Honda Prelude 1997-2002

grbeck · September 2002

Back in March I purchased a leftover 2001 base Prelude. The last time I checked in to this thread I was pretty disappointed with the car because of some minor problems (faulty oxygen sensor, blown fuse) and warping rotors. I had the rotors replaced with cross-drilled rotors, which are working fine. And I've had no other problems aside from some minor rattles from the dashboard. My opinion of the car has improved. It sure does encourage a lead foot on the freeway - I've cruised at 90-100 mph without any problem.

I have two questions - first, how do I get rid of water spots on the hood, roof and trunk? I tried the clay bar, cleaner and carnuba wax, but that only makes them more noticeable! The "shine" makes the water spots stand out more. I seem to recall reading that white vinegar will remove those spots, but I hesitate to use it for fear of ruining the paint.

Second - when I wax the car, how can I prevent swirl marks? Any advice is appreciated.

himiler · September 2002

Are you drying the car with a chamois of a super-soft towel? If so, you shouldn't be leaving any water spots behind.

I'm not sure how to get rid of swirl marks - I don't get 'em. What kind of wax are you using? I use Meguiars paste, and it comes off cleanly.

You might want to post your questions in the maintenance/repair section of TH, as there are some detailing gurus in there who know everything about waxes and polishing.

It's good to hear that you're digging the car.

nyccarguy · September 2002

Definitely glad to hear that your view of the Prelude has changed:) It is nice to see you enjoying it.

As far as car cleaning tips and products go, I used Klasse All In One (cleaner/polish). It is an easy to use formula that got a lot of the surface scratches and water spots off my car (Milano Red).

Now I know what you're all thinking (well maybe not): "nyccarguy, you've only got 700 miles on your car, how bad can the surface scratches and water spots be?" Due to the ongoing "draught emergency" here in the NYC Metro Area, my car was not able to be washed before delivery. It was cleaned with some sort of chemicals (If I would have known beforehand, I would have told them not to) after sitting on some dealer's lot in Jersey for who knows how many months.

Check out www.properautocare.com

It is a great website that's run like a small family business. You can email them questions and they'll email back a personalized solution for your situation. Let us know what they tell you.

nyccarguy · September 2002

You guys made some excellent points over on the "What is the Honda Thing..." forum the other day.

himiler · September 2002

I aim to please, and shoot to kill!

sphinx99 · September 2002

I aim to shoot, and am pleased to kill.

But what can I say, in all seriousness, there's a certain crowd that loves to bash Japanese cars for no particular reason, then turn around and say, "who... ME?!" I've seen ridiculous advertising on the part of all brands. Heck, I've had a BMW guy advertise the cupholders and "rockin' sound system" on a BMW 330 to me, in person. He didn't mention handling or acceleration, he didn't seem to know what those words meant. After experiences like that, you realize that it doesn't matter what country it's made in, there's somebody advertising the silliest of things about the car in hopes of making a sale.

linard · September 2002

I agree with nyccarguy, the Klass All in One is an AMAZING product, I use it about once every two months on my 99 Ficus Green Prelude and I have to say, it looks wonderful, I always get comments on how shiny the car is. Another thing is, if your paint is waxed regularly, you shouldn't have major issues with swirl marks since it's pretty well protected. My poor car sits outside and collects a lot of dust and I use a car cover everynight on whatever dust that accumulated during the day and since the last carwash and I still have minimal swirls. You commented on the swirls marks DUE to waxing which shouldn't occur if you're using a clean terry cloth towel to apply the wax and remove it.

Nyccarguy, have you tried Pinnacle? It's a glaze that's works in conjunction with Klasse All in One and it makes the paint look so deep, you'd swear it was still wet. If you can, you must try it. The price is pretty steep though...

sphinx99 · September 2002

Swirls are hard to avoid during waxing if you do not wash the car carefully. Swirls usually come because the washing phase isn't done very thoroughly; the cloths used during waxing then start to drag debris around. There are a couple of ways around this:

1. Do a good job of washing. Use soft sponges, cloths, feather brushes, etc., and change the wash surfaces frequently. I tag-team with my brother-in-law on car cleaning day; we both soap each other's car, then resoap our own, then wash down - the second soaping down usually wipes off any remaining dirt that's softened.

