me know if you have any other questions regarding the Prelude I'll try to help out as much as possible.

Good luck!
Cheers
Mike

[EndLeSS8]

Salvation: James Craig

[TjAlmeida]

He is talking about an affordable car to tune and have fun with and you are saying he should buy an NSX??
Posted via RS Mobile

[Bahhbeehhaaaa]

i'm pretty sure the lifespan of manual trannys are longer then auto.. sooo GO FOR stick shift =)

[underscore]

Oh and I forgot to mention, drive a Prelude with a cold air intake. Such a simple thing but DEAR GOD do those things growl when they hit VTEC. It's honestly one of my favourite intake sounds and I scared the crap out a guido with it in my gf's car.

[Jake Hartman]

if i could find a silvia i would buy one.

Originally Posted by EndLeSS8

Salvation: James Craig

[european]

So whats the verdict? Did you purchase a car yet? If so, post some pictures!

[yoursyumiko]

I had an auto 97 Prelude, had about 180k KM, transmission was perfectly fine when I sold it.
I barely used the tiptronic, changed ATF at least once a year (20k KM)

I heard adding a transmission cooler helps too.

[Hustler604]

Hey man, having owned a prelude (ended up turbod) they are a fun car to drive and own. The great thing for both these cars is that there is so much information out there about fixing and tuning that if you do research you will be fine. Being in school and only having a limited budget should heavily factor in your decision because trust me, with a 240 that rocks a KA you will probably want to swap sooner than later.

I think the prelude will really teach you a lot about driving (not drifting) a fwd car and they can handle very well with the right supporting mods. Either car you get, remember to focus on the right things, brakes, suspension and tires. All that other crap (and there's a lot of other crap!) won't make you a better driver. Learn to handle the cars first and then worry about going faster.

I sold my prelude to get a 350z mainly for the challenge of rwd and because I absolutely love the car, but I think I gained a solid foundation of driving experience in the prelude. Sure, I could have gotten a 240 and learned rwd right away, but now I know I am much more complete as a driver.

IMHO don't go for a heavily modded car as they could be money pits. Either way you be happy. If you want a comfortable daily driver get the prelude. And stay the fuck away from SH model. That ATTS is really shit and can cause you problems that cost a lot to fix. Also, you won't have to always crutch on Torque transfer system to fix your shitty driving. Lol

[Jake Hartman]

I've decided a prelude but I haven't found one well that my dad likes he's a mechanic and does his own check and one we liked needed a timing belt and the front wheel made a sound and the power steering bubbled and the other was perfectly fine but 7 accidents so no luck with one under 175k kms
Posted via RS Mobile

[S1 S2]

Good luck op, take ur time to source out a lude.
Posted via RS Mobile

[XplicitLuder]

having own a 5th gen, looking into the market now to get my new DD , and been looking at ludes again lol

[epicbeardman]

Originally Posted by Jake Hartman

probably a few of these but all i could find were ones 4 to 7 years old and i want a new opinion from Vancouver. I live in Coquitlam still going to high school and selling my 93 accord se and want a tuner. i got 6k max and i don't want to do an engine swap in the future. I will when the engine dies but till then no. i wanna put money into the car simple at the beginning more later on and every threads fighting over rwd or fwd personally i need a auto transmission and i wanna know which of those two would be the best choice. my main desicions based on fun to drive and will have some power behind the peddle. looking at 5th gen prelude or 240 sx.

it's been said, but get a manual car. You're in highschool, and young, trust me...there will come a time in your life when responsibilities and significant others demand you buy an auto minivan. Until then, enjoy your youth. BTW, never get an auto prelude. If you want to avoid one car in the entire universe with a slushbox, that's the one.

[oldsnail]

i bought a beater prelude because my new car took too long for delivery.. several years later, i still have the prelude, and it has became a winter beater with only snow tires..

there is nothing wrong with it and i just like having it. easy to maintain, good cruiser with adequate power. and it is auto.. i myself love the seating position and interior design of the lude..

although not a 240sx, i have also owned a 96 altima (ka24de) and an 02 g20 (sr20).. the prelude was more efficient than both of them and engine response feels like it is a generation ahead of the 2.. it is more connected with the driver and if you find a nice clean one, it ages pretty well and looks sorta modern compared to a 240sx...

maintenance, i changed auto fluid frequently while i only replaced the water pump and tbelt on the lude..

ka24de was reliable for me, but the 02 sr20 was terrible for me..

[Jake Hartman]

well i bought a black lude and other the past two months ive had no problems and put in a sound system that literally rattles the whole car. Thanks for all your help and i love my new car its my baby.

[extracrunchie]

Originally Posted by Jake Hartman

well i bought a black lude and other the past two months ive had no problems and put in a sound system that literally rattles the whole car. Thanks for all your help and i love my new car its my baby.