Jump to content

Dollywobbler's Prelude - Re-Roffle WINNAH!


dollywobbler

Recommended Posts

They do go well together!

 

Seeing that photo reminds me, if you ever find out how to turn on those front fog lights then well done, admittedly I never tried very hard but never found a switch.

I'll probably just remove them to be honest. Was wondering if there's a control for the dash lights. They seem far too dim. May have to consult the handbook. Out all day today which is a shame. I'd actually like to wash it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just filled it up and apparently it's doing 34mpg. Jeepers. I know I had to take it easy in the fog last night, but I really wasn't taking it easy on the motorway...

 

On the downside, there's a pretty bad clonk from the back end. I suspect it's a damper bush. I will empty all the crap out of the boot before buying anything though!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, I'm not sure I'm very happy with the rear suspension. I deliberately avoided any press reviews of the Prelude before driving the car myself, so I could form my own impression. Not really had roads dry enough to really push it, but my impression is that it handles very nicely. However, the ride really is not very good. The back end especially. So I had a read of Autocar's 1994 test (against Tomcat and Fiat Coupe) where the ride is described as compliant. It really isn't. I actively cringe at the sight of a broken road surface as I know it's going to hurt. 

 

Now I know I'm used to rather softer transport, but it does seem a bit over-harsh to me. Does make me wonder if it has some over-stiff dampers fitted. I might have to get under it and see what I can find. Which makes me nervous on an early 1990s Honda because I know they dissolve...

 

I do find it amusing that press reports I've now seen seem to lambast the 2.0i for being feeble and undesirable. It has 133bhp. It's not exactly what you'd call sluggish, though I understand it could appear so if you've just jumped out of an OMG VTEC YO! It's more than punchy enough for me, in exactly the way the Rover 416 just wasn't.

 

Incidentally, the F20A4 engine has some similarity to the one in the 416, being a single-cam 16-valve unit. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to say I assumed the rattle from the back was that loose spoiler which I tightened up before you left, hopefully it's nothing too major.  I never thought the ride was too bad myself, this being my first proper sports car I don't have much to compare it against but then again you've done more miles in it since Tuesday than I've done in it since November!

 

The handling was terrible when I got it, it had zero grip, loads of road noise and crabbed about the road by itself with vague steering responses.  Just goes to show what some half decent tyres and wheel alignment can do to a car, it was completely transformed, those Mohawk tyres actually seem to be pretty good, better than the nearly new Tigar ones it had before anyway which hopefully went straight in a skip as I sold the wheels they were attached to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Honda were keen on SOHC multivalve engines for a while. I find Honda suspension really short of travel which isn't the best on the bumpy back roads of the UK.

Indeed. That always pissed off the Rover engineers, who had grown up on a diet of Spencer King's long travel coils. I wasn't expecting floaty but perhaps I'm just unused to firm. The Nippa is just bouncy, and also small enough to avoid most potholes without crossing the centre line...

Seems shock knock is a thing on these, which apparently isn't too bad to sort out. I'll add it to the growing to so list...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Actually, I'm not sure I'm very happy with the rear suspension. I deliberately avoided any press reviews of the Prelude before driving the car myself, so I could form my own impression. Not really had roads dry enough to really push it, but my impression is that it handles very nicely. However, the ride really is not very good. The back end especially. So I had a read of Autocar's 1994 test (against Tomcat and Fiat Coupe) where the ride is described as compliant. It really isn't. I actively cringe at the sight of a broken road surface as I know it's going to hurt. 

 

Now I know I'm used to rather softer transport, but it does seem a bit over-harsh to me. Does make me wonder if it has some over-stiff dampers fitted. I might have to get under it and see what I can find. Which makes me nervous on an early 1990s Honda because I know they dissolve...

 

I do find it amusing that press reports I've now seen seem to lambast the 2.0i for being feeble and undesirable. It has 133bhp. It's not exactly what you'd call sluggish, though I understand it could appear so if you've just jumped out of an OMG VTEC YO! It's more than punchy enough for me, in exactly the way the Rover 416 just wasn't.

 

Incidentally, the F20A4 engine has some similarity to the one in the 416, being a single-cam 16-valve unit. 

My friendly MOT tester let me have a poke about it underneath (ooh errrr) and it's pretty solid, nowt much to worry about there.

 

Gotta say I really don't remember this having a harsh ride, if anything it seemded to pitch quite a bit under braking etc, although it did have those frigging useless tyres on it which may have clouded me judgement!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm still a little concerned about the transmission in this car. Especially when cold, the torque converter is still struggling to lock up at 50mph, causing hunting. More throttle sometimes gets it through the problem and strangely, once it's then locked up, it'll behave absolutely fine for the rest of the day. It did happen yesterday some 20 miles into the drive to the Midlands though. Can't really blame the cold for that.