2. Try to clay the bar semi-frequently. Not every week, but at least once or twice a year. I shoot for once every three months.

3. During waxing, change the surface of the cloth you are polishing with, frequently.. Use different towels for application and buffing, for each coat.

4. Do not wax the car outdoors in the sunlight in the wind. Dust can collect on the surface even as you are waxing, leading to swirls.

5. Consider changing the cloth surface more frequently when waxing "dirtier" parts of the car--front lip, the bumpers, bottom of the doors, side skirts, areas behind the wheels, etc. Don't use your front bumper towel to wax and buff your hood.

I use Meguires and have had pretty good luck with it. It may not be the best out there but it seems to be the best of what's available at the local Murray's, and it does a good job on my silver '01 SH. I wouldn't mind something that gives the clearcoat a bit more depth---Pinnacle and Klass, huh? Where can I pick these up?

I happen to have the door sill inserts for the carbon fiber interior kit lying on my carpet. I got the kit long ago but only installed the dash and center console pieces (easy to put in). The door inserts required taking apart the door, as I recall. Does anyone think it's worth the effort? Any idea how dangerous this would be?

grbeck · September 2002

Thanks to all of you for the advice. I appreciate it.

After washing, I always dry the car with cotton cloth "diapers" purchased at Pep Boys. Nothing removes the water spots...I think part of the problem is that the car sat too long on the dealer's lot (it was a leftover 2001 purchased in March 2002). I hope they aren't "etched" in to the paint.

Sphinx99: It's very difficult to wash the car properly, because virtually all of Pennsylvania is suffering from a severe drought and we are prohibited from washing our cars at home. (The fine is about $300 and the neighbors WILL call the cops on you.) I take the car to the handheld car wash and try to splash water on it and soap it down (I bring a bucket of warm, soapy water) before I rinse off the dirt. Still, there is only so much I can do.

After the clay bar I use cleaner and Zymol wax. Zymol worked beautifully on my 1999 Civic EX (ice tea pearl) - the car looked brand new when I traded it in on the Prelude. Unfortunately, I do not as of yet have a garage at my apartment. I do, however, have a parking garage at work. Even better, the garage isn't crowded, so I can park in a corner to avoid the "door ding" crowd.

himiler · September 2002

Taking the door apart isn't too tough, and there isn't much to screw up. Just make sure you use a panel puller tool for the panel clips around the perimeter of the doors, and don't forget to undo the screws behind the speaker grilles.

Once the door interior is free, it lifts straight up off the door. Unhook the connectors for the door, lock, speaker and windows, and you're good to go. The only real trick is getting the door pull rod back in place for re-assembly.

nyccarguy · September 2002

Linard: I've read a lot about Pinnacle and how it really makes darker colors like red & black look wet and lustrous. I even read that a great way to go is to apply the Klasse All In One, let the car sit for a few hours (indoors if possible), apply a coat of pinnacle, let the car sit overnight, then apply a second coat of Pinnacle, and it will work wonders for the depth and wet look of your paint. I haven't tried it yet, it is on my wishlist of stuff to buy though. Maybe I'll ask for it as a Hanukkah present from someone.

As far as applying the Klasse once every 2 months, I've read many testimonials here on TH that the Klasse works really well for up to 6 months!

Grbeck: Zymol is a product that produces great results, they just don't last that long. I also find the Zymol wax hard to work with because it takes a while to dry, but you can't let it dry too long otherwise it is a pain in the rear to remove (more so than other waxes). Zymol is good for my father's 1966 Corvette Roadster which sits in my parents garage (and he hasn't driven in 2 years now:() under a cover. Zymol was good for me when I was in High School and my top priority was keeping my car clean and waxed once a month.

Grbeck: You also might want to try 3M Inperial Hand Glaze & Swirl remover. Bit if you really work the Klasse into the paint, then you should get the water spots out.

