Barn Find 4WS? 1990 Honda Prelude Si
Some sellers have the thought that starting out with a higher opening bid price could trigger an interested buyer to make an offer. In some cars, I would venture that this is a risky move; however, in the case of a truly special vehicle, it may make some sense. This 1990 Honda Prelude Si with the curious four-wheel steering system has just under 100,000 miles and appears to have been found sitting somewhere that it ended up coated in dust. The Prelude has the preferred manual gearbox and is listed here on eBay with an opening bid of $14,000 with no action yet.
The Prelude is a hidden gem in the emerging field of 1990s collector cars. The styling is gorgeous; the interior driver-focused; and the mechanicals very robust. It’s cheap to own and still has a decent stock of spare parts available from parts sellers, junkyards, and Prelude enthusiasts. The biggest issues with these cars are twofold, stemming from poor choices in modifications made by young owners and being prone to rust like so many other Japanese vehicles from this era. Even with close to 100,000 miles, the interior appears to be in great shape, with those generously-bolstered bucket seats still providing plenty of support. The other bonus is that this example has three pedals, as a stick was not guaranteed in this era of Honda’s classic sports coupe.
Now, the seller isn’t doing himself any favors with the way the car is presented. This is likely a very clean car that would benefit from one photo of it covered in dust and all the rest showing it fully buffed and cleaned. The listing claims he is the original owner, which may indicate why he’s not gone to great lengths to shine the Prelude up – it’s just a car he’s had sitting around for a few decades. I love seeing one of these with the stock taillights still intact, as those are usually the first things to go when someone decides to modify a Prelude of any model generation. The center taillight bar is one of my favorite styling cues of the 1980s, which has the “Prelude” name embedded within the panel.
The spare tire well shows zero rust or any other concerns of the corrosion type. The Prelude is located in Maryland, which doesn’t guarantee that there’s zero rust lurking, but you have a better chance than a car that has lived in the snow belt. The third-generation Prelude may not be the best-performing Prelude but it is one of the most interesting, with its wedge-styling, flip-up headlights, four-wheel steering, and ties to what many consider the “golden era” of Honda engineering. The seller may be asking too much right out of the gate, but there’s almost certainly someone out there who’s been hunting for a bone-stock 4WS car like this one.
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Comments
I had one. Black with a tan interior. Si 5 speed. What an amazing car to drive. So comfortable and pleasing. If a black and tan ever shows up I would probably go after it. That full gray interior isn’t for me but still one of the best car I ever owned.
I’ve never had one, nor would I ever, or any other Asian car. I grew up in an American family, on an American farm, with American vehicles. Nothing has changed. Sorry folks, don’t mean to offend, but that’s just who I am.
It’s ok, somebody has to keep the repair shops in business, we won’t judge you..lol
Unless you’re driving some real early stuff nosuch thing as all American..
The car companies are international. Traditional American makes are made often offshore, and traditional foreign makes often are made in the US.This is no longer the 1970s, for better or worse, what you feel is out of date. Most Hondas driven here are made in Ohio. If Americans are mostly employed assembling your vehicle, is that not enough. As usual, rich dudes make all the big money, does it really matter where they reside? Your feelings are like comparing your local high school football team with a pro team. While the HS fellas are your home grown neighbors, the pro team is from all over the place. Does that make you love your pro team less?
My dad had the same attitude, which I can now completely understand since he fought in WW II. He didn’t appreciate me dragging German and Asian imports into the yard and had some choice words for frozen bolts, but helped me work on them anyway. I transitioned from Ford daily drivers to Toyota in the late 80’s when import quality started to increase, and before you know it they were mostly made here. Never saw the inside of a shop for anything but an oil change. With current world events, however, I’m seriously looking at transitioning back to something with more USA made parts, if that exists. Don’t feel comfortable supporting non capitalists.
the definitions have changed over time….. is an American car one that is assembled in the US bearing a non-American symbol or is it one that has an American nameplate, but assembled outside the US?? I’ve owned Honda since 1997 and all were assembled in the US, so Americans had jobs … so I consider all my Hondas “American” I can go you one better, I grew up in an American orphanage…
@RX-7 Turbo II
You just won the Internetz
You must like repair bills… and ofcourse walking. Not to mention most “import” are made in the U.S., unlike most “American made” cars are made in Canada and Mexico lol!
