I know this is an integra forum, but now that my teg is wrecked, (*pics* to come) I am thinking of a 5th gen prelude or a G3 GSR. Do you guys think I could get away with a 97 prelude (vtec, whatever has 195hp) in good condition with less than 80k miles for $12,000? Is it possible to maybe talk someone down to that, dealer or private??? All opinions wanted and respected, thanks

 

That may be pushing it on that model prelude. You'll really have to look around to find a deal like that.

 

I just recently got a 1999 Prelude and based on the prices I've seen you're not going to be able to get a car with that kind of mileage for that cheap. I paid about $14,500 for mine.

I saw a base 97 Prelude with about 60,000 miles for a bit over $13,000. This was through a Honda dealership, and those guys do tend to be more expensive. The only Preludes I saw for cheaper had well over 80,000 miles.

I would use Edmunds used car guide as a reference. It tends to list cheaper prices for cars than Kelly's Blue Book. However, dealers all refer to the Blue Book, and its not likely you'll be able to bargain down more than a few hundred dollars. I've noticed that the value for Preludes actually seemed to go up a little in the past few months. There's a demand for these cars and dealers know that. But you should also be willing to walk away from a car if you dont think its a good deal.

A lot of dealers claim that Preludes are hard to come by. But I found a good number of Preludes without too much trouble. People are beginning to trade in their Preludes. The dealer I got mine from fed me that line, but he had two when I went to look at mine. And he had a new one sitting in the lot before I had even driven mine home.

I recommend paying a bit more for the car with better mileage, but only if the difference is within about $1000 - $2000. And definitely check the compression and look for wear. You dont want to go with a car just because its cheaper and then get screwed because you have to get stuff fixed.

The first Prelude I saw was a 97 Prelude with almost 90,000 miles and that one went for $10,000. It looked decent, but the engine wasnt in the best shape, and there were some other problems. Thats another thing; there are a lot of irresponsible drivers out there who beat on their cars. Which is why I recommend checking for signs of abuse.

By the way, all these Preludes I mention, including my own, are the non-SH models. Although some people avoid the Type-SH models dealers are asking quite a bit more for them.

I hope this helps... It wont be easy finding one for the price you'd like, but if you're persistent you might. Or, for a bit more you might find one in really good condition. I recommend keeping your options open and not jumping into a deal too quickly.

 

wow, maweitao, thanks for all the advice. :thumbup: So you think I should check for engine wear? I'm not exactly sure on how to do that, does a compression test tell you the history of how the engine was treated? How else do you determine how that engine was driven? So you think that I could probably get the base model (still 200hp?) for 12K then?. Thanks alot

 

Where are you located? I think its possible for 12 G's. Last year i was looking at a 99 SH with 60k on it. was selling for $16,000. This is a 97 so yea should be lower...

 

I live in western pennsylvania. Also, does anyone know if they are hard to work on compared to integra's? Thanx

 

Location might definitely affect price, so I cant really tell you what to expect as far as that goes. But I wouldn't expect to see all that much of a difference as far as values go. I would recommend going online to various sites, and comparing values. I'd also go to a book store and check out used car guides, because there may be a difference from what you see online and in those books. What will affect the price of a car is the condition its in. So you should be cautious of a deal that seems too good to be true.

Thats why I recommend having a good look at the car. Definitely get the VIN numbers on the cars you look at and run them through carfax. This doesnt guarantee that there wont be problems that werent reported, but its an excellent resource nonetheless.

Take a good look around the engine. Make sure there arent oil leaks and check the condition of hoses and stuff. If you can get them to start the engine when cold that would be good, you can see if it has problems starting. Once the car is started let it warm up and check to see if it has a smooth idle.

As for checking compression, its possible you could get the dealer to check for you. I recommend being there and watching him do it so they dont try to pull one over you.

You could do it yourself, but you'd have to buy the guage for it. I dont think its too expensive. If you look around on old forums here you can probably find out what the compression should be; I cant remember right now the exact range is.

What you really have to look for is that the compression for each cylinder is the same. You can have a difference of up to 10psi and still be within acceptable tolerances. But ideally, there should be almost no difference.

But look for other signs of wear. Look carefully for indications that the car may have been in an accident, body panels not fitting right, inconsistencies in the paint, stuff that doesnt look like its in the right place, etc.

Another thing to look at is wear on the seats and pedals. Highway mileage is always better than city mileage. If the pedals and seat show more wear than another car with roughly the same mileage than its a good bet the car was driven off the highway the majority of the time. This means more wear on the transmission and engine. Also remember to check for odd noises if you test drive the car. Not necessarily coming from the engine, but from the wheels and suspension.

I hope this is helpful. Its a lot, but I was trying to cover everything I could think of. I'm sure there are people here who could give you additional, and more detailed information on what to look for.