:::mcimo88::: 1999 2.2L VTEC

[mcimo]

Here is my 1999 Base Automatic 5th Gen, with almost 150,000 miles.
She is the reason I've gotten so into cars.

Modifications:
ENGINE:
Unknown Short Ram Intake
Painted Heat shield and other random crap
New bolts, clips, clamps, fastners, etc. (on the way)

INTERIOR:
Silver gauge rings
Retrofited leather shift boot
Type S shift knob
Streetglow Mini red neon
Streetglow Big red neon
Jet fighter style switch for neons
Replaced all interior lights with red
Type S racing pedal covers

EXTERIOR:
SH rims
Window tint
Debadged
Relocated front liscence plate
Yellow daytime running lights
Red side marker bulb
Red liscence plate light bulb
Liscence plate hole covers (on the way)

SUSPENSION:
Stock

I.C.E:
Pioneer head unit.
Front and rear Pioneer speakers
12" Xtreme Sub
300 watt Xtreme amp (kinda almost fried)

MISC:
Removed fabric from speaker covers

FUTURE MODS:
Dent repair
Repaint exterior and engine parts
Clean air filter (lol)
Greddy front lip
JDM Sides
JDM Rear
CF Interior
Strut bars
Sway bars
Lowering springs
I/H/E


Pictures:
By the way, none of these have been photoshopped, except to resize and crop. Enjoy :biggrin:

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z114/mcimo88/Photoshoot/Night3-4front.jpg
3/4 Front.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z114/mcimo88/Photoshoot/Night3-4rear.jpg
3/4 Rear.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z114/mcimo88/Photoshoot/NightInside.jpg
Inside the beast.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z114/mcimo88/Photoshoot/OpenedUp.jpg
Opened up.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z114/mcimo88/Photoshoot/Ghostly2.jpg
I'm a ghost.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z114/mcimo88/Photoshoot/Ghostly.jpg
We are ghosts.

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z114/mcimo88/Photoshoot/VTECkickedin.jpg
VTEC just kicked in!

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z114/mcimo88/Photoshoot/BeautifulSight.jpg
What a beautiful sight!

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z114/mcimo88/Photoshoot/EngineBay.jpg
The heart of the beast.

[2.2Lude]

take a look at this bro
http://www.preludezone.com/showthread.php?t=1325

nice car tho

[mcimo]

Oops please dont delete! I was just getting the pics up first.

[2.2Lude]

don't worry most people mess up the first time, i know i did

[mcimo]

Haha I was worried for a sec LOL!
So is it ok now? Oh yeah are those SH rims on mine?

[BadMofo]

They certainly are SH wheels. Nice whip man... nice of you to be honest and take close up pictures of her blemishes/impurities lol. You gotta do somethin about that valve cover bro :-). She looks good other than that though.

[mcimo]

Haha thanks man. No point in trying to pretend my car is perfect, because no matter how much hardcore photoshopping I do to it, most of the people on here will still have much smexier ludes than me. LOL! But yeah I definately need to paint the valve cover and heat shield. Also if you look at the pic of my shift knob, you can make out the two prongs of the H logo thats missing on the back. Haha. Just never got around to putting it back on.

[Brash22]

You take some interesting pics mate. Love that one of the filter!

[HondaNeedsBoost]

i like it... i like seeing its auto too...well kinda auto:tongue:

i would cut the shift knob down some and put it back on...so then its really small

all in all...lookd great

[Drew]

my suggestion is this, pick your favorite pics and put them all on ONE post (the first one) and list your mods right under the pics in the same post. that way its organized and easier to view. the pics are a little large also to. but personally 800x600 is probably the biggest you should go. otherwise they are bigger then most peoples screens and become difficult to view. so please fix it. thanks!

[mcimo]

Actually I've thought about trying to retrofit a manual shift boot on it, not to pretend it's a manual, but because I don't have to look at it when I use it anyway. Maybe it would tidy up my console a bit. Any one have any suggestions on wheather it would work or not?

[mcimo]

Good suggestion drew! I'll do it after I finish my HW.

[mcimo]

Ok, I fixed it! It should all be good now. I know the pics are a bit big, but I would have to reupload them all to photobucket to resize them. I need to remember not everyone has a MONSTER monitor like me (24" 1920x1200 Dell Ultrasharp High Color)

[Drew]

thank you for fixing it. and btw.. nice lude. keep her clean and take good care of her and good luck with it.

[mcimo]

Thanks man! So do you happen to know if retrofitting a manual shift boot (just the boot) to the automatic console would work?