Well, if you want to buy a car made mostly in America, here’s the list:
https://kogod.american.edu/autoindex/2022
The best you are going to do is 72% content (Lincoln Corsair).
I guess that I should feel “prouder” that my Bronco has 55% content, but I don’t. It’s not something that I base my decisions around in the 21st century world economy.
Oohhhh k? That information is literally pointless. No one cares. I grew up in a Chevy family. I’ve owned a 65 Chevelle Malibu, a 76 sting ray, 66 Chevy Nova II, etc… I’ve also owned MULTIPLE Hondas which have served me greatly. Not only has Honda broke multiple records for maximum HP per liter, they also make extremely economical autos which are super solid when maintained properly. I’ve owned an 884WS Prelude with an H22 swap that would literally smoke any Chevy put on the street and still maintain 25mpg. I currently own a 1990 4WS Prelude that’s built just as solid as any Chevy from the 60s. You know it’s ok to own different types of autos right? I mean why limit yourself to just one thing? The only good thing that’s come from Chevy in the last 40 years is the Corvette and the Silverado. Maybe the 90s model Impalas and the suburban but everything else looks made for college students or a grandmother out getting groceries lol
Fred W:
They’re all “capitalists” (free market, exploit the earth & ppl, an economic system). Often it is embedded in a different political system. It has pretty much ‘taken over all over’ no matter the nation/politics (even russia has its oligarchs, china too). Some are the multinationals, of course~
I had a ’91 black/black si.
Those seats were perfect. As was the visibility.
Made by Ricaro baby yeah! Lumbar wheel / push lever for adjustment, wheel for side wing adjustment and lever for seat position memory. Tilt back/ forward head rests as well. The seats hug like no other seat I’ve owned other than made by Ricaro. I mean where can you get stock seats like that other than from a 75k$ plus auto?
Its Charcoal Black interior
Best car I ever owned. I sold it to my sister. NEVER SELL A CAR TO A RELATIVE. I only sold it because my wife got transferred and needed a car with an automatic for Chicago traffic.
It was like a mini Ferrari. Fast, nimble and a head turner. Arrest Me Red paint. I should buy this one but 14K is too much.
Haha yup. Rally Red paint btw
I had a red 88 that was the most solid car I ever drove. 4 speed 4WS model with factory armrest. I still regret selling it. I just bought a 90 4WS model but it doesn’t compare to the 88. Sure its got a bigger motor and more power with better technology and some upgrades but the front fender is ugly and the car lost the 80s feel. Still solid as ever tho but honestly parts are not that easy to find anymore especially for the 4WS model. I have to literally order from south America, Poland, Germany, England etc just to find the more unique parts. I just paid 80$ for a new old stock coolant reservoir from Paraguay that took 2 months to get here!
@RX-7 Turbo II. Pretty sure I know what you’re insinuating, just remember, they ALL have a shop behind the showroom.
ESPECIALLY anything with a Rotary Engine in it !!!! The shops not behind them, the shops over them because they’re always in the shop. :)
Beautiful looking car. I remember when the Honda Prelude (I liked to joke that it was called the “Squanda Quaalude”. I was still too young at the time to drive a car, but I thought it was Honda’s best looking car.
I have a babied 1999 Si that I have continually replaced anything worn with OEM parts. My one owner, garage kept, unmodified or raced Si receives many offers every time I pull it out of the garage, but the new cars seem like junk in comparison. It’s a high quality built machine that still gets over 40 miles per gallon if I don’t rev the engine too high. To my knowledge, the Prelude never wore the Si badge, but some were considered a Del Sol, which drew a higher insurance charge, and they tried to put that label on my Si. The Prelude was a higher end sports car and did not need the Si label to be desirable. I don’t think that it ever wore it or needed it.
