New Prelude questions
Discussion
Hello chaps, I've just bought a '97 Prelude and in the course of browsing the interweb for info on it came across this site. At the risk of fawning, it's the most informative and entertaining I've seen so far!
I hope nobody minds my asking some (probably fairly obvious) questions. If somebody could find time to answer any of them, I'd be eternally grateful.
- The guy I bought the car from definitely seemed to know his onions and had really looked after it. He'd put an induction kit and a shiny exhaust on it but what most impressed me was the fact that he'd fitted an oil temperature gauge as a way of spotting low oil before the low oil light picked it up: he wasn't in the business of running it into the ground. I'm not particularly interested in adding bits to the engine as it's my only car and I can't afford for it to be temperamental, but I wouldn't mind getting it lowered. I'm not talking silly lowered here; I don't want it to look like I've got The Fast And The Furious posters all over my bedroom (I haven't) and I do go over speed bumps on my way to work but I would like the car to look a little more purposeful from the side. I believe the Motegi edition has lower/stiffer suspension so something to emulate or improve upon that would be ideal. My question is, have any of you ever lowered a series 5 Prelude, and how did you go about it? I'm imagining I'd get the springs/shocks off the internet and take them to my local garage to have them fitted: there's no way I'd do a job like that myself.
- I'm after some new front seats as well. The car cost less than I'd put aside to upgrade from my previous car (Peugeot 306 diesel, keyword DRAB) so I don't mind throwing a bit of cash at it to make it nice. Was thinking Recaro, although only because that's the only manufacturer I've really heard of. Cost/ease of fitting?
I was going to ask some more questions but I've gone on a bit for a first post and I don't want to be presumptious. Thanks for reading and please excuse my naivety!
Cheers,
Ben
I hope nobody minds my asking some (probably fairly obvious) questions. If somebody could find time to answer any of them, I'd be eternally grateful.
- The guy I bought the car from definitely seemed to know his onions and had really looked after it. He'd put an induction kit and a shiny exhaust on it but what most impressed me was the fact that he'd fitted an oil temperature gauge as a way of spotting low oil before the low oil light picked it up: he wasn't in the business of running it into the ground. I'm not particularly interested in adding bits to the engine as it's my only car and I can't afford for it to be temperamental, but I wouldn't mind getting it lowered. I'm not talking silly lowered here; I don't want it to look like I've got The Fast And The Furious posters all over my bedroom (I haven't) and I do go over speed bumps on my way to work but I would like the car to look a little more purposeful from the side. I believe the Motegi edition has lower/stiffer suspension so something to emulate or improve upon that would be ideal. My question is, have any of you ever lowered a series 5 Prelude, and how did you go about it? I'm imagining I'd get the springs/shocks off the internet and take them to my local garage to have them fitted: there's no way I'd do a job like that myself.
- I'm after some new front seats as well. The car cost less than I'd put aside to upgrade from my previous car (Peugeot 306 diesel, keyword DRAB) so I don't mind throwing a bit of cash at it to make it nice. Was thinking Recaro, although only because that's the only manufacturer I've really heard of. Cost/ease of fitting?
I was going to ask some more questions but I've gone on a bit for a first post and I don't want to be presumptious. Thanks for reading and please excuse my naivety!
Cheers,
Ben
Hiya chap,
I would visit Honda-Revolutions...not been on there for a couple of years, but there should still be some informed people on there alongside the lax power guys. Prelude's were very popular, so someone will have tried pretty much every option for tuning. Some good links on there too.
But the general conclusion is you get what you pay for with suspension...and don't go for anything particularly extreme if it's a daily driver - a 25mm drop will be plenty, anything over 40mm will be asking for trouble.
Best of luck...you've got a very underrated and understated coupe there!
I would visit Honda-Revolutions...not been on there for a couple of years, but there should still be some informed people on there alongside the lax power guys. Prelude's were very popular, so someone will have tried pretty much every option for tuning. Some good links on there too.
But the general conclusion is you get what you pay for with suspension...and don't go for anything particularly extreme if it's a daily driver - a 25mm drop will be plenty, anything over 40mm will be asking for trouble.
Best of luck...you've got a very underrated and understated coupe there!
Thanks for the replies... but with the springs/shocks question, I'm going to have to get you to make it even more basic! Am I replacing the shocks themselves, or just the springs that go over them? I realise I could quite easily ask at a garage or somewhere that sells the things, but I'm trying to avoid the hard sell. "I'm afraid the only things that will work on your car are these hideously expensive titanium numbers..."
And to the bloke who was whistful for his 306 DTurbo; mine was a rattly old dog. I'd feel genuine shame every time I started it up and everything within a twenty metre radius disappeared in a grey haze.
And to the bloke who was whistful for his 306 DTurbo; mine was a rattly old dog. I'd feel genuine shame every time I started it up and everything within a twenty metre radius disappeared in a grey haze.