[HondaNeedsBoost]

haha actually i was gonan do the same thing but E never sent my chirtsmas thing out:mad:

[mcimo]

Yeah I've been thinking about it for a while. I guess I'll have to take the console out so I can see if theres a way to do it. I dont even want a prelude boot, just a generic one will do. If anyone has any pics of the underside of a 5th gen automatic center console it would be much appreciated. Otherwise I'll have to take mine apart.

[R8GYY]

Nice lude bro...nobodies lude is perfect..everybody who's lude looks nice has spent a serious amount of money on it to make it look like that so dont worry..just brush it up a little and itll be perfect..get some hold H badges, paint your valve cover and your done.

[mcimo]

So what do you guys think of my new shift boot?

[BadMofo]

I think that it's not really my style... HOWEVER, I think it took some real ingenuity to retrofit a shift boot onto something where it never belonged in the first place, and I give you mad props for that! Very clever and creative bro, and it is certainly an improvement over the oem automatic shifter. Also, the craftsmanship on it is very nice, and that is evident from the very close up shot of the boot. Overall, while it's not my style, I would say that you get a 10/10 based on effort, originality, and craftsmanship. Nice job dude.

[mcimo]

Thanks alot dude! It's nice to see someone give an honest critique of something, even if they have a different taste. I'm thinking of doing a writeup for anyone who is interested!

[mcimo]

Alright guys I finally got around to painting my gauge rings silver! Check it out, and please leave a comment on it!

[BadMofo]

Good job bro... now fix those damn O2 sensors and put your CEL bulb back in so you can know when your engine is going to inevitably eventually blow up! :-P

[mcimo]

Haha thanks dude! I spent like 3 or 4 hours doing them making sure they got done right (and so I wouldn't brake anything LOL). I've been wanting to paint em for... well ever since I saw a tutorial on how to do it!

[3rdGenCrazy]

the rings & retrofitted shift boot both look good. but now everybody is gonna think its a manual when they get in & there never gonna see u shift & be like "wtf" :confused: :smashfreakB: lol

[mcimo]

ahh but I do shift! I sportshift LOL!! But yeah thanks alot man! I've gotten a bit obsessed with mods as of late; there is no telling what I might do next!

[Si Speed]

The rings look really good. I realized today how much my speaker cover mod compliments them so they're starting to rub off on me. Good work man.

[thomas97]

couple ideas from the guy who had lotsa rust parts on his 202k mile lude,

take the battery holder, either sand it or throw it and buy a new one.
take the radiator support holders off and spray those after sanding, that bracket holding the tube think sand that baby down and paint her too,

if your keeping the stock header take the shield off and paint her too.
big improvement for so cheap, you did my other mod that was basically free and you saw what a difference it was, i sugest this 10000000000% and ill keep annoying you until its done :wink:

[mcimo]

@Si: Thanks man! I'll be doing your speaker mod (maybe tonight) with the same paint.

@T97: Yeah I'm gonna be doing those sometime when I get the time. But the mod was awesome!!! Thanks alot man.

[thomas97]

no problem, if your going to repaint the valve cover, its in your best intrest to get a vlave cover gasket set, you dont HAVE to but its a good idea,

looks like someone didnt use high enough heat paint on your VC,
anyways, www.partstrain.com is a good site,

oh, you might wanna change your filter by the way lol, go with K&N

[mcimo]

Haha yeah the VC was like that when I got it, along with a bunch of other stuff that was wrong with her. But at least shes working fine now.

[mcimo]

Oh yeah I ripped off the mesh from my speaker covers. I think it looks a helluva lot better! Thanks E!

[R8GYY]

them guage clusters look awesome..i wanna do that too but never get the time of day.

[mcimo]

thanks man! LOL i'm lucky because I'm out of school Teusday and Thursday by 12:00, so that's why I've been obsessing lately! too much time lol.

[mcimo]

Btw I'll be getting some new pics up when I get home from school.

[mcimo]

OK guys, I removed the plastic inserts from the front of my car, and relocated my front liscence plate. What do you guys think?

[edge2lyfe]

My first time over here. Anyway, you fooled me on the shifter, it's looks just like the real deal 5spd...good job! First and foremost mod I would suggest: lowering springs, you'll love the car soo much more. I'm sure someone above has already mentioned that, so sorry for the redundancy. Keep up the good work.

[mcimo]

Actually no one has (except me in my to do list). I sooo want to though! Thats probably going to be the first performance mod I do. Do you have any suggestions on what i should get (I only want to lower probably a max of like 1" to 1.5" we have alot of speed bumps here)? Oh yeah can you explain what coilovers do? I've heard they make your height adjustable, if so, I might consider using them.

[BadMofo]

Coilovers are simply a set of shocks and springs that are bundled together as a single unit. Adjustable coilovers or adjustable shocks more specifically will allow you some control over height/softness of your ride.