Sphinx99: There's a great website which I posted yesterday, properautocare.com

They use many of the products on their own cars and it is a website run like a family business. I bought the small bottle of Klasse from them ($22) and used 4 dabs the size of a nickel for the entire Prelude. Pinnacle is another product I read about on properautocare.com

nyccarguy · September 2002

Has anybody cruised the owners section of Honda's Website? There's a section on scheduled maintenance and I think if you register, you can track you car's service history online.

jsh139 · September 2002

Grbeck,

You should check out the actual water restrictions. I think you'll be surprised:

From CHAPTER 119. PROHIBITION OF NONESSENTIAL WATER USES IN A COMMONWEALTH DROUGHT EMERGENCY AREA, under § 119.4. Prohibition of nonessential water uses:

(7) The use of any water for washing or cleaning of mobile equipment except that:

  (i) An individual may wash personally owned or leased vehicles by buckets and may use a hand-held hose equipped with an automatic shutoff nozzle to prerinse and rinse (total spray period not to exceed 2 minutes), in accordance with the following schedule:

    (A) Odd street addresses on first and third Saturdays of the month.

    (B) Even or no street addresses on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month.

So, basically, you can wash your car with a bucket and hose. Which is how I always wash my car. You just have to follow the rules. Washing your car uses less water than a shower! Shower heads flow 2.5 Gal/min of water. That's 37.5 gallons of water for the average 15 minute shower! I'll bet you use about 3 gallons to fill a bucket, and then another 5 for rinsing.

-Josh

nyccarguy · September 2002

showering one day a week if I could wash my car by hand. I've even thought of going to costco and buying a case or 2 of Poland spring (for $5 & change a piece) ans using that for a few washes.

Josh: YOu make an excellent point.

Grbeck: The neighbors that call the cops on you probably did so after they just got out of their 30 minute shower:)

cowboy019 · September 2002

First experience today with the stock tires in the rain... whoa! Maybe I'm just used to the great set of Toyos on my previous car, but I almost lost it simply accelerating from a stop sign. I admit that I drive, um, aggressively sometimes, but this was a simple launch - I just felt the entire car skid away. Easy enough to control, but I wasn't too impressed with the lack of grip on the tires in wet conditions.

Is it me, or is that the general consensus?
(I've been quite happy with them in dry conditions).

sphinx99 · September 2002

No question, they suck.

linard · September 2002

You know, it's hard for me to justify the price of Pinnacle but since a close family friend likes to detail my car once a month, we tend to try a lot of different products from Proper Auto Care. We always return to Klasse though and there's NO way I'd wait 6 months to wax my car, haha, I just can't do it even if it still looks fine. With the Pinnacle, we waited about 2 weeks after applying two coats of Klasse and it took 15 minutes. I guess the Klasse is supposed to cure? In any case, I'm a convert.

BTW, I wanted to know from the owners if any of the carbon fiber or brushed aluminum dash kits look good. I only want to install the kit around the stereo and HVAC controls and the door panels around the window switches.

raiiden · September 2002

Get rid of those stock yellow bulbs and get Super white hid class bulbs. You've seen those luxury cars with the blaring white lights. Get them for your car. I sell them cheaper than anyone. These are high performance bulbs check out the picture it speaks for itself.

http://www.stockprofilers.com/mtec

nyccarguy · September 2002

If the Pinnacle works as well as advertised with the Klasse, then I'm sold. 2 coats of Klasse? I though properautocare suggested to use Klasse All In One, let it sit for a few hours, Apply the first coat of Pinnacle, let it sit overnight (to cure), and then apply the second coat of Pinnacle the next day.

