Some of you may be aware I was converting my old BB1 to ATR running gear...
http://www.ludegeneration.co.uk/profile ... 17802.html
Now, my car was never really in great condition and I just wanted a fast 4th gen that I could use for summer as well as winter, without worrying too much about ruining it, so when the cambelt tensioner failed I bought a very rusty ATR for it's guts.
I've been doing the conversion in a half-arsed way for the last few months (I'm more interested in planes than cars at the minute, so been going to airshows rather than motivating myself to go up the yard etc
)I've recently got to the point where I'm nearly ready to put the engine in my car.
Just over a week ago, a mint 4th gen in a good colour came up on eBay and I tried to talk myself out of it. I get sentimental about cars so don't like getting rid...
So the story starts last Thursday, 20 minutes into a night shift, when I won the car on eBay. I'd asked the seller a few things and he couldn't be more helpful, probably the best seller I've ever bought anything from!
Happy days!
So the next day (last Friday) we set off at 2pm expecting to arrive around 6.
Have I mentioned yet that it was running on 3 cylinders and a compression test had shown low compression on a cylinder? Well, it's quite a long drive when you're worried about the imminent failure to proceed....
Mate's S2000, which proved to be a sturdy old chariot for the day. Nearly 1000 miles on Friday as he drove from his Navy submarine base in Plymouth to me in Cheshire, then to Norwich for the Lude and back. Nice one Tom.
We turned up a couple of hours later than planned due to the Friday afternoon traffic (Sorry about that if you're reading, Sonnie...)
I swear it was blue on the pictures
Nothing like a new car collection trip!
Obligatory fuel station shot...
And another one, closer to home...
Due to a stupid diversion that took us 20 minutes back the way we came, and a few much needed coffee stops, we turned in at about 4:30 Saturday morning.
Proving popular with the local Tackle Box immediately...
It drives absolutely stunningly apart from the misfire. Most of the way home I sat at 80mph on cruise control, hardly any wind or tyre noise, no vibrations, no knocks or bangs from the suspension (I don't think I've ever had a car with completely noise-free suspension) and once it was up to speed and cruising, the lack of cylinders/power couldn't be heard or felt. Seriously impressed with it.
Spent Sunday and yesterday (Monday) giving it a bit of a spruce up with Mer polish and Soft99 Fusso wax. I've never been into detailing but I've now started with a fairly mint car and it feels worthwhile!
Today I took it out to a local forest and down some of the back lanes to get some pictures while it's still 100% original.
Very glad to be back behind one of these dashes! So cool!
So yeah, I've bought a minter. It's gotta be up there with some of the cleanest, most original 4th gen VTECs in the country. There's a few pin dents and the odd minor bumper scuff but it really does look showroom condition from a few paces back. Considering it's 21 years old and ticked over to 138,000 miles a few hours ago, its in similar condition to most 3-4 year old cars. The interior is perfect. The only thing is the lack of mats although I've found a full set of JDM mats for £20. I'll be putting my custom home made headliner and pillar trims in it but will store the original stuff for if I ever want to change it back.
Plans:
H22A7 and U2Q7 conversion
5th gen 5 stud hub conversion
High quality coilovers (somebody sell me some. Not £150 ebay specials)
R32 GTR wheels
Dents removed
Custom headliner and pillar trims
And parts from my old Prelude:
Pre facelift headlights, amber corner and bumper lights, nostril grills.
3.6kg Fidanza flywheel
Skunk2 Megapower exhaust
AEM V2 intake
I do feel a bit bad about modifying such a mint, original (it even has the Honda tape player in the dash!) 4th gen, but I've always wanted a mint 4th gen with all the options and the best engine/gearbox setup ever since I got my old one. Therefore I'll be unlikely to ever sell it so I figure I might as well build it to my ideal spec. Either way, it's better than a breaker getting hold of it, or someone that was after a track slag to strip out and abuse. At the price I paid for it, either of these were entirely possible!
Although because it's so mint, I think I'll have to look for a cheap 306/Golf TDI for winter instead of a Prelude
Time to (carefully!) rip it apart!
Thanks for sharing those fab shots of her.