[edge2lyfe]

If you don't mind dropping a few bucks then I'd recommened the Tein basic damper system. This is what I'm running. They're ride height adjustable only. The more expensive Tein "SS" kit also have ride quality adjustment by turning a small knob attached to the dampner piston. You should be able to get a 1" drop if you wanted. I have about a 2" drop and you can see in the pic there's plenty of room to go up or down.

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y296/wayneshonda/Misc/dampner.jpg

[mcimo]

So in the end theyre the same thing, and coilovers are just a package deal then right? So if I got lowering springs, I'd also have to buy shocks, but if I got coilovers thats all I'd need right?

Holy poo! I just looked at the tein website for the basic damper system; $750! Don't get me wrong I'd love to get them, but then again I'd love to get a Lamborghini ;)
Lets put it this way: right now I have about $15 in my bank account. I can't even pay for my own gas, my parents have to help me LOL! I'm trying to get a real job that I'll make more than $90 every two weeks haha. When I do, is there a cheaper alternative to that, or would it be better for me to just wait?

Oh yeah I'm leaving to go to Mass now, and when I get back I'll put up the pics of my newly painted heat shield + other random crap. ;)

Alright the pics of painted goodness are up! *this should make you happy thomas97!*

[edge2lyfe]

Where are they?

[mcimo]

First page, they're the last few pics, i think they're the smallest ones. I painted the heat cover, horns, radiator holders, and battery tie.

[HondaNeedsBoost]

looks dope...nice work

[mcimo]

Thanks man!

I gotta get some shiney new bolts though, cause the ones on there are butt ugly LOL makes all my hard work look alot less nice...

[Brash22]

The heat shield and battery clamp look good mate. Makes a surprisingly big difference if you ask me.

[edge2lyfe]

Much better, now get over to Lowes and buy some 8mm x 14 stainless bolts for the heat shield.

[mcimo]

Haha thanx dude I was just about to ask what size they were!
Are there any other important sizes for bolts i should know (for horns, and other random stuff)?

[edge2lyfe]

The radiator brackets take 6mm x 12 bolts, not sure about the horns.

[mcimo]

Haha thanks dude! (I just realized that 2/3s of all my posts start with something like haha thanks dude! lol)
Ill go get me some bolts tomorrow! The next step is to paint my valve cover. Can you give me some pointers on how to take it off, if there is any seal Ill need to replace, etc. Youve been a huge help edge! Rep for j00!

[edge2lyfe]

You really need a factory service manual but luckily you can view the Adobe PDF version that someone posted on this website.

http://www.hondahookup.com/manuals/

Username: preludeaustralia
Password: honda

Anyway, you need to remove the plug cover (4) bolts and pull the spark plugs tube/wires up and out of the way. Disconnect the 2 wires going to the alternator and after that follow the wires up to the VC, you'll see a screw holding the plastic wire protector down (right side front of VC). Once that bolt is out, just lift up the wire protector and out of the way. Then you remove (8) crown nuts holding the VC down. Remove the PCV hose and breather tube also. Yes, you should order a new VC gasket and while you're at order a tube of Honda Bond sealant. Just look at the online manual, you will see. You local dealer can hook you up with the gasket and sealant.

[mcimo]

Definite awesomeness! Seriously, the help you give is unparalleled. Thanx dude.

[thomas97]

paint that valve cover and your good to go, if you need help/advice send me a PM

[mcimo]

Sounds good dude. I was just wondering does anyone happen to have a picture tutorial of it? No worries edge I downloaded the manual, it's just nice to see real pictures too before I go messing up my engine.

[91Si4WS]

she looks good man, looks like you have a nice platform to build on, you already have the SH wheels i see!

[mcimo]

LOL thanks dude! Yeah when I first got her I thought they were what all ludes had, of course that was before I knew very much at all about cars. I wish I had some money, so I could get her lowered *looks for a job*

What do you guys think of these? Are they worth buying?
Lowering coilovers (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/97-98-99-00-01-HONDA-PRELUDE-COILOVER-LOWERING-SPRINGS_W0QQitemZ350023881618QQcmdZViewItem?hash=i tem350023881618)

[BadMofo]

NO!

For the love of God... don't put those on your car lol... 16 dollar lowering springs??? Suspension is not an area where you want to be cheapin out... 16 dollar lowering springs are one helluva way for you and/or your lude to die lol.

[mcimo]

Dude don't worry, it was a joke. Hehe. (I probably could have made it sound a little funnier though, haha! oh well another joke ruined by me)
:smashfreakB:
I wouldn't put those on my car if you paid me! Unless you paid me so much that I could buy some real ones...

[mcimo]

Alright guys I promise I'll be doing a writeup for my retrofitted shift boot mod. I'm pretty sure I've boiled it down to the best way to do it.