As for not polishing/waxing my car more than once every six months, I wish I could do it more, believe me. My Prelude is the first car I actually own since 1998, so I'm going to try and be better with it. My 1998 Explorer Sport was leased as is my 2000 Saab 9-3. I also live in NYC and it is somewhat difficult to keep a car in tip top shape. Especially since my Prelude will be relegated to street parking soon.

blacktalon · September 2002

The stock RE92s are terrible on wet roads. That was one of the primary reasons I decided to upgrade to the SO-3s...

himiler · September 2002

linard -- I'm not a fan of the CF kits becuase they have glossy finishes, which produce sun glare (a big no-no for me). I'd consider a satin-finish, brushed aluminum kit if it wasn't too hot, optically speaking. Go with whatever works for you, but generally speaking, I think folks tend to pay a lot for trim kits and not get much for their money. I'd suggest you buy some better speakers for the doors, instead.

raiiden -- The only bulbs I've seen that work as advertised (without blowing every month) are the Phillips Vision Plus H1 units. They're whiter than stock, but without that wannabe-HID blue tint (which actually reduces the usable light output of a halogen).

nyccarguy · September 2002

Does anybody have any suggestions on an alarm for our beloved Preludes? Or should I just let Honda's Ignition Imobilizer do it's thing?

himiler · September 2002

I don't have an alarm on my car, but don't think I'd bother with anything short of a Lojack system.

People ignore/despise alarms, and a pro jacker knows how to rip your ride without tripping them.

If I were in your area, I'd either put in a secondary ignition cut-switch and get Lojack, or do nothing and see what (if anything) happens.

sphinx99 · September 2002

I'm with himiler. No alarm.

I detailed the Prelude top to bottom on Sunday. Today, when I left work and walked to the parking lot (the new "management" parking lot that I park in) the birds had decided to accessorize my shiny, beautiful car with some dropping. Oh well, it probably generates downforce.

sphinx99 · September 2002

Hey Preluders and S2000ers (my favorite people), I saw this over on preludeonline.com and downloaded some of the big (500mb) videos:

http://www.runeb.org

It's basically Japanese TV--professional drivers evaluating top cars against each other. Evos, WRXs, NSX Type S and Type 0, RX7-Rs, Skylines galore, and your odd M roadster, F355, etc. (And some S2000 footage.)

These guys can drive like you wouldn't believe. Talk about pros, their skill levels are way beyond even these amazing cars. One of them called the S2000's chassis too "soft" for him. Eek!

Amazing footage, plus great heel-and-toe shifting action.

Click media archive to find the vids.

himiler · September 2002

Nothing wrong with a little bit of organic "bling-bling!"

Thanks for the link. I usually get my fill watching the FIA WRC coverage on Speedvision.

nyccarguy · October 2002

That's what I was thinking...no alarm and see what happens.

They are useless and NOBODY pays attention to them. I always joke when I hear an alarm going off while walking down the street..."Quick somebody call the police, somebody's trying to steal that feces brown, rusted out 1985 Maxima."

I'm not a big fan of Lo-Jack. It is a bit on the pricey side to begin with (I can think of quite a few better ways to part with $700). The insurance discount isn't that much at all (something like $50 every 6 months). If they take my car, I don't want it back because it will be in pieces or all banged up. If my car is taken and recovered, then I'm sure the insurance company will be notified by the time it is recovered and I will have a stolen car on my record and my premiums will skyrocket!

But on the plus side, I have decided to tough it out and park my Prelude on the street and drive back and forth to work everyday. I'll probably let you guys know next week what I'm doing about my job.

linard · October 2002

The only thing I'd add to my car is a simple Keyless Entry system that flashes the hazards, not the parking lights, once or twice depending on function, that's it, no alarm. I personally hate alarms and I agree with Nyccarguy, no one listens to them. I park in a structure at school, and even in my bone stock Prelude, I set off warning chirps from 6 or 7 cars. It's really annoying...

sphinx99 · October 2002

Amazing we're headed for 1,000 posts, and this for the 3rd Prelude topic! Small community, car's been killed, but the candle still burns!

grbeck · October 2002

I found out what caused the water spots on the hood, roof and trunk of my car. According to properautocare.com, the spots are acid damage etched into the clearcoat. The clearcoat must be compounded, polished and then finished. This requires a circular polisher. I'm a little leery about having this done.