Del Sol was different in that it was a pure 2-seater with a lift off roof and an electric rear window you could lower. Toyota’s variation of the theme was a Paseo but it wasn’t as popular as the Del Sol. I much preferred the the Prelude and I always felt it handled better.
Researching this issue about the Si label, I found that one year, in 1985, the Prelude dud wear the Si label. Like I said, this was a very desirable car, just bearing the Prelude name.
Nice cars but the body kit boom is over with and not showing under the hood means it likely isn’t even a V-tec. That and needing a paint job and it’s about 5 times more expensive than its worth.
What body kit? This Prelude is completely stock and shows no body work or kit on it at all. Also, Vtec wasn’t even a thing in 1991 so of course it’s not gonna have it..lol
Vtech wasn’t even invented yet dude. Plus they make multiple swap kits for other Honda motors for this car. Not to mention this thing beat Porsche and Corvette in the downhill slalom with less than HALF the power lol
No body kit on this car that’s STEAL lower body panel that’s attached to the car lol
Obviously the “boom” isn’t over because prices for these keep going up up UP. I paid 1200$ for one in 2006.i just bought one listed for 6000$ but managed to get for 3000$ with MULTIPLE extra parts. I put about 500$ into it but sold some parts netting over 3500$ so in reality I got the car for free. Plus I’ve already gotten multiple offers of 5000$ plus. I come out of stores and find little letters under my wiper asking to sell with a phone number.
Bro comments like yours just seem insecure and kinda envious tbh. Seems like a pathetic attempt to try and convince yourself that they’re not as great as they really are because you want one so bad but can’t get one. If not hey keep hating but hate the game not the player(or car in this case)
STEEL body panel not STEAL lol
Uhmm a similar model just sold for slightly under 30,000$ . This will sell for the price listed at least.
Plus how would you know what the value is if, obviously, you have zero clue about Hondas in general.
Seriously what’s with people hating on Japanese imports? I grew up in a Chevy family with a WW2 vet grandfather who went from a 64 impala WAGON, a 64 CHEVELLE MALIBU to a 1980 Honda accord and he loved that thing. Never broke down once and STILL with less than 120k miles can drive to Vegas and back without even a hiccup.
Quit hating dude
This talk of no SI got me looking. I was damn sure mine was an SI. I was able to google image searches and see a ton of 88,89, 90’s with 2.0 SI on the right side of the trunk lid. Pretty sure they made SI’s
Yes all 2.0 are Si prior to 90. after 89 starting in 90 the Si model has the 2.1 B21A1 motor while they had 2.0 Si model in 90 as well but discontinued in 90 for the 2.1 B21 only. 88 and 89 Si have the 2.0 B20A5 in America and there’s no B21 yet
I’ve owned Honda since 1979 and I’ve never been stranded with a Honda. All my Hondas were dependable, inexpensive to operate, and great gas mileage. Before that, I owned a Chevy Impala (engine blew just after 3 years) and a Mercury which left my wife stranded too many times in the 3 years we owned that mess. We decided Honda was the way to go, and I still have my 1996 Hatchback, which gets over 40 mpg, and runs like a true car.
Maryland; A salt on the roads state. Doesn’t stay cold long enough to keep things frozen and at the first sign of “anything” the roads are salted. Two days later it’s 50 degrees and everything get a “nice” salt bath…
Had a 4 wheel steer Prelude when they came put as a field rep for American Honda Motor Co. Really was an amazing car. We did have a few issues with the 4 wheel steer at first, but eventually ironed them out. My next demo was a 1989 Accord hatchback. I was so used to the handling of the Prelude, that I was not paying attention, and rolled the Accord with less than 500 miles on it, three days after I got it. Around that time, Motor Trend wanted to nominate the Crown Victoria for Car of the Year. Ford asked them not to, it was actually an import car from Canada…
I had both the first and second gen preludes and they were the most fun cars a yuppie could have in the 80s. Once the girls saw those pop up headlights, they would beg me to take them back to my “pad”. I don’t know about the rest of the world but down under, they were babe magnets back in the Gordon Gecko days.