 

It also tends to thump if you've been slowing down (especially downhill) and then go back onto the throttle. It seems like there's a delay before the drive is taken back up.

 

It can't be too big a problem, as I've managed to cover almost 500 miles in it since Tuesday. But, it definitely is a problem. I don't know a fat lot about auto transmissions, but research seems to suggest either a solenoid issue - which I think is fairly easy to sort - or a torque converter clutch issue - which is less so. Place bets now I guess! I'll just keep enjoying it for now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good video, bit strange seeing 'my' car on a review!  I'd agree with you on most of it (my yardstick for a 'crashy' ride is 3 months bouncing from pothole to pothole on Devon roads in Philibusmo's Y10!).  Post tyre change and alignment, it's definitely the best handling car I've had but it was a different animal on crabby tracking and budget tyres, no grip, masses of droning road noise and vague steering.  I would not have believed it could have improved so much.  The gearbox is much improved for a fluid change, I never really drove it afterwards very much but it was definitely smoother and quicker to kick down and it sounds better on the video, a good bit of use has probably helped it settle down as well.

 

Thanks for explaining the gearbox, I know very little about autos and had no idea about the torque converter.  Clever idea, it was a fantastic motorway car but A-roads were best for it and if there was ever a suitable space on the fleet for a sports car I would probably have it back, rust blobs and all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With the XM out of action until I can cure the horrible, horrible suspension noise, the Prelude was called into action. Can it be practical? Well, sort of.

CaY1LGeWAAAGefx.jpg

 

That's 100kg of sawdust briquettes. I was impressed that it could take some of the packs standing up. Also filled it up while I was out enjoying myself, and it did 30mpg on that tank. That includes the hoon-fest that was attending the auctions, so I'm pretty happy with that. It's got another roadtrip coming up in a week or so. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

The Prelude has had a busy old time of things lately. The mileage began piling up on Sunday morning. Here's a shot near home.

CbKf0v6WcAAcP0u.jpg

 

By lunchtime, I'd completed a photoshoot and was waiting in a random village near the River Severn to meet up with family for lunch.

CbLX8R6W0AUdS0r.jpg 

 

Then it was off to Stamford for dinner and a kip. Here's a photo shortly before I got there, somewhere near Rutland. I think.

CbMGjmOWcBIMnCa.jpg

 

Yesterday, I started the day in Peterborough, where me played about with various Japanese motors. Here's the Prelude with Dugong's Piazza and a delightful Cappuccino. 

CbPi9LWXIAIPwJa.jpg

 

We went to Prodrive. Where we found this. WINNING.

CbRHIYFWcAEv4Ut.jpg

 

We finished up at Silverstone.

CbRHWQcWwAAlKuW.jpg

 

I hit the road at 5:15 to get up to my friend's house in the Peak District. I was there in less than two hours! In rush hour. I love half-term. It was dark by the time I got there, so here's a pic of my mate de-icing the Prelude this morning.

12743572_10153958435378200_7600350939639

 

Then I went to look at some Mazdas in Doncaster. OOF!

CbVLKp9XEAAf_P1.jpg

 

Then it was off to sunny Staffordshire to collect some Dyane bits. The sun was unkind here.

CbWJNyFWwAAAjZN.jpg

 

Shortly after that, I hit a pheasant. At 60mph. There was one heck of a bang, but the Honda is unscathed. It merely cleaned the dirt off one corner of the bumper.

 

I stopped at the horrible-but-always-open services in Ford, near Shrewsbury. I needed tea and they delivered.

CbWV-DLWEAAn-sk.jpg

 

PEZ STATION SHOT. Very nearly home, had to buy some emergency logs.

CbW1yEvW8AA0y1z.jpg

 

Over 700 miles since Sunday morning. Prelude was perfection itself. It just eats up miles, though after three days behind the wheel, my back is a bit sore!

 

Sadly, the Prelude must go. It was purchased for a reason, and yesterday was it really. Much as I like it, I cannot justify keeping it when the XM ticks more boxes. So, let's recap: MOT Sept, 90,730 miles, cambelt about 20k miles ago, auto box works well (apart from 'they all do that' indecisive torque converter when fluid is cold - fluid changed very recently), few rusty blebs, good tyres. Handles like a dream, and is doing 32-34mpg in mixed driving. I'd like £595 and the sooner you buy, the more fuel you get. It's got two thirds of a tank at the moment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...