Has the car been lowered already? or has it been fitted with uprated shocks/springs?
To be honest, if you really want to lower it, and you can afford the outlay - don't just go for a set of lowering springs.
Get a set of Coilovers, it will be a little more expensive but you'll have much much more flexibility and adjustment.
To be honest, if you really want to lower it, and you can afford the outlay - don't just go for a set of lowering springs.
Get a set of Coilovers, it will be a little more expensive but you'll have much much more flexibility and adjustment.
I'd agree - get coilovers. Adjustable ones probably.
But for a basic primer in suspension:-
Most cars have two components - springs (now almost always coil springs), and dampers. 'Coilovers' is short for 'coil springs over dampers', which is where the damper sits in the middle of the spring.
'Shocks' are the springs - they absorb the shock of any impact. What the dampers do is control the 'rebound' - how much the car 'bounces' on the spring before it settles again.
It is very important to get the springs and dampers at compatible rates - otherwise your suspension will be all-at-sea. Most simple adjustable after-market coilovers adjust the springs and dampers together, keeping a set ratio. For a beginner (or most people not in competition), this is best.
But for a basic primer in suspension:-
Most cars have two components - springs (now almost always coil springs), and dampers. 'Coilovers' is short for 'coil springs over dampers', which is where the damper sits in the middle of the spring.
'Shocks' are the springs - they absorb the shock of any impact. What the dampers do is control the 'rebound' - how much the car 'bounces' on the spring before it settles again.
It is very important to get the springs and dampers at compatible rates - otherwise your suspension will be all-at-sea. Most simple adjustable after-market coilovers adjust the springs and dampers together, keeping a set ratio. For a beginner (or most people not in competition), this is best.
It hasn't had anything at all done to the suspension at all. Compared to my girlfriend's Focus it's got much less bounce, but I'd prefer even less.
If I did get some of your coilovers to lower it by, say, 25mm and stiffen it up, would I need to worry about the fact that the wheels wouldn't be perpendicular to the road or is that all taken care of?
If I did get some of your coilovers to lower it by, say, 25mm and stiffen it up, would I need to worry about the fact that the wheels wouldn't be perpendicular to the road or is that all taken care of?
Just remember that zero rebound isn't a particularly good idea for a road car.
Grip and handling are two entirely different entities, so when you feel as though you'd like less rebound, that doesn't mean that your car will inherently handle better - it simply means that you've limited the amount of suspension travel.
Sure, stiff suspension will go some way towards "pushing" the tyre's contact patch onto the road, but again there needs to be a balance struck - especially on the road.
The same goes for ride height, sure - lowering the car will go some way towards reducing the car's centre of gravity, but as I said before, this doesn't automatically mean that the car will now handle / grip fantastically.
Get a set of coilovers, and take a moderate 25-30mm drop in ride height and set the stiffness to somewhere around medium - I'd say that would be pretty much ideal for normal road use (with some fast road use thrown in)
Grip and handling are two entirely different entities, so when you feel as though you'd like less rebound, that doesn't mean that your car will inherently handle better - it simply means that you've limited the amount of suspension travel.
Sure, stiff suspension will go some way towards "pushing" the tyre's contact patch onto the road, but again there needs to be a balance struck - especially on the road.
The same goes for ride height, sure - lowering the car will go some way towards reducing the car's centre of gravity, but as I said before, this doesn't automatically mean that the car will now handle / grip fantastically.
Get a set of coilovers, and take a moderate 25-30mm drop in ride height and set the stiffness to somewhere around medium - I'd say that would be pretty much ideal for normal road use (with some fast road use thrown in)
I had several Preludes. Lovely car. I don't think the Motegi was lowered, think it was just a bodykit, with an "upgrade" to 17" wheels (inverted commas because I prefered the handling on 16s). I'm prepared to be corrected though.
My current MX-5 was lowered about 40mm vs. standard by a previous owner and the ride is so bad I'm considering reverting to standard springs. The handling is great on a smooth road but bring bumps into the equation and I'm all over the place. Being in Ireland, there are rather more bumps than where you are mind you!
My current MX-5 was lowered about 40mm vs. standard by a previous owner and the ride is so bad I'm considering reverting to standard springs. The handling is great on a smooth road but bring bumps into the equation and I'm all over the place. Being in Ireland, there are rather more bumps than where you are mind you!
OK, that's interesting. Didn't realise the standard wheels were 16": these are 17". Perhaps I won't bother swapping the suspension if it's not likely to improve the ride - might spend the money on a respray instead.
I really ought to think harder about what I want to do with the car before I ask all these questions.
I really ought to think harder about what I want to do with the car before I ask all these questions.
if not already a member, check out PreludeUK
They should be able to help you with most prelude related questions. Enjoy the car, they are great cars, but i am biased! Check mine out here Clicky clicky!
They should be able to help you with most prelude related questions. Enjoy the car, they are great cars, but i am biased! Check mine out here Clicky clicky!
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