linard · October 2002

You should probably have someone look at your car before you do something as intrusive as compounding your clearcoat. The problem is, compounding removes a significant amount of clearcoat protection and if you plan to keep your car, this may compromise long term paint protection. I had a couple of spots that I deeply polished on my black Acura and a few years after that, I noticed that those respective sections were getting dull, mind you, I Klassed my car every three months and used quix wax in between so it was very well protected. The clear coat had just been worn away. Then again, that car was 11 years old and still looked mostly wonderful...

blacktalon · October 2002

You definitely want to get those off as quickly as possible. I had some large ones on my hood a couple months ago. I was too busy to clean it for a few days, and they ate part way through the clearcoat and left a visible scar.

Fortunately, I just had my Prelude professionally detailed (wash, clay, polish, wax), and that fixed the damage. Looks brand new again -- I love it. But I have heard that droppings can eat all the way to the paint, if you leave them on long enough...

nyccarguy · October 2002

Well, I did it. I resigned from my job today and gave in my 2 weeks notice. I'm giving up the corporate world of advertising & direct mail (For Citibank) and going to get down and dirty in the boogie down Bronx by going to work for my father who owns a plumbing supply & hardware store. What does this have to do with our Prelude discussion? Well, I'll have a lot more Prelude experiences to discuss because I will be driving my Prelude back and forth to the Bronx everyday as opposed to taking the subway:)

nyccarguy · October 2002

Yesterday, exactly 2 months and 1000 miles until my lease is up on my Saab, I got into an accident with it. I was on the Staten Island Expressway on my way to visit a friend. Traffic was stop and go moving very slowly. The Hyundai Sonata in front of me stopped short, then let off the brakes, started to go again, and then stopped at which time I plowed into the back of it (going about 5mph). It was totally my fault. Damage to the Hyundai was minimal. The rear bumper was scratched. My Saab has the front bumper facing up, the grill popped out, and the hood buckled slightly (I can't open it). The Saab is leaking coolant, but is still drivable. I'm going to get the police report and then an estimate for the damage. The guy I hit was ok, his wife was complaining of a stiff neck, but declined an ambulance. I was a bit shaken up, but I've got to get back on the road!

himiler · October 2002

Bummer on the bang-up, but congrats on getting away from CitiBank!

That Saab doesn't sound too rugged...

nyccarguy · October 2002

At first, I thought the car ahead of me hit the car ahead of it until I saw some white smoke seeping from my hood. I think the damage looks a lot worse than it is. The front bumper isn't cracked and the hood isn't twisted or anything like that (it just won't open). Obviously the collision wasn't severe enough for the air bags to deploy.

himiler · October 2002

Glad you're okay. It's good that you got the fender-bender out of the way before you start driving the SH regularly!

nyccarguy · October 2002

What car do you like better, your Integra GSR or your Prelude that has succeeded it? Or maybe a better questions would be what do you like & dislike about both of these finely engineered automobiles which you have had the pleasure of owning?

linard · October 2002

While I didn't have the GSR that Himilar had, I just got rid of my GS sedan (an absolutely pristine 1991) which I dearly loved. It was the pearl black (Klassed once every two months and pretty much perfect) with beige leather. Although I loved the handling, the near total lack of dive and squat under acceleration and braking and way it still looked good with it's clean lines and nicely proportioned front and rear ends, I didn't like how much the auto sapped what little power the 1.8 non-VTEC already had and the NVH (it was LOUD and completely stock, right down to the 14 inch alloy wheels). I do like the climate controls on the 90-93 Integra better than my Prelude with it's sliders but other than that and the availability of leather, I'm sold on the smoothness and power of the Prelude. It handles well, but can go long distances without making me so tired. The Prelude's also much much more solid in terms of structural stiffness and therefore, feels much more substantial. While the 94 to 01 Integras looked different, they were pretty much a reskin of the older generation right down to engines and driveline. This isn't necessarily a bad thing as you're feeling everything, no filter at all. But I guess I needed something more sophisticated.

