Honda Prelude 2.3 ME edition Prelude disappointment

DanishLuder · Post by **DanishLuder** » Thu Nov 19, 2020 8:28 pm

Hey guys. A nice find and also a deep and heartbreaking warning to you guys.

I've kept quiet for a little while, as I found the red Honda Prelude ME edition that has been for sale in the Netherlands a few years ago.
I recently found an add for it again, while I was scooping around for a rust-free shell that I could import and build my other engine and items on to.
€11.500 was the price. And I had to import it into my country, which would cost me half on top of it. But it would be worth it, since it was in superb condition, so I wouldnt have to worry about rust, and getting a new paintjob as well.

https://www.theparking.eu/used-cars-det ... 15JTQ.html (The add is closed but you can see a rough picture and price).

Well. I contacted the seller, got a response regarding both paperwork and general condition of the car and lots of pictures. I arranged a pickup/look, after a good few phonecalls.
Car was supposedly in superb condition, only 27.000 original kilometers and generally unmodified since it was custom built by Manfred Ernst Honda Dealership back in 1992.

So I spent a good £1000 in arranging transport, insurance and fuel, and I drove there on 18/11-2020 along with my brother, a 800km trip from my small town in Denmark, to Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

What I met:

Car is midly saying, in a lousy state.
Rust, that is quite deep, in both sides of the rear window.
And not even to speak about the door sills and underneath it. Jesus christ, it was literally falling apart. All hidden away by the giant glassfiber parts and sideskirts. Those door panels are utterly and completely rotten.
Well. Pictures speaks a thousand words, and sadly they not do the actual state of the car justice. I was really, really disappointed.

They topped it off, with not being able to find the so-called "paperwork" they had. They spent 30 minutes printing "old" pictures of it on Google Pictures, and handed them to me if as I was a compete moron, and didnt know what car it was.
And they couldnt find the original servicebook, or for that matter, the acutal registration documents, so I wouldnt be able to import it.

So to sum it up. Do not buy this ME edition prelude. KM might be low, but it has been mistreated and it is such a shame. The rot goes deep inside the door panels, and you'd have to cut up all the glassfiber bodypanels to try and fix it. And then theres no real documentation on the car. It looses a lot of its value purely on that aspect.

The car is owned currently by High Speed Tuning B.V. in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Good I only wasted £1000 and 2 days off from my brother and I...... Could have been worse.

Scott560 · Post by **Scott560** » Thu Nov 19, 2020 10:06 pm

What a waste of time - it is so annoying when dishonesty on the sellers part causes this to happen. Shame the lude is in such a bad condition

I was pretty annoyed driving to Wales (3hours) for a friend to look at a CRX, only to get there and find the roof didn't work (despite confirming it did), and the alternator wasn't working at all - they were keen to sell and wrap up the deal in 10 minutes. We would have broken down within 30 mins with a flat battery if we bought it. Still annoyed, petrol and time wasted...

DanishLuder · Post by **DanishLuder** » Fri Nov 20, 2020 5:09 am

Scott560 wrote: ↑
Thu Nov 19, 2020 10:06 pm
What a waste of time - it is so annoying when dishonesty on the sellers part causes this to happen. Shame the lude is in such a bad condition

I was pretty annoyed driving to Wales (3hours) for a friend to look at a CRX, only to get there and find the roof didn't work (despite confirming it did), and the alternator wasn't working at all - they were keen to sell and wrap up the deal in 10 minutes. We would have broken down within 30 mins with a flat battery if we bought it. Still annoyed, petrol and time wasted...

Yes.. indeed a shame. As I can tell, theres only 5 versions of this ME edition.

Atleast it learned me that I cannot trust sellers and must get a Lot more confirmation before I drive somewhere.

toadster · Post by **toadster** » Fri Nov 20, 2020 11:42 am

Lo
Looked so good in the original photograph's.
Really feel for You

Thanks for posting though.
Cheers

Toadster

Post by **Drax** » Fri Nov 20, 2020 12:22 pm

thats really gutting! does no-one else make the kit now i guess? or even a rep?

DanishLuder · Post by **DanishLuder** » Fri Nov 20, 2020 5:00 pm

toadster wrote: ↑
Fri Nov 20, 2020 11:42 am
Lo
Looked so good in the original photograph's.
Really feel for You
Thanks for posting though.
Cheers
Toadster

Yes it did, I was so excited to go.

Definitely dont want anyone to buy it without Knowing the bad things..

DanishLuder · Post by **DanishLuder** » Fri Nov 20, 2020 5:02 pm

Drax wrote: ↑
Fri Nov 20, 2020 12:22 pm
thats really gutting! does no-one else make the kit now i guess? or even a rep?

It was rebuilt by a german Honda Dealer. They modifed both CRX widebody and Preludes. Made both covertible and widebody Preludes. It was quite expensive.

And therefore no real kit or replica excists.

Post by **RattyMcClelland** » Fri Nov 20, 2020 10:36 pm

Lovely looking prelude. Shame they lied.

DanishLuder · Post by **DanishLuder** » Sat Nov 21, 2020 9:31 am

RattyMcClelland wrote: ↑
Fri Nov 20, 2020 10:36 pm
Lovely looking prelude. Shame they lied.

Agreed. I was ready to buy and Everything..