[mcimo]

So I was joking about those other springs, but I am actually serious about these, so do you guys think theyre worth it?

Tein S. Lowering Springs (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TEIN-S-TECH-LOWERING-SPRINGS-HONDA-PRELUDE-97-98-99-01_W0QQitemZ110222684208QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item11 0222684208)

[BadMofo]

Tein S. Tech's are great springs... however, buyer beware that ebay is home of many phony tein springs. Make sure you are getting the real thing! If you go to Tein's website, they have a page dedicated to showing you how to spot fakes.

http://www.tein.com/counterfeit/index.html

[mcimo]

Thanks dude. If I were to get them, what kind of shocks do you think I should get that would work well with them (my shocks are horrible, practically shot)?

Also a quick question: My drivers side tire has a leak and I have to refill it every other day. The question is would that throw off my steering, because my car is very slightly pulling to the left. It seems to not be as bad after I fill up my tire, then gets progressivly worse (by just a little) as I keep driving. Thanx guys!

[BadMofo]

That will absolutely affect your steering. Especially if it's your front driver side tire. Sorry, can't really help with what shocks to use... I personally have not upgraded yet, but there is plenty of information over in the stance forum probably.

[mcimo]

Thanks dude! I mean I definately had a feeling that was it, I just wanted to make sure I wouldnt have to spend $50 at honda for a steering realignment.

[BadMofo]

Well, when it comes time to replace your tire, remember to take it someplace that is going to balance the tire correctly, cuz that can cause a slight wobble too.

[mcimo]

Good advice bro!

[mcimo]

Alright guys so the reason my tire was getting low was because I had a nail in it. LOL. At least I don't need new tires haha. But I still have to get them balanced because I think driving around on it for so long being low threw off the balance. Oh well.

Anyways I just ordered about $55 worth of parts for my lude from Majestic Honda. Screws, clips, fasteners, and some parts that were rusted. I'm so excited for them to come. I'll get some new pics up when they come because I also completely debadged her. Completely.

[xiayu]

The paint on mine is just starting to come off, =(

[mcimo]

That sucks dude. Well I guess that just means its time to give your baby a new paint job LOL. Got any pics of her?

Parts have been shipped! Hopefully I'll get them before the meet on Saturday.

[mcimo]

New pic up, old pics gone.

[DEViN]

like it.. little red light behind the stick is very original!

[mcimo]

New pics coming in a little bit.

[mcimo]

Alright guys I just updated and cleaned up the page with some brand spanking new pics. Enjoy and let me know what you think ;)

[prelude24]

mmmmmmmmmmm she looks clean...i cant wait till the warm weather kicks in so i can put on my blades and give her a scrubbin

[mcimo]

Haha I know the feeling... thanks bro

[mcimo]

Update: Added a current pic of my engine bay. Finally put some fresh bolts on the heatshield, and got a new piece that holds one of the pipes. Plus added some extra bolts that were missing.

[mcimo]

Well I just purchased a new K&N High Performance Oil Filter, so that makes today oil change day! I'll try and get some new pics up after I'm done.
Has anyone had good results with the K&N filter?

[PreludeBoy95']

oh yeah..kickass lude

[mcimo]

Well I'm picking up a new VC gasket today which means that I'm finally gonna paint it soon. Finally.

[Drew]

sweet. cant wait for the pics yo.

[HondaNeedsBoost]

it will look dope...im gettin mine painted as well

[00CDMLUDER]

nice lude man! your interior is spotless.

[mcimo]

nice lude man! your interior is spotless.

Haha thanx bro but thats partly due to my 1337 camera skills haha!

But anyways I wasn't able to do my VC yet because I had a 6 page paper to write over the weekend for asstronomy.... bleh. Hopefully this weekend though! Problem is the pollen is hardcore around here now and I'd be afraid of getting any into the engine! And no garage to park in so I'm pretty much screwed.... :frown:

Also, last week I bumped a Jeep while I was parking at school.... Jeep was fine, but (of course) it pushed my bumper back a little and made the turning signal a little loose. Luckily I was able to push the bumper back into position when I got home. I didn't even go to class, I just darted out of there so I wouldn't have to claim insurance haha. The jeep was parked so i wasnt too worried about it. Oh well....

[ImPorTuNeRdJ]

how fast where you going when you hit the jeep, even though if your parking?

[94ludevtec]

nice ride my next car is gonna be a 5th gen of course ill keep my 4th gen though

[SHDude716]

dude very very nice lude

[mcimo]

how fast where you going when you hit the jeep, even though if your parking?

Barely moving. If I had to guess, I'd say about 2 mph. There was no serious damage, it was just more of a scare for me lol