Funny thing is, I had so many people that wanted to buy the Integra when I was thinking of getting a newer car since I got the oil changed every 3000 miles and the car was sparkling (I'm the only person I know that shampoos my own car carpets with a real shampooer!) But in the end, an 11 year old car is a hard sell, even if it only averaged 9000 miles a year. I do miss it, but no regrets, I love my Prelude.

BTW, after putting on the Pinnacle, I've had 5 people tell me how wonderful my car looks, mind you, not teenagers, but 40 year old average people walk up and ask what I did to my paint. It's flattering! On a sad note, I was putting in some new headlights (never, never get those white "xenons" off of Ebay, while much brighter and really good looking since it was such a clean white with no blue at all, they burnt out every two weeks) and forgot to take the plastic box off the valve cover when I shut the hood... Well, I had three mounds, but I called this guy and he removed the three mounds and 4 other dings for 100 bucks! He gave me a wholesale price which saved me 180 bucks because he said I was so friendly. It looks perfect again...

himiler · October 2002

linard -- the '94-'01 Integra was not a re-skin of the previous generation. Engines went from 1.7L to 1.8L, and the floorpan, exhaust routing and suspension pick-up points changed as well.

nyccarguy -- I miss the GS-R for its slicker tranny (with tighter ratios), quicker steering, useful (if noisy) hatch, projector headlamps, and the 34mpg.

I don't miss the constant road noise and engine buzziness, the cramped interior, the too-firm damping, the weak hub/bearing design, or the lousy brakes.

If I were only driving 100 miles/week, then the GS-R would have continued to be my vehicle of choice. But since I was (and still am) averaging 1500 miles/weekly, you can trust me when I say the GS-R would wear you down on a long trip.

Because the Prelude is a heavier car and a more relaxed cruiser, it only makes sense that it doesn't offer the same "right now!" responses of the GS-R, even if it does offer greater ultimate grip and stability.

The only thing the 5G Prelude really needed was a close-ratio 6-speed box with a tall overdrive 6th gear. (How sweet would 3000RPM at 80mph have been?) As it is, the Prelude is actually turning higher revs in 5th than the GS-R did.

nyccarguy · October 2002

With you that our 5G Preludes need a 6th gear.

I think it is amazing how many miles you put on a car. I guess it is a true test of how durable a vehicle is.

A hatch is very useful. My Saab has one and I love it!

My Saab is also a great car to drive on the highway. The seats are firm and supportive and I feel like I can drive for more than 3-4 hopurs without getting tired. I used to have to take a nap after a 3 hour drive in my first car, a 1992 Chevrolet Beretta GT. I never realized how well designed seats & interiors affect long distance driving comfort until I spent some seat time in better cars.

I believe another poster (only1harry) is complaining about how his season of AutoXing has worn his hubs & bearings down real bad. He says they are pretty much the same ones as on a Civic he owns. He said the ITR and Prelude have much better (thicker) hubs, bearings...

himiler · October 2002

Yep. The Integra uses the same sealed hub as the Civic, and they really weren't designed to keep up with the Integra's cornering. I replaced a total of 10 hubs/bearings between the two 'tegs I owned. At ~$500 a pop (p&l), they added up.

If the Prelude didn't have the larger, 5-lug hub, I wouldn't have bought it.

Last week I drove 1900 miles for work (and then another 400 on the weekend to visit friends), and even after a 10.5-hour, 600 mile day, I'm still bright-eyed. Credit the Prelude's great seats and driving position.

My longest day in the GS-R consisted of a down-and-back to Mastic Beach, L.I. from Syracuse. After 13 hours and 730 miles, I could barely think.

linard · October 2002

I just talked to an friend of mine who's an Acura mechanic and he swore to me that the 90-93 and 94-01 Integra's are, in fact, very similar, the 1.8 was introduced in 90 with 130hp and was upgraded again in 92 which gave it an additional 10hp due to better breathing. I had the 130hp 1.8 and while it was bulletproof, the 118lb feet of torque was lacking when I pulled away from a stop light. It did SOUND heroic though, making the typical Honda whirring sound.

You're right though, they did reroute the exhaust but I'm not so sure about the suspension mounting points, although you may be right. Any distance driving was best avoided in my Integra. I definitely feel for you though, Himiler, while the GS has the thicker anti-roll bars and tuning (if any) of the GSR, I had the sedan which had a couple inches of wheelbase which perceptibly made things a little smoother.

himiler · October 2002

You're correct - I misspoke. I was thinking of the pre-'94 VTEC variant, which used a 1.7L de-stroked version of the 1.8L found in the other models. Thanks for keeping me honest!

nyccarguy · October 2002

I read an article yesterday in (I think) Honda Tuning and they're starting a project car or series on how to do a proper H22A engine swap into a Civic. Just what I need...for them to go public with this information. I guess people have stolen all the GSRs...I mean bought all the engines out of the used wrecked GSRs out there:)

sphinx99 · October 2002

I drove the S2k into work today simply because it's getting cold enough for me to not want to drive it anymore. (At speed the cabin feels cool and very faintly drafty, must be a convertible thing.) Anyway out on 8-mile road I found myself sitting in the middle of a queue at a red light right alongside a lovely pearl white (?) Type SH. I've never liked white cars in general but this one was all done up and looked just great. I was very impressed, even on an overcast morning like this one. I had the windows down so I tapped the horn, gave a thumbs up, and said, "that's a nice car!" because, well, it IS a nice car. The guy gave me the finger, said "your car ain't sh@#, f!@#$%" and a couple of other things that I missed. Then traffic moved and we were (fortunately) nicely separated.

I was very disturbed by this. I wanted to get out of the car, grab the punk by the collar and yell into his face, "I OWN A PRELUDE, YOU IDIOT!" but confrontation is never fun at 6:30am in the morning.

Some people take this "my car is better than yours" thing a little too seriously, especially on the open road. From the street racers to the $#$#-talking, there's a competitive mentality when in its place there ought to be more of a "I admire your car, and you admire mine, that's cool" thing. Oh well.

nyccarguy · October 2002

That is too bad Sphinx99. Guys like that give "import drivers" a bad name. Maybe you should get a license plate frame for your S2000 that says "My other car is a Prelude" and vice versa for your S2000:) I've never got a competitive mentality in the road. If I like a car, I give it the thumbs up whether I'm in my Prelude, my Saab, or my girlfriend's Protege. I always thought of it as a mutual respect thing. No matter what car you're in, if you give the thumbs up to a cool car like a Prelude, S2000, M3, S4... it is telling the other person that you think their car is cool. It is frustrating though. Confrontation is not the best way, especially at 6:30AM. You should have just said, "THANK-YOU!" and left it be. I think that might have agetated him more though.

I've also learned from lurking and posting a few times on PO.com and HP.com that there are a lot of people out there with the "my car is better than yours" mentality.

Just acting civil and not responding to such and assanine comment shows you have composure and are a better person. As we say here in NYC, Fuggetaboutit!

himiler · October 2002

That guy in the Prelude was a major bonehead, but thankfully, they're easy to spot.

For future reference, just look for any one of the following: non-OEM body kit, park-bench spoiler, eardrum-splitting bass, fake HID lights, hood pins on the stock hood, coffee-can tailpipe (aka-"crackpipe"), too-dark tint, chromed wheels, body graphics.

When I spot one of these goobers - or have the extreme misfortune of being next to one at a light - I just glance their way, smile sadly and slowly shake my head. They really love that.

That's not to say that I rank on all modded cars, because when I see one tastefully done (which must include some meaningful performance upgrades), I give the old thumbsup. I just get so freakin' amused by the losers who put in some blue bulbs, bolt on a spoiler and decide that they've got the most badass ride around.

That's usually when I hand them their crackpipe as the light goes green.

nyccarguy · October 2002

park bench spoiler....that's gotta be one of your better ones!

himiler · October 2002

Thanks, but I can't take credit for it.

Hey! Aren't you about ready to put that Saab away and start ripping it up in your SH?

Honda Prelude 1997